Zoo Themed Activities for Kids

I read that July 1 is American Zoo Day, but any time is a good time to talk about, learn about and act like zoo animals. Even if a visit to an actual zoo isn’t in your plan for this year, having a zoo day or zoo week at home or at school is a fun way to mix things up and incorporate some animal-related fun.

There are so many great ideas out there for things you can do with kids related to zoo animals, but here are a bunch to get you started!

First, check out a live cam from a zoo so kids can see some of these animals firsthand. The San Diego Zoo has a bunch of great streams, from penguins to hippos to burrowing owls.

Zoo-Themed Printables

I Spy Zoo Animals Printable – Mrs. Merry
Printable Animal Masks – Preschool Play and Learn
Zoo Bingo – Deceptively Educational
Zoo Animals Color by Number Worksheets – Kindergarten Worksheets and Games
Zoo Animals Word Search – Crayons and Cravings
Printable Safari Matching Cards – The Purposeful Nest
Zoo Pretend Play Printables – 123 Homeschool 4 Me

Books and Activities

Check out Pockets of Preschool’s list of 21 zoo themed books for little learners, then find a craft or activity to go with them.

Read Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell, talk about the kinds of zoo animals you might want as a pet and make a super cute monkey snack and other simple craft ideas from Littles Love Learning.

Here’s a writing activity from ABCs of Literacy to go with If I Ran the Zoo. Or have kids design their own animal with this activity from Classy Kinders.

More Ideas

Need more ideas for zoo-themed activities? Natural Beach Living has an A-Z roundup of letter of the week animal crafts (not all are zoo animals), while Happy Toddler Playtime has a great list of sensory bins, animal activities, crafts and more.

Don’t miss the giraffe science experiment from Preschool Powol Packets, or all the zoo animal crafts collected at I Heart Crafty Things.

Remembrance Day (marked as Veterans Day in the United States) is Nov. 11, and it marks the end of hostilities in World War I. Poppies are a traditional symbol of the day because it is said they were the first flower to grow again on the battlefields, which inspired a famous poem. Let’s check out some poppy crafts you can make with your kids as part of a World War I unit or for Remembrance Day.

This pretty poppy craft from Krokotak just requires the printable, some crayons, scissors and glue. The printable includes the center of the flower and kids can draw the outside as well as adding stem.

Glued to My Crafts has a printable for a torn paper poppy, or you could color or paint this one as well.

Use torn or cut pieces of paper to make these poppy suncatchers from Red Ted Art.

Happy Hooligans has a bunch of great poppy crafts but I particularly like the painted rocks and easy paper plate poppy.

Crafty Morning has a cute poppy craft made with fingerprints, which is quick and easy to do with kids of any age.

Older kids and adults can make these folded paper poppies from Chica and Jo, but they do involve hot glue and floral wire, which can be sharp, so it’s not for young kids. An easier paper poppy that only calls for regular craft glue can be found at Sugar Spice and Glitter. This one also has a printable template to make it easier.

These felt poppies from One Little Project also use a glue gun and a sewing needle, but they’re so pretty I couldn’t resist sharing them for older kids. Add a pipe cleaner stem or turn them into pins to wear for remembrance events. Check out their coffee filter poppy craft for a great option for younger kids.

Zoo-Themed Printables

Books and Activities

More Ideas

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