Zoo theme activities for teaching and learning about zoo animals in preschool, pre-k, or kindergarten.
Zoo Books
You can find my favorite books about the zoo HERE.
Zoo Literacy Activities
Zoo Syllables
Students identify the number of syllables in each picture. This activity is available in the Zoo Literacy Packet located in the printables section below and includes a black and white recording sheet.
Monkey Rhyming Game
This super fun game can be played in a large group and is available in both black and white and color. Students take turns “reading” their cards and finding their rhyming partner. This activity is available in the Zoo Literacy Packet located in the printables section below.
Alligator Alphabet Identification Game
This activity includes both upper and lower case versions in black and white or color. Students will take turns drawing a card, identifying the letter, and marking it on their recording sheet. When the Snap! card is drawn all the students can snap their arms like an alligator’s mouth. This activity also includes two recording sheets, one for uppercase letters and one for lowercase letters and is available in the Zoo Literacy Packet located in the printables section below.
Zoo Beginning Sounds
Students identify the beginning sound of each picture and attach a clothespins with the corresponding letter. There is also a black and white recording sheet included with this activity. The beginning sounds activity is available in the Zoo Literacy Packet located in the printables section below.
Zoo Pocket Chart
The predictable text in this pocket chart set will help your students learn concepts of print such as left to right directionality, return sweep, one-to-one correspondence, and more. This activity is available in the Zoo Literacy Packet located in the printables section below.
Zoo Word Cards
These printable word cards can be placed in a pocket chart or on a word wall and used to expand vocabulary; they are available in the Zoo Literacy Packet in the printables section below.
Zoo Word Charts
Available in both black and white and color, these printable word charts can be found in the Zoo Literacy Packet available in the printables section below.
Zoo Emergent Reader
The predictable text in this book is designed to support your emergent readers. Use this book to reinforce concepts of print such as words are separated by spaces, left to right and top to bottom, written words match spoken words, common sight words, and more. This easy to assemble emergent reader is available in the Zoo Literacy Packet located in the printables section below.
Zoo Read and Write around the Room
This fun read and write around the room activity is available in the Zoo Literacy Packet located in the printables section below.
Zoo Math Activities
Zoo Graph
This graphing activity is available in the Zoo Math Packet located in the printables section below.
Zoo Counting Book
This easy to assemble book helps reinforce number sense and counting. The Zoo Counting Book is available in the Zoo Math Packet located in the printables section below.
Zoo Patterns
The printable zoo pattern activity can be found in the Zoo Math Packet available in the printables section below.
Zoo Races
Help the animals escape from the zoo! Available in the Zoo Math Packet located in the printables section below, this activity will help build number sense and one to one correspondence. Students will roll a die and move their playing piece towards the zoo exit sign.
Monkey Board Game
Your students will love this printable board game available in the Zoo Math Packet below.
Lion Number Identification Game
Your students will love roaring like a lion with this fun number identification game! The Lion Number Identification game can be played using numbers 0-10 or numbers 0-20 depending on your student’s ability levels. The playing cards are available in black and white and color for your convenience. Also included are two printable recording sheets in black and white, one for each version of the game. This activity is located in the Zoo Math Packet in the printables section below.
Zoo Play Dough Counting Mats
Your students will develop fine motor and counting skills at the same time while having fun! These printable play dough counting mats are available in the Zoo Math Packet below.
Zoo Counting 1-5 {Free Template}
Setting: Small Group, Math Centers
Materials: 1-5 counting grid- one per child (available in free printables section below), zoo stickers or stamps
Directions: Give each child in the small group a counting grid sheet. Place the zoo stickers or stamps in the center of the table in a container so all students can easily reach them. The students will place the correct number of stickers or stamps next to each number on the counting grid.
Zoo Patterns {Free Template}
Setting: Small Group, Math Centers
Objective: Patterning
Materials: Patterning grid- one per child (available in free printables section below), zoo stickers or stamps
Directions: Give each child in the small group one patterning grid. Place the zoo stickers or stamps in the center of the table in a container so all students can easily reach them. The students will use the stickers or stamps to create a pattern on the grid.
Printable Monkey Grid Game
Help young children build number sense with this fun, printable monkey grid game. This game is available in the Building Number Sense with Grid Games packet.
Zoo Number Book {Free Template}
Setting: Small Group, Math Centers
Objective: Integrate math and literacy. Number identification, number sense
Materials: zoo stickers or stamps, one pre-assembled Zoo booklet per child, available in free printables section below
Directions: Place the stickers or stamps in the center of the table in a basket or container so all students can easily reach them. The students identify the number in each sentence and using their knowledge of number identification, letter sounds, and sight words they are to determine which zoo animals to stamp on each page.
Zoo Roll ‘N Stamp {Free}
Setting: Small Group, Math Centers
Objectives: Number recognition, number sense, one-to-one
Materials: foam die, 1-6 animal recording sheet (see free printables section below), Orange and Yellow Do-A-Dot markers (see resources section below)
Directions: Students take turns rolling the die, identifying the corresponding number on their paper and stamping the animal with that number with an orange or yellow Do-A-Dot marker.
Fun Zoo Activities
Torn Paper Tiger
Materials: orange construction paper, black construction paper, glue, crayons
Give the students orange paper and have them tear a rectangular body and square head, four legs, a tail, and two ears. Next, use black paper and have the students tear it to make the tiger’s stripes. Students glue the “stripes” on the tiger and add facial features with crayons. This is a fantastic fine motor activity.
Animal Cracker Book
Materials: empty animal cracker box, crayons, copy paper, yarn or ribbon (or your preferred method of binding)
Using an empty animal cracker box, cut the front and back of the box off to create the cover for your book. You can make a mini-book using a small animal cracker box, or a larger book using a larger box. Cut your copy paper to the same size as the box. Give each student one sheet of paper and have them draw a picture of what they would like to see at the zoo. Place all the drawings in between the two pieces of the animal cracker box and bind using your preferred method along one side.
Favorite Zoo Animal Graph
Materials: chart paper, crayons or markers, Xerox copies of favorite book covers.
Xerox the covers of several favorite zoo books that you have read during your zoo unit. Shrink them to size, cut, and glue to the top of a piece of chart paper. Have the students write their name with markers under their favorite story. Use the results to discuss “more or less” and other math related concepts.
Paper Plate Lions
Materials: paper plates, yellow yarn, glue, crayons.
Have students color their paper plates yellow with crayons and add facial features. Next, glue yellow yarn around the edges of the plate.
Bingo Marker Giraffe
Materials: giraffe shape, yellow construction paper, permanent marker, bingo dot markers, scissors, crayons.
Trace a giraffe shape onto yellow construction paper with a permanent marker. Next, allow the students to add the giraffe’s spots using the bingo markers. When finished they can cut out the giraffe shapes and add facial features with crayons.
Masking Tape Zebra
Materials: Horse shape, permanent marker, black paint, thin paint brushes, white paper, black yarn, wiggly eyes, glue.
Trace a horse shape with a permanent marker on white paper. Students can paint black stripes on the zebra with the thin paint brushes. Glue on black yarn for a tail and add the wiggly eye.
Zoo Printables
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Free Zoo Printables
Zoo Counting Book {FREE}
1-5 Counting Grid {FREE}
Pattern Strips {FREE}
Zoo Roll ‘N Stamp {FREE}
Zoo Links
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