Free Zoo Animals Preschool Lesson Plans

Hear the roars, squawks, and hisses! Preschoolers are absolutely enamored by animals, making a zoo animal theme an instant hit. Our free zoo animal preschool lesson plans are tailor-made for these little animal enthusiasts.

The plans are packed with arts and crafts projects, literacy exercises, and math activities that make learning fun and engaging. Plus, there’s an array of playful learning activities that will keep them excited and eager to learn more. It’s all part of our free preschool themes lesson plans collection.

So, let’s unleash the fun and turn your classroom into a vibrant mini-zoo where learning meets play!

With these zoo-themed lesson plans, preschoolers will embark on an adventure that stretches far beyond the classroom walls. By exploring different animals and their habitats, they’ll develop a broader understanding of biodiversity and the importance of conservation.

These lessons also provide a perfect platform for introducing basic math concepts like counting and sorting, using animal-themed activities to make the learning process more engaging. For instance, they might count the stripes on a zebra or sort animals based on their size.

On the literacy front, they’ll expand their vocabulary as they learn the names of different animals and their characteristics.

Furthermore, creating animal-themed arts and crafts will foster their creativity and fine motor skills. In essence, these zoo lesson plans offer a comprehensive, hands-on learning experience that nurtures their curiosity about the natural world.

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Animal Theme Lesson Plan for Preschool

An animal preschool theme covers all animals, from pets to wild creatures and even mythical beings. It offers a variety of topics related to different animals’ habitats, behaviors, and features.

However, a zoo animal theme is narrower, focusing on animals you’d usually find in a zoo like elephants, lions, or monkeys. The lessons and activities are designed around understanding these specific animals, their zoo habitats, and conservation ideas.

Both themes encourage a love for animals, but a zoo animal theme dives deeper into exploring particular species found in zoos. These lesson plans specifically feature zoo animals.

Zoo Animals Lesson Plans for Preschool

When learning about something less tangible like zoo animals, it’s especially important to make your zoo animals activities hands-on. That’s why my Learn At Home Preschool Lesson Plans are filled with arts and crafts, literacy, and math options, plus fun zoo and playful learning activities that engage and excite.

And that’s exactly what you will get with these free zoo animals lesson plans for preschoolers!

Zoo Animal Literacy Activities for Preschoolers

Animal Alphabet Puzzles – Print as many animal alphabet puzzles as you like! Invite your preschooler to match the animal picture card with the corresponding letter.

You can take this activity up a notch and use the puzzle pieces to sort the animals in various ways: animals that you might see at the zoo, animals that are pets, animals that live in the forest, etc.

Or, encourage your preschooler to find the letters in their names and find the animals that begin with those same letters!

Put Me in the Zoo! – Go to YouTube and listen to the story Put Me in the Zoo! by Dr. Seuss. After reading, ask your preschooler if they agree with the ending…should the animal live at the zoo or be a part of the circus? This is excellent oral language development!

Then invite your preschooler to make their very own spotted animal! Using a paper plate and colorful pom-poms or markers, this animal will be very colorful just like the animal in the book. Encourage your preschooler to share their reasons why their animal will live in the zoo or at the circus.

Zoo Books for Preschoolers

One of the best ways to help children understand new concepts is by reading to them. Choose books that have fluid storylines and exceptional pictures.

Here is a zoo animals book list I created for you. They are my recommendations based on the picture books I use with my own preschoolers.

Math and Science Activities for Zoo Animals Theme

It’s a Zoo Counting and Graphing Game – This is a fun printable board game that teaches one-to-one correspondence and graphing. Print the template here and roll the die as you identify and count the zoo animals! There are three different ways to win the game, and endless amounts of fun!

Animal Cracker Counting – Grab some animal crackers and sort/count all the animals into categories. Get creative with the categories: animals that fly, animals that have feathers or fur, animals that are brown, etc. Help your preschooler determine the categories, plus have them re-sort and change it up!

Giraffe Science Experiment – Using watercolor paints, paintbrushes, and paper towels, re-create giraffe spots! It’s simple to set up and your preschooler will want to do it again and again! Remind your preschoolers that each giraffe is unique and special just like each one of us. No two giraffes have the same pattern!

Build a Zoo STEM Activity – Using paper towel tubes and some creativity, this building activity is great for challenging your little one to make interesting habitats, cages, paths, and plans for their animals. Encourage your budding engineer with this clever activity with endless possibilities and imagination!

Zoo Theme Toys for Preschoolers

Adding some zoo themed manipulatives or zoo themed counters makes learning all the more fun. Don’t forget about animal puppets and stuffed animals, too.

Fun Zoo Activities for Preschoolers

Sponge Squeeze – Grab some sponges of all sizes, washcloths/towels, and two buckets – one filled with water and one empty. Practice squeezing and transferring the water to the other bucket.

This is great for hand coordination and building strength! Add some plastic zoo animals and pretend to wash them.

Paper Tunnels – Make paper tunnels in a snap with this simple activity! Use zoo animals, cars, or Legos to make it even more interesting. Encourage your preschooler to drive their cars through the tunnels and head to the zoo!

Animal Dance and Freeze – Play this Animal Dance and Freeze song and copy the movements and dance along! After the song is over, make animal sounds and practice being in a zoo.

Are you in a cage? Are you slithering like a snake? Are you splashing in the water like a hippo?

Social-Emotional Activities for a Zoo Animals Preschool Theme

My Heart is Like a Zoo – Go to YouTube and listen to the book My Heart is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall. As you’re listening, talk about some of the big, new words in this story. What does it mean to be bothered? Snappy? Thoughtful?

We feel all those emotions often and sometimes in big ways. It helps to know that others feel the same way that we feel and they are just emotions/feelings that pass and change.

Animal Emotion Clip Cards – Interact with all sorts of emotions with these animal emotion clip cards. Simply download this printable activity and clip! You will need a clothespin for your preschooler to clip the matching animal that is feeling the same emotion.

These clip cards are a great way to encourage conversation around some of these overwhelming feelings like worry and anger.

Role-playing scenarios and possible strategies/solutions to these feelings is a helpful way to teach your preschooler how to manage these emotions more independently. Plus it’s fun to practice with these zany zoo animals!

Zoo Theme Preschool Lesson Plans

When lesson planning, don’t forget things like dramatic play, fun snacks, and arts and crafts.

Zoo Dramatic Play – Grab some play animals (stuffed or plastic) and set up your very own zoo. As the zookeeper, it’s your job to feed, wash, and care for the animals.

Encourage problem-solving like when an animal is sick and needs care, or all the animals need dinner. Great job, zookeeper!

Zoo Snack Activity – Make a zoo-themed snack! From elephants to giraffes, monkeys to zebras, these fun snack ideas are a hit that will build your preschooler’s confidence in the kitchen and have them taste-testing new things!

Feed the Polar Bears – Upcycle that old tissue box and feed the bears! Print these shape cards and practice your colors and shapes as you feed that hungry polar bear. Use the bear for counting goldfish or candy fish, too!

Online Books About the Zoo

Online Story – Go to YouTube and listen to the book Never Ever Shout in a Zoo by Karma Wilson. After reading this story, ask your preschooler to tell you what happens at the beginning of the story.

Once the little girl shouts, ruckus ensues! What happens at the end of the story when she shouts again? Using pictures as clues is a great way to figure out what is happening in the story.

Visit the Zoo – Can’t get to the zoo? No problem! Take a virtual field trip and join a group of preschoolers for a day at the zoo.

Let’s Go to the Zoo Video – Learn about all the animals of the zoo and move as they do!

Get Your FREE Zoo Animals Lesson Plans Here

Want to include these zoo animals activities in your lesson plans? No problem. I’ve made a printable for you. Just click the image below!

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