Children love animals, from the farm, to the garden to their favorite zoo animal. After all, they are amazing. So here are 63 Animal Activities for Preschoolers, for the toddlers and preschoolers who love learning about all of the amazing creatures in our world.
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Animal Activities for Preschoolers
1. African Sunset Shadow Tracing Art
All you need to make this African sunset shadow tracing picture is some sunlight and some plastic zoo animals. This is a fun way to make art while learning a bit of science at the same time.
2. Paper Plate Snail Craft
Make a paper plate snail with your class of young learners. You can also use pom poms or buttons to make the spiral pattern in the middle of the shell and turn this craft into a fine motor activity too.
3. Toilet Roll Giraffe Craft
Older kids will have a lot of fun making this giraffe craft out of paper towel tubes. This is a great activity for children who love wild animals.
4. Paper Plate Lion Craft
Learn how to make a paper plate lion using the spin art technique. This is such a fun way to make one of your favorite animals.
If you’re looking for more ideas before you visit your local zoo, check out these 60 Zoo Animal Crafts for Preschool.
5. Egg Carton Monkey Craft
Save all of your old egg cartons the next time you’re planning animal activities for preschoolers, because you are going to love this egg carton monkey craft. This fun craft is perfect the next time you do an animal theme in your preschool classroom.
6. Craft Stick Monkey Craft
You can make all sorts of different animals out of craft sticks. This popsicle stick monkey is so easy to make and is perfect to use in forest animals themed small worlds.
If you love this idea, then take a look at these other 25 Monkey Crafts for Preschoolers.
7. Zoo Bingo – Free Printable for Kids
I love free printables, and this free zoo bingo printable is a great addition to any moms or teachers collection. Grab your copy and tick off the real animals while you walk around the zoo on your next field trip.
8. Giraffe Sensory Bag
Make a giraffe sensory bag, complete with rainbow spots. Not only is this a fun sensory play idea for babies and toddlers, but pushing the pom poms around will also help them to develop fine motor skills. Better yet. The giraffe picture comes as a free template for you to download and use today.
9. Zebra Sticky Wall
Here is another fun activity for little hands. Young children will have a great time as they give this sticky wall zebra some much needed stripes.
10. Giraffe Sticky Wall
What animal sounds do giraffes make? This is a fun question to explore with kids of all ages while you do this sticky wall giraffe activity.
If you want more fun activities for your preschool themes, take a look at these 61 Zoo Activities for Kids.
11. Muddy Pig Art for Kids
Make a picture in a bag for a great way to make mess-free art with babies and toddlers. This muddy pig art idea comes with a free template for you to use. Then all you need is some brown paint and shaving cream and you’re ready for your next fun art project.
Don’t forget to check out these 20+ Farm Arts and Crafts for kids who love to create different farm animals.
12. Farm Animal Handprint Art Activities for Kids
Here are 10 different Farm animal handprint themed crafts ideas to try. This is a wonderful creative and messy play idea that’s so much fun to try.
13. Farm Animal Shadow Matching Game
Match the various animals to their shadow with this free Farm Animal Shadow Matching Game. This is a fun game to take with you the next time you head out to a restaurant or go on a road trip.
14. Farm Sensory Bin
Get ready for some hands-on fun with this farm themed sensory bin. This is a fantastic sensory table idea for any animal lover.
15. Farm Lacing Cards
Grab your copy of these free Farm lacing cards. Lacing around the pictures of the animals is always one of our favorite animal activities for preschoolers.
Don’t forget to also check out these other 25 Farm Activities for Kids.
16. Fish Handprint Card
You can make animals of all kinds using handprints out of paper or poster paint. This fish handprint card is perfect for Valentines or Fathers day.
17. Butterfly Life Cycle
Learn about the butterfly life cycle with this free printable. This is both a craft and a science activity that will help preschool and kindergarteners learn all about these amazing insects. The free printable comes with a craft template as well as photos and facts about butterflies so you can do some animal science during circle time.
18. Egg Carton Insects
Learn how to make 9 different insects out of old egg cartons. These are some of our favorite animal crafts to do during a Spring or bug theme.
19. Clothespin Bird Craft
Turn wooden clothespins into these cute birds. This craft also comes with a free printable bird spotting book. So you can hide your clothepeg bird craft in the garden and then go looking for them during some bird watching pretend play.
20. Paper Plate Butterfly Craft
Make this colorful butterfly craft out of a paper plate. This is a fun project for kids of all ages, who will love taking their butterflies home to their parents.
21. Bee Cut and Paste Craft
This easy bee cut and paste craft is perfect for Spring or insect themed lesson plans. Grab the free printable template and get bust crafting today.
22. Garden Animal – Home Matching Game
Where do these garden animals live? Draw a line between the insects and their homes in this free printable insect matching game.
23. Insect Movement Dice
Get moving in different ways with the free insect movement dice printable. This is the perfect way for young children to burn off some extra energy.
24. Insects Sensory Bin
Make an insect themed sensory bin with some dried black beans and some plastic animals. This is one of the best ways to explore all the amazing bugs there are, especially if you’re squeamish around real insects.
25. Birds Nest Sensory Bin
This birds nest sensory bin is so easy to put together and can be played with day after day. This is perfect if you’re looking for animal activities for preschoolers that you can do around Spring time.
26. Butterfly Sensory Bin
Fill your next sensory bin with butterflies. This sensory activity is a wonderful way to play if you’re looking for Spring or butterfly themed activities.
27. Frog Pond Sensory Bin
Jump into the frog pond with this sensory tub. This is a fun play idea to go along with the 10 speckled frogs counting song. This is one of my favorite playful learning activities, since counting how many frogs jump into the water helps toddlers and preschoolers learn a bit of math at the same time.
28. Spring Bugs Fine Motor Activity
Do your kids love stickers? Mine sure do, and this insect stickers activity is a fun way to make a garden full of bugs.
While I used cardboard tubes to make a garden, you can also just use a plain sheet of white paper, and let your kids draw their own flowers onto it first.
29. Cut the Grass Activity
I love this cut the grass activity. It’s such a fun way for toddlers and preschoolers to practice scissor skills. This activity also comes with a free printable garden page for you to download and use today.
30. Bee Fine Motor Activity
How and why do bees collect pollen? This play idea is the perfect time to practice fine motor skills while learning about these amazing animals.
Collect the pollen and take it back to the hive in this bee themed fine motor activity, which also doubles as a sensory bin and science lesson.
31. Frog Pond Playdough
Play dough is always one of my favorite preschool activities. Make a frog pond out of playdough and learn about the life cycle of a frog while you do it. This is a wonderful accompanying activity to a frog science lesson.
32. Bunny Silhouette Art
Make this colorful rabbit silhouette picture in your next art class. This is an easy craft project for easter or any animal themed unit.
33. Bunny Sensory Bin
How many eggs can this rabbit eat? This fun Easter bunny sensory activity is also a wonderful way to practice counting and strengthen fine motor skills at the same time.
34. Feed the Bunny Math Game
Here is another activity where you have to feed the bunny. Roll the dice and count how many carrots your rabbit needs to eat. This free printable is perfect for preschool or kindergarten math centers.
35. Feed the Shark Math Game
All of the kids absolutely loved the feed the bunny game. So I made a feed the shark math game for summer curriculums too. I just love how these animal activities for preschoolers teach them counting, numeral recognition, one-to-one correspondence and more.
36. Paper Plate Turtle Craft
Learn about the different habitats that animals live in by exploring the ocean. This paper plate turtle is an easy craft that looks delightful swimming across your classroom wall.
37. Paper Plate Starfish Craft
This has got to be the easiest craft for toddlers and preschoolers to make. Make a starfish out of paper plates and use them for an under the sea theme. It even comes with a free printable starfish template so that preparing these for a whole class will be really fast.
38. Paper Plate Jellyfish Craft
Threading the tentacles of this paper plate jellyfish is also a fantastic fine motor activity for toddlers and preschoolers.
If you’re exploring the ocean with your class, check out these 42 Sea Animal Crafts for Kids.
39. Paper Plate Fish Craft
Use half of a cardboard tube to make the scales on this paper plate fish craft. This craft project is perfect for making any kind of fish, so break out the bright colors and see what amazing creatures your children will come up with.
40. Under the Sea Silhouette Art
What do sea animals look like when you swim underneath them? These ocean animals are silhouetted against the surrounding water in this easy art project for kids. Get the free printable templates to download and use with your class.
41. Rainbow Fish Printable
This simple rainbow fish printable is perfect to use as a craft activity. After reading the classic book ‘The Rainbow Fish’, you kids will love making their very own colorful masterpiece.
42. Shark Bay Sensory Bin
Hide some sharks in this shark themed sensory bin. This sensory activity is perfect for shark week or if you’re learning about the ocean.
43. Octopus Buttoning Activity
Practice buttoning and unbuttoning with this octopus fine motor activity. This is a wonderful way to learn life skills in a playful way.
44. DIY Rainbow Fish Peg Board
Remember that free rainbow fish printable above? Well use it as the base for this color matching rainbow fish peg board. This is a wonderful fine motor activity for toddlers and preschoolers to try.
45. Sea Animals Playdough Mats
I love free animal activities for preschoolers, and these free sea animal playdough mats are one of them. Grab your copy of the 8 animals that live in the ocean and make them out of playdough.
46. Free Jellyfish Mazes Printable
Do your kids love the movie Finding Nemo? Make your way through your own jellyfish maze with this free printable. These mazes are designed for toddlers and preschoolers, who will need to practice their pencil control to find their own path to the turtles.
47. Ocean Playdough Invitation to Play
Make an ocean scene with blue playdough. This is a fun way to explore different animal habitats while using those small ocean animal toys hiding in the toy box.
48. Playdough Hedgehog
This playdough hedgehog can double as a playdough echidna if you change the nose. This spiky animal is perfect for a Fall or Australia theme unit with your preschool or kindergarten class.
49. Playdough Turkey
Use brown playdough and colorful craft feathers to make your own playdough turkey. This is a fun way to celebrate thanksgiving or fall as the weather turns colder.
50. Toilet Roll Stamp Spider
Turn a regular cardboard tube into a spider stamp. This is a fun halloween craft for toddlers and preschoolers to try, they’ll just love making their own spooky spider web pictures.
51. Shape Match Spider
Match the shapes on this spider to give it some legs. This is a simple shape matching activity for young children, perfect for early years math centers.
52. Craft Stick Reindeer Craft
Make your own popsicle stick reindeer craft and listen to it jingle. Its jingle bell nose is perfect as a DIY instrument for kids to use the next time you sing Christmas carols.
53. String Pulled Reindeer Art
Have you tried the pulled string art technique yet? Grab your copy of this free reindeer template and use pulled string to give it some antlers. This is a fun art project for kids to help them get into the holiday spirit.
54. Penguin Math Puzzles
Here’s a bit of zoo math that is perfect for winter time. These penguin math puzzles come as a free printable for you to download and use today. Use them for number-numeral matching and one-to-one correspondence.
55. Paper Cup Penguin Craft
Use paper cups to make any number of animal activities for preschoolers. These paper cup penguins are so quick and easy to make, you can even make a whole set of them and turn it into a penguin bowling game.
56. Polar Animals Sensory Bin
Grab all of your arctic animals and put them in this polar animal themed sensory bin. Kids will love helping the polar bears hide under the snow in this fun sensory tub.
57. What’s In the Snow?
Move the snow aside to find all the animals hiding underneath. The what’s in the snow free printable is available in both A4 and A3 sizes. Just cover it in some salt or fake snow and let the kids explore.
58. Koala Sticky Wall
Make a koala picture as a sticky wall activity for kids. This cute creature will charm everyone with its big ears and bright smile.
59. Australian Animals Sensory Bin
Explore the different plants and animals down under with this Australia themed sensory bin. Let your kids explore some iconic Australian animals, and what animal tracks they make in the red sand.
60. Australia Animals Free Activity Pack
Learn a bit of math with the Australian animals free activity pack. It is a collection of early years math activities for you to download and use.
61. Cheeky Monkey Counting Game
Do you know the song ’10 cheeky monkeys swinging in a tree’? Use this free printable set of monkey to go along with this preschool favorite. It’s a fun way to get kids counting down from 10 – 1 as the crocodile catches the monkeys one by one.
62. Animal Tape Rescue
Grab your collections of toy animals and tape them down using painters tape. Peeling the tape off of the animals is a wonderful fine motor activity for babies and toddlers, who will need to rescue the animals.
Photo: Messy Little Monster
63. Zoo Animal Counting Activity
This is a fun math activity for a zoo animals theme. Count out how many animals need to go into each enclosure by reading the number written on each box. This zoo animal counting activity is a fun way for young kids to make their own zoo.
Photo: The Educators Spin on It
Are you going to try any of these Animal Activities for Preschoolers?
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