Story Time: Watch and Listen
Teaching artist Abner Genece Reads us Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo.
Zoo Animal Song
Babies to Elementary School
One of the reasons we love children’s songs is that the lyrics can be so adaptable to fit any theme or subject. We suggest adapting “The Wheels on the Bus” to be all about animals at the zoo. Some fun verses could include:
- The lion at the zoo goes “Roar, roar, roar”
- The monkey at the zoo goes “Ooo, Ooo, Ooo“
- The elephant at the zoo goes “Wooooooooo” (and yes, that’s the best way we can figure out how to write out an elephant noise!”
Use whatever animals you’d like as you sing along with the Wheels on the Bus melody – your kiddos are sure to catch on quickly.
Washing Station Sensory Play
Babies to Preschool
Sensory play is a great way to keep young children engaged, and this sensory play activity uses two of the things little kids love to play with the most: dirt and water!
This post uses farm animal figurines and potting soil, but you can adapt this activity to use whatever you have around the house: blocks covered in a flour and water paste, mini-dinosaurs and shaving cream, etc.
Whatever you use, your kids are sure to have a blast!
Animal Yoga
Toddler and Older
There are so many reasons that yoga is good for children, from mindfulness practice to engaging your body in healthy movement. Make your yoga time even more fun for your kids with these animal yoga poses. Find a more in-depth option with these animal yoga pose cards here. Once you try those out, have your little(s) come up with some poses of their own.
Animal Adaptations Science
Preschool through Middle School
This blog post features a list of great science experiments to help children learn about the way that animals adapt to their natural environment, from exploring why whales having lots of blubber to why birds have many different types of beaks.
Playlist
Listen to some of our favorite music about animals.