I’m excited to share our latest subscriber freebie with you. It has a zoo theme, and it’s been expanded to cover more concepts and a wider age range! In addition to our new Montessori-inspired zoo pack, I have a special instant download from The Montessori Company and a list of free zoo printables!
Free Printables Used in the Pictured Zoo Activities for Preschoolers-First Graders
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links (at no cost to you).
Shelves with Zoo-Themed Activities
My shelves with zoo-themed activities include a free hand-painted printable zoo culture card designed by The Montessori Company. You’ll also find Montessori-inspired zoo numbers and letters (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber)
The books on my top shelf are all Montessori friendly. They’re Zoo by Gail Gibbons, Life-Size Zoo, More Life-Size Zoo, and A Children’s Zoo. My 3-year-old granddaughter, Zoey, especially loves Life-Size Zoo and More Life-Size Zoo. Another favorite zoo book that she’s loved for a long time is One Gorilla (a Montessori-friendly counting book with fascinating realistic pictures. It’s in our book basket).
I also have a handmade book: Little Letter “Z” Book on the middle shelf. It uses a free printable: Little Letter “Z” Book from The Measured Mom. Check out my “Simple Easily Rotated Activity to Teach Letter Sounds to Toddlers and Preschoolers” to learn how we use these letter books, which Zoey loves.
You could mix your zoo-themed activities among your shelves according to curriculum area. Or you could have a special zoo area something like the one pictured. My shelves this month have a mixture of skill levels, although they’re mainly for 3-5 year old pre-readers.
You’ll find a couple of more advanced activities below. If you’re a homeschooler, just choose the activities that work for your child’s interests and ability levels. If you don’t have room for all the activities you’d like to do, just rotate them.
Zoo Culture Card (on Shelf with Life-Size Zoo and More Life-Size Zoo Books)
I’m happy to share with you a beautiful hand-painted zoo culture card from The Montessori Company. You can use it on your shelves to introduce a zoo theme. I’m hosting the free printable as an instant download at Living Montessori Now. You can always access the free zoo culture card here.
The description says: “At the zoo we can learn about animals from all across the world and see them up close safely.”
Animal Pattern Matching
Free Printable: Animal Patterns from Mumma Diaries
For this activity, I simply used a Montessori Services basket with the printables – super easy! I did omit the cow and ladybug patterns because of the zoo theme.
For a toddler, it would be wonderful to use this activity with large Schleich animals or Safari Ltd. animals to match each of the patterns.
Wildlife “I Have, Who Has” Game
Free Printable: Wildlife “I Have, Who Has” Game from PreKinders
This was another super-easy activity to prepare. I just used the printable along with a Montessori Services basket. Games like this can be a fun way for children to work together at home or in a classroom.
Subtract the Animals at the Zoo
Free Printable: Zoo Pack Update (part 5) from 3 Dinosaurs. There are also printables for counting the zoo animals (perfect for younger children), adding the zoo animals, and greater than/less than in the pack. For multiple ages, you could have more than one of the printables on the tray.
For this activity, I used the subtract the animals printable, 10 animals from the Safari Ltd. Wild TOOB, a Montessori Services basket for the animals, and a small bamboo condiment cup for the numbers.
Zoo-Themed Teen Number Cards with Montessori Bead Bars
Free Printable: Zoo Animal Numbers (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber)
For this activity, I used a piece of felt for a table mat and bead bars from the decanomial box in a Montessori Services basket. (My bead bars, which I love, are from Alison’s Montessori. You can get them on Amazon, although I haven’t personally used materials from those companies.)
You could make this into a game by placing the number cards in a stack upside down. Then the child draws a number card and matches the bead bars.
This is a great extension for children who are working on place value using Montessori bead materials.
Letter Z Object Basket with Mystery Bag and Blindfold
Free Printables: Zebra Letters for Letter Z Object Basket (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber)
I used the “z” sandpaper letter, another tactile letter “z,” a magnetic letter “z,” a sandpaper numeral 0, a zebra, a zipper, and a laminated photo of Zoey for the/z/ sound. Zoey has so much fun with this activity!
Using Letter Z Objects with Mystery Bag and Blindfold
If you’d like ideas for teaching phonics, check out my DIY Beginning Montessori Phonics post.
We used a Montessori mystery bag and blindfold for interest and to work on the stereognostic sense. I got the basket, mystery bag, and blindfold from Montessori Services.
Zoo-Themed Beginning Sounds and Word Building
Free Printable: Zoo Pack Update (part 6) from 3 Dinosaurs
Free Printable: My 1″ Movable Alphabet (instant download available in manuscript, D’Nealian, or cursive)
For this activity, I used a Montessori Services basket and a small bamboo condiment cup for the letters. This is a fun hands-on way to focus on beginning sounds and word building.
I cut out 4 of the easiest words to build. After simply identifying the beginning sound for each picture, the child will have built a word!
Vertebrate Classification with Safari Ltd. Figures
Free Printable: We’re Going to the Zoo Unit Study and Lapbook by Ami Brainerd at Homeschool Share
For this activity, I used a multicraft tray, the pieces from the printable cut apart, and 5 different types of vertebrates. I used figures from the Safari Ltd. Rainforest TOOB plus a fish from the Safari Ltd. Rainforest TOOB.
Older children could have a number of different species to match while younger children can match figures such as the ones pictured that are obvious matches although not necessarily the same type of fish, bird, etc.
Zoey really loved this activity and enjoyed having me read the different attributes of each classification.
Zoo Creative Writing
Free Printable: Zoo Creative Writing Printables (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber)
For this activity, I used a multicraft tray, the printables, a pencil, and a pencil sharpener for an added practical life activity. Advanced preschoolers on up can write their own story, while younger preschoolers can dictate a story for you to write. They could use the “Tell about your favorite zoo animal,” or “Tell about your trip to the zoo,” after a zoo trip.
Free Zoo Printables for Preschoolers-First Graders
Montessori-Inspired Zoo Pack for DIY Cards and Counters, Number or Letter Matching, Number or Letter Basket, Bead Bar Work, Hands-on Math Operations, Number or Letter Salt/Sand Writing Tray, Letter Tracing, DIY Movable Alphabet, and Creative Writing (subscriber freebie, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password – or check your inbox if you’re already a subscriber)
The links are for free zoo printables for preschoolers through 1st graders. To keep my list manageable, I don’t share coloring pages unless a page has a specific educational purpose related to zoos and zoo animals.
- Montessori Animal Printables at Montessori Print Shop
- Zoo Animal Photo Cards from Z to Z Teacher Stuff
- Zoo Theme Printables from A to Z Teacher Stuff
- Zoo Pack from 3 Dinosaurs
- Zoo Animals Bundle from Happy and Blessed Home
- Zoo Printable from Encouraging Moms at Home
- Zoo Animal Letter Sorting and Classifying by Attributes from Kidssoup
- Z is for Zoo Animals from Teaching Mama
- My Trip to the Zoo Booklet from Teaching Mama
- Zoo Field Trip Animal Reports from 123 Homeschool 4 Me
- 17 Zoo Scavenger Hunts from 123 Homeschool 4 Me
- Zoo Bingo from Mom It Forward
- Rainforest Printables from 1+1+1=1
- Zoo Printables from Teachers Pay Teachers
More Zoo Posts and Resources
- Montessori-Inspired Zoo Animal Activities
- Montessori-Inspired Zoo Animal Unit
- Farm, Zoo, & Ocean Animal Sensory Bottles for Babies and Toddlers
- Using the Montessori 3-Period Lesson to Teach Vocabulary to a Toddler
- Montessori-Inspired Toddler Vocabulary with Animals and Silhouettes
- Free Zoo Printables and Montessori-Inspired Zoo Activities
- Easy-to-Prepare Animals of the Continents Activity
- Free Zoo Animal Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Free Zoo Animal Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Simple African Animal and Continent Map Cut-and-Paste Activity {Free Printables}
- Extending Montessori Animals of the Continents Work
- Free Endangered Animal Songs and Educational Videos {Save the Animals}
- Montessori Vertebrate Resources for Preschool Through Elementary
- Zoo Animal Unit Study Pinterest Board
Learn more about my eBook Montessori at Home or School: How to. Teach Grace and Courtesy!
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