Animals are fascinating, from bumble bees who help keep plants and flowers alive to the elephants who live in the tropical evergreen forests of Asia and the deserts of Africa. SSE Airtricity are proud sustainability partners of Dublin Zoo and we have teamed up with them to bring you some Amazing Animal Learning Resources and Activities For Kids to explore and have fun with.
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Whether your child has an animal project to complete or wants to learn more about animals, they will love these fun animal facts, animal word search and other animal inspired activities.
With the help of SSE Airtricity and Dublin Zoo we have put together some fun animal learning activities and resources for your child to understand more about animals. In this article you’ll find:
- Animal Facts For Kids + an Animal Quiz they can take (with free downloadable sheets)
- A fun Animal Word Search (free downloadable)
- Two fun Animal Activities you can do at home with downloadable instructions
- An Animal Word Unscramble! (free downloadable)
- Find out how you can watch Live Animal Webcams at Dublin Zoo!
- Join The Eco Explorers Club!
Amazing Animal Learning Resources And Activities
#1. Fun Animal Facts For Kids to Learn
Did you know there are over 400 species of animals living at Dublin Zoo? Many are rare, and their survival in the wild is under threat. We have put together some fun facts about 10 amazing animals that you may not know. Once you have had a read of them, download our quiz sheet to see what you can remember!
1. Panther Chameleons are rainbow coloured lizards who live in the tropical forests of Madagascar. They can change their colours when they are feeling threatened or stressed or to blend in depending on the light or temperature. Find out more facts about Panther Chameleons here and you can also download a free fun Panther Chameleon activity book here.
2. West African Crocodiles are really fast swimmers and can reach speeds of 32 kph. In their lifetime they can have as many as 8000 teeth! If they lose one, it is replaced immediately with a new one! Find out more facts about West African Crocodiles here and you can also download a free fun Croc activity book here.
3. Burmese Pythons are one of the world’s largest snakes and can grow up to 6 metres in length. They have stretchy jaws, enabling them to swallow animals that are up to 5 times as wide as their own heads! Find out more facts about the Burmese Pythons here and you can also download a free fun Burmese Python activity book here.
4. Meerkats live in Southern Africa and mostly eat insects but also eat plants, birds, scorpions, lizards and snakes including some venomous species! Baby Meerkats are called pups and a group of Meerkats are known as a mob, gang or pack! Find out more facts about Meerkats here and you can also download a free fun Meerkat activity book here.
5. There are both Asian and African Lions. You can hear their roar from as far away as 8 kms. Lions are very sociable animals and live in a group called a pride. Find out more facts about Lions here and you can also download a free fun Asian Lion activity book here.
6. Giraffes are the tallest living land animals in the world and can reach heights of over 5 metres when fully grown. Giraffes have blue tongues which don’t sunburn! Find out more facts about Giraffes here and you can also download a free fun Giraffe activity book here.
7. African Elephants are the world’s largest land mammals. They eat for between 14 and 19 hours a day, mainly on grasses, leaves, tree bark and roots. An elephant can produce up to one tonne of poo a week! Find out more facts about Elephants here and you can also download a free fun Asian Elephant activity book here.
8. Hippopotamus, or Hippos as they are more commonly referred to, are one of the heaviest animals on earth and can weigh as much as three and a half tonnes! Surprisingly they are pretty speedy and can reach land speeds of up to 30 kms per hour. Hippos can’t swim or float but they walk along the river bed. Find out more facts about Hippos here and you can also download a free fun Hippo activity book here.
9. Chimpanzees are human’s closest living relative! We share over 98% of the same DNA. Presenting your bottom to another chimp is a sign of respect, letting them know you know they are the boss! Find out more facts about Chimpanzees here and you can also download a free fun Chimpanzee activity book here.
10. Flamingos are best known for their pink feathers, long legs and hooked bills. They sleep standing on one leg. Their knee joints are hidden in their feathers, so the joint you see on their leg is actually their ankle! They are standing on their tippy toes! Find out more facts about Flamingos here and you can also download a free fun Flamingo activity book here.
You can download these 10 Amazing Animals on a Fun Fact Sheet here. Next have a go at our Animal Quiz!
Fun Animal Facts Quiz
Have you been paying attention? Take our fun animal facts quiz based on information in the facts above and see how many facts you can remember (don’t peek!).
Download our animal quiz here and print it out. Now have a go and see how many answers you can get right.
What’s your score? Did you get 100%?
#2. Animal Word Search
Next try our Animal word search. Can you find all the animal associated words in the grid?
Download the Animal Word Search here.
Did you find all the words?
#3. Animal Activities
Penguin Paper Craft
Make this fun penguin, you just need a printer, some scissors, glue and felt tips if you want to personalise it.
Download the instructions and template here.
Animal Art
If your child loves drawing then they might enjoy our Animal Art, we have two beautiful pictures that need completing, one with a lion and one with a wolf. Just print out the template and grab your felt tips!
Download the Animal Art template here.
#4. Animal Word Scramble
Can you unscramble all the “mlinam” related words on our Word Unscramble Exercise?
Download the Animal Word Unscramble here and have fun unscrambling the letters to make real animal words!
#5. Watch Zoo Animals Live!
Get a front row seat to see the antics of your favourite animals live on the webcams installed in Dublin Zoo.
Click here to see the Asian elephants on the Kaziranga Forest Trail where you might be able to catch a glimpse of matriarch Bernhardine, her sister Yasmin, their daughters Asha and Anak. You may also be able to spot some of the calves of the herd too!
Click here to watch the Humboldt penguins eat their lunch at 2:30pm daily or tune in any time to see them do what they do best – swim, waddle, hop and play!
Tune in live to the African Savanna, Dublin Zoo’s largest habitat that is home to giraffes, rhinoceros, ostrich and zebras. Also on this vast expanse, you may even spot a very special species, the scimitar-horned oryx, a species of antelope that is now extinct in the wild.
#6. Eco Explorers Club
Together with their Sustainability Partner Dublin Zoo, SSE Airtricity have launched The Eco Explorers Club, a 10 week brand-new series designed to entertain and educate primary school children and their families alike.
For the next 10 weeks The Eco Explorers Club will explore inspiring educational content hosted on a dedicated hub and across the @SSEAirtricity social channels, giving parents and kids the opportunity to engage with all things sustainability while adjusting to our current lifestyle changes.
Don’t miss out on:
- The Draw with Don Conroy – Art Classes and the Animated video series on Youtube
- Instagram Live Storytelling with Reuben the Entertainer & SSE Airtricity’s Mia Fahey McCarthy
- Imagination Children’s Yoga
- Virtual Eco Explorer Tours at Dublin Zoo.
Join SSE Airtricity on an exploration of our world right from your home and help our little ones on their journey to becoming Eco Warriors of the future.
Over to you now. How did your child get on with the animal activities? Tell us in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you!
About the Author: Michelle
