Hello my Omschooligans! As a special needs Montessori educator and homeschool mom and now Teacher Omi (grandma) I'm always looking for ways to make learning interactive and fun. I've been enjoying summertime with my grandchildren (13!) We all love animals of all different kinds and also enjoy playing animal themed games. I've created some elementary and preschool science activities to explore animal habitats and animal classification (also called taxonomy). You are free to use these free printable animal classifications lesson plans in any non-profit education setting.

Lesson Plan: Animal Classification & Habitats 😻🐶🐘

Prepared by: Teacher Omi

Overview

An interactive, hands-on activity using animal collections (stuffed, plastic, or pictures) to teach taxonomy and biomes. Designed for preschool and elementary students.

Materials Needed

Animal Collection: Stuffed animals, plastic toys, or cut-outs from magazines (e.g., National Geographic, Big Back Yard, Ranger Rick).
- Note: Real animals only (no imaginary creatures/cartoons).
Game Board: A large Bingo board created on the floor using masking tape (each square approximately 8x12 inches).
Category Signs: Recycled cardboard signs labeled for each classification or habitat.
Markers: Bingo markers or tokens for students.
Optional: Word cards or picture flashcards for older students.

Part 1: Animal Classification Bingo

Objective: Teach early childhood students the basics of animal taxonomy.

Part 2: Habitats (Biomes) Bingo

Objective: Explore where different animals live.

Gameplay Instructions

Set Up: Arrange the large Bingo board on the floor. Label the squares with your chosen category signs.
Engagement:
- Option A (Active): Call out a category. Have students choose a toy animal from the collection and place it in the correct category box on the floor.
- Option B (Individual): Give each student a blank bingo sheet labeled with the categories or habitats. As you call out a category, students place a marker on their sheet if they have an animal matching that classification.
Discussion: Encourage students to learn from one another. Use this time to facilitate group discussion about why specific animals fit into certain categories or habitats.

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Using stuffed animals makes for more hands-on preschool science activities and more fun for kids. It was pretty cute to see Pooh bear sitting in the Eastern Woodland habitats category and our stuffed Very Hungry Caterpillar in Insects. Even our cat got in on the game when our oldest daughter got the bright idea to plop him in the Mammal category!🐾

And you know Teacher Omi! We must have our bibliography of children's books to accompany our lesson plans! So why not use those wonderful books? My grandson Emmett recommends these, particularly The Clumsy Click Beetle!

Collaborations (Bill Martin Jr. & Eric Carle)

These "Bear" books are famous for their rhythmic, call-and-response text and Carle's signature collage illustrations.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (1967) – The classic that launched their partnership, introducing children to animals and colors.
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? (1992) – A companion book that focuses on zoo animals and the sounds they make.
Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? (2003) – Features endangered animals and concludes with a dream of them living "wild and free".
Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See? (2007) – Focuses on North American animals, following the same beloved cadence and format.

Animal-Themed Books by Eric Carle

Eric Carle authored and illustrated many classic animal-themed picture books that are staples for early childhood education.

1, 2, 3 to the Zoo (1968) – A wordless counting book featuring animals on a train.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar (1969) – The classic tale of a caterpillar's journey to becoming a butterfly.
Do You Want to Be My Friend? (1971) – A nearly wordless book about a little mouse searching for a friend.
The Grouchy Ladybug (1977) – A story about a grumpy ladybug who challenges various animals to a fight.
The Very Busy Spider (1984) – A determined spider works on her web despite distractions from farm animals.
The Very Quiet Cricket (1990) – A story featuring a cricket searching for a song.
The Very Lonely Firefly (1995) – A firefly journeys through the night to find its friends.
From Head to Toe (1997) – An interactive book encouraging children to move like different animals.
The Very Clumsy Click Beetle (1999) – Part of the "Very" series, featuring a beetle learning to flip.
Have You Seen My Cat? (1973) – A young boy travels the world in search of his missing cat.
Mister Seahorse (2004) – Explores aquatic life as a seahorse cares for his eggs.

Animal themed snacks

Kids will be hungry after their games and animal lessons. So what better way to accompany animal story time than with some ?

🐛 Very Hungry Caterpillar Fruit Skewers

Ingredients: Green grapes, blueberries, blackberries, purple grapes and one strawberry (for the head).

Steps: Slide grapes onto a wooden skewer. Add the strawberry at the end. Use a little cream cheese or icing to "glue" on chocolate chip eyes!

🐻 Brown Bear Toast

Ingredients: Bread, peanut butter (or sunflower butter), banana slices, blueberries.

Steps: Toast the bread and spread with butter. Add two banana slices for ears and one for the snout. Use blueberries for eyes and the nose!

🐱 "Have You Seen My Cat?" Crackers

Ingredients: Round crackers, cream cheese, cucumber slices, olives.

Steps: Spread cream cheese on a cracker. Use cucumber slices for ears, and cut small olive pieces for eyes and a nose. Don't forget to use chives or thin veggie strips for whiskers!

🦋 Beautiful Butterfly Bags

Ingredients: Ziploc snack bags, clothespins, goldfish crackers or grapes.

Steps: Fill the bag halfway with snacks. Pinch the center of the bag with a clothespin to create "wings." Decorate the clothespin (the body) with markers or googly eyes!

And now for the recycle bin craft projects!

Round out our Book Bags (book-based activities, games and snacks) here are some crafts to make!

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♻️ Omschool Recycled Animal Crafts

Turn your household "trash" into educational treasures! Here are a few favorite ways we reuse materials to explore the animal kingdom:

🎨 Cardboard Tube Critters: Transform toilet paper rolls into binoculars for bird watching or colorful jungle snakes.
📦 Egg Carton Caterpillars: A perfect craft to pair with The Very Hungry Caterpillar!
🥛 Milk Jug Masks: Cut and paint them to look like your favorite forest animals.

Happy crafting, little ones!

Free Printable Lesson Plans

Animal themed games, crafts, snacks and kids books: free printable animal habitat and taxonomy lesson plans