— By Julie Hodos on March 9, 2025

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These zoo activities for preschoolers are all play based so that your 3-5 year old will get the most out of their time. From playing games to going on a safari your child will learn about the different animals who live here on earth.

The following zoo activities for preschoolers are all from a week of preschool lessons themed around Zz is for Zebra. This week of learning includes the activity instructions for the following list, book suggestions for the week, coloring pages, and the free printables. Check it out at the button below.

Books to read before doing zoo activities for preschoolers.

Everyday this week we begin our morning with zebra themed books. We have a couple and I was able to find others at our library. The following three are wonderful reads and I highly recommend: Lots and Lots of Zebra Stripes by Stephen R. Swinburne, On Beyond Zebra! by Dr. Seuss, and Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin Jr/ Eric Carle.

Lots and Lots of Zebra Stripes is a wonderful look at art and patterns in the natural world. While the other two books are whimsical. So any of these books you can’t go wrong. On Beyond Zebra! is not widely distributed anymore so it may take a bit of searching. For the full Zz is for Zebra book list check out the curriculum.

A sample schedule for teaching zoo activities for preschoolers.

Monday highlight: backyard safari

Most Mondays we usually only introduce the new letter, in this case, Zz. Sometimes though I make an exception and today was that. We began by reading books about zebras. Then I introduce the new letter to my 4 year old, Mick. I do this with his Alphabet Wall Display. 

Alphabet Wall Displays

There are many options that include a caterpillar, squirrel, airplane, and more for you to choose from. My 4 year old has the train wall display. He traces the uppercase and lowercase letters and then gets to hang it on the wall next to Yy. This week was a big week because he completed his alphabet train!

The alphabet wall displays are a fun way to track your child’s progress as they learn the alphabet. Your child will be excited to show others their alphabet on the wall. It’s also great for alphabet review games.

Backyard safari

This is such a fun and simple activity. I set up various toy animals found in the grasslands, including zebras. Then my 4 year old gets to go on a safari. It becomes a game of hide-and-seek, who can find the zebra first. We also enjoy using homemade binoculars on safari. You can check out how to make one with your preschooler here. 

Tuesday highlight: life cycle of a zebra

Today began with reading and a review of all the letters of the alphabet with our wooden alphabet puzzle. Then it was time to learn about the life cycle of a zebra. I begin with DK Life Cycles Illustrated by Sam Falconer to first learn about the life cycle of a zebra. Next, Mick practices with the free printable that can be found at Zz is for Zebra. 

Another option is the Life Cycles Bundle. This includes printables for the life cycle of a butterfly, frog, and a chicken in addition to the zebra life cycle. These printables are perfect to pair with the life cycle toys. These toys are linked on the bundled page. Unfortunately there is not a toy set for a zebra. So I created the printable to be interactive.

Wednesday highlight: Animal Charades and Who Am I?

After reading and reviewing the alphabet we played charades. The free printable is available at Zz is for Zebra and is also used for Thursday’s activity. Another game option is Who Am I? Using the same printable, an animal is taped to a headband and each person receives one. They do not know what animal is on their headband and they must ask questions to figure out which animal is on their head.

Thursday highlight: sorting animals by habitat.

We began with a typical start to our homeschool day. Then it was time for a sorting activity turned into a play based learning experience. To read the full instructions and check out the printable go to Habitats.

Friday highlight: visit the zoo.

What better way to end the week of zoo activities for preschoolers than to go to the zoo? Usually our Fridays are reserved for our local nature group but today we had to make an exception. Instead we went to the zoo a couple hours away. It was a beautiful, hot summer day and the boys had a blast.

My 4 year old was especially enjoying himself because he knew it was completing his preschool lessons that brought us to the zoo. He was so proud of himself and we were proud of him. He had graduated preschool at home by finishing Letter of the Week. 

Letter of the Week.

 Zz is for Zebra is the last week of the 26-week preschool curriculum, Letter of the Week. Playing for Hours has reimagined Letter of the Week for all that homeschool has to offer. There is an emphasis on learning the alphabet through review and themes while maintaining a play based learning environment. To learn more or get it for free follow the button below.

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At a glance zoo activities for preschoolers.

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