20 Adorable Zoo Animal Crafts for Preschoolers to Make

We’ve got the top 20 zoo animal crafts for you and your preschoolers to try that will have them roaring, slithering, flapping, and giggling with delight!

We love learning all about animals! Going to the zoo and getting the opportunity to view the animals is a great way to teach your children about all the different species on our planet.

But when you’re not at the zoo, you can also learn by creating these awesome zoo animal crafts!

There are so many different animals to see at the zoo. Your kids will have a blast creating these crafts to honor their favorite animals and learn more about them!

Zoo Animal Crafts

Get ready for a wild adventure with these adorable zoo animal crafts! Whether learning about animals or just looking for creative fun, these hands-on projects are perfect for preschoolers. Each craft is simple to make, from lions to elephants, and packed with personality. Grab your craft supplies, and let’s bring the zoo to you—no tickets required!

barleyandbirch.com

Bubble Wrap Printed Chameleon

This colorful chameleon craft is a vibrant way for little ones to explore colors and patterns. Kids will love painting, cutting, and assembling their own twisty, swirly reptile with a playful curled tongue!

www.danyabanya.com

Koala and joey craft

This sweet paper plate koala craft lets kids create a cuddly mama koala with a baby joey tucked in her pouch. It’s fun to explore Australian animals while practicing cutting, gluing, and storytelling skills.

www.redtedart.com

Toilet Paper Roll Giraffe Marionette

Inspired by the book Giraffes Can’t Dance, this craft invites kids to create their own dancing giraffe with movable legs. It's a perfect blend of art and storytelling, encouraging creativity and coordination.

sustainmycrafthabit.com

Paint an adorable penguin family!

These painted penguin rocks are a cool and creative way to turn nature into art! Kids will love transforming ordinary stones into adorable penguins with just some paint and imagination.

www.craftplaylearn.com

Easy Bookmark Elephant Craft

This elephant bookmark craft is both fun to make and super handy for storytime! Kids can personalize their elephant with colors and decorations and then use it to mark their favorite books.

Dear Zoo Story Craft – Hand Print Animals

This Dear Zoo-inspired handprint craft brings the beloved book to life in the most personal way—through your child's own hands! Each handprint becomes a different zoo animal, making it a meaningful keepsake and a fun storytelling tool.

Popsicle Stick Crows

These popsicle stick crows are a fun way to get crafty with just a few simple materials. Kids will enjoy painting and assembling their own little birds—perfect for zoo themes or fall fun!

Recycled CD Hippopotamus

This hippo craft uses a recycled CD as the base, making it an eco-friendly and fun project! With the included printable, kids can easily build their own happy hippo while learning about shapes and recycling.

Cute Sloth Handprint Craft [With FREE Template]

This adorable sloth handprint craft turns your child’s hand into the body of a sleepy sloth hanging from a branch. It’s a cute and calming activity that doubles as a precious keepsake!

Cardboard Tube Alligator

This cardboard tube alligator is a snappy craft that kids will love to make! Little ones can create a green, toothy friend that's perfect for pretend play using just a few household items.

Monkey Paper Plate Craft for Kids

This paper plate monkey craft is simple, sweet, and full of personality! With some paint, cutting, and gluing, kids can create a cheeky monkey that’s great for jungle or zoo themes.

Easy Paper Tiger Puppet for Kids

This paper tiger puppet is a roaring good time for little crafters! With easy-to-follow steps, kids can create a fierce (or friendly!) tiger puppet that’s perfect for play and storytelling.

C for Cheetah Craft with Printable Template

This “C is for Cheetah” craft turns an old CD into a speedy spotted friend! With a printable template included, it’s a great way to mix crafting with letter learning and animal fun.

BOOKS ABOUT ZOO ANIMALS

Below, I’ve featured just a handful of preschool books about zoo animals that will help your preschoolers learn more about the animals that live in a zoo.

You should be able to find them at your local library or bookstore. If you can’t find them locally, you can click each image cover to purchase them on Amazon.

Giraffes Can’t Dance – Giraffes Can’t Dance is a touching tale of Gerald the giraffe, who wants nothing more than to dance. With crooked knees and thin legs, it’s harder for a giraffe than you would think. Gerald is finally able to dance to his own tune when he gets some encouraging words from an unlikely friend.

How the Zebra Got Its Stripes – As a group of African animals hang out at the local watering hole, they share funny stories about how the zebra got its stripes. At the end of the book, fun facts explain why zebras really have stripes.

Zoo Animals – As children page through this beautiful book, they will learn the names of many animals they meet at the zoo! Each page offers a short description of the featured animal and its habitat.

Zoo Animals Ideas for Kids

Add some plastic zoo animal figures to your pretend play area for kids to explore. They’ll have so much fun using them to act out zoo books or other imaginative play scenarios.

Read Do You Know Hank the Hippo, and let your preschoolers act out the story with an adorable crocheted hippo toy.

Set up a zoo animals sensory bin with this kit! Filled with a mixture of textures, bright and vibrant colors, this kit will let your little one explore for hours.

Hope you had a roaring good time exploring these zoo animal crafts! From swinging monkeys to sleepy sloths, each project is a playful way to spark creativity and teach little ones about the amazing animals that live in the zoo. Whether you’re planning a themed unit or just looking for something fun to do, these crafts are sure to be a hit with your preschoolers.

Don’t forget to pin this post for later and share your favorite animal craft with us—we’d love to see your wild creations!

Tara

Tara is the brains behind Homeschool Preschool, where her journey from preschool and public school teacher to homeschooling mom of three fuels her passion for early childhood education. With a blend of expertise and firsthand experience, Tara’s writings offer practical tips and engaging resources to support families in creating meaningful learning adventures at home.