Get ready to roar, stomp, and learn with the much-loved story Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell! This timeless tale is perfect for inspiring creativity, developing language, and encouraging curiosity about animals.
These fun-filled Dear Zoo activities for EYFS will engage little learners while supporting Early Learning Goals across all Areas of Learning and Development.
Blossom’s Recommended Dear Zoo Activities for Early Years:
Activity 1: Create Your Own Animal Flap Book
Provide each child with a blank book and craft materials to design their own animal flap book. Encourage them to draw animals behind flaps and write clues, such as “too big” or “too scary”, just like in the story.
EYFS Areas of Learning and Development and Early Learning Goals:
- Expressive Arts and Design
- Creating with Materials:
- Designing a flap book encourages creativity and artistic skills.
- Being Imaginative and Expressive:
- Children create their own stories inspired by the book.
- Creating with Materials:
- Literacy
- Comprehension:
- Retelling the story through their book strengthens sequencing skills.
- Writing:
- Writing short clues supports early mark-making and literacy development.
- Comprehension:
- Physical Development
- Fine Motor Skills:
- Drawing, cutting, and gluing enhance hand-eye coordination and dexterity.
- Fine Motor Skills:
Activity 2: Animal Sorting and Matching Game
Use toy animals or animal picture cards and sorting mats labelled with clues like “too tall”, “too heavy”, or “perfect”. Encourage children to match the animals to the correct descriptions.
EYFS Areas of Learning and Development and Early Learning Goals:
- Mathematics
- Number:
- Count how many animals are sorted into each category.
- Numerical Patterns:
- Sorting introduces grouping and pattern recognition.
- Number:
- Understanding the World
- The Natural World:
- Discuss the features of each animal and why they match the clues.
- The Natural World:
- Physical Development
- Fine Motor Skills:
- Handling small toys or cards supports precision and coordination.
- Fine Motor Skills:
Activity 3: Retell the Story with Props
Set up a story tray with small toy animals, a box, and a pretend letter. Let children use the props to retell the story, sending animals back to the zoo and finally keeping the “perfect” pet.
Another version of this is to give each child a stuffed toy version of the animals from the story (lion, giraffe, elephant, snake etc.). When you reach that animal, ask the group, ‘Who has the [animal]?’. This gives the children the opportunity to listen, wait and follow instructions.
EYFS Areas of Learning and Development and Early Learning Goals:
- Literacy
- Comprehension:
- Retelling the story helps with understanding and sequencing.
- Comprehension:
- Communication and Language
- Speaking:
- Acting out the story builds vocabulary and confidence.
- Listening, Attention and Understanding:
- Listening to instructions enhances focus and comprehension.
- Speaking:
- Expressive Arts and Design
- Being Imaginative and Expressive:
- Role-playing the story fosters creativity.
- Being Imaginative and Expressive:
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Self-regulation
- Waiting for their turn before calling out helps with focus.
- Self-regulation
Activity 4: Design a Zoo Habitat
Provide cardboard, craft materials, and toy animals for children to create habitats for the animals from the story. They can design enclosures for a giraffe, lion, or elephant, adding features like trees or water pools.
EYFS Areas of Learning and Development and Early Learning Goals:
- Understanding the World
- The Natural World:
- Children learn about animal habitats and needs.
- The Natural World:
- Expressive Arts and Design
- Creating with Materials:
- Building habitats encourages creativity and problem-solving.
- Creating with Materials:
- Physical Development
- Fine Motor Skills:
- Cutting, gluing, and arranging materials develop coordination.
- Fine Motor Skills:
Activity 5: Animal Movement Obstacle Course
Create an obstacle course where children move like the animals in Dear Zoo. For example, “stomp like an elephant,” “slither like a snake,” or “jump like a frog.” Add tunnels, cones, or balance beams for extra fun.
EYFS Areas of Learning and Development and Early Learning Goals:
- Physical Development
- Gross Motor Skills:
- Crawling, jumping, and balancing improve coordination and strength.
- Gross Motor Skills:
- Communication and Language
- Listening, Attention and Understanding:
- Following instructions helps children focus.
- Listening, Attention and Understanding:
- Expressive Arts and Design
- Being Imaginative and Expressive:
- Pretending to be animals encourages role play and creativity.
- Being Imaginative and Expressive:
Activity 6: Write a Letter to the Zoo
Encourage children to write or dictate a letter to the zoo asking for their perfect pet. Provide paper, pencils, and envelopes to make the activity feel authentic. This doesn’t only need to be done by children who can form letters – even simple mark making is beneficial to literary and fine motor development.
While writing their letter, ask the children why they would like their chosen pet, encouraging them to explain their reasoning and the qualities of the animal.
EYFS Areas of Learning and Development and Early Learning Goals:
- Literacy
- Writing:
- Mark-making and simple sentences develop writing skills.
- Comprehension:
- Writing letters reinforces understanding of the story’s themes.
- Writing:
- Communication and Language
- Speaking:
- Discussing their choice of pet builds vocabulary and confidence.
- Speaking:
- Physical Development
- Fine Motor Skills:
- Holding a pen or pencil in a controlled manner is a key life skill
- Fine Motor Skills:
Activity 7: Animal Sound Matching Game
Play a game where children match animal sounds to the correct animal. Use toy animals or cards to represent each creature and make the sounds yourself or play audio clips.
EYFS Areas of Learning and Development and Early Learning Goals:
- Communication and Language
- Listening, Attention and Understanding:
- Identifying sounds builds focus and comprehension.
- Speaking:
- Children describe the sounds and name the animals, enhancing language skills.
- Listening, Attention and Understanding:
- Understanding the World
- The Natural World:
- Learning about animal sounds develops curiosity about animals.
- The Natural World:
These Dear Zoo activities for EYFS bring the story to life through creative crafts, role play, and hands-on learning. From designing animal habitats and writing letters to creating flap books and moving like animals, these activities engage children while supporting their development across all EYFS Areas of Learning.
For UK nurseries and early years providers, these activities are perfect for inspiring curiosity and imagination while helping children achieve key Early Learning Goals. Let the Dear Zoo adventures begin!
