If your little one is infatuated with zoo animals here are some play ideas for them.
• Animal themed games such as animal bingo, snakes and ladders, animal snap.
• Animal themed jigsaw puzzles.
• Set up a Pet Store or Vets.
• Set up small worlds for the children to explore; this can be set up in the sandpit, in a trough, with ice, with pumice, leaves, sticks etc. Support the children’s interest and discuss with them what the animals eat, where would they live, the temperature of their habitat.
• Printing using animal figures feet. Using paint is always a favourite with the children or you could use clay. Discuss with the children the size and shapes of the prints, how big are the footprints on a real animal?
• Have fun with movement games. Ask the children to walk like a monkey, snap like a crocodile, climb like a cat, stand tall like a giraffe, walk side to side like a penguin, fly like a parrot.
• Everyone loves singing. What songs do you know about going to the zoo or about animals?
• Storytelling with puppets and finger puppets.
• Explore constructing your own zoo using the blocks.
• There are lots of animal dress ups available. if you don’t have dress ups on session make some mask or set up the face paint.
• Have animal books available for the children to look through.
• Set up some paper, pencils and the animal figures for them to draw. Next time you go to the zoo take some paper and pencils with you.