If your kids love animals, you’re going to want to bookmark this! These zoo animal crafts for kids are fun, simple, and use supplies you probably already have on hand.
They’re perfect for a rainy afternoon, a zoo-themed unit, or just a little hands-on fun with your favorite wild creatures.
From lions and tigers to penguins and elephants, these ideas are perfect for toddlers, preschoolers, and bigger kids too!
Why You’ll Love These Zoo Animal Crafts
- Low prep, big fun. Most of these ideas can be set up in under 10 minutes.
- Perfect for mixed ages. Little kids can explore textures and colors, while big kids can dive into details.
- Great for pretend play. Once they’re done crafting, your kids will have a whole zoo full of animals to play with!
- A chance to chat. Talk about animal habitats, colors, and sounds while you create — a built-in learning moment.
Ready to craft your own zoo? Let’s get started!
Paper Bag Zebra Puppet Craft
Turn a plain paper bag into a stripey zebra puppet — perfect for animal puppet shows and pretend zoo keepers.
Paper Plate Koala Craft
Soft grey paint and a little glue turn a paper plate into the cutest koala — simple and sweet!
Cotton Pad Tiger Craft
Fluffy cotton pads and bright orange paint make a soft and squishy tiger that’s perfect for tiny hands.
Handprint Penguin Craft
There’s something extra special about crafts that use handprints—they’re like little snapshots in time. This Handprint Penguin Craft is not only adorable but also captures a keepsake of your child’s tiny hands.
Paper Plate Llama Craft
Get ready to giggle — this paper plate llama craft is fun, easy, and loaded with personality.
Paper Plate Tiger Craft
Roar! Kids will love turning a paper plate into a bright orange tiger face with simple shapes and paint.
Jumping Frog Craft
Make these frogs jump from one lily pad to the next with this easy, kinetic craft.
Sponge Painted Penguin Craft
Penguin crafts are always a hit, but this Sponge Penguin Craft takes it up a notch with its unique painting technique.
Cardboard Tube Elephant Craft
A cardboard tube and a little paint become an adorable elephant friend for your home zoo!
Torn Paper Penguin Craft
Penguins are always a crowd-pleaser when it comes to crafts, and this Torn Paper Penguin Craft is no exception.
Cardboard Tube Tiger Craft
Recycled cardboard tubes become fierce and fun tigers with a little paint and imagination.
Lion Leaf Craft
Head outside and collect leaves to make a wild lion’s mane — a beautiful mix of nature and creativity.
Salad Spinner Lion Craft
Who knew a salad spinner could make such awesome lion art? This one’s all about swirling paint to create a mane.
Trim the Lion’s Mane
Craft a paper lion and practice those scissor skills by trimming its paper mane — kids love the “haircut”!
Paper Monkey Craft
Wiggly arms and goofy faces — this easy paper monkey craft is sure to make kids giggle.
Paper Bag Tiger Puppet Craft
Turn a paper bag into a bold tiger puppet, ready to roar and pounce in your next animal story!
Letter E Sticky Wall Craft
Celebrate the letter E with an elephant-themed sticky wall — fun for early literacy and little fingers.
Penguin on an Iceberg Penguin Craft
Sometimes the simplest craft ideas turn into the most fun, and that’s exactly what happened with this Penguin on an Iceberg Craft. My kids enjoyed creating their own little penguins and designing the colorful background.
Paper Tiger Craft
A simple paper tiger with bold stripes and big paws — a perfect quick craft for animal lovers.
Paper Plate Teddy Bear Pouch Craft
This sweet bear craft doubles as a little pouch to hide tiny treasures or zoo animal friends!
Fork Painted Elephant Craft
A fork becomes an art tool in this simple elephant craft — lots of texture and fun for toddlers.
Letter P Sticky Wall Craft
Jumping Tiger Craft
Kids will love making these tigers jump with a little paper folding magic!
Bubble Wrap Crocodile Craft
Print with bubble wrap to make scaly crocodile skin — it’s squishy, sensory, and super cool.
Adorable Glitter Snow Penguin
This sparkly penguin craft is a winter zoo favorite — add a little glitter and watch it shine.
Paper Plate Tiger Pouch Craft
Turn a paper plate into a tiger pouch for storing small toys or pretend zoo tickets!
Paper Chain Snake
A classic craft with a zoo twist — kids can make a loooong snake using paper strips and a little glue.
Polar Bear Sticky Wall Craft
Sensory Rice Penguin Craft
If your kids love penguins and sensory play, this Sensory Rice Penguin Craft is a perfect activity to try. It’s a creative mix of art and hands-on fun that keeps kids engaged from start to finish.
Paint Splat Penguin Craft
Penguins are always a hit with kids, and this Paint Splat Penguin Craft is no exception. It’s messy, creative, and full of surprises.
Puffy Paint Snow Penguin Craft
When it comes to winter crafts, nothing beats the fun of puffy paint and penguins! This Puffy Paint Snow Penguin Craft combines the magic of creating fluffy snow with assembling adorable penguins.
Tape Resist Penguin Craft
Penguin crafts are always a hit, but this Tape Resist Penguin Craft takes things to a whole new level with its cool, geometric design.
Waddling Penguin Craft
Turn a simple paper plate into an adorable penguin that wobbles just like the real thing! This craft is as fun to make as it is to play with afterward.
Paper Mosaic Igloo and Penguin Craft
Kids will love piecing together their own icy igloo with colorful paper squares and a cute penguin buddy. It’s a perfect mix of creativity and learning.
Shapes Penguin Craft
This craft turns basic shapes into an adorable penguin, making it fun and educational. Perfect for little ones practicing their cutting and gluing skills!
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copy here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles tha. t show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 aired in August 2023! My show was also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.
Curious Crafting Season 1 is also now airing in Australia on ABC! Watch it here!
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
