Dramatic Play

Pretend play is an integral part of the preschool curriculum. The zoo theme is easy to incorporate into the existing dramatic play center. Stuffed animals work well as the zoo animals. Cut vertical slits in cardboard boxes to make zoo cages. An alternative to stuffed animals is to gather animal costumes so the kids can pretend to be the zoo animals. Let the students make zoo animal masks from paper plates to use in the dramatic play area. You'll also need zookeepers. Khaki shorts and button shirts work well. Include props such as bowls to feed the animals, boots, gloves, buckets and nets.

Literacy Connections

Preschool-appropriate books give you an educational way to incorporate the zoo theme into the classroom. "There's a Zoo in Room 22" by Judy Sierra uses the alphabet to list animals. Extend learning with the book by counting the number of animals and asking questions, such as which is the largest or smallest. Other books that talk about animals include "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" by EricCarle, "Dear Zoo" by Rod Campbell and "Nighttime at the Zoo" by Dale Smith. Include non-fiction books about different zoo animals to introduce the preschoolers to different types of literature. After you read several zoo books to the preschoolers, create your own class book about zoo animals. Have each child draw a picture of a zoo animal. Ask each child to tell you about the animal so you can write down the words and add them to the book.

Animal Movement Activities

Get your preschoolers active with zoo-themed movement activities. Call out an animal that is found in the zoo. The children move around the space like that animal. For a snake, they slither around on their bellies. As tigers, they walk on all fours, stalking prey and then pouncing. After practicing the animals together, let them choose the animals they want to imitate so you have a roomful of different zoo animals. Vary the activity by holding up pictures or playing animal sounds instead of saying the animal name. You can also include math. Say, "Hop like a kangaroo five times," or, "Trumpet like an elephant seven times."

Field Trips

A trip to a real zoo gives the preschoolers a hands-on experience related to the theme. You'll need plenty of adult helpers to manage the children at the zoo. Divide the students into small groups with an adult assigned to each group. A group scavenger hunt focuses them on specific things at the zoo. Use pictures on the scavenger hunt list to make it age-appropriate for the preschoolers. If the budget doesn't allow for a field trip, bring the zoo to the classroom. Most zoos have educational programs with zookeepers who bring a few small animals to schools. The children get to see animals they don't normally encounter and talk to a real zookeeper.