12 Fun Animal-Themed Games and Activities for Children

Kids take an immense interest in animals. Studies show that from a very young age, humans love playing with animals and along the way learn essential virtues such as compassion and empathy (1). Just as most kids’ cartoons are based on animals to keep kids intrigued, the same is true for their game time tools or play items as well. Animal games for kids help them understand our coexistence and become more compassionate animals.

So if you want your little ones to turn into smart, empathetic and loving human beings, you’ve hit the right place online! This list of animal craft ideas covers games ideal for kids as little as 6+ months to as big as 10-year-olds. Read on to explore the list of wildlife animal games for kids:

1. Dot It with Magnets - Animal Planet

If you want to include more animal fun in your kids’ indoor activities, there are many ways to do so! This mess-free Dot It! Animal Themed art kit from Skillmatics is a truly remarkable game that helps in the development of hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, spatial reasoning, attention to detail, focus, and observation skills. Perfect for toddlers, preschoolers, and middle schoolers, this game involves 3 double-sided boards (5 picture canvases + 1 imagination board) and 300+ coloured magnetic dots. Simply place the dots on the board to breathe life into the animal shapes.

2. Foil Fun

Don’t just play games! Keep kids engaged in wildlife animal games that also enhance their cognitive and creative skills. Foil Fun: World Of Animals | No Mess Art Kit is an amazing activity  that lets kids create colourful animals simply through a peel-and-press process. It’s an animal game for kids that enables them to explore their creativity, perfect for any budding artist!

3. Piece & Play

Can we ever skip floor puzzle games from the list of kids’ activities? No, right? Puzzles are classic play tools that help kids relax, rejuvenate, and help improve short-term memory, and visual-spatial skills. Piece & Play: Underwater Animals | Floor Puzzle & Game is one of the most unique animal-themed puzzles that piques kids’ interest like no other animal craft idea. And that's not all! Once the sea animals come to life after solving the puzzle, kids can identify the animals through hints given in the game cards.

4. Peek-A-Boo

While most of the animal party games in this list suit toddlers and preschoolers, we also have something for newborns. This Peek-A-Boo: Jungle Theme | Interactive Soft Cloth Book is a game to help your tiny tots spend time identifying animals. If you want your child to stay away from screens, it’s the right choice to help them be sociable and close to nature. This non-toxic, tear-resistant, and easy-to-wash cloth book is perfect for kids as little as 6 months old.

5. Domino & Tile Game

It’s a game of thinking, linking, and connecting. With 96 tiles, kids need to make a path underwater to explore the exciting ocean world. It’s the most exciting game of connections that brings kids close to nature and animals5.

6. Duck, Duck, Goose

One of the most simple yet classic animal activities for preschoolers is where kids sit in a circle and one of them runs around it tapping behind the players' heads screaming 'duck'. The moment the child names someone the goose, that child now has to run around the circle trying to catch the one who has named them ‘goose’. It’s a game of pure joy and laughter that kids love to play.

7. Animal Charades

Another classic in the list, this game also includes choosing an animal card and acting it out for others to guess. This game is best enjoyed with a large group of players. During a family night game or weekend picnic, parents can also participate in Animal Charades with their little ones. It keeps them busy and aware of new facts associated with the animals.

8. The Big 5

You might’ve played ‘Guess Who?’, a classic game where each player is represented by a mystery character. The opponents in the game have to guess the right character using only 'yes' and 'no'. The Big 5 | Animal-Themed Game of Secret Identities is based on a similar concept. Here, players add and flip cards to find out their secret identity and spend screen-free time with family and friends. With 5 secret identity cards and 65 game cards, it’s a game that helps kids become familiar with the top 5 animals of the Savannah - the lion, African buffalo, rhino, leopard and elephant. But it’s not just any animal game for kids, it’s a strategy game that helps them think outside the box. With a large group of players, it’s the ultimate game of endless fun that kids can’t get enough of.

9. Run, Rabbit, Run!

When a large group of kids gather together, the perfect game for the moment is this. Among a group of kids, 2 to 3 become wolves, and others act as rabbits. When wolves shout ‘Run rabbit run’, rabbits have to run to the other side of the room and keep themselves safe from the wolves. If the wolves tag someone, they have to turn into trees and sit down. But the kids acting as ‘trees’ can use their arms to tag others and turn them into trees as well.

10. Who Am I?

A game that promotes concentration and memory, it is best played as a group where everyone gets a piece of paper with an animal’s name attached to their forehead. Players have to identify the animal taped to their forehead only by asking questions that others can answer in either yes/no, the first one who gets rid of the paper wins!

11. Wild Webs

An indoor game that comes with 100 game cards, 1 game board, and 4 game pieces, it helps sharpen kids’ problem-solving skills and spatial reasoning abilities. Fun to play with a large group of friends, this game asks kids to plan the animals that should be moved to reach the opposite end of the board. Along with this, the game cards also come with hints to describe the animals. So while children strategize, they also improve their knowledge of animals.

12. Rank Up

With a lot of ‘did you know?’ facts and 100 game cards, it’s one of the best animal activities for preschoolers. This exciting card game improves kids’ memory and helps them get acquainted with the amazing world of animals. With a simple game rule, the person with the most cards wins! The durable, kid-friendly cards retain their shape no matter how rough kids play. So you can relax knowing that it’s a game for children to enjoy at home or on-the-go.

As we’ve scoured through the web and listed down the top 12 animal games for kids, it’s now time to let your little ones enjoy their playtime with animal party games. Include the entire family in your kids’ game time or invite their friends over for a great time. Get your hands on Skillmatics’ fun learning games and toys for the excitement on game night to know no bounds!

References:

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23331106/