Buy zoo stickers, find as many different examples of each animal as you can. Place the stickers on index cards and have them match them, by animal or color. For older kids you can also play games like memory
Prepared a graph in which you print animals names (or pictures) on the bottom. At group time discuss zoo animals and let the kids put an x for their favorite animal. This allows the children to easily see which animals were favored and which animal was least favored. Create three areas, farm animals, zoo animals, and pets (You can use tri-fold project boards, separate sheets of poster boards, or pictures of a barn, house, and zoo). Using small pictures of several different animals let the children place the animals where they should go . Remember some animals can go multiple places This allows you to discuss the differences with the children. Put an Aquarium (just like the one in the zoo) in your room full of fish. Children love to watch the fish swim around. Hint: Don't use ocean animals as they are much harder to take care of. Copy five penguin designs. Make each penguin have different color shoes. Next make 5 bow ties that are the same color as the shoes. Let the kids match the bow ties with the penguin it belongs to. Get medium size kick balls and have the children place it between their legs and race to a point. Hide Teddy Bears (either students or classes) all over the classroom and let the children try to find them. Have a day where children bring their teddy bears to class. You can then rank then have the kids rank them by height, weight, fluffiness, firmness, cutest, cuddliest, fastest, funniest, most lovable, etc. Create about six to eight bears on boards. Have each bear with a different colored shirt. Then create hats the same colors as the bears shirts. The kids will love to match them up. Create a bear cave right before Christmas break. Then talk about hibernation. Put a stuffed bear in the cave and say that the bear is resting so it will be able to play when they get back Let the children hibernate one day. They can come to class in their pajamas (tell them to bring their teddy bears). You can make dens out of pillows and blankets. For snack serve food shaped like bears (pancakes, Jell-O, sandwiches, toast, or cookies). Make an elephant buy painting and decorating a box. Cut out a mouth hole and let your children throw peanuts (still in the hull) into the elephants mouth to feed the elephant. Put a rope down in the center of the circle. Have a child stand on the rope while the class sings:

One elephant went out to play
On a tightrope string one day.
He had such enormous fun
He called for another elephant to come.
Add More children on the rope and then continue:

(Number) of elephants went out to play
On a tightrope string one day
They had such enormous fun, but . . .
The tightrope broke and they all fell down!

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