I have a fun animal geography hands-on activity for your younger kids. Also, you’ll love First Grade Homeschool Curriculum for History and Geography.
One of the first things we intentionally teach our children is the names and sounds of animals.
I have an animal geography activity for you that builds on those basic skills to teach preschoolers through upper elementary students all about animals and where they come from.
Learning where animals are indigenous to throughout the 7 continents is a fun activity that can be covered over a long period of time or just touched on.
This activity lets your child play while they learn. It is a great way to introduce them to geography, zoology, research skills, biomes, and more all at once.
This will bring up some great discussions.
For example, discuss animals which are found in more than one place, such as elephants and tigers, and what their differences are.
You can talk about animals being indigenous or introduced to different places by early explorers.
What seems like such a simple learning experience can turn into a delightful rabbit trail to enjoy with your child. I have a few facts and a list of some common animals for each continent to get you started.
Animal Geography Books
First, look at some of our favorite books about animals which help to serve as a guide.
7 Animal Geography Resources
We refer to Wildlife Anatomy quite a bit for zoology, it is worth adding to your collection.
Bestselling author/illustrator Julia Rothman shares a delightfully illustrated guide to all the beasts of the wild, from lions, tigers, and bears to musk oxen, monkeys, elephants, giraffes, foxes, badgers, bats, crocodiles, owls, flying squirrels and much, much more.
Wall Maps: These world wall maps feature bright colors for easy identification of places of interest. This map of the world can be easily folded or "scrunched" Into the included storage pouch. Lasts longer than paper maps.
In The Big Book of Beasts, Yuval Zommer’s wonderful illustrations bring to whimsical life some of the grizzliest, hairiest, bravest, wiliest, and most fearsome beasts in the animal kingdom. Brimming with interesting facts from beast consultant Barbara Taylor, this charming picture book is a beautiful way for parents to introduce young children to the animal world―and for older children to learn by themselves.
Around the World with Picture Books Part II (Download) - by Read Berg - Beautiful Feet Books
Each country visited features a selection of animals indigenous to those regions. These beautiful drawings will familiarize students with some remarkable creatures, their habitat and habits, cultivating respect and wonder for the natural world. Part Two covers Europe and South America. In Europe we cover France, Spain, Italy, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, and Great Britain! In South America we cover Ecuador, Chile, Peru, and Brazil!
Our colorful, engaging atlas is ideal for students in second through fourth grades and was developed from our award-winning Classroom Atlas, just simplified for younger students. Completely redesigned with a new layout,eye-catching pictures, informative graphics, and fully updated map content. Teaches map and globe skills to younger students. Features photos, graphs, interesting facts, and thought-provoking questions that reinforce map concepts.Includes 15 physical, political, and thematic maps.
Explore all the fascinating things that make Planet Earth such an exciting place to live with this lively introduction to our world, its geography, culture, and people. Get ready for an incredible journey, one in which you’ll visit far-off places, meet interesting people, and learn all about continents, countries, climates, and more. This book is also full of fun facts about animals, sports, foods, inventions, and holidays from all over the world.
Lift the flaps in this quirky 3D atlas as illustrator Ingela P. Arrhenius takes the youngest of readers around the globe, introducing an enchanting selection of animals. Did you know that flamingos hide their heads while they sleep? That a Galápagos tortoise can live for a hundred years? That baboons have pink bottoms? Or that a peacock’s tail is used to impress potential mates? With interactive flaps and a central pop on each colorful spread, this is a stand-up gift for small children who love animals of all stripes.
Now, look at some of these lists of animals from each continent.
Africa – Animals from the continent of Africa
The world’s second-largest continent, Africa, has a wide range of habitats from tropical rainforest to the desert.
Here you will find a wide variety of well-known animals, as a matter of fact, Africa is home to the most varied wildlife and the most species in the world.
- Lion
- Leopard
- Elephant
- Rhinoceros
- Zebra
- Hippopotamus
- Ostriches
- Giraffe
- Pangolin
- Black Mamba
MORE AFRICAN GEOGRAPHY ACTIVITIES
Next, look at these animals from Antarctica.
Antarctica – Animals from the continent of Antarctica
Antarctica is a large frozen continent that is located in the far south of the world in the Southern Ocean. Covered by a thick layer of ice, it is nearly uninhabitable except by a few species that make their home here.
- Emperor Penguins
- Orca
- Wandering Albatross
- Leopard Seal
- Gentoo Penguin
- Antarctic Krill
- Tardigrade
- Blue Whale
- Spectacled Porpoise
- Southern Elephant Seal
Asia – Animals from the continent of Asia
Asia is the world’s most populated and is the biggest continent in the Northern and Eastern hemispheres.
It is also the place with the world’s longest coastline and the highest and lowest points on the Earth’s surface.
With a mostly dry climate, it does have extreme weather like monsoons. It encompasses China, Korea, Japan, Siberia, India, and parts of the middle east. The habitats here range from deserts, mountains, forests, and tropical jungles to urban areas.
- Asian Elephant
- Asiatic Lion
- Tiger
- Giant Panda
- Snow Leopard
- Proboscis Monkey
- Indian Cobra
- Malayan Tapir
- Indian Peafowl
- Orangutan
Australia – Animals from the continent of Australia
Australia is a country and a continent, and it holds the title of the continent with the most diverse marine life and the highest number of fish species.
It is also the world’s smallest of the continents. Australia not only has a lot of endemic animal species – species that can only be found in Australia (4 out of 5 animals) but it is also the home of two monotremes, which are mammals that lay eggs- the echidna and the platypus.
Finally, they have about 140 species of marsupials.
- Kangaroo
- Tasmanian Devil
- Kookaburra
- Dingo
- Platypus
- Koala
- Wallaby
- Frill Neck Lizard
- Sugar Glider
- Echidna
Europe – Animals from the continent of Europe
Europe is home to a wide range of habitats like the Taiga Forest, tundra, broadleaf forest, steppe, the Alps, Pyrenees, the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, and the Mediterranean Sea which means there are a wide diversity of animals.
Many animals in Europe have been brought from other parts of the world, but several species are native to the continent, the first 5 listed below are native.
- European Bison
- Eurasian Lynx
- Polar Bear
- Moose
- Wolf
- Alpine Ibex
- Golden Eagle
- Old World Swallowtail
- Red Squirrel
- Wild Boar
- Chamois
North America – Animals from the continent of North America
Made up of Mexico, the United States, and Canada this is the third largest continent in the world and is surrounded by the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
Pretty much every ecosystem on Earth can be found here- from snowy tundra to the tropics.
The United States has the most biodiversity in North America, Canada has snowier tundra and animals like the polar bear, while Mexico is made up of lush rainforests to arid deserts.
- American Bison
- Monarch Butterfly
- Bobcat
- Polar Bear
- Bighorn Sheep
- Chipmunk
- Coyote
- North American Porcupine
- American Alligator
- Kit Fox
South America – Animals from the continent of South America
Finally, exotic South America with some of the world’s most dangerous and some of the most unique.
It has 4 major climatic regions- tropical, temperate, arid, and cold. You will find most animals in South America can be found either in the Amazon Rainforest or in the Andes mountains.
Unfortunately, more than 30% of species on the content are now endangered or nearly extinct.
- Llama
- Anaconda
- Blue Morpho Butterfly
- Anteater
- Capybara
- Giant Otter
- Harpy Eagle
- Jaguar
- Red-Eyed Tree Frog
- Sloth
Moreover, look at some of these other fun animal and geography activities.
- First Grade Homeschool Curriculum for History and Geography.
- Animals and Their Continents Worksheet Set
- 18+ Fun and Interactive Ways to Learn Geography With Kids
- Montessori Inspired Continent Activities for Preschoolers
Finally, look at this fun interactive way to learn about geography and animals.
Animal Geography Activity
You can do as much or as little of this activity to get your child started as you like.
The younger child will obviously need more help while a more advanced child can do everything from cutting out the maps of each continent to tracing and labeling.
You will need:
- Roll of paper
- Printed outlines of the 7 continents
- Masking tape
- Permanent marker
- Plastic animals
You could also print pictures of various animals and use them to be sure you have enough for each continent instead of using small plastic animals, or better yet a combination of both.
First, find a basic outline for the seven continents on Google or trace them out of your favorite Atlas.
Next, roll out a large piece of paper from a roll. It can be the solid back of wrapping paper, bulletin board paper, or the brown kraft paper used for shipping. Tape it to the floor or table using masking tape or painter’s tape.
Then cut out the seven continent outlines you printed and arrange them on the rolled-out paper using an atlas or a master printout as a guide.
Use a marker to trace around each of the continents.
Remove your templates and write the name of each continent in the center.
Give your child some books for reference, atlases and of course zoology books, and a basket of a good variety of animals from around the world.
Help them find where each animal belongs. If you have the space, you can add to it each day or week as you learn about each continent and its wonderful animals.
For an older child it would be a great assignment for them to find “x” number of animals for each continent.
