Australian wild animals sensory activities are a wonderful way to dig into the wild and crazy world of outback creatures. Also, see my page Free 4-Week Kid’s Australia Unit Study Who Love Hands-on Learning.
Australia is home to some of the world’s most fascinating (and sometimes scary) creatures. From hopping kangaroos to ferocious crocodiles, this continent’s wildlife is full of surprises.
Creating a sensory bin inspired by Australian animals is a fun and hands-on way for kids to learn about these amazing creatures while exploring textures, sounds, and colors that represent their natural habitats.
You can fill your sensory bin with sand or kinetic sand to represent the outback, small pebbles, toy trees, and plastic animal figures of Australian wildlife.
As your child digs, scoops, and plays, you can introduce fun animal facts to spark curiosity and conversation.
Books About Australia or Set in Australia for Kids
Next, look at some of these books we’ve used.
9 Australia Books for Kids Who Love to Read and Be Read To
Grab one or two of these books about Australia to add to your unit study or your home library.
The true story of Australia starts with a piece of land that went for a swim. Millions of years ago it floated away from Africa. Very, very, slowly. It was home to dinosaurs and giant animals, until the first Australians showed up and got comfortable. This wild and wonderful land was a mystery to the rest of the world. Then the English decided to make it the biggest jail ever . . . Experience the story of Australia from prehistory to federation in 1901.
Set along the rugged beauty of the South Australian coast, Storm Boy cares for an injured pelican and finds a friend that shows him the power of loyalty and love. This moving story is now a major motion-picture and one of the classics of Australian writing for children. This edition comes with five other stories by Colin Thiele that capture the unique voices of Australians across the natural and suburban landscape.
A captain who has lost his wife remarries a much younger woman to provide his six children with a new mother. Together, the couple had another child, making seven. The captain tries to run the family with stern discipline, but he is no match for the fun-loving children.
The story of a killer-dog. His owner had tried to train him to the domestic life, but the call of the wild and his hunting instincts were too powerful. As a killer he roamed abroad, hunted fiercely by farmers whose stock he wantonly destroyed. It is a story that is founded in fact.As for Warrigal -- he is as nature fashioned him.“I have not sought to glorify Warrigal, neither have I condemned him. I have just tried to present him as he really is, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will.”
Meet Audrey Barlow - a girl with a lot on her mind. Her dad has gone away to work, her brother Price thinks he's too old for games, and little Dougie likes pretending to be a bird. So together with her best friend Stumpy, Audrey ponders some of life's big questions ... like whether being a swaggie is lonelier than being a girl, and whether it's better to be a sheep or a cow. Follow Audrey and Stumpy through this dazzler of a story and discover how friends are never far away ... even in the Outback. You'll soon wish you lived there too.
Billabong, a large cattle and sheep property in the Australian countryside, is home to 12-year-old Norah Linton, her widowed father, David, and her older brother, Jim. Norah's prim and proper aunts, who live in the city, consider she is in danger of "growing up wild" - riding all over Billabong on her beloved pony, Bobs, helping with mustering, and joining in on all the holiday fun when Jim and his friends come home from boarding school.
A fishing trip results in unexpected drama when they discover a mysterious stranger camped in the bush. Who is this stranger and why is he there? Norah's resourcefulness is tested to the full!
Fourteen-year-old Molly and her cousins Daisy and Gracie were mixed-race Aborigines. In 1931 they were taken away from their families and sent to a camp to be trained as good 'white' Australians. They were told to forget their mothers, their language, their home.But Molly would not forget. She and her cousins escaped and walked back to Jigalong, 1,600 kilometres away, following the rabbit-proof fence as their guide across the desert.This is the story of that walk, told by Molly's daughter, Doris.
Join Grace and her family as they hit the road camping, experiencing, and meeting all the people and places that make up Australia.
Grandma Poss uses her best bush magic to make Hush invisible. But when Hush longs to be able to see herself again, the two possums must make their way across Australia to find the magic food that will make Hush visible once more. “Another treat from Mem Fox that is sure to be treasured. The whimsical illustrations are a wonderful complement.
Here are some incredible animals to include and what makes each one special.
AUSTRALIAN WILD ANIMALS
DINGO
The dingo is Australia’s wild dog. It looks a lot like a domestic dog but is a clever hunter that lives in deserts, forests, and grasslands.
Dingoes are known for their howls, which help them communicate across long distances. Unlike most dogs, they rarely bark.
They are skilled hunters and often hunt in small packs to catch rabbits, kangaroos, or birds.
KOALA
Koalas are often called “koala bears,” but they aren’t bears at all. They’re marsupials, which means they carry their babies, called joeys, in a pouch.
Koalas spend most of their lives in eucalyptus trees and eat almost nothing but eucalyptus leaves. Because their food provides little energy, they sleep up to 18–20 hours a day.
Fun fact: A koala’s fingerprints are almost identical to a human’s. Even scientists have a hard time telling them apart under a microscope.
KANGAROO
Kangaroos are one of Australia’s most recognizable animals. They are the largest marsupials and can leap more than 25 feet in a single bound.
Their powerful hind legs and large tails help them balance and move quickly. Female kangaroos carry their young, called joeys, in a pouch until they’re ready to hop out and explore.
PLATYPUS
The platypus is one of the strangest animals on Earth. It has the bill of a duck, the tail of a beaver, and webbed feet. It lays eggs even though it’s a mammal, and it spends much of its time swimming in rivers and streams. Male platypuses have venomous spurs on their back legs, which is rare among mammals.
TASMANIAN DEVIL
The Tasmanian devil is a small but fierce carnivore found only on the island of Tasmania. It’s famous for its loud screeches, powerful jaws, and strong teeth.
Despite their scary name, these animals are important scavengers that help keep the environment clean by eating dead animals.
FRILLED LIZARD
The frilled lizard is known for the dramatic frill of skin around its neck. When it feels threatened, it opens its mouth wide, and the frill pops out like a big circle around its head.
This display makes it look much larger to scare away predators. Frilled lizards live in northern Australia and are excellent climbers.
WOMBAT
Wombats are sturdy, burrowing marsupials with short legs and a love for digging tunnels underground. They have cube-shaped droppings that help mark their territory and don’t roll away.
Their backward-facing pouch prevents dirt from getting inside when they dig.
CROCODILE
Australia is home to two kinds of crocodiles — the freshwater crocodile and the larger, more dangerous saltwater crocodile. Saltwater crocodiles, sometimes called “salties,” can grow over 20 feet long and are powerful swimmers.
They live in rivers, swamps, and coastal areas of northern Australia.
Fun fact: Crocodiles can go months without eating, thanks to their slow metabolism, and can hold their breath underwater for over an hour.
Next, look at these activities.
AUSTRALIAN WILD ANIMALS CRAFTS AND RESOURCES
- Free Printable Australian Animals Graphing Activity
- 6 Australian Animal Craft Ideas | Easy Paper Bag Platypus
- Cute Playdough Hedgehog Activity for Kids – Taming Little Monsters
- Kookaburra Crafts & Song
- How To Make A Kangaroo Pocket | Letter K Craft Preschool Australia Theme
- Fun Koala Handprint Craft
Finally, look at this Australian wild animals sensory activities.
AUSTRALIAN WILD ANIMALS SENSORY ACTIVITIES
You will need:
● Large shallow tub
● Australian animals toob
● Craft sand or rice
● Red food coloring
● Sticks
● Rocks of different sizes
● Cardstock, craft foam, or felt
Use a couple of drops of red food coloring to dye your base; you can then use sand, salt, or rice to represent the high iron content in the soil that gives it a red appearance.
Spread your base out and allow it to dry in the sun if possible.
Stir it a few times so everything dries evenly.
Pour the base into a shallow sensory tub.
Add a layer of sticks, leaves, rocks, and other foliage of different sizes to get your terrain.
Finally, hide your animals around the sensory bin.
For letter recognition, you can also include letter tiles for the beginning letter of each animal.
Be sure to add spoons, measuring cups, and other little tools so your child can scoop, pour, measure, and redo their sensory bin.
