31+ Fun Farm Animal Activities for Preschoolers (Printables + Reels)

Introducing kids to farm animals can be a great way to teach them about different types of animals, their behavior, and how they interact with their environment.

To engage preschoolers in learning about farm animals, you can try “sensory bins filled with hay and plastic farm animals 🐄” or “creating a farm animal collage using cotton balls for sheep 🐑 and pipe cleaners for pigs 🐖.”

These activities not only introduce kids to different farm animals but also stimulate their creativity and sensory perception. It can also help kids develop their motor skills, recognize different animals, and appreciate nature and the environment.

Farm Animal Activities for Preschoolers

Cut and Paste Farm Activity (3-5 Years)

The “Cut and Paste Farm Activity” is a crafty project for children to learn about farm animals and their environments. It involves cutting out pictures of animals and pasting them onto a farm scene.

Materials: A pre-printed farm scene sheet, separate sheets with pictures of farm animals, for both simply use our printable, child-safe scissors, and a glue stick or school glue.

How to Do:

1. Start by looking at the farm scene and discussing what each building or area might be for.
2. Take the sheets with the animal pictures and carefully cut around the edges of each animal.
3. One by one, decide where each animal should go on the farm. For example, the cow might go in the pasture, and the chickens near the coop.
4. Apply glue to the back of the animal pictures and press them into the correct place on the farm scene.

Paper Plate Cow Craft Activity (3-6 Years)

The “Paper Plate Cow Craft Activity” is a simple art project for kids. It allows them to create a cute cow using a paper plate and some basic craft materials.

Materials: A white paper plate, black and pink construction paper, optional googly eyes for added effect, a glue stick, and scissors.

How to Do:

1. Cut out black spots of different shapes and sizes from the black paper to represent the cow’s spots.
2. From the black paper, also cut out two ear shapes.
3. Cut a large oval or rectangle with rounded corners from the pink paper for the cow’s nose.
4. Glue the black spots onto the paper plate in a random cow-spot pattern.
5. Attach the ears to the top back of the paper plate so they stick out on each side.
6. Glue the pink nose in the center of the plate and add the googly eyes above the nose.

Color the Farm by Code Worksheets Activity (4-8 Years)

The “Color the Farm by Code Worksheets Activity” is a creative and educational coloring exercise that combines art with number recognition and following instructions. Kids can enjoy coloring while learning math numbers with colors.

Materials: A “Color by Code” farm worksheet, a set of colored pencils or crayons, and a sharpener for pencils that need sharpening.

How to Do:

1. Start by looking at the code at the bottom of the worksheet which matches numbers with colors.
2. Identify the numbered sections on the drawing and which color they correspond to according to the code, or you can decide on your own.
3. Select the correct colored pencil or crayon for each numbered section.
4. Carefully color in the sections with the right colors, trying to stay within the lines.

Big & Small Farm Animals Activity (3-5 Years)

“Big & Small Farm Animals Activity” is an educational worksheet that helps children learn about size comparison and differences among farm animals. It’s designed to improve their observation skills and understanding of “big” and “small” concepts.

Materials: A printed worksheet with farm animal illustrations in various sizes and a pencil or crayon for circling and squaring objects.

How to Do:

1. Take a look at each box on the worksheet, which contains two images of the same animal but in different sizes.
2. Decide which animal is smaller and which is bigger in each pair.
3. Circle the smaller animal using the pencil or crayon.
4. Draw a square around the bigger animal in each pair.

Farm Lacing Cards Activity (3-5 Years)

The “Farm Lacing Cards Activity” is a fantastic hands-on exercise that promotes fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination in children. By threading the string through holes around farm animal cards, kids can practice their lacing and sewing motions.

Materials: Lacing cards feature farm animal illustrations, along with durable lace or string, usually with plastic-coated ends for easy threading. Optionally, a safe, blunt needle may be used if not employing pre-coated lace ends.

How to Do:

1. Start by giving each child a farm lacing card and a piece of lace or string.
2. Show them how to hold the lace and thread it through the holes around the edge of the card.
3. Encourage them to lace around the card in a sequence, either in or out, to complete the border.
4. They can either go around the entire card or practice lacing specific parts depending on their skill level.

Animal Parade Activity (2-4 Years)

The “Animal Parade Activity” is a playful and educational way for children to learn about different animals, improve their sorting and categorization skills, and use their imagination.

Materials: A flat surface for arranging the parade, and optionally, decorations for creating a parade scene.

How to Do:

1. Gather all the animal figurines and place them on a flat surface.
2. Start by picking one animal and place it at the beginning of your parade line.
3. One by one, add more animals to the line, arranging them by size, color, type, or any pattern you choose.
4. You can also create themed parades, like farm animals, wild animals, or animals of a particular color.

Farm Animals and Their Babies Puzzles Activity (3-5 Years)

The “Farm Animals and Their Babies Puzzles Activity” is a lovely matching game that helps children learn the names of various farm animals and their young ones. This educational activity strengthens memory and word recognition.

Materials: Puzzle pieces featuring pictures of farm animals and their babies are required for that you can use our printable, along with a flat surface like a table or floor to lay out the puzzle pieces.

How to Do:

1. Scatter all the puzzle pieces on your chosen flat surface.
2. Pick up one piece and identify whether it’s an adult animal or a baby.
3. Search for the matching baby or adult counterpart among the other pieces.
4. Connect the matching adult and baby animal pieces together.

Farm Animals Keychains Activity (6-8 Years)

The “Farm Animals Keychains Activity” is a lovely craft project that lets kids create their very own keychains shaped like cute farm animals. This activity improves fine motor skills as they handle small materials.

Materials: Various colors foam sheets, keychain rings, googly eyes, fabric glue, and scissors.

How to Do:

1. Cut the foam sheet into rectangles long enough to fold over the keychain rings.
2. Cut out shapes from the felt that look like different farm animal features (like ears, snouts, and beaks).
3. Glue the animal features onto one end of the felt rectangle to create a cow, pig, chicken, or any other farm animal face.
4. Once the glue has dried, fold the top of the rectangle through the keychain ring and glue it to the back, securing the ring in place.

Make a Small Farm Yard for Kids Play Activity (3-5 Years)

Creating a small farmyard is a lovely way for children to learn about farm life and animals. It’s a hands on activity that encourages imaginative play and can teach kids about where food comes from.

Materials: A tray or large shallow box for the base, artificial grass or green felt for the pasture, toy farm animals, small toy farm structures like a barn or house, and additional props such as trees, mini fences, or toy vegetables for planting.

How to Do:

1. Cover the base of the tray or play area with artificial grass or green felt to create your ‘field.’
2. Place the farmhouse or barn model in a corner to be the centerpiece of your farmyard.
3. Arrange the animal figurines around the farmyard. You can group similar animals together, like all the cows in one pasture.
4. Use miniature fences to create separate areas or pens for different animals.
5. Add extra details like trees, small plants, or a water trough to make your farmyard look more realistic.

Make A Piggy Bank Activity (5-8 Years)

The “Make A Piggy Bank Activity” is a fantastic craft that combines creativity with financial learning for children. Kids can create a personalized piggy bank to start saving their coins.

Materials: An empty, clean plastic bottle with a cap, pink paint and a paintbrush, construction paper or foam sheets for ears and feet, googly eyes, a glue stick or super glue, and a craft knife (to be used by an adult).

How to Do:

1. Paint the plastic bottle pink and let it dry completely.
2. While waiting, cut out ear shapes from the construction paper or foam sheets.
3. Once the bottle is dry, glue on the googly eyes and the ears.
4. Cut out feet shapes and glue them to the bottom of the bottle so your piggy bank can stand.
5. An adult should use the craft knife to cut a coin slot on the top or side of the bottle.
6. If you wish, draw additional features like nostrils on the bottle cap using a marker.

Farm Lacing Cards Activity (3-5 Years)

The “Farm Animals Bookmark Activity” is a charming craft project for book lovers and animal enthusiasts alike. Children can create their own farm animal bookmarks to keep their place in their favorite stories.

Materials: Construction paper or cardstock in various colors, scissors, glue, markers or paint, and optionally, googly eyes.

How to Do:

1. Cut the construction paper or cardstock into strips for the bookmark base.
2. Cut out shapes for the different parts of the farm animals such as heads, ears, and snouts from the colored paper.
3. Glue the pieces together to create the face of a farm animal on one end of the bookmark strip.
4. Use markers or paint to add details like spots, muzzles, or facial expressions.
5. Add googly eyes for a fun, whimsical touch.
6. Allow everything to dry completely before using the bookmark in a book.

Rescue Farm Animals Activity (3-5 Years)

The “Rescue Farm Animals Activity” is an imaginative play game that helps children develop empathy and problem solving skills as they pretend to rescue and care for farm animals.

Materials: Toy farm animals, bandages or strips of cloth, and optionally, a play vet kit.

How to Do:

1. Scatter the farm animal figurines across the play area or table.
2. Pretend that the animals need help or rescue. They might be stuck, injured, or lost.
3. Use the fabric or tissue to ‘bandage’ the animals where they are ‘hurt.’
4. Gently tie a ribbon or band around the animal figurine as part of the rescue process.

Farm Animals Stone Painting Activity (4-8 Years)

“Farm Animals Stone Painting Activity” is a hands on craft that allows kids to bring farmyard friends to life on small, smooth stones. This activity is great for creativity and can also be used to teach children about different farm animals.

Materials: Smooth stones or pebbles of various sizes, acrylic paint in a variety of colors, fine paintbrushes, a cup of water for rinsing brushes, and a palette or plate for mixing colors.

How to Do:

1. Wash the stones to ensure they’re clean and dry them thoroughly.
2. Paint the background of the stone with white or any light color as a base and let it dry.
3. Choose the farm animal you want to paint on each stone and paint the basic shape.
4. Once the base shape is dry, add details like eyes, noses, and spots with smaller brushes and different colors.
5. Let all the painted stones dry completely.

Farm Animals Counting Activity (3-5 Years)

The “Farm Animals Counting Activity” is an excellent way for kids to practice their counting skills while having fun identifying different farm animals. It’s a worksheet-based activity that combines learning with a playful element.

Materials: A farm animals counting worksheet and pencils or crayons for writing numbers.

How to Do:

1. Give your child the worksheet with pictures of various farm animals.
2. Ask them to count how many of each animal are on the paper.
3. In the provided space or circle, have them write the correct number for each type of animal.
4. They can use crayons to circle the animals as they count to keep track.

Wash the Muddy Farm Animals Activity (2-4 Years)

This activity is a playful way to teach children about cleanliness and caring for animals. It involves washing toy animals that have been made ‘muddy’ and can help develop fine motor skills and sensory experiences.

Materials: Toy farm animals, a basin or tub filled with water, soil or chocolate pudding to simulate mud, a small watering can or spray bottle, and a towel or sponge for cleaning.

How to Do:

1. Smear the plastic animals with soil or brown paint to make them look muddy.
2. Fill the container with water and place the muddy animals in it.
3. Show the child how to use the watering can or spray bottle to wash off the mud.
4. If available, use brushes or sponges to help clean the tougher ‘mud’ off.
5. Once the animals are clean, lay them on a towel to dry.

Farm Animal Alphabet Tracing Activity (3-5 Years)

The “Farm Animal Alphabet Tracing Activity” is a perfect combination of learning letters and enjoying farm animals. It’s an educational exercise where kids can practice writing letters and words associated with pictures of farm animals.

Materials: Farm animal alphabet tracing worksheets..for that simply use our printable, pencils or crayons, and an eraser for correcting mistakes if needed.

How to Do:

1. Hand out the alphabet tracing worksheets to the child.
2. Show them how to trace the letters on the worksheet using a pencil or crayon.
3. Have them say the letter and animal name out loud as they trace for auditory reinforcement.
4. Encourage them to color in the farm animal pictures if they’d like, using crayons.

Handprint Chicken Art for Kids Activity (3-5 Years)

“Handprint Chicken Art for Kids Activity” is a fun craft that lets children use their handprints to create colorful chickens. It’s a wonderful way to combine art with sensory play and is perfect for developing fine motor skills.

Materials: Construction paper in various colors, kid-safe scissors, glue, and markers or crayons.

How to Do:

1. Give your child’s hand on a piece of construction paper.
2. Cut out the handprint. This will be the chicken’s feathers.
3. Cut out a circle for the chicken’s body and a smaller one for the head from different colored paper.
4. Glue the handprint to the larger circle to form the body and the smaller circle on top of the head.
5. Use additional paper to cut out and glue on a beak, comb, and wattle.
6. Draw eyes or glue on googly eyes to give the chicken character.

Farm Sensory Bin Activity (2-5 Years)

“The Farm Sensory Bin” is a wonderful activity that lets kids explore textures and engage in creative play, all while learning about life on a farm.

Materials: You’ll need a big container, stuff to fill it like corn, beans, rice, or sand, little toy farm animals, farm toys like tractors or shovels, and extras like pebbles, twigs, or fake grass to make it look like a farm.

How to Do:

1. Fill the bin with dry corn kernels or the chosen grain to create the ‘field.’
2. Place the farm animal figurines inside the bin, burying some partially to encourage digging.
3. Add farm-themed items like fences and trees to set up a farm scene.
4. Provide the child with scoops or wooden spoons to manipulate the grains and interact with the farm setup.

Farm Animal Word Search Activity (5-8 Years)

The “Farm Animal Word Search Activity” is a lovely brain-teasing game that challenges kids to find and circle words associated with farm animals hidden in a grid. It’s a great way for children to improve their vocabulary and spelling in a fun, engaging way.

Materials: A farm animal word search worksheet and a pencil or highlighter.

How to Do:

1. Provide the word search worksheet to the child.
2. Ask them to look at the list of farm animal names at the bottom of the page.
3. Encourage them to find and circle each word from the list in the grid.
4. As they find each word, they can either circle it or highlight it.

I Spy Farm Animals Activity (3-5 Years)

“I Spy Farm Animals Activity” is an engaging game that challenges kids to observe and identify various farm animals. It helps in developing attention to detail and cognitive skills as they count and mark each animal they find.

Materials: An “I Spy Farm Animals” worksheet or use our printable and a pencil or marker.

How to Do:

1. Provide the child with the “I Spy” worksheet.
2. Have the child look at the images of the farm animals scattered across the page.
3. Ask them to count how many of each animal they can find.
4. Once they spot and count an animal, they should fill in the corresponding number in the boxes at the bottom of the sheet.

Growing Seeds Activity (3-8 Years)

The “Growing Seeds Activity” is an exciting way for kids to learn about plants and observe how they grow. It’s a hands-on experience that can teach patience and responsibility as they care for their growing seeds.

Materials: A pot or container filled with soil, a variety of seeds suitable for potting, a small watering can or spray bottle, and plant markers or labels.

How to Do:

1. Fill the pot with potting soil almost to the top.
2. Plant a few seeds according to the instructions on the seed packet. Usually, this involves pressing them gently into the soil and covering them lightly with more soil.
3. Water the seeds lightly using the watering can or spray bottle. The soil should be moist, not soggy.
4. Place the pot in a sunny spot where the child can watch the seeds daily.

Farm Animal Visual Making Cards Activity (2-5 Years)

The “Farm Animal Visual Matching Cards Activity” is an excellent way for kids to improve their memory and learn about different animals on the farm.

Materials: A set of cards with images of farm animals, a set of cards with silhouettes of the same animals, button or other object, and a flat surface to lay out the cards.

How to Do:

1. Spread out the farm picture cards and give your kids buttons.
2. Say they need to find matching pictures.
3. When they find a match, tell them to put a button.
4. Help if they need it.
5. Check when they finish.
6. Talk about the pictures.

Farm Animals Wrist Band Activity (3-5 Years)

The “Farm Animals Wrist Band Activity” is a lovely craft that lets kids create wearable art featuring their favorite farm animals. It’s a great way to combine creativity with play, as kids can make and wear their animal themed creations.

Materials: Construction paper or foam sheets in various colors, scissors, glue or double-sided tape, and decorations such as markers, stickers, or googly eyes.

How to Do:

1. Cut the construction paper or foam sheets into strips long enough to comfortably fit around a child’s wrist.
2. Cut out shapes for animal features such as ears, snouts, and feathers from different colored paper or foam.
3. Decorate one side of the strip with the animal features using glue or double-sided tape to create the animal’s face.
4. Allow any glue to dry, then secure the ends of the strip together to form a band that can be slipped onto the wrist.

Farm Animals Bingo Activity (3-5 Years)

The “Farm Animals Bingo Activity” is a fun and educational game where children can learn about different farm animals while engaging in a classic game of Bingo. This activity promotes recognition, listening skills, and social interaction.

Materials: Bingo cards with pictures of farm animals, a set of calling cards with farm animal names, markers or chips to cover the Bingo card spaces.

How to Do:

1. Give your child a Bingo card and a set of markers or chips.
2. Put the calling cards into a bag or hat and mix them up.
3. Draw a card from the bag and call out the animal or show the picture.
4. Children will cover the corresponding animal on their Bingo card with a marker or chip.
5. The first child to cover a complete row, column, or diagonal yells “Bingo!” and wins the game.

Farm Animal Shadow Matching Activity (3-5 Years)

The “Farm Animal Shadow Matching Activity” is a fun way to develop a child’s visual discrimination skills. By matching colorful animal images to their corresponding shadows, kids can improve their ability to recognize shapes and patterns.

Materials: A farm animal shadow matching worksheet, scissors, and glue or tape.

How to Do:

1. Cut out the colorful farm animal pictures from the worksheet.
2. Look at the shapes of the shadows on the sheet and try to match them with the cut-out animal pictures.
3. Once the correct shadow is found, glue or tape the animal picture next to its matching shadow.
4. Continue until all animal pictures are matched with their shadows.

Farm Animal Movement Cards Activity (2-5 Years)

The “Farm Animal Movement Cards Activity” is a lively and educational game that encourages children to get moving by imitating the movements of different farm animals. It’s a fantastic way to blend physical activity with learning about animals.

Materials: a set of cards, each showing a different farm animal and an associated action, and an open space for safe movement.

How to Do:

1. Shuffle the movement cards and place them face down in a stack.
2. Have the children take turns drawing a card from the top of the stack.
3. Read out the movement on the card, such as “Strut like a chicken” or “Leap like a frog.”
4. The child then performs the movement until the next card is drawn.

Paper Cup Farm Animals Activity (3-5 Years)

“Paper Cup Farm Animals Activity” is a lovely crafting project that lets kids transform simple paper cups into adorable representations of farm animals. It’s an excellent opportunity for kids to explore their creativity and practice their fine motor skills.

Materials: Paper cups, non-toxic paint in various colors, paintbrushes, construction paper for ears, beaks, and other details, glue, and markers for adding features like eyes or spots.

How to Do:

1. Paint the paper cups in colors appropriate for each animal (e.g., yellow for a chick, black and white for a cow).
2. Cut out pieces of construction paper to make ears, beaks, wings, and other animal features.
3. Once the paint is dry, glue the construction paper parts to the paper cup.
4. Use markers to draw on any additional details like eyes, nostrils, or spots.

Farm Dress-Up (2-5 Years)

“Farm Dress Up” is a fun and imaginative game for kids that lets them pretend to be farmers and take care of their farm.

Here’s how to play:

1. Gather materials such as old clothing, hats, props, and accessories to use as costumes and props.
2. Have the kids choose a farm-related costume or outfit, such as a farmer, farmhand, or animal.
3. Encourage the kids to bring their costumes to life with props and accessories.
4. Once dressed up, have the kids act out scenes on the farm, such as feeding the animals, planting crops, or harvesting produce.
5. The game can be even more fun by creating a farm setting using props and decorations.

This game is fun and imaginative for kids to learn about farm life and improve their creativity and acting skills. It can be played indoors or outdoors and is an excellent activity for birthdays, playdates, or rainy days.

Farm Animal Bowling game (2-5 Years)

Here is a fun activity that combines physical activity and learning about farm animals! You will need empty plastic bottles, small toy farm animals, and a ball for this activity.

Set up the game:

Arrange the empty plastic bottles in a triangle formation to create the bowling pins. Put a small toy farm animal inside each bottle so that it is facing up.

Play the game:

Take turns rolling the ball to knock over the pins and the toy farm animals inside. The aim is to knock over as many pins as possible.

Keep score:

Keep track of the number of pins knocked over by each child. The child who knocks over the most pins is the winner.

This activity will help children improve their hand-eye coordination, motor skills, and counting skills while learning about different farm animals.

Rubber Duckie Water Play (2-5 Years)

Here’s how to do it:

1. Gather materials such as rubber duckies, a water container, and various items to test for floating and sinking.
2. Fill the container with water and place the rubber duckies in the water.
3. Encourage the kids to use different items, such as blocks, rocks, or toys, to test for floating and sinking.
4. As the kids play, discuss with them what makes an object float or sink and why.
5. The kids can also use the rubber duckies to engage in imaginative play, such as having races or pretending to be a duck on a pond.

This activity is a fun and interactive way for kids to learn about floating and sinking and improve their understanding of the principles of buoyancy. Also, it helps them develop early math skills.

Farm Animal Crafts (3-5 Years)

Crafts are a great way to get kids to explore different farm animals. To make a farm animal craft, you’ll need a set of farm animal cards with pictures of other animals.

You can either make your cards or purchase a set online.

Have the kids make a craft using paper, glue, and other craft supplies for each card. The kids can make a farm animal mask, a puppet, or a collage. This activity is an excellent way for kids to get creative and express their artistic side.

Conclusion

Exploring farm animals with preschoolers can be an exciting and educational experience. There are many benefits to introducing hands-on farm animal activities to kids, and they can do various activities to explore these animals.

From the barnyard matching game to farm animal charades, these activities can help kids learn about different animals, develop motor skills, and appreciate nature and the environment.

So, get ready to explore the farm with your preschoolers! With a little creativity and some fun activities, you’re sure to have a great time.

If you want more fun and educational activities for your kids, check out our blog for more ideas!

Thanks for reading!