Take your preschoolers on a wild learning adventure with these safari-themed literacy activities! Whether you’re looking for alphabet practice, syllable counting, or rhyming games, these hands-on literacy resources will have your little learners roaring with excitement. Add these activities to your literacy centers, small groups, or whole group lessons to get your little learners roaring with excitement!
Find more Wild Animal Safari activities for preschool here.
Wild Animal ABC’s Book
Let’s go on a letter safari! This free printable ABC book is the perfect addition to your Literacy Center. Each page features a different safari-themed picture for every letter of the alphabet. Print and staple the pages together to create a book that children can review during Center Time! This is a free printable!
Peacock Alphabet Matching
This fun letter-matching activity will have your preschoolers strengthening letter recognition and fine motor skills! Print out the peacock activity cards, and children will search for the matching letters. They clip the correct uppercase and lowercase match with a clothespin, which adds an extra fine motor challenge. Get this activity in the Wild Animal Theme Pack here.
Safari Letter Sounds
In this phonics activity, children practice identifying beginning sounds. Each card has a letter in the top left corner and three animal pictures. Students will identify the picture that starts with that letter and clip it with a clothespin. For example, if the card shows “Ff”, students will choose between a zebra, flamingo, and lion. Since flamingo starts with F, they clip that picture as the correct answer! Get this activity in the Wild Animal Theme Pack here.
Giraffe “Feed Me” Rhyming Game
Make rhyming interactive with this fun game! Print and cut out the giraffe’s face, including an opening for its mouth. Attach it to a box or bag to create a rhyming “feed me” game. Children will decide if two words rhyme on the card, and if they do, they “feed” the giraffe the rhyming card! Each card shows two pictures—some cards with rhyming words and some cards without.
Example: If the card has crown and clown, students recognize the rhyme and feed it to the giraffe.
Get this activity in the Wild Animal Theme Pack here.
Safari Syllables Mats
Print out the syllable mats for children to use with manipulatives (such as, cubes, flat marbles, or others). Children will say the animal’s name, clap the syllables, and place one cube for each syllable on the mat.
Example: “Lion” = 2 cubes, “Elephant” = 3 cubes.
Get this activity in the Wild Animal Theme Pack here.
Safari I Spy Listening Skills
This listening game is a classroom favorite! Print out the I Spy mats and give each child a set of manipulatives to mark the pictures. Manipulatives can be cubes, colored chips, flat marbles, or anything you have on hand. The teacher reads an I Spy clue, and children listen carefully to find the correct picture.
Example: “I Spy an ostrich on the grassy hill.”
Students place a marker on the picture as they find it. This activity is perfect for building listening comprehension and expanding vocabulary. Get this activity in the Wild Animal Theme Pack here.
Wild Animal Blank Book
Encourage creativity and early writing skills with this wild animal blank book! Copy the book cover onto construction paper or cardstock, staple blank pages inside, and cut around the shape to make a safari animal-shaped book. Students can use these books in the writing center to draw, write letters, or create stories about safari animals. Get this activity in the Wild Animal Theme Pack here.
Journal Page
Give children a chance to express their ideas with this simple journal page! Students draw a picture of a wild animal, and teachers can write their dictated sentences underneath. This activity encourages early writing, storytelling, and fine motor development. Get this activity in the Wild Animal Theme Pack here.
Zoo Animals Sequencing Activity
Sequencing is a key pre-reading skill, and this zoo-themed activity makes it fun! Use full-color printable cards or the black-and-white version for this sequencing activity. Students will put pictures in order to tell a simple story:
- Children arrive at the zoo.
- They feed the monkey a banana.
- The monkey eats the banana!
This activity builds comprehension, storytelling, and thinking skills in a fun, relatable way! Get this activity in the Wild Animal Theme Pack here.
These wild animal safari literacy activities will have your preschoolers engaged and excited while building important early literacy skills. Try them in your centers or small groups for a fun, hands-on learning experience!