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Zoo theme for 2 year olds: a week of activities

A zoo theme lesson plan for 2 year olds: what a day looks like, then the week's circle time (about five minutes, standing up for the song), books, craft, song, snack, letter and outside time, each with what changes at this age.

Plan this week for 2 year oldsThe whole zoo week

A day of the zoo theme with 2 year olds

  1. Arrival, hands washed, free play.
  2. Circle (about five minutes): hello song, then “Which zoo animal would you like to see, and how does it move?” and sing “pop goes the weasel”.
  3. Craft with a grown-up pouring and cutting: zebra stripes.
  4. Snack: Frozen Banana Pops.
  5. Outside: zoo parade.
  6. Read I See a Boy, the same book again tomorrow.
  7. Rest, then color the letter Z picture page.

Zoo circle time

  1. Good morning song, then say each name together.
  2. Calendar: the day, the date and the weather.
  3. Ask: “Which zoo animal would you like to see, and how does it move?”
  4. Sing: Pop Goes the Weasel.
  5. Read: I See a Boy (level 3).

Twos: about five minutes; stand up for the song.

Zoo theme books

  • I See a Boy (level 3, free on peabody.kids): Seeing animals one by one, for the twos.
  • The Red Bus (level 1, free on peabody.kids): A bus full of animals going somewhere.
  • At the Zoo (read aloud, level 4): A read-aloud pattern book: monkeys and more at the zoo.
  • Lion and Mouse (read aloud, level 4): A read-aloud: the big lion and the small mouse who helps him.

Zoo craft: Zebra stripes

You need (4): white paper zebra shape (grown-up cuts), black crayon or paint, a paper strip mane, glue stick.

  1. Draw stripes across the zebra.
  2. Glue on the mane.
  3. Count the stripes together.

With a grown-up. No heat, nothing hot.

Twos: a grown-up pours the paint and holds the glue.

Zoo song: Pop Goes the Weasel

The words

All around the cobbler's bench The monkey chased the weasel; The monkey thought 'twas all in fun. Pop! goes the weasel.

Traditional; public domain. From Top 52 nursery rhymes with lyrics.

Zoo snack

Frozen Banana Pops from the Peabody Kitchen: picture steps, allergy swaps and safety lines on the recipe.

Swap: Yogurt → oat yogurt.

Letter Z activities

ZzZ is for zoo. Print the two pages (a trace page and a color page).

Twos: the picture page only; color it and say the word.

Outside activity: Zoo parade

Call an animal; everyone moves like it: an elephant stomps, a monkey swings its arms, a snake slithers.

Zoo theme for toddlersZoo theme for 3 and 4 year oldsZoo theme, all ages

Checked 2026-10-30