Hobbies And Interests
Sight
Print pictures of animals and tape each one to a desk. Have the children walk around and look at all the pictures, and tell them to say the name of the animal as they walk by each picture. You can also hold up a book with animal pictures in it; have the children call out the name of each animal on each page. For a memory game, print two pictures of each animal and place them face-down on a table. One child will flip over two pictures. If the pictures match, the child keeps them and draws two more, but if the pictures do not match, the turn moves to another player. The child with the most animal matches at the end of the game wins.
Smell
Place animal-themed items such as hay, wood shavings (from a pet store), hog feed and deer corn in boxes or sacks for the children to smell. Allow the children to smell each item; identify the items after they smell them. After they smell all the items, blindfold each child individually and have him smell the items. Award one point to each child for every correct answer. The child who earns the most points wins the game. Encourage the children to try their best by awarding animal stickers or erasers to every child who wins or guesses an item correctly.
Touch
Use plush animals to create a touch activity. Place the animals, such as a bird, pig, cow, dog, snake and duck, on a table. Allow the children to walk around the table, feeling all of the animals. After the children feel each animal, blindfold each child. Have each child feel an animal, one at a time, and try to guess the identify of the animal. If the child guesses each animal correctly, award her with a small prize. If the children have no animal allergies, allow them to feel and touch live animals. You can find petting zoos by searching your local phonebook or on online.
Sound
Record several animal noises, such as a bird's mating call, a lion's roar, a bear's growl, on an MP3 player or a CD. Have the children listen to the sounds. Tell the children the name of each animal as they hear the sound it makes. After they listen to all the animals, organize an animal sound test. Give each child a sheet of paper and a pencil; play the noises and have them write down its name. Award a prize to each child who correctly identifies all the animals.