Animal Habitats For Kids – Types And Activities

Just like humans, animals also have homes. And just the way we have an address for our home, animals also have a name for their homes. These names are known as habitats of animals or animal homes. Along with the name of animals, we must also teach our kids about the name of their habitats and the name of animals living in different habitats.

In this article, we have covered information on different animals and their habitats for kids, along with some fun activities to learn about animal habitats. Let’s read!

What Is Habitat?

A habitat can be defined as a natural environment or natural home that can support the survival and reproduction of a particular plant or animal species. A natural habitat can meet all the environmental conditions an organism needs in order to survive.

Different Types Of Animal Habitats

In this section, we will look at the different types of animal habitats for children to learn.

Terrestrial Habitats

Terrestrial habitats are the ones present on the land surface. The animals in these habitats breathe in the oxygen from the air using their lungs, have legs to walk on the ground, and some animals also have wings to fly in the sky. Here are some of the terrestrial habitats:

Forest

Forest habitats are the ones that provide a place to live for a variety of animals. There are various forest habitat animals, some of which are mentioned below. This includes animals living in the rain-forest. Types of forest habitat are:

• Temperate

1. Spiders
2. Slugs
3. Frogs
4. Turtles
5. Salamanders

• Tropical

1. Jaguars
2. Gorillas
3. Green anacondas
4. Toucans
5. Sloths

• Boreal

1. Wolves
2. Reindeer
3. Beavers
4. Moose
5. Brown bears

• Snow Forest

1. Snow leopard
2. Arctic fox
3. Snowshoe hare
4. Bobcats
5. Sika deer

Grasslands

Grassland habitats are ones that receive more rain than deserts but less precipitation than forests. Below we have covered the types of grassland forests and tropical and temperate grassland animals.

• Tropical Grasslands

1. Elephants
2. Zebras
3. Rhinos
4. Hyenas
5. Ostriches

• Temperate Grasslands

1. American bison
2. Black-tailed prairie dogs
3. Jackrabbits
4. Coyotes
5. Foxes

Deserts

Desserts are habitats without much water. These are the driest places on Earth, which receives very less rainfall. Types of deserts and desert habitat animals are:

• Hot and Dry Deserts

1. Geckos
2. Toads
3. Camels
4. Snakes
5. Meerkats

• Coastal Deserts

1. Badgers
2. Golden eagles
3. Lizards
4. Jackrabbits
5. Spiders

• Cold Deserts

1. Kangaroo rats
2. Musk ox
3. Arctic fox
4. Lemming
5. Emperor penguin

• Semi-Arid Deserts

1. Desert Bighorn sheep
2. Hares
3. Rattlesnakes
4. Tortoise
5. Chuckwallas lizards

Wetlands

Wetlands are ones with areas where the soil is covered with water. Let’s take a look at types of wetlands and wetland animals.

• Marshes

1. Minks
2. Racoons
3. Frogs
4. Turtles
5. Muskrats

• Ponds

1. Frogs
2. Beaver
3. Fish
4. Herons
5. Mayfly

• Swamps

1. Minks
2. Racoons
3. Turtles
4. Snakes
5. Egrets

• Peat Bogs

1. Turtles
2. Frogs
3. Insects

Aquatic Habitat

The habitats that are present in water are called aquatic habitats. The animals in this type of habitat use the dissolved oxygen from water for respiration. Animals in aquatic habitats generally have gills to breathe and fins to swim in the water. Types of aquatic habitats are:

Freshwater

Freshwater habitats are water bodies with low salt content. Types of freshwater habitats and freshwater habitat animals are:

• Rivers

1. American alligator
2. Amazon river dolphin
3. Fish
4. Hippo

• Lakes

1. Beaver
2. Duck
3. Salamander
4. Flamingo

• Streams

1. Fish
2. Frog
3. Dragonfly
4. Salamander

Marine

There are habitats that support marine life. Types of marine habitats are:

• Pelagic Habitats (Open Sea Other Than Coast and Seafloor)

1. Jellyfish
2. Squids
3. Octopus
4. Squill

• Demersal Habitats (Ocean Floor and The Water Near It)

1. Crabs
2. Shrimps
3. Silver bellies
4. Catfish

Activities To Help Kids Learn Animal Habitats

Below we have covered some activities that will help your little one to learn about animal habitats.

1. Make A Shoe Box Habitat

Pick any one animal habitat you want your child to learn about. Now take a shoe box, and with your child’s help, make that animal’s habitat. For example, if you want to teach your child about forests, take a shoe box, add some artificial green grass, and plastic animals to help your child learn the name of animals as well.

2. Sorting Game

Take 4-5 boxes and write the name of different animal habitats on them. Collect some small plastic animals or images of different animals and ask your child to place the animals in the right box based on their habitats.

3. Pay A Visit

Practical knowledge is the best form of knowledge. Take your child to a river or pond to show them the animals that live in those habitats.

4. Watch Documentaries

It is not possible to visit the deep ocean or the dense forest. Therefore, make your child watch movies and documentaries on animal habitats and help them learn something new!

5. Find The Animals

Give your child an animal magazine to flip through. Tell your little one about animals and their habitats. Randomly ask your child questions like “This animal lives in which habitat?”

6. Draw An Animal

Ask your child to draw and colour an animal from a particular habitat. For example, you can ask your child to draw an animal living in aquatic habitat, and they can draw an octopus.

7. Animal Name Game

Ask your child to name one animal with each letter of the alphabet. Along with the name, ask your child to tell the habitat of the animal. For example, if they say “A for alligator,” the habitat of an alligator will be freshwater (river).

8. Match The Following

Create a fun worksheet that contains both the animal names and its habitat. The animals should be on one side and the habitats on the other side (jumbled). Let your child draw a line from the animal to their habitat.

9. Where Do I Live?

Take a printout of a few animal pictures. Show one image at a time to your child and ask them, “Where do I live?” For example, if you are showing the image of a camel, you can ask your child – “I am a camel. Where do I live?” and your child will answer – “I live in the desert”.

Teaching your little one about animal habitats can be tough but not impossible. Teach with the help of the activities mentioned above, and your child will learn the name of animal habitats in no time. Happy learning!