Animals are one of the best topics to start with when teaching vocabulary in a second language. Children already know most of the animals from everyday life, which means they just need to attach a new word to an existing concept. A much easier task than learning something entirely new.
Here are ten activities that work across all age groups and language combinations.
Ten Proven Activities
1. Picture word matching
Show a picture of an animal and ask the child to draw a line to the correct word. This is low-pressure and effective for beginners. It's the foundation of our Look & Circle exercise.
2. "What sound does it make?" in the new language
Animal sounds differ between languages. A dog says "woof" in English but "woef" in Dutch and "ouaf" in French. This quirky difference captures attention and makes words memorable.
3. Unscramble the animal name
Scrambled letters force children to look at every letter carefully. It's a puzzle, not a test. Children approach it differently and stay more engaged. Works brilliantly for animals like ELEPHANT or CROCODILE.
4. Animal bingo
Create a 3×3 grid with animal pictures. Call out the words in the target language. The first to complete a row wins. Simple to make, zero prep after the first time.
5. Draw and label
Ask children to draw an animal and write its name in the target language below. The act of drawing and writing together deepens the memory trace significantly.
6. Sorting by habitat
Give children a list of animals and ask them to sort into "jungle," "ocean," "farm" etc. in the target language. Adds a thinking layer that makes the task more engaging.
7. Flashcard race
Shuffle a set of animal flashcards. Hold one up. First child to call out the correct word in the target language wins the card. Whoever has the most cards at the end wins.
8. Fill in the sentence
Write simple sentences with a gap: "A ___ lives in the ocean." Children fill in the animal name from a word bank. Combines reading comprehension with vocabulary recall.
9. Learnsheet. 6 exercises on one theme
A structured learnsheet covering the same 10 to 12 animals through 6 different exercise types takes around 20 minutes and is effective precisely because of the varied repetition. Children encounter each animal in recognition, recall, spelling and writing. All in one session.
10. Make up a story
Ask the child to use 5 animal words in a short story (spoken or written). This is an advanced activity, but even young children can do it with scaffolding. It moves vocabulary from passive recognition into active use. The highest level of language learning.
Want a ready made animals learnsheet? Browse the Animals set →