Amazing Animals Resource Compendium for Your Zealous Zoophilist!

As we learn Mei Xiang, one of the giant pandas at Smithsonian National Zoo, has given birth to a cub, it seems like a wonderful day to celebrate animals. You can keep up-to-date with the story of Mei Xiang and her cub via pandacam. Read more here.

• Learn more about giant pandas on China Highlights (general information and interesting facts), on National Geographic and National Geographic Kids.

• If your child loves baby animals, check out Zooborn.

• If your child enjoys watching animals on camera, San Diego Zoo has lots of zoocams. There are more zoocams at Houston Zoo. A further list of recommended zoocams is to be found here.

• Colchester Zoo also offers an amazing array of animal activity packs. This African Animals pack for example is a brilliant resource that is packed with teaching and learning ideas. The others are of a similar high quality.

• Chester Zoo also offers lots of learning resources.

• Smithsonian National Zoo has a comprehensive list of educational activities to do at home. They have also launched Zoo Guardians, a mobile game where players build their own zoos, interact with animals through augmented reality, and learn what species need to thrive under human care and in the wild. Players are guided by an animal keeper mentors and can choose from among 58 species to adopt, care for and conserve. Along the way, they’ll learn lots of information about animal care and conservation. 

• With games in mind, I shared Switchzoo animal games previously but am linking it again for you today.

• Do you think your child would enjoy these zoo quests from Bronx Zoo?

• Defenders.org is a great site for learning about wildlife and wild places.

• Similarly, the WWF website offers lots of information on wildlife, places and people.

• ABC.net has a comprehensive section on animals.

• BBC Earth also has lots of teaching and learning materials, games and some useful information on sustainability, including lots of recipe ideas.

• Enjoy lots of animal-themed programmes on Animal Planet.

• Don’t forget National Geographic and National Geographic Kids for lots of animal videos and content.

• Find animal report writing prompts and an assessment rubric on Enchanted Learning. Your child may find this structured report planner helpful too.

I hope these links are helpful if you have an animal lover in your home. Please do share with me any other great links you are aware of.