Animal Fun!

Objective & content

This activity sheet is a page of four animal games, with Bruno as the guide: "Hi! I'm Bruno. I love animals!". Pupils read four short riddles and find the animal, look for six animal words in a word search, unscramble four animal names and shade the animal words in a grid to reveal a hidden picture. All four games use the same short animal words, and pupils need only a pencil. By the end, pupils read, recognise and spell a set of animal words, and understand short sentences with I'm, I've got and I can ("I'm green. I can jump and swim.").

Pedagogical guide

The four games work the same words from four sides. Game 1 is reading: each riddle has two short sentences ("I'm big and grey. I've got a long nose.") and pupils choose the animal from a box of five pictures with their names (zebra, mouse, elephant, pig, frog), then write the answer: "I'm a frog." One animal in the box is not used, so the last riddle still needs reading. Game 2 is a word search of eight by eight letters with six animals to find, across and down (cat, dog, pig, cow, duck, frog), each shown with its picture. Game 3 is spelling: the letters of four animals are mixed up, and the picture next to them is the clue (lion, bird, fish, horse). Game 4 sorts words: pupils shade every square with an animal word (cat, hen, bee...) and leave the other words (red, cup, cake...), and a picture appears; they finish the sentence "I can see a ...". Page 2 gives the answer key for the four games (the hidden picture is a heart) and the teacher notes.

Suggested procedure

1. (5 min) Play "What am I?" with two animals: describe one ("I'm small. I can fly.") and let the class guess.
2. (10 min) Game 1: pupils read the four riddles and write the answers; check them together.
3. (10 min) Games 2 and 3: pupils find the six words in the grid and unscramble the four animals.
4. (5 min) Game 4: pupils shade the animal words and say what they can see.
5. (10 min) In pairs, pupils write a riddle of their own ("I'm ... I've got ... I can ...") and read it to a partner, who guesses the animal.

Adaptations

[S] Read the four riddles aloud together before pupils write the answers.

[A] Pupils write a riddle for a friend: "I'm ... I've got ... I can ..."

Materials & prerequisites

One copy per pupil of page 1, in colour or black and white. Pupils need only a pencil. Page 2 is the answer key with teacher notes: keep it. The sheet works for early finishers, as a treat at the end of the week or as homework. Pupils should know a few colours (grey, green, pink) and have met the animal words before; in games 1 to 3, every animal has its picture.