Five easy ways to learn about animals at home

Children are fascinated by animals long before they can read. That curiosity is a wonderful starting point for learning words, numbers, geography and even kindness. Here are five simple ideas that fit into a normal family day.

1. Choose an "animal of the day"

Pick one animal each morning, or let your child pick. Look at its picture together, listen to its sound and read one fun fact at breakfast. Our home page shows a new animal of the day every day, with a fact to go with it. Ask one question in the evening: "Do you remember what our animal eats?"

2. Turn questions into small investigations

When your child asks "Why does a giraffe have a long neck?", look for the answer together instead of answering straight away. Read the animal's page, look at the map, compare sizes. Saying "Let's find out" teaches children that questions are the start of an adventure.

3. Play with sizes and numbers

Animals are perfect for early maths. Is a cat heavier than a dog? How many of you would it take to weigh as much as an elephant? Use the "quick facts" on each animal page, or play Bigger or Smaller, to compare. Younger children can simply count legs, spots or stripes.

4. Travel the world from the sofa

Open the world map, choose a continent and meet the animals that live there. Find where you live on the map, then talk about which animals you could see near home and which live far away. It is an easy first step into geography.

5. Draw, act and sing

After meeting an animal, invite your child to draw it, move like it or make its sound. Our free worksheets, such as the animal fact file, give them a page to fill in. Acting and drawing help children remember far more than looking alone.

Keep it short and joyful

Ten happy minutes are worth more than an hour of forced learning. Follow your child's interests, celebrate their questions and, whenever you can, go outside to look for real animals: birds, insects and pets are everywhere.