Skip to content

Session 12: Animal Homes

Overview

Grade: Kindergarten | Duration: 25 minutes | Session: 12 of 17

Students explore different animal habitats, designing and building homes for animals while learning about God's provision for all creatures.

Session 12: Animal Homes

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, students will:

  • Recognize that different animals need different homes

  • Identify features of animal habitats

  • Build a simple animal home

  • Appreciate God's design for animal habitats

Materials Needed

  • 📦 Building materials (boxes, cardboard, paper, craft sticks)

  • 🐻 Toy animals (bird, fish, bear, rabbit, etc.)

  • 📸 Pictures of animal homes (nest, burrow, cave, pond)

  • 🌿 Natural materials (twigs, leaves, grass)

  • 🖍️ Wonder Journals and crayons

  • 📋 Habitat matching cards

Catholic Integration

Saint Connection

St. Francis of Assisi — He loved all animals and saw them as brothers and sisters in God's creation!

Scripture

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them." — Matthew 6:26

Opening Prayer

Dear God, you take care of all animals. You gave birds nests to live in, fish water to swim in, and rabbits burrows to hide in. Help us care for animals too. Amen.

Lesson Procedure

Opening Circle (4 minutes)

  1. Question — "Where do animals live?"
  2. Habitat Introduction:
  3. 🐦 Birds live in NESTS (in trees)
  4. 🐟 Fish live in WATER (ponds, rivers, oceans)
  5. 🐻 Bears live in CAVES or DENS
  6. 🐰 Rabbits live in BURROWS (underground)
  7. God's Provision — "God designed the perfect home for each animal!"
  8. Today's Challenge — "We're going to BUILD animal homes!"

Main Activity: Build an Animal Home (15 minutes)

Part 1: Match Animals to Homes (3 minutes)

  • Show pictures of habitats

  • "Which animal goes where?"

  • Match toy animals to habitat pictures

Part 2: Design & Build (10 minutes)

  • Small groups choose an animal

  • Challenge: Build a home for that animal!

  • Materials available:

  • Boxes (caves, dens)
  • Paper/cardboard (nests, walls)
  • Craft sticks (nest structure)
  • Blue paper (water/pond)

  • Natural materials (grass, twigs)

  • Teacher circulates and asks: "What does your animal need?"

Part 3: Show & Tell (2 minutes)

  • Groups share their animal homes

  • "What makes this a good home for [animal]?"

Wonder Journal (3 minutes)

  1. Draw an animal in its home
  2. Label: "A [animal] lives in a [habitat]"

Closing Circle (3 minutes)

  1. Discovery Share — "What did you learn about animal homes?"
  2. Caring for Animals — "How can we help animals?"
  3. Put out bird feeders
  4. Don't disturb nests
  5. Keep water clean
  6. Be gentle with creatures
  7. Closing Prayer — "Thank you, God, for taking care of all the animals. Help us be kind to every creature you made. Amen."

Assessment

Observation Checklist:

  • Matched animals to appropriate habitats

  • Participated in building activity

  • Explained habitat features

  • Showed care for animal needs

Differentiation

For Students Who Need Support

  • Focus on one animal/habitat

  • Pre-made habitat base to add to

  • Pair with buddy

For Advanced Students

  • Build habitat for animal of their choice

  • Add details (food, water, soft bedding)

  • Create multiple habitats

Wonder at Home 🏠

Family Activity: Go on an "animal home hunt" in your yard or a park. Look for bird nests, ant hills, spider webs, squirrel nests. Don't disturb them—just observe! Build a bird feeder together.

Teacher Notes

  • Collect cardboard boxes ahead of time

  • Natural materials can be gathered on a class walk

  • Display animal homes in classroom

  • Connect to pet care discussions

Previous: Session 11 — Growing Things
Next: Session 13 — Easter New Life