15 Arctic Animal Activities for Preschool

The Arctic has some amazingly, resilient animals. These Arctic animal activities will leave your little one fascinated with animals of the Arctic.

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Books About the Arctic

Children love books, especially books with wonderful pictures. These books are great for teaching your child about Arctic animals.

Arctic Animals (Who’s That) by Tad Carpenter
In Arctic Waters by Laura Crawford
Amazing Arctic Animals by Jackie Glassman

Ideas for Imaginative Play

Set out items that are worn or used in the Arctic for your child to pretend with. You could set out:

Coats
Gloves
Scarves
Winter hats
Snow boots

Go on a Virtual Field Trip

Watch videos of Arctic animals on YouTube.

Make an Arctic Sensory Bin

Kids enjoy playing with sensory bins, especially when water is involved. 😉 Make an Arctic sensory bin by freezing large chunks of ice. Then put plastic Arctic animals in the bucket with the ice and some water.

Fine Motor Arctic Animal Activities

Fine motor activities are a great way to keep your little one busy at the table while you’re working with an older child. Here are some Arctic activities that will encourage fine motor development:

Make snowflakes.
Make a snowman out of play dough.
Paint an Arctic picture onto blue paper.
Polar Bear Activity (This activity is part of the Arctic Theme Unit Pack.)
Color the Arctic coloring page. (This activity is part of the Arctic Theme Unit Pack.)

Gross Motor Arctic Animal Activities

Gross motor activities are always a favorite in our home; sometimes older siblings even join in on the fun. These Arctic animal activities helped my little guys get out some extra, winter energy too.

Don’t Fall Through the Ice – Cut random shapes out of white paper. Secure paper to the floor with painters tape or poster putty to prevent slipping. Have child jump from iceberg to iceberg without falling in the ice.
Bundle Up Race – Set out a coat, scarf, gloves, winter boots, and a warm hat on one end of the room. Then have your child run to the pile of clothes, put them on, and race back.
“Snowball” Fight – Use rolled up socks as snowballs and throw them at each other.
Run and Find – Print and cut out pictures of Arctic animals, such as, polar bears, walruses, and Arctic wolves. Then scatter the pictures around the room or your house. Have your little one run and find all the Arctic animals. (This activity is part of the Arctic Theme Unit Pack.)
Arctic Animal Action Cards – Show your child pictures of Arctic animals and have them move like the animals you show them. (This activity is part of the Arctic Theme Unit Pack.)

Songs

“I’m a Little Snowman”
“Baby Beluga”
“Little Snowflake”

Snack

Here are some fun Arctic snack ideas:

“Snow” – Vanilla Ice Cream
“Arctic Circle”- Spread cream cheese on a bagel.
“Polar Bear Yogurt” – Put slices of banana on vanilla yogurt to make your bear’s ears and nose. Use raisins for eyes.

I hope these Arctic animal activities help you make some special memories with your little ones.

For more ideas about activities that will keep your preschooler learning and occupied so you can work with older children too, be sure to check out The BIG Book of Ideas for Homeschooling Preschool.