Classifying Animals in Art

While we’re talking about classifying animals, here’s an activity that uses art to practice this skill. Younger students should focus on grouping similar animals together (birds, mammals, fish). Older students can group animals in more specific categories (animals in the cat family or the dog family). This activity is especially good for groups of 2 or 3 kids.

Kids who are studying zoo animals will benefit from this activity because they can look for similarities and differences between the animals they are learning about.

At the end of the post are some pictures you might want to use for this activity. There are many more examples of animals in art so you shouldn’t have any trouble adding to the collection if you choose to do so.

Supplies Needed:

Computer Print-outs of animals from art
Scissors
Marker
Construction paper or poster board
Glue stick

Look at the animal pictures you have in front of you and decide on what categories you will sort them into. Cut the animals out of the pictures and sort them. Make sure all animals fit into one of your categories. If you have some left over that don’t fit, you either need another category or you need to rethink the categories you have.

Write your categories on your sheet of construction paper or poster board. Arrange the animals on the poster board and glue them down.

Do you notice anything about the artistic style of the animals? Were most of the birds painted in the same style? Did all the sculpture end up in the same category?

Return to main page.