Explore Animal Habitats: Printable Sorting Mats

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One of the best ways to spark a child’s curiosity about animals and ecosystems is to visit a zoo or aquarium. These places offer hands-on, visual experiences that bring animal habitats to life—far beyond what a textbook can teach.

Our local favorite is the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium in Utah, but no matter where you live, visiting an aquarium or zoo is a fantastic opportunity to explore the amazing diversity of animal life and learn more about animal habitats around the world.

To extend the learning after our trip, we created some fun printable Animal Habitat Sorting Mats that are perfect for kids to use at home, in the classroom, or in your homeschool!

Why Visit Aquariums & Zoos to Learn About Habitats?

Aquariums and zoos are set up to mimic different natural habitats and ecosystems, offering an immersive experience that helps kids understand how animals survive in different environments. As we walked through the aquarium, we discovered so many distinct regions:

• Rainforest Habitat: Colorful birds, poison dart frogs, snakes, and lush vegetation made this area feel like a jungle adventure.

• Utah Native Species Exhibit: This unique exhibit highlights local wildlife including otters, snakes, and turtles—perfect for learning about animals in your own backyard.

• Polar Region: Penguins steal the show in this chilly exhibit. We talked about how animals adapt to cold weather and icy climates.

• Asia Region: From exotic birds to leopards and even a binturong (also called a bear cat!), this section was full of surprises.

• Ocean Exhibit: This was the highlight of the trip! We walked through a giant underwater tunnel surrounded by sharks, turtles, and rays. Kids can even touch stingrays and starfish.

Field trips like this aren’t just fun—they’re educational gold. You can use them to teach science, geography, writing, and even math!

 

Learn at Home with Animal Habitat Sorting Mats

To build on our experience, I created a printable Animal Habitat Sorting Activity. It’s hands-on, engaging, and a great way to reinforce what kids have learned about animals and their environments.

What’s Included in the Printable Pack:

• 7 habitat mats: Polar, Savannah, Wetlands, Ocean, Desert, Jungle, and Forest.

• Over 80 animal cards to cut, sort, and match to the correct habitat.

• A mix of familiar and unique animals to encourage critical thinking.

• Perfect for preschool through early elementary ages.

This activity encourages:

• Sorting and categorizing

• Visual discrimination

• Scientific thinking

• Vocabulary building

Tip: Laminate the mats and cards for durability and reuse!

Where to Get the Animal Habitats Sorting Mats

This printable pack is available in my shop and included in the Teach Beside Me Membership Site, which gives you unlimited access to my full library of educational printables.

Overview of the 7 Animal Habitats

Understanding different habitats helps children make sense of the world around them—and see how animals adapt to survive in their environments. Here’s a simple breakdown of each habitat included in the printable set:

Forest Habitat

• Location: Found all over the world, especially in temperate and tropical regions.

• Climate: Moderate temperatures with plenty of rainfall.

• Features: Dense tree coverage, changing seasons (in temperate forests), rich biodiversity.

• Animals: Deer, bears, foxes, owls, raccoons.

• Learning Focus: Deciduous vs. coniferous forests, animal camouflage, seasonal changes.

Jungle Habitat (Tropical Rainforest)

• Location: Near the equator in places like the Amazon, Congo, and Southeast Asia.

• Climate: Hot and humid with lots of rain year-round.

• Features: Tall trees, thick undergrowth, layered canopy.

• Animals: Monkeys, jaguars, toucans, poison dart frogs, sloths.

• Learning Focus: Layers of the rainforest, biodiversity, conservation.

Polar Habitat

• Location: Arctic (North Pole) and Antarctica (South Pole).

• Climate: Extremely cold, long winters, and short summers.

• Features: Ice, snow, few plants, extreme temperatures.

• Animals: Polar bears (Arctic), penguins (Antarctica), seals, arctic foxes.

• Learning Focus: Animal adaptations like blubber and camouflage, polar day/night cycles.

Desert Habitat

• Location: Found on every continent, e.g., the Sahara, Gobi, and American Southwest.

• Climate: Very dry, with hot days and cold nights.

• Features: Sand dunes, cacti, little rainfall.

• Animals: Camels, lizards, snakes, scorpions, fennec foxes.

• Learning Focus: Water conservation, nocturnal animals, desert survival.

Ocean Habitat

• Location: Covers 71% of Earth’s surface.

• Climate: Varies by region, but water temperature and depth are key.

• Features: Saltwater, coral reefs, deep-sea zones.

• Animals: Fish, whales, dolphins, sea turtles, jellyfish.

• Learning Focus: Ocean zones (surface to deep sea), marine food chains, plastic pollution awareness.

 

Wetlands Habitat

• Location: All around the world in coastal and inland areas.

• Climate: Varies, often warm and humid.

• Features: Marshes, swamps, bogs—areas where land and water meet.

• Animals: Frogs, alligators, herons, turtles, mosquitoes.

• Learning Focus: Importance of wetlands in filtering water, amphibian life cycles.

Savannah Habitat

• Location: Found in Africa, South America, Australia, and parts of India.

• Climate: Warm with seasonal rains and a dry season.

• Features: Grasslands with scattered trees.

• Animals: Lions, elephants, zebras, giraffes, antelope.

• Learning Focus: Predator-prey relationships, migration, conservation.

 I created this printable habitat sorting mat set that kids can play with and learn about where different animals live around the world.

This printable set is so much fun! It has 7 different full-size habitats: Polar, Savannah, Wetlands, Ocean, Desert, Jungle, & Forest. Each set also includes 12 or more animals that live in that habitat.

There is a lot of cutting involved, so your kids can help with the animals. Mine loved being involved in the prep work. Then, once the animals were all cut, we mixed them up and let the kids sort according to where the animals live. Some animals will overlap in different habitats.

Recommended Book About Animal Habitats

Want to deepen your study? Here’s a book we love:

• Crinkleroot’s Guide to Knowing Animal Habitats by Jim Arnosky
  This beautifully illustrated book introduces young readers to a variety of habitats in a friendly, accessible way. The Crinkleroot series is a family favorite!

By pairing meaningful field trips with engaging activities at home, kids retain more of what they learn and develop a lifelong love of science and nature. So next time you’re planning a day out, consider visiting a local aquarium or zoo—and don’t forget to bring the learning home with you!

 

Want to Download the Animal Habitats Sorting Mats?

 

 

Did you know you can get access to ALL of my printables in my Membership Site?