Free Pre-K 3 lesson plan · Unit 5: Animals
Pre-K 3, week 19: pets, baby animals and sorting
This week your learner will name pets, sort animals and vehicles, and match baby animals. Each activity takes about 5 to 10 minutes. Print the pages, or do them with things you already have at home.
Week 19 of 36 · See the Pre-K 3 year map · Not sure of the level? Take the 3-question Pre-K 3 or Pre-K 4 picker
Free, with no limits. No daily caps, no card and no ads. Reading every page is open to everyone; a free adult account is needed only to download the PDFs. We never ask for your student's name or any student information.
5-minute parent prep
- Find toy animals and toy cars, or pictures of them.
- Think of a pet your learner knows.
- Print pages 2 to 5, or skip printing and use the no-supplies swaps.
Household supplies only: Paper, crayons, toy animals and toy cars or pictures. No supplies? Every activity has a no-supplies swap.
The week at a glance
| Day | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Talk and listen | Pets page, Pet care card |
| Tuesday | Math | Animals and cars page, Zoo or road? card |
| Wednesday | Explore | Baby animals page, Mommy and baby card |
| Thursday | Make and move | Draw a pet page, Gentle hands card |
| Friday | Story and review | Song of the week, Parent notes page |
| Every day | Read, sing, play | Read a picture book together, sing the song of the week, play outside and check in on feelings with the free feelings cards. |
Printable pages
Pets
Say: "Which pet says woof? Which says meow?" Your learner points to each pet and makes its sound.
Animals and cars
Say: "Color the animals. Point to the cars and trucks." Your learner colors the animals and points to the vehicles.
Baby animals
Say: "A baby dog is a puppy. What is a baby cat?" Your learner points to each baby animal and says its name with you.
Draw a pet
Say: "Draw a pet you like." Your learner draws a pet any way they like and tells you about it.
Activity cards
Pet care
- Pretend the toy is a pet.
- Your learner feeds it, brushes it and puts it to bed.
- Talk about each step.
Easier: Do one step.
Next step: Ask "What does a pet need?"
Say this: "Gentle hands. Soft brushing."
No supplies: Pretend with no toy.
Social-emotional: caring
Zoo or road?
- Mix them.
- Your learner sorts animals and vehicles.
- Count each pile.
Easier: Use 2 of each.
Next step: Sort the vehicles by color.
Say this: "The truck goes on the road."
No supplies: Point and sort in a book.
Math: sorting by kind
Mommy and baby
- Show a grown animal.
- Your learner finds the baby.
- Say both names.
Easier: Use 2 pairs.
Next step: Ask "How is the baby different?"
Say this: "The hen and her chick."
No supplies: Act out a mother and a baby animal.
Science: animals grow
Gentle hands
- Show soft petting.
- Your learner pets the toy gently.
- Talk about gentle and rough.
Easier: Pet together.
Next step: Practice asking before touching a real pet.
Say this: "Gentle hands. Soft, soft."
No supplies: Pet your own arm gently.
Social-emotional: being gentle
Song of the week: Gentle hands
Gentle hands, gentle hands,
Soft for the puppy, soft for the cat.
Gentle hands, gentle hands,
Pat, pat, pat, like that.
Actions: Pat gently on your knees. Try next: Sing it before meeting a real pet.
Parent notes for Friday
Not a test. Notice what your learner does this week, and practice the rest later. Nothing here is sent to UpOnly Learning.
- Names 3 pets
- Sorts animals and vehicles
- Matches a baby animal to its parent
- Pets a toy gently
Want the bigger picture? See developmental milestones by age and the child development guide for ages 3 to 5.
Safety for this week
- Use objects too big to fit in your learner's mouth, and stay close during any counting or sorting with real objects.
- Water play only with an adult within arm's reach the whole time, even in a small tub.
- An adult handles anything hot or sharp, knives, and rocks or heavy objects.
- Dry beans and seeds only with an adult watching closely, and not with a learner who still puts things in their mouth.
- No scissors needed: tear paper instead. If you do use scissors, use child safety scissors with an adult right there.
- Choose crayons, markers and paint labeled for young learners (look for the AP seal).
Questions parents ask
Practice on a stuffed animal first: soft hands, slow moves and asking before touching. With real pets, an adult always stays close, and your learner never touches an animal they don't know without asking its owner.
Yes. Sorting animals from cars, or farm animals from pets, builds early math and lots of words. Keep it to two groups and a few things.
Use only objects too big to fit in the mouth, such as large spoons, socks, blocks and big toys, and skip beans, pasta and small pieces. Stay close during every activity with real objects.
Short and mostly play: one or two 5 to 10 minute activities, a read-aloud, the song of the week, meals and naps, and lots of time to move and play outside. Pre-K 3 gives you one plan for each day of the week.
Related pages
Recommended for your student
Pre-K 3 Full Year
$19.99. One-time purchase, no subscription.
The whole Pre-K 3 year in one print-ready book: 36 weeks of parent plans, printable pages, activity cards and songs for ages 3 to 4, with a clickable table of contents, page numbers and parent answer notes. 309 pages.
See it in the storeSources
UpOnly Learning Pre-K is general education, not medical advice. If you have concerns about your learner's development, talk with your pediatrician. In an emergency, call 911.
To print, create a free account at uponlylearning.com (no card needed), then download the printable PDF.