Animals on the farm is a fun unit study topic for kids of all ages — from preschool nature crafts to ideas for elementary farm lessons to high school agriculture lessons and teaching resources!
Learning About Animals On The Farm Lesson Plans For Kids Activities
How do you teach animals on the farm?
- Do farming in America lesson plans and activities for kids.
- Watch food and farming documentaries.
- Do a 5-day farm themed unit study for preschool and kindergarten.
- Learn about babies on the farm (baby farm animals).
- Create your own farm worksheets.
- Read these fun books about farming for kids.
- Understand where your food comes from.
- Do crafts and activities that help kids understand the importance of pollination in the food farming cycle.
- Learn about growing plants and make wearable plant jewelry.
- Grow a Victory Garden at home with kids.
See the full list of farming activities for kids below!
Why Farm Lessons Are Important For Kids Today
Have you ever thought about the topics of animals on the farm and farming for kids lessons for your learning?
Understanding food, farming, animals, and sustainability are such important topics for kids of any age, especially if they don’t live on a farm (or work on a farm).
Skeptical?
Think these topics are only for preschool or kindergarten?
I think you’ll be surprised.
Let’s take a look at how you can teach about these topics and make them interesting and engaging for ALL ages . . .
Why Add Farming for Kids To Your Lessons?
Not long ago I asked a child, “Where does your food come from?”
Her answer?
“The grocery store.”
I asked her, “But how does it get to the grocery store? Like, where was it before it was at the grocery store?”
And, she had no idea.
She was nine years old.
(Let that sink in for a moment.)
Unfortunately, this answer isn’t that unusual.
(If you don’t believe me, the next time you are around a group of kids, ask them.)
Many kids today just don’t have a complete understanding of a plant or animal life cycle and where the food in the grocery store comes from and what happens with animals on a farm.
(We’re failing many children on this topic, it seems.)
So, your child definitely isn’t too old (or too young) to tailor a farm lesson unit study for them.
And, don’t make the mistake of thinking farming for kids is only for preschool or kindergarten learning fun animal sounds.
We have really great farming resources below that cover both younger and older kids (and some things even you will enjoy. WAY.).
LEARNING TIP: Search farming near me, farm for kids near me, or animals farm near me to see if you can get a tour of a farm. Many farmers are happy to share their farm and work (especially if you have a group of kids like a class or homeschool co-op).
Talking To Our Kids About Where Food Comes From
I have always considered farming to be an important part of homeschooling.
For a while, my kid attended a “farm school” one day each week where she learned more about the process, working on a farm, the food cycle, growing food, sustainability, and animals on the farm.
(She loved it! In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if she ended up doing some kind of farming when she grows up.)
In order to live a healthy life and make informed decisions about food, one of the first things we need to do is talk to our children about the origins of food.
It’s important for kids to understand that food doesn’t just magically appear in the grocery stores and that farmers work hard at their job to provide our food.
This helps kids have a better understanding of and connection to the land, understand the jobs that provide food, and make better choices about what they eat — all things that will carry them into adulthood and throughout their whole lives.
Farming and farm animals is an interesting topic for most kids to learn about, so incorporating farm lessons into your studies is an easy sell.
Here are some fun ways you can add farming, gardening, animals on a farm, and more farm lessons fun for your learning.
17 Unique Ways To Learn About Animals on a Farm, Farming Life, Food, and Farming for Kids
FARM LESSONS #1: Learn About American Farming
Need help getting started on a farming topic?
This is a great comprehensive farming lesson plan.
It’s listed as grades 3 through 5, but you can definitely adapt some of it for younger ages.
Also, check out the National Association of Agriculture Educators. They have a wide range of lesson plans, outlines, and other farming resources to use for class.
Then, head over and learn about American Dairy Farming.
FARM LESSONS #2: Teach With Movies on Food and Farming
If you have older kids or are looking for middle school agriculture lessons or high school farm unit studies, maybe you want to teach with movies by pairing up a food movie and discussion guide/theme movie lesson plan?
Food, Inc. Movie
Check out the Food, Inc. movie
and then use this free Food, Inc. discussion guide from from the Center for EcoLiteracy for further learning and discussion.
Watch The Food Inc. Movie Trailer Video
NOTE: Food, Inc. is probably best for older kids because it does cover some serious topics and has images that younger kids might not like. Common Sense Media recommends ages 13 and older.
Farmland Movie
Farmland
is a really great documentary.
(I mean, really great. Like, so good that I cried when in the theater when I was invited to a special screening of it!)
It covers the new generation of farmers, their struggles, and even how they’re using new technology to grow food.
It’s a fantastic option to watch with your kids (for the whole family) to discuss farming, animals on the farm, and even the future of farming.
Watch the movie and then use these Farmland lesson plan resources as a follow-up.
This is a great study unit for grades 9 through 12.
Check out the Farmland movie trailer video.
FARM LESSONS #3: Animals on the Farm and Lesson Plans for Preschoolers, Kindergarten, and First Grade
If you have little ones, you’ll definitely want to spend some time focusing on animals on the farm.
Check out this five day farm theme unit that is perfect for the younger group like preschool and kindergarten.
FARM LESSONS #4: Understand Animal Babies on the Farm
Here’s a free exploring the lives of farm animals for preschoolers and up (K-3) to learn about all those cute animal babies and more!
Make the flash cards and kids learn the names of farm animals by matching them to the names of their babies.
Also, be sure to read about baby animals on the farm!
FARM LESSONS #5: Create Your Own Farm Worksheets (Or Let Your Kids Create Digital Farm Art)
If you’re looking for farm animals pictures to create your own farm lessons or flashcard fun, check out Pixabay.com.
Pixabay is a free photo sharing site where you can download images, clip art, and photos and use them in your work.
If you want to create your own worksheets with the images, check out Canva or PicMonkey.com.
These are both online editing tools that allow you to create documents, posters, invitations, books and so much more.
They’re great to use to create worksheets and lessons because it’s easy to drag and drop images, add fonts, and more.
There is both a free and a paid version of Canva.
(The free version is more than adequate to make worksheets and other learning tools.)
Also, your kids can select free animal photographs or cartoon drawings from Pixabay and then use Canva or PicMonkey to create their own digital art.
(My daughter does this all the time with PicMonkey and loves it!)
FARM LESSONS #6: Read An Animals On The Farm Book (and Other Farming for Kids Books)
Need some cool farm animal books to incorporate into your farm lessons?
Check out an animals on the farm book or these other farming books:
FARM LESSONS #7: Understand Products Produced By Animals
I always tell my daughter if she’s going to eat something, then she needs to understand where it comes from (including the food that comes from animals).
I know it can be a touchy subject (especially with little ones), but it is important to include this is your farm learning.
(After all, do you really want your kids to think that hamburgers just come from the grocery store?)
Michigan Farm Bureau has many fun lesson plans (like Honeybees, Chickens and Cows, Oh My!) that covers different products that are made by animals on a farm and agricultural lessons.
It’s an easy way to open discussion about food from farms.
FARM LESSONS #8: All About Beef
Learn about cow farming with this Beef Education Lesson Plan for grades 3-5+.
The Iowa Beef Industry Council also has lessons on:
- Beef Basics Lesson 1 (this is an instant download onto our computer)
- Meat Labels
- Beef Primal Cuts Worksheet
Also, be sure to check out their interesting history of the hamburger in America timeline and then do the hamburger trivia quiz!
MORE LESSON PLAN IDEAS:
FARM LESSONS #9: Discover Dairy and American Dairy Farming
Discover Dairy has lesson plans and learning tools for Grades 3 through 8.
There is a really cool Adopt a Cow year-long learning process great for a classroom, groups or homeschool co-cops.
They also have fantastic free printables on dairy farming:
FARM LESSONS #10: How Potatoes Grow
Of course, you’re going to learn about growing when you talk about farming and potatoes are fun place to start!
Idaho Potatoes has a cool kids’ site that includes online farm games, coloring sheets, downloads, quizzes, word searches and more—all free!
FARM LESSONS #11: Get Corn in the Classroom
Missouri Corn has many resources on — you guessed it! — corn!
Illinois Corn also has a good set of lesson plans and learning resource, worksheets, recipes and more on the topic — including a fun Story Of Corn scavenger hunt!
FARM LESSONS #12: Learn About Gardening
Gardening is a fun way to incorporate farm growing into your lessons because it helps your kids understand growing their own food in a more personal way.
But, don’t worry!
You don’t need a big yard (or even any yard), because you can container garden right from your balcony, patio, or even a sunny, indoor window sill!
I love this mini Root Viewer Farm that allows your kids to view every stage of the growing process.
(It’s compact and doesn’t take up much room, so it’s perfect no matter where you live!)
You’ll have no trouble finding something that you can add to your garden learning there.
ALSO CHECK OUT: ALL ABOUT BEES AND PRINTABLE POLLINATOR PACK
FARM LESSONS #13: Make Your Own Greenhouse
Many gardeners and growers use greenhouses on their land.
Before you make your own mini greenhouse, learn more about how a greenhouse works for growing.
Then, plant your own mini greenhouse — a great STEM project and a fun way to talk about farm foods and growing with your kids!
FARM LESSONS #14: Make a Living Plant Necklace
Want to wear a plant?
(For real!)
If you’re talking about farming, plant life cycles and more, then you’ll definitely want to incorporate this wearable plant jewelry as your craft. It’s a fun plant kids activity for all ages!
FARM LESSONS #15: Play farming games
Playing games is a great way for kids to learn. So, but sure to add some farm games to your lessons!
Discover Dairy has fun farming games online.
Don’t miss them!
Also, there many fun farm board games to choose from, too!
Try:
FARM LESSONS #16: Watch An Animals On The Farm Video
This animals on the farm video (complete with animals sounds!) is fun to share with your little ones!
Check YouTube farm animals for more videos!
FARM LESSONS #17: Try Your Hand at Mini Farming
If you want to go a little beyond gardening and have the land, you can try your hand at mini farming (also sometimes called micro farming).
It’s a great way to teach your kids about responsibility and sustainability.
And, some people even make a lot of money from their micro farm growing. So, it could be a great lesson in entrepreneurship for your kids, too!
ALSO CHECK OUT: How To Start A Victory Garden With Kids
MORE GREAT LESSON PLAN IDEAS AND NATURE KIDS ACTIVITIES:
CRAZY AMAZING Outdoor Classrooms + Nature Learning Space Ideas
HONORING NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH WITH KIDS ACTIVITIES, LESSON PLANS, AND PROJECTS
I hope you have fun learning about animals on the farm with your kids!
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