Animals Unit Studies & Resources for Ages 4-12
26 curated resources, 21 of them free or with a free tier.
Homeschool Share
Free unit studies, lapbooks and printables, browsable by topic (animals, plants, weather, space) and season.
No Sweat Nature Study (Our Journey Westward)
Nature-study science curriculum for grades 1-8, designed to be simple and flexible.
Wild Explorers Club
Online nature adventure program with weekly assignments and videos; designed for ages 6-12 and religiously neutral. Paid monthly, free two-week trial.
Exploring Nature
Science and nature illustrations, labeling pages and printable worksheets for K-12; membership for full access.
Apologia
Christian K-12 curriculum publisher, including elementary science.
Mystery Science
Hands-on, video-led science lessons for elementary grades; some free lessons.
iNaturalist
Record and share observations of plants and animals and get help identifying them from a community of naturalists.
4.1 ★ (700) App Store · Oct 2026
Seek by iNaturalist
Kid-safe app that identifies plants, animals and fungi with the camera and awards badges. No registration.
4.8 ★ (31k) App Store · Oct 2026
Zooniverse
The largest platform for people-powered research: classify animals, galaxies and more online.
Ranger Rick (National Wildlife Federation)
Wildlife and nature content for kids from the National Wildlife Federation, plus Ranger Rick magazines.
5.0 ★ (8) App Store · Oct 2026
National Wildlife Federation: Kids and Family
NWF programs, tools and resources to help parents get their children outside.
National Geographic Kids
Free animal facts, videos and science and geography content.
Nat Geo Kids (YouTube)
New videos every week about science, animals and more.
SciShow Kids
Short, kid-friendly science explainers and experiments.
Wild Kratts (PBS Kids)
Free games and videos from the Wild Kratts animal adventure series.
Ducksters
Easy-to-read reference pages and games on animals, history, science, geography and biographies.
John Muir Laws (Nature Journaling)
Free nature-journaling lessons, workshops, and curricula that teach kids to observe and draw the natural world.
Generation Genius
Video-based science lessons with experiments, quizzes, and DIY activities for K-8, some free.
SciStarter
Directory of thousands of citizen science projects, searchable by topic, location, and age.
FrogWatch USA
Learn frog and toad calls, then monitor a local wetland and report what you hear each season.
Green Kid Crafts
Monthly science and art discovery boxes with eco-friendly materials and a nature focus for ages 2-10.
Crash Course Kids
Fast, funny STEM and earth-science episodes for 3rd-5th graders, from the makers of Crash Course.
Free School
Introductions to animals, space, history, famous art, and classical music, made for elementary kids.
MinuteEarth
Short animated explainers about how the Earth works: weather, oceans, animals, and ecosystems.
It's Okay to Be Smart
Joe Hanson explores curious science questions, from evolution and animals to space and the senses.
SciShow
Quick, well-researched explainers on space, animals, and everyday science for older elementary kids.