Endangered Species Day | EYFS & KS1 Activity Ideas

**Note: This page is for educational inspiration and is not officially affiliated with Endangered Species Day. For official information and resources, please visit the National Wildlife Federation website, a key partner in this initiative: www.nwf.org/Our-Work/Wildlife-Conservation/Endangered-Species/Endangered-Species-Day.

Understanding Endangered Species Day in EYFS & KS1

Let's learn about some very special animals and plants that need our help! 🐾🌱 Endangered Species Day is a special day celebrated every year on the third Friday in May. It was started by a group called the National Endangered Species Act Education Centre in the United States and was recognised by the US Congress in 2006. The main idea of this day is to help everyone understand why it's so important to protect animals and plants that are in danger of disappearing forever. These special creatures are called 'endangered species' because there aren't many of them left in the world, and they need our help to survive and thrive. This day teaches us about the threats they face and what we can do to protect them and their homes.

For early years settings, nurseries, preschools, childminders, and Year 1 and Year 2 classrooms, this day provides a vital and compassionate theme for exploring animals (different types and their characteristics), habitats, conservation, life cycles, empathy for living things, and understanding the world (the world around us). It's about introducing children to the beauty of biodiversity, the idea of caring for vulnerable creatures, and simple actions they can take to make a difference. This day offers fantastic planning ideas and inspiration for engaging activities that truly resonate with young minds, making learning about wildlife conservation both essential and empowering!

Why Is Learning About Endangered Species Important for Young Children?

Integrating Endangered Species Day and themes of wildlife conservation into your practice with young children (aged 0-7) is incredibly important for fostering an early appreciation for nature, developing responsible habits, and laying the groundwork for future environmental stewardship.

• Fosters Empathy & Compassion: Helps children develop care and concern for animals and the natural world.

• Introduces Conservation Concepts: In an age-appropriate way, explains why some animals need our protection and what "endangered" means.

• Enhances Knowledge of Biodiversity: Expands children's understanding of the variety of life on Earth and different animal types.

• Promotes Environmental Responsibility: Inspires children to think about how their actions can impact animals and their habitats.

• Supports Scientific Inquiry: Encourages observation, questioning, and learning about animal characteristics and ecosystems.

• Encourages Positive Action: Shows children that even small actions can contribute to bigger conservation efforts.

Engaging Endangered Species Activities for EYFS & KS1

Let's become wildlife heroes and learn how to help our amazing endangered animals for Endangered Species Day with these planning ideas and activities perfect for EYFS and KS1 children. The focus is on appreciating these special creatures, understanding their challenges, and thinking about how we can help! Many of these early years and year 1 activities can be supported by our dedicated 'Endangered Animals', 'Animals', 'Habitats', and 'The Environment' resources.

Here's some inspiration for celebrating Endangered Species Day in your setting: (Please use your own discretion and knowledge of your children to ensure appropriateness of each activity and safety concerning any materials given and activity undertaken.)

• Learning About Specific Endangered Animals:

  • Introduce children to a few specific endangered animals. Use our comprehensive packs like 'Barn Owl Pack', 'Bat Pack', 'Black Rhino Pack', 'Bumblebee Pack', 'Chimpanzee Pack', 'Elephant Pack', 'Gorilla Pack', 'Lion Pack', 'Orangutan Pack', 'Sea Lion Pack', 'Sea Turtle Pack', 'Tiger Pack', 'Vaquita Pack', and 'Whale Shark Pack'.

  • Focus on their unique characteristics using body parts posters like 'Elephant - Body Parts', 'Lion - Body Parts’, 'Elephant Body Parts - Poster & Writing Sheets', 'Lion Body Parts - Poster & Writing Sheets', and 'Turtle Body Parts - Poster & Writing Sheets'.

  • Use mindfulness colouring sheets for a calm focus on these animals: 'Tiger - Colouring (Mindfulness)', 'Bat - Colouring (Mindfulness)', 'Elephant - Colouring (Mindfulness)', and 'Lion - Colouring (Mindfulness)', along with the full versions: 'Lion - Colouring (Mindfulness)', 'Elephant - Colouring (Mindfulness)', and 'Tiger - Colouring (Mindfulness)'.

• Role-Play & Creative Expression:

  • Encourage role-play using 'Zoo Animal Masks' and 'Zoo Animal Masks - Colouring'. Children can pretend to be endangered animals in their habitats.

  • Decorate animal masks or outlines: 'Animals - Decorate An Elephant Mask' and 'Animals - Decorate The Elephants'.

  • Engage with specific animal-themed activities like 'Tiger - Stripes Activity' (great for fine motor skills and pattern recognition).

• Counting & Maths with Animals:

  • Incorporate counting with endangered animals using 'Feed The Lion Counting Puzzles' and 'Tiger - Food Counting Puzzles'.

• Understanding Habitats & Conservation:

  • Discuss the importance of different habitats where these animals live. Link to pages like ‘Habitats’, ‘Ocean’, ‘Forest School’, ‘Woodland (Temperate)’, ‘Wetlands’, ‘Polar’, and ‘Beach School’.

  • Talk about why these animals are endangered (e.g., losing their homes, litter). This connects to ‘The Environment’ and ‘Recycling’.

  • Use the 'Planning - Topic Plan Ideas - Animals' for broader animal-themed planning that can incorporate endangered species.

• Explore More: Please visit our dedicated ‘Endangered Animals’ page for an extensive catalogue of resources. You may also like to explore additional pages covering relevant and/or connected themes such as ‘Animals’, ‘Birds’, ‘Fish’, ‘Invertebrates’, ‘Life Cycles’, ‘Mammals’, ‘Minibeasts’, ‘Reptiles’, ‘Wildlife’, and ‘Zoo’.

These activities offer great inspiration for making Endangered Species Day a memorable and impactful experience in your early years and Key Stage One setting, fostering compassion for animals, environmental awareness, conservation understanding, and a lifelong sense of responsibility for our planet's biodiversity.

To explore ideas surrounding additional early years events, please visit our 'Special Dates Calendar' page.

Printable resources to support teaching & learning surrounding: ‘Endangered Species Day’

Free ‘Endangered Species’ EYFS & KS1 Printable Activities:

‘Endangered Species’ EYFS & KS1 Printable Activities:

Additional Pages you may like to explore which cover relevant &/or Connected themes

More Early Years Event Pages for May

Explore special dates (including awareness dates, festivals, celebrations & events) relevant to your EYFS & KS1 children

Browse our ‘Special Dates Calendar’ page using the link below. You’ll find calendars for every month of the year to aid your planning!

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Disclaimer:
This page is for educational purposes only and is intended to support early years and primary practitioners with ideas and resources related to 'Endangered Species Day'. We are not officially affiliated with or endorsed by the National Endangered Species Act (ESA) Education Centre or the United States Congress, which established this event. We do not claim any rights to specific trademarks or official materials associated with this event. For official information and resources, please visit key partner websites like the National Wildlife Federation: www.nwf.org/Endangered-Species-Day.