Here are 23 zoo animal songs for preschoolers with full lyrics, the tune each one borrows, and the motions that go with it. Most are sung to melodies you already know, such as “The Mulberry Bush” or “The Wheels on the Bus,” so you can lead one at circle time today with no practice. The rest are short fingerplays and chants that need no tune at all.
The songs are grouped by how you will use them: songs to sing in the week before a zoo trip, elephant songs, monkey songs, songs about giraffes, lions and kangaroos, and two counting chants. Each song ends with a one-line note on the best age or the action to pair with it. Seven videos are embedded where they fit, so you can hear a tune before you teach it, or let children watch the motions once before they try them.
A short guide comes first on fitting these songs around a zoo trip or a wild-animal theme. Then the songs, then answers to the questions teachers ask most.
- How to use zoo songs around a zoo trip or animal theme
- Songs to sing before a zoo trip
- Elephant songs and fingerplays
- Monkey songs and fingerplays
- Giraffe, lion and kangaroo songs
- Counting zoo animal songs
- Frequently asked questions
How to use zoo songs around a zoo trip or animal theme
Start singing a week before the trip. Children who already know the words giraffe, hyena and chimpanzee from “We are going to the Zoo” and “Take me out to the Zoo” will spot those animals and name them, instead of hearing the names for the first time in front of the enclosure. Sing the same two or three songs every day for five days. By the bus ride they will be singing them without you.
Use the movement songs as your gross-motor block. “If I Were,” “The Elephant” and “The Elephant’s Trunk” ask for a slither, a march, a hop and a heavy stomp. Clear the rug, pick a start wall and a finish wall, and have children cross like each animal in turn: stomp like an elephant, stretch tall like a giraffe, hop like a kangaroo. Three or four minutes is enough. If you have already done this with the farm songs, the routine is familiar and you only need to swap the animals.
Teach one animal sound at a time. “The Animals at the Zoo” has four sounds. Do the lion on Monday, the snake on Tuesday, the hyena on Wednesday and the monkey on Thursday, then sing all four verses on Friday. Threes who are handed four new sounds at once will roar for every animal.
Expect different things from threes and fives. A three-year-old takes one animal name, one sound and one big motion from a song, and that is a full lesson. “The Yellow Giraffe” and “The Brown Kangaroo” are built for that. A five-year-old can hold a nine-verse song like “The Zoo,” count by tens in “100 Animals,” and make up a verse of their own. Sing the same song to both ages and simply ask more of the fives. The number songs for preschool page has more counting practice at both levels.
Put the animals in a sensory bin. A tub of dried beans or shredded paper with plastic zoo figures lets children act out “The Zoo” or “Take me out to the Zoo” with their hands. Sing a verse, then have them find that animal and hold it up. Names stick faster when a child is holding the animal while saying the word.
Use a loud song, then a quiet one. “She Roars So Loud” and “5 Little Monkeys” get a group up and noisy. Follow either with “Swing, Swing” or “I Know a Giraffe,” both sung slowly and seated, and the room settles inside one verse. That pairing is the most useful thing on this page, so plan it into every circle time during the theme.
Songs to sing before a zoo trip
We are going to the Zoo
Added: 07-05-2000
Original Author Unknown
Sung to: “London Bridge”
We are going to zoo,
To the zoo, to the zoo.
We are going to the zoo,
Won’t you join us too?
We’ll see lions, tigers too,
Tigers too, tigers too.
We’ll see lions, tigers too,
All at the zoo.
We will find some chimpanzees,
Chimpanzees, chimpanzees.
we will find some chimpanzees,
Swinging from the trees.
We will look for kangaroos,
Kangaroos, kangaroos.
We will look for kangaroos,
Hopping at the zoo.
Sing this every day the week before the trip; the four animals named are the ones children will look for first.
Take me out to the Zoo
Added: 07-05-2000
Original Author: Unknown
Sung to: “Take me out the ballgame”
Take me out for some good fun,
Take me out to the zoo.
Let me visit the tall giraffe,
I want to hear the hyenas laugh.
Now I love to visit the zoo,
I could stay there all day,
And watch birds, seals, rhinos, and hippos
As they play.
A good bus song; fours and fives can name the six animals in it before you arrive.
The Zoo
Added: 04-08-2001
Original Author: Unknown
Sung to: “Skip to My Lou”
Come along children, we’re going to the zoo,
Come along children, we’re going to the zoo,
Come along children, we’re going to the zoo,
Going to the zoo today.
See the animals living in the zoo,
See the animals living in the zoo,
See the animals living in the zoo,
Living in the zoo today.
I see a monkey sitting in a tree,
I see a monkey sitting in a tree,
I see a monkey sitting in a tree
I see a monkey and it sees me.
I see an elephant, big and gray,
I see an elephant, big and gray,
I see an elephant, big and gray.
Big gray elephant is eating hay.
I see a lion in a cage,
I see a lion in a cage,
I see a lion in a cage.
I see a lion that roars with rage.
I see a camel with a great big hump,
I see a camel with a great big hump,
I see a camel with a great big hump.
When he walks he goes “bump, bump.”
I see a zebra, black and white,
I see a zebra, black and white,
I see a zebra, black and white.
Seeing the zebra is a sight.
I see a giraffe, big and tall,
I see a giraffe, big and tall,
I see a giraffe, big and tall.
He’s not hard to see at all.
We saw the animals living in the zoo,
We saw the animals living in the zoo,
We saw the animals living in the zoo.
Living in the zoo today.
Nine verses is long, so pick the animals your zoo actually has and drop the rest.
The Animals at the Zoo
Added: 06-02-2002
Submitted by: Cecilia Harris
Sung to: “The Wheels on the Bus”
The lions at the zoo go roar, roar, roar,
Roar, roar, roar,
Roar, roar, roar,
The lions at the zoo go roar, roar, roar,
All day long!
The snakes at the zoo go hiss, hiss, hiss,
Hiss, hiss, hiss,
Hiss, hiss, hiss,
The snakes at the zoo go hiss, hiss, hiss,
All day long!
The hyenas at the zoo go ha, ha, ha,
Ha, ha, ha,
Ha, ha, ha,
The hyenas at the zoo go ha, ha, ha,
All day long!
The monkeys at the zoo go oooh, oooh, oooh,
Oooh, oooh, oooh,
Oooh, oooh, oooh,
The monkeys at the zoo go oooh, oooh, oooh,
All day long!
Add your favorite animals, or let you kids come up with new ones to sing. You can also add hand movements. I sing this with my kindergarten students on the way to the zoo.
Teach one animal sound a day, then sing all four verses together at the end of the week.
If I Were
Added: 07-05-2000
Original Author: Unknown
Sung to: ” The Mulberry Bush”
Oh, if I were a tiny snake,
A tiny snake, a tiny snake.
Oh, if I were a tiny snake,
I’d slither around the zoo.
Oh, if I were an elephant,
an elephant, an elephant.
Oh, if I were an elephant,
I’d march around the zoo.
Oh, if I were a kangaroo,
A kangaroo, a kangaroo.
Oh, if I were a kangaroo,
I’d hop around the zoo.
The movement song of the set; slither, march and hop across the rug, then add the animals the children suggest.
Elephant songs and fingerplays
An Elephant Goes
Added: 04-30-1998
Submitted by: Kathy
An elephant goes like this and that (walk feet in front of you)
He’s terrible wide (Use arms out at side)
And terrible fat (same)
He has two fingers (wiggle indexes)
He had two toes (wiggle feet)
BUT, goodness gracious WHAT A NOSE!!!! (pull on pretend trunk in front of nose)
The easiest elephant rhyme for threes; do it seated with one arm swinging as the trunk.
The Elephant
Added: 02-27-2000
Original Author: Unknown
Sung to: “The Mulberry Bush”
The elephant goes like this and that, this and that, this and that. (Walk heavily and stomp feet) The elephant goes like this and that, cause he’s so big and he’s so fat! (Puff up cheeks and stretch out arms)
He has no fingers and has no toes, He has no fingers and has no toes. (Wiggle fingers; wiggle toes) He has no fingers and has no toes, But goodness, gracious, what a nose! (Pull hands out from face to suggest a long trunk.)
A standing version for fours and fives; the heavy stomp is the point, so give them room.
The Elephant’s Trunk
Added: 07-29-2003
Original Author: Unknown
The elephant has a great big trunk (Pretend an arm is the trunk.)
That goes swinging, swinging so. (Swing trunk.)
He has tiny, tiny eyes that show him where to go. (Point to eyes.)
His huge long ears go flapping, flapping up and down. (Pretend hands are ears.)
His great big feet go stomping, stomping on the ground. (Stomp with feet.)
Five motions in five lines, so it works as a quick movement break between two seated activities.
Eletelephony
Added: 08-28-1998
Written By: Laura E. Richards
Once there was an elephant,
Who tried to use the telephant
No, no! I mean an elephone
Who tried to use the telephone
(Dear me! I am not certain quite
That even now I’ve got it right.)
Howe’er it was, he got his trunk
Entangled in the telephunk;
The more he tried to get it free,
The louder buzzed the telephee
(I fear I’d better drop the song
Of elephop and telephong!)
A tongue-twister poem rather than a song; read it aloud to fives and let them catch the mixed-up words.
Monkey songs and fingerplays
5 Little Monkeys
Added: 05-05-1998
Original Author: Unknown
5 little monkeys high up in the tree.
Teasing Mr. Alligator,
“You can’t catch me, can’t catch me, can’t catch me!”
Along comes Mr. Alligator quiet as can be SNAP! that monkey right out of that tree!
Continue song counting down till
0 little monkeys’ Along comes Mr. Alligator fat as can be!
Why is he so fat?
Five children stand as monkeys while a seated alligator claps one out each verse; count what is left aloud.
Underneath The Monkey Tree
Added: 07-09-2002
Original Author: Unknown
Sung to: “The Muffin Man”
Come and play a while with me,
Underneath the monkey tree.
Monkey See and Monkey Do,
Just like monkeys in the zoo.
Swing your tail, one, two, three,
Underneath the monkey tree.
Monkey See and Monkey Do,
Just like monkeys in the zoo.
Jump around and smile like me
Underneath the monkey tree.
Monkey See and Monkey Do,
Just like monkeys in the zoo.
Everyone copies the leader on “Monkey See and Monkey Do”; let a child lead once the group knows it.
What Can a Monkey See?
Added: 07-17-2000
Original Author: Unknown
Sung to: “Skip to My Lou”
What can a monkey see from a tree?
What can a monkey see from a tree?
What can a monkey see from a tree?
It can see ———- from a tree.
Note: Pause after “see ” and child can name something a monkey can see from a tree. Continue until each child has had a turn.
A fill-in-the-blank song that gives every child a turn to speak; good vocabulary practice for threes.
Swing, Swing
Added: 08-18-2000
Original Author: Unknown
Have the children stand in a circle and hold hands. While you recite the following poem, have them swing their arms up and down.
Little monkeys swinging in the tree,
All hold hands and swing with me.
Swing up high and swing down low,
Swing in the tree, now don’t let go!
Swing, swing, like I do.
Swing like monkeys in the zoo.
A hand-holding circle poem for threes; keep the swinging slow so nobody gets pulled over.
I’m a little Monkey
Added: 04-01-2001
Original Author: Unknown
Sung to: “I’m a little teapot”
I’m a little monkey in the tree
Swinging by my tail so merrily
I can leap and fly from tree to tree.
I have lots of fun you see.
I’m a little monkey, watch me play
Munching on bananas every day
Lots of monkey friends to play with me.
We have fun up the tree.
Swing one arm for the tail and mime munching on “bananas”; fours pick it up in two tries.
Itsy Bitsy Monkey
Added: 04-01-2001
Original Author: Unknown
Sung to: “Itsy Bitsy Spider”
The itsy bitsy monkey climbed up the coconut tree
Down came a coconut and hit him on his knee – OWWWWW
Out came a lion a hanging his mighty mane – ANNNNND –
The itsy bitsy monkey climbed up the tree again.
Children already know the tune, so it teaches itself; the OWWWW is the part they wait for.
Monkey See, Monkey Do!
Added: 01-27-2002
Original Author: Unknown
Monkey see, monkey do!
Let’s watch them in the zoo.
We stare in. (Put left hand up)
They look out. (Put right hand; both hands face each other)
We eat popcorn. (Left hand fingers touch the thumb)
They eat popcorn. (Right hand fingers touch the thumb)
We eat fruit. (Right finger sways back and forth)
They eat fruit. (Left finger sways back and forth)
We stand up. (Left fingers up)
They stand up. (Right fingers up)
We sit down. (Left fingers down)
They sit down. (Right fingers down)
Monkey see, monkey do.
We do it first and they do it, too!
A two-handed fingerplay for fours and fives; one hand is the child and the other is the monkey.
Giraffe, lion and kangaroo songs
I Know a Giraffe
Added: 04-01-2001
Original Author: Unknown
Sung to: “On Top of Old Smokey”
I know a giraffe.
With a neck that’s real high
She stretches and stretches
till it reaches the sky
She lives on the plains
With the elephants too
You might also see her when you go to the zoo
Stretch both arms up on “reaches the sky”; a calm song for after outdoor play.
The Yellow Giraffe
Added: 05-12-2002
Original Author: Unknown
The yellow giraffe is tall as can be. (Put hand up high)
His lunch is a bunch of leaves off a tree. (Put arm up for tree branches)
He has a very long neck and his legs are long too. (Point to neck and legs)
And he can run faster than his friends in the zoo. (Run in place)
Four lines and four actions make this a good first fingerplay for threes.
She Roars So Loud
Added: 04-01-2001
Original Author: Unknown
Sung to: “Did you ever see a Lassie”
Did you ever hear a lion,
a lion, a lion?
She roars so loud
She roars and grrs
and grrs and roars
Did you ever hear a lion?
She roars so loud.
The loud song; sing it right before a quiet one to bring the group back down.
The Brown Kangaroo
Added: 07-29-2003
Original Author: Unknown
The brown kangaroo is very funny.
She leaps and runs and hops like a bunny. (Hop around.)
And on her stomach is a pocket so wide (Put hand on stomach like a pocket.)
Her baby can jump in and go for a ride. (Have other hand jump into “Pocket”.)
Best for threes; the pocket motion, with one hand jumping into the other, is the part they remember.
Kangaroo Poem
Added: 07-29-2003
Original Author: Unknown
Jump, jump, jump (Jump.)
Goes the kangaroo. (Jump.)
I thought only one– (Hold up one finger.)
But now I see two! (Hold up two fingers.)
Mommy and her baby
With his head popping out; (Wiggle thumb between index and middle finger.)
He holds on tight (Pretend to hold on tight.)
As they jump all about! (Jump all about.)
A short counting fingerplay to two with a jump at the end; fits between two seated activities.
Counting zoo animal songs
One, One, the Zoo is Lots of Fun!
Added: 04-08-2001
Original Author: Unknown
(chant)
One, one: the zoo is lots of fun.
Two, two: see a kangaroo.
Three, three: see a chimpanzee.
Four, four: hear the lions roar.
Five, five: watch the seals dive.
Six, six: there’s a monkey doing tricks.
Seven, seven: count the elephants – eleven.
Eight, eight: a tiger and his mate.
Nine, nine: penguins in a line.
Ten, ten: I want to come again!
A chant, not a song; clap the beat and hold up fingers for each number with fours and fives.
100 Animals
Added: 01-18-2002
Original Author Unknown
I went to the zoo
And what did I see?
100 animals
Looking at me.
There were,
10 tall giraffes, eating from the trees.
10 silly monkeys, scratching on their knees.
10 sleeping snakes, lying in the sun.
10 munching elephants, eating peanuts one by one.
10 leaping tigers, performing in the shows,
10 pink flamingos, standing on their toes.
10 grouchy bears, trying to get some sleep.
10 happy hippos, in the water deep.
10 roaring lions, walking two by two.
10 galloping zebras, all living in the zoo
Count by tens with fives; set out ten figures of one animal and let children touch each one as they count.
Frequently asked questions
What age are zoo animal songs best for?
Three to five. Threes do best with the four-line fingerplays like “The Yellow Giraffe” and “Kangaroo Poem,” which give one animal, one fact and one action. Fours and fives can handle the long zoo trip songs, the counting chants and the two-handed fingerplay “Monkey See, Monkey Do!” Twos can still join in on the animal sounds in “The Animals at the Zoo.”
How do I prepare preschoolers for a zoo trip?
Sing the zoo trip songs every day for the week before, so the animal names are familiar by the time children see the animals. Show a picture of each animal named in the songs and have children say the name. Talk through the day itself: the bus, staying with a partner, looking without tapping the glass. On the trip, sing “The Zoo” and change the verses to match what you actually see.
What activities pair with zoo animal songs?
A sensory bin with plastic zoo animals is the easiest match. Add paper-plate lion manes for “She Roars So Loud,” a flannel board with five felt monkeys for “5 Little Monkeys,” and a tape line on the floor for kangaroo hops. If children have animals at home, compare a house cat to the lion in the song; the pet songs for preschoolers make a good bridge into the theme.
How do animal movement songs help development?
A stomp, a slither and a hop each ask for a different kind of body control, and a song gives children a reason to repeat each one many times. Following the words also builds listening, because a child has to hear “elephant” before knowing to march. Copying songs like “Underneath The Monkey Tree” add imitation and turn-taking once a child is allowed to lead.
What is the difference between a zoo theme and a jungle theme?
A zoo theme is about a place children can visit, so it covers animals from many habitats plus the trip itself. A jungle or safari theme is about one habitat, so it groups animals that live together, such as monkeys, snakes and big cats, and pairs well with the reptile songs for preschoolers. Most of the monkey and lion songs here fit both. For woodland animals such as bears and deer, use the forest songs for preschool instead.
That is the full set. Pick three or four to start, sing them every day the week before the trip, and let the rest come in as the theme goes on. When zoo week is over, the bird songs page covers the flamingos and penguins from “100 Animals,” the ocean songs page has the seals, and the winter animal songs page picks up penguins and polar bears for the colder months.