More Animal Exercises

No illustrations have been completed for these activities. Feel free to print and play.

Bear Claws

You live in a place where few people go,
High in the mountains of Idaho.

You've got sharp teeth and claws to match,
And like to chew and bite and scr-r-atch.

Bears like to claw, snarl, and growl,
Whenever they're feeling foul.

Pretend you're a big ol' g-r-rizzly bear-r;
You weight 1000 pounds and you're covered with hair.
All other animals better bewar-r-re.

You've got sharp teeth and claws to match,
And like to growl, claw and scr-r-atch.

All day long you walk around,
Scratching trees and smelling the g-g-r-r-ound.

Seeing other bear-r-rs makes you scowl,
So you stand up, show your claws, and gr-r-owl.

These mountains are your ter-r-ritory,
They're all yours, as far-r-r as you can see.

You look very tough,
And your voice is r-r-rough;
Your attitude is kind of gr-ruff.

It's just the way you have to be,
So reach up and claw the bark of a tree:
Let everyone know this is your territory.

All around the mountains you prowl,
If anyone is near you gr-r-rowl,

Butterfly Flutter-By

Beautiful butterfly flutter-by,
The most lovely thing in the sky.

Flap flutter, flutter by,
Flapping, fluttering butterfly.

Flapping and fluttering butterfly dance.
Through the air, on the wind you prance.
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Pretend your arms are butterfly wings,
They are beautifully colorful things.

What colors would you like them to be?
Tell me the colors that you see.

Spread your wings, feel as light as a breeze;
Come fly with the butterflies, won't you please.

By gently flapping you easily fly
From flower to flower beneath the blue sky.

The smallest breeze gives you a lift:
Catch the wind and away we drift

Flap and flutter, give it a try:
Dance with the wind, come on and fly.

Beautiful butterfly what joy you bring,
As you flutter-by every spring.

All the flowers need to be kissed:
You must make sure that none are missed.

It's a job you share with the bees,
You can help the butterflies if you please.

Flap flutter, flutter by,
Flapping, fluttering butterfly.

Butterfly, sweet flowers' friend,
You are missed at summers end.

Flapping and fluttering, doing a butterfly dance:
Through the air, on the wind we prance.

Cheetah Chase

Cheetah Chase, run very fast:
When animals race, you're never last.

Cheetah run fast but not far;
You're kind of like a shooting star.

You are a cheetah, with spots on your fur;
Running so fast you look like a blur.

With sharp claws and a long tail,
No one will mistake you for a snail.

Your body is built for speed...
To catch antelope on which you feed.

Cheetah chase the wildebeest...
So your family can have a feast.

Cheetah chase the zebra too;
You're a cheetah, no animal can outrun you.

Cheetah run fast but not very far;
You're kind of like a shooting star.

You blaze along but get tired fast;
Like a falling star, you don't last.

Running fast is how you stay alive:
You must catch and eat other animals to survive.

Today you're going to practice your speed;
You've already eaten and don't need to feed.

You'll just be running to practice the chase;
Come along and we will race.

Be sure to warm up if you are smart;
Run in place for a minute before we start.

This type of running is called the sprint;
You move so fast you hardly leave a foot print.

As you blaze along...
Both your legs are growing strong.

Clam Up

Clams lie still and quietly,
Deep beneath the clear blue sea.

On the bottom of the ocean they lie,
As all the other sea creatures swim by.

Among the beautiful corral reefs they rest;
For peaceful relaxation the clams life is best.
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Pretend you're a clam lying beneath the sea,
Resting quietly and comfortably.

Beautiful fish of every color and hue
Are slowly swimming all around you.

Your mouth is open but you are never heard,
Resting quietly without a word.

Being a clam may seem like a bore,
Just lying around on the ocean floor,

But it's very good for you,
Especially after your exercises are through.

Relaxation helps your body recuperate,
By slowing down your heart rate.

Breathe slowly and deeply, relax your mind,
And close your eyes because clams are blind.

Sway slowly from side to side;
Pretend you're being rocked by a gentle tide.

Clams don't get nervous or upset;
Living in the water you never sweat.

Clams lie still and quietly...
Here beneath the deep blue sea.

Relax-x-x, let the waves soothe your mind;
Relax-x-x, let your whole body unwind.

Relax-x-x and feel at peace with all...
And hear the gentle ocean's soothing call.

Upon the beautiful corral reefs you rest;
For peaceful relaxation the clams' life is best.

Daddy-Longlegs

Daddy-longlegs walking tall;
You feel big even though you are small.

Harvestmen are good bugs to have around,
Creeping and crawling all over the ground,
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Pretend you're a daddy-longlegs walking tall;
You feel big even though you are small.

Your legs hold your little round body high,
Walk on your hands and feet, give it a try.

Pretend you have eight legs and are 3" long,
Walking like a harvestman will make you strong.

Creeping and crawling all around,
You're so small you don't make a sound.

You like to catch other bugs to eat,
It's easy because you're fast on your feet.

Most people think that you're a pest:
In their homes you're an unwelcomed guest.

You really give humans the creeps,
Because you seek food while everyone sleeps.

You wander all over the place...
And sometimes crawl across someone's face.

But you eat other bugs that are bad,
So when they see you, they should be glad.

You really don't hurt anything at all,
Except for creepy crawly creatures that are small.

Humans should excuse you if you crawl across their bed,
Even if you wander, by mistake, across someone's head.

They should just leave you alone...
Not step on you or hit you with a stone.

If you're wandering where you shouldn't be,
They should take you outside and set you free.

Running Deer

Running deer, run fast, but carefully;
Your swift legs keep you alive and free.

On narrow pathways, in the forest green,
Running so swiftly, you can't be seen.

To run fast in the forest, you need to take care;
To stay safe, running deer must always beware.

Forest trails lead you on an adventurous game:
Running Deer is its name.

Start out walking as you pretend to be ...
A running deer living wild and free.

Breathe deeply, smell the fresh forest air:
Trees are what make the air smell so fair.

The forest is a wonderful place to play;
Deer, run and jump around all day.

Listen carefully as we begin to walk,
And you will hear the forest talk.

Hurry up, we are going to a fun spot:
To a meadow, walk faster, now trot.

The forest can be a dangerous place,
With lots of challenges that you must face.

Wolves, cougars and humans think it's ideal
To catch you, or shoot you, and make you a meal.

Running away is how you survive;
It's the best way for you to stay alive.

You are careful not to trip,
And watch where you step so you don't slip.

Sniff! Sniff! Is that a cougar you smell?
Sniff! Sniff! Or a wolf? You can't tell.

Listen, it's neither; now you can hear;
It's a hunter coming near.

Heads up, it's time to run;
This is not a good place to have fun.

You need to be careful and not get hurt;
Whenever you run, you are always alert.

Deer run so fast, all the hunter can see
Is a flash of your tail as you flee.

Running deer, run fast, but carefully;
Your swift legs keep you alive and free.

On narrow pathways, in the forest green;
Running so swiftly you can't be seen.

To run fast in the forest, you need to take care;
To stay safe, running deer must always beware.

It's good to run, unless you slip.
Never run down stairs, take care not to trip.

Catch your breath, now you can run slow;
Your running has brought you to the hidden meadow.

Play in the meadow, you don't need to run:
Trot then walk to cool down and have fun.

It's so beautiful here:
Especially since you have nothing to fear.

Green grass and flowers, surrounded by trees:
Fresh air blowing on a cool mountain breeze.

Everything that deer love,
With a rainbow up above.

One thing is certainly clear:
It's a great life being a deer.

Diving Dolphins

Swimming in the ocean, wild and free,
Dolphins live joyfully in the sea.

They are not fish, but small whales:
They have smooth warm skin, not cold slimy scales.

Dolphins live in large families,
Swimming together beneath the seas.

We are going to play an conditioning game:
Diving Dolphin is its name.

Pretend you are a dolphin sleek and trim;
Gliding through the ocean, you swim.

Put your hands on your chest, your arms are dorsal fins:
Now you can swim just like dolphins.

Your feet have become a broad flat tail;
You're a dolphin, a little whale.

Stretch your whole body from head to toe;
Dive in the ocean then leap and blow.

Be careful when you leap and dive:
Playing safe is how dolphins survive.

Breathe deep then dive, blow out to exhale;
Remember you are related to the great whale.

Feel the water stream past your face;
Dolphins love to race.

In our race no one looses or wins:
We just enjoy exercising our fins.

Swoosh, splash, swoosh and swim,
Through the water we dolphins skim.

Swoosh, splash, turn about,
Then blow a little dolphin spout.

Swoosh, splash, leap and dive,
It feels great to be alive.

Swoosh, Splash, look at me,
I love to swim beneath the sea.

Swoosh, splash, jump and spin,
Swimming always makes us grin.

Swimming in the ocean, wild and free.
We live joyfully in the sea,
Always full of energy.

Diving dolphins is so much fun.
Play until you’re tired, then you’re done.”

For sheer joy you leap in the air,
Twisting and turning without a care.

Race along with the bow of a ship,
Then leap in the air and do a flip.

Swimming in the ocean, wild and free:
Dolphins live joyfully in the sea,

The Elephant Nose Knows

The elephant has a very long nose,
That sniffs the air wherever it goes.

The elephant's nose is as big as a tree,
That's why it's called its trunk, you see.

The elephant has a very long nose,
In fact it looks like a fire hose.

They never get lost because they can always tell,
Where ever they've been by their sense of smell.

Their nose can smell water a long way away,
To get a cool drink on a very hot day.

The elephants nose is an amazing thing:
It can smell water in an underground spring.

Then their nose can dig a hole,
Until they reach our wet goal.

The elephant's nose knows things by their smell.

How many smells can your nose tell?

Your nose is important, too.
Do you know what breathing through your nose will do?
It cleans the air you breathe for you.

Your nose can smell what you can't see.
Play a guessing game of what different smells can be.

The air is full of different odors and smells,
Some are dangerous, like gasoline, glue, and other chemicals.

It's important to know what different smells mean,
In case you smell something dangerous like gasoline.

Your nose can help you to take care:
Then you can tell a grownup to beware.

Fish Fins

Fish fins can paddle or steer:
They have fins in the front and in the rear.

Fish come in every size and shape:
Some use fins to catch food, others to escape.
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You are going to learn to swim like a fish,
How they glide through the water with a swish.

Pretend scales cover your skin,
And each of your arms is a fin,

What kind of fish would you like to be?
Would you live in a lake, a river or the sea?

Perhaps a brook or Rainbow trout;
In fast flowing streams you dart about.

Your fins push the water to help you swim:
Fighting the current keeps you fit and trim.

To move one way you push the other:
All your fins help one another.

Large mouth bass like warm lakes;
Where they can eat frogs and snakes.

Your fins paddle and push you all around ...
Through the water without making a sound.

When you see something good to eat,
You flap your tail and leap like an athlete

Would you like to be a shark?
Who swims in the ocean deep and dark.

Move your body like a snake to swim straight ahead;
Your fins don't paddle they guide you instead.

You move real fast straight ahead.
The sight of you fills other fish with dread.

Gaggle of Geese

A flock of geese is called a gaggle:
When they walk their tails waggle.

But when they fly it's another thing:
They are beautiful when they take wing.

In great V shaped lines they fly ...
Far and wide across the sky.
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Every spring geese venture forth ...
To their summer homes in the far north.

Imagine you're a goose, take off and fly away,
And visit new waters every day.

A wise old goose always leads the way:
One who knows every river, lake and bay.

You travel to the northern lakes,
No matter how long it takes.

It is a long and dangerous quest ...
To find a just the right place to build a nest.

Your leader must know ...
If spring has come and melted the snow.

It's a big responsibility to lead:
You must be true of wing and deed.

You must always think about your flock,
And be true to natures clock.

Sometimes you travel late at night,
Depending on the full moon light.

You know that fall is about to begin,
So gather together to fly south again.

Once again the lead goose must care for you all,
And be especially careful in the fall.

In the fall you must fly high above the hunters guns,
But not too far or fast because of the young ones.

The lead goose is responsible to its friends:
On the leaders good sense, their life depends.

So watch for geese in the spring and fall,
And listen for their high flying call.

Honk, honk, honk, honk, honk, honk.
Geese are one of natures signs,
And always travel by natures designs.

Grasshopper Hop

Grasshoppers jump real high,
And flap their wings to fly.

Hopping and flying all around,
Flying high above the ground.
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Pretend the grass in a field that once touched your knees,
Now stands above you as tall as trees.

You have legs that work like springs,
And your arms are grasshopper wings.

You love to munch and crunch on greens,
Eating lettuce, cabbage, broccoli and beans.

Bend your knees and spread your arms out:
You're a grasshopper, hop about.

Grasshoppers you can jump real high,
And flap your wings, you can fly.

Hop and fly all around,
Flying high above the ground.

Farmers think you're a pest.
Every year they do their best ...

To squash you and scare you away:
With airplanes they bomb you with spray.

Nothing works you just come back:
Every year, their gardens, you attack.

Fisher-folk love to use you for bait,
Which is a very unpleasant fate.

They catch you and put you on a hook;
Then drop you in a lake or brook.

So grasshoppers hop, jump and fly,
Whenever farmers or fisher-folk come by.

Hop along, then relax and munch some clover;
Hopping and flying has made you tired all over.

Hawk Eye

Hawk, sleek hunter of the skies.
Of all the animals, you have the best eyes.

Mice and rabbits fear your cry,
And keep a watch out for you in the sky.
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Pretend your nose is a sharp curved beak,
And your eyes always seek;

Searching for mice on the ground,
Your keen eyes look all around.

Your body is covered with feathers and your feet are claws.
You can soar on the wind because,

You are a hawk, sleek hunter of the skies.
Of all the animals, you have the best eyes.

Hawk eye, what can you see,
Close by or far away, what can it be?

Start with your beak then look all about.
You're a hawk on the wing, keep a sharp look-out!

What can you see as you soar through the air,
Nothing escapes your hawk eye stare.

Tell me all the things you can see nearby,
Now pretend you're flying high in the sky.

What things do you see every day?
What can you see far away?

Look closely and carefully ...
At everything you can see.

How many different colors can you list?
Hawks don't need an optometrist.

Look at the shadows made by the light;
Hawk eye you have excellent eyesight.

Look for texture on the surface of things:
Some are they rough, others are smooth like the wind on your wings.

Hawk eye look all around:
Look up into the sky, and down at the ground.