Mini Minds Hub · Free printable

Animal Group Trading Cards: Free Printable Card Set for Year 1

  • ForYear 1
  • StageKey Stage 1
  • CostFree
  • FormatPrintable PDF
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Animal Group Trading Cards is a free printable card set for Year 1 (ages 5 to 6), in Key Stage 1. Children read four animal group cards, then draw and label their own two cards. It needs only paper and a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown-up notes, help ideas, a stretch idea and the answers.

It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.

What is on the sheet

Children start by reading four animal group cards: fish, bird, mammal and reptile. Each card gives a few short clues about that group. Then they make two cards of their own. They draw an animal in the box and label its body parts using the lines. The cards can be cut out and used again for a sorting game afterwards.

  • FISH: lives in water. Has fins, a tail and scales.
  • BIRD: has feathers, wings and a beak. Most birds can fly.
  • MAMMAL: has fur or hair. Mammal babies drink milk.
  • REPTILE: has dry, scaly skin. A snake and a lizard are reptiles.
  • My BIRD card: draw it. Label the beak, wings and feathers.
  • My FISH card: draw it. Label the fins, tail and scales.

How the cards help children learn

Read

Children meet short, clear clues about each animal group. Reading them aloud together helps early readers with new science words.

Look

Each card names a group and describes it. Children learn to notice what animals have in common.

Draw

Drawing an animal slows children down. They look closely at its shape and parts before they label.

Label

Labelling joins a word to a part of the body. It gives practice in careful writing and in using science words.

Why sort animals into groups?

Scientists sort living things into groups by looking at what they have in common. Sorting makes a huge number of animals easier to understand. Once a child knows what makes a group, they can place a new animal in it by looking closely at its body and how it lives.

Year 1 children are ready to start this kind of looking. They already know many animals from books, gardens, parks and zoos. Cards turn that knowledge into something they can handle, talk about and swap. The aim is not to remember a long list. It is to notice, compare and describe, which is how science begins.

Fun animal facts for children

  • Scientists sort animals into groups by what they have in common.
  • A whale lives in the sea, but it is not a fish.
  • A bat can fly, but it is not a bird.
  • A tortoise is a reptile that carries its home on its back.
  • Animals in the same group are not all the same. They can look very different.

Skills and curriculum link

  • Naming animal groups
  • Labelling body parts
  • Describing animals
  • Careful reading
  • Drawing with detail

Ideas to talk about as you go

  • Look closelyAsk your child to look at an animal for a full minute. What shapes can they see? What is on the outside of its body?
  • Same and differentPick two animals and talk about one thing that is the same and one thing that is different.
  • Where it livesTalk about where animals live, such as in water, in trees, in gardens or on land. Home gives clues about the body.
  • Use the wordsSay the group names aloud often. Children remember new words best when they hear them and use them in talk.

Key words

  • Animal groupA set of animals that share things in common.
  • LabelA word that names a part of a picture. It sits next to the part it names.
  • Body partOne section of an animal, such as a tail or a leg.
  • DescribeSay what something is like, using clear words.
  • FactSomething that is true.
  • CompareLook at two things and say how they are alike and different.

How to use it

  1. Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
  2. Read the four cards aloud together. Stop after each one and ask your child what they notice.
  3. Let your child draw and label their two cards. Encourage them to look at a real picture or toy animal first.
  4. Ask them to share their favourite animal and say which group it belongs to. Then check against the notes on page 2.
  5. Come back to it another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.

Help, stretch and game ideas

If it feels too hard

Point to a real picture of a bird or fish and say each body part aloud before labelling. Let your child touch each part on the picture. Then draw it together, one part at a time, and write the label last.

To stretch confident children

Draw a third card for a mammal or reptile. Write one fact sentence on the lines. Then swap cards with a friend and see if they can tell which group the animal belongs to without being told.

Make it a game

Cut out the cards. Say a fact and ask a friend to name the animal group. Take turns being the one who reads the clue. Keep the cards in a pile and play again another day.

Mistakes to watch for

Watch forA child draws the animal very small, so there is no room to label it.

Try thisAsk them to draw big, filling most of the box. Leave space around the edge so the label lines can reach each part.

Watch forA child writes a label but it is unclear which part it names.

Try thisDraw a straight line from each word to the part. Use a ruler or a finger to guide it.

Watch forA child thinks an animal belongs to a group only because of where it lives.

Try thisGo back to the cards and read the clues again. Ask what else the animal has or does, not just where it lives.

Talk about it

  • Which animal is your favourite, and which group is it in?
  • What does your animal look like on the outside?
  • Which part of your animal was hardest to draw?
  • Can you think of an animal that lives near our home?
  • Which card would you like to swap with a friend?
  • How are two animals from the same group alike?

Take it off the page

Animal spotting walk

Go outside and look for animals. Birds, insects and pets all count. Draw one when you get home and label a part.

Soft toy sort

Gather soft toy animals and sort them into groups. Say why each one belongs where you put it.

Animal charades

Take turns acting out an animal without sound. The others guess the animal and say its group.

Who it is for

Parents

Sit beside your child for the first card, then let them lead. Short sessions work well. If they get stuck, find a picture book with a clear animal photo and look at it together.

Teachers

Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, supply resource, homework task or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 gives support and stretch for mixed ability groups.

Home educators

Pair the cards with library books, nature walks and visits to a farm or zoo. The cards can be reused for brothers and sisters or as a quick review a few weeks later.

Where this fits in science

Before this sheet, children have usually met animals through stories, songs and play. They can name familiar animals such as pets and farm animals, and they talk about what animals look like.

After this sheet, children can look more closely at how animals are alike and different, and describe their bodies with more detail. In Key Stage 1 science, they go on to learn about what animals eat and where they live. Sorting skills also help in other subjects.

Questions parents and teachers ask

What age is Animal Group Trading Cards for?

It is written for Year 1 (ages 5 to 6), in Key Stage 1. Confident Year 2 children can use the stretch idea, and younger children can do it with a grown-up reading the cards aloud.

What will children practise?

Children practise naming animal groups and describing animal body parts in science. They also practise careful reading, drawing and labelling, which supports early writing.

How do I use it?

Print both pages, read the four cards aloud together, then let your child draw and label their two cards. Finish by asking them to share their favourite animal and check with page 2.

What if it feels too hard?

Slow down and use real pictures. Point to a bird or fish and say each body part aloud before labelling. Draw one part at a time, and come back to the sheet another day.

Is it free?

Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. Print both pages on plain A4 paper. Black and white printing works well, so you do not need colour ink.

Is it suitable for teachers to use in class?

Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has help and stretch ideas.

How long does it take?

It depends on the child. Let them work at their own pace and take breaks when needed. You can do the reading one day and the drawing and labelling another.

Preview the full PDF

Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.

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