Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Match Adult and Baby Animals
- StageEarly Years
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Match Adult and Baby Animals is a free printable science activity for young children, best suited to ages 4 to 7. Children match each adult animal to its baby by looking closely at the pictures. They can draw lines or cut the pictures out and move them into pairs. It takes about 15 minutes and needs a pencil, or scissors if you want to cut.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company founded in 1795. Print the sheet in black and white or in colour. Children can colour the animals afterwards if they like.
What is on the sheet
Children see a set of adult animals and a set of baby animals. Their job is to join each adult to the right baby. They can draw a line from one picture to the other, or cut out the pictures and place them side by side in pairs. As they match, they compare how the adults and the young look, including size, shape, covering and markings. Some pairs look alike. Others look quite different, which makes children think carefully.
Three ways to match
Draw lines
Use a pencil or a coloured crayon to join each adult to its baby. Using a different colour for each line makes it easy to see which pairs are done.
Cut and place
Cut out the pictures and lay them in pairs on the table. Children can move them around until they are happy with each match.
Cut and stick
Once the pairs are right, stick each one onto a piece of paper. Add a label for the adult and one for the baby to make a small display.
Why match adults and babies?
Animals have young, and the young grow into adults. This is one of the first big ideas in biology for children. Mammals, such as cats, dogs and cows, give birth to live young and feed them milk. Birds hatch from eggs. Many insects and amphibians change shape as they grow. Matching adults to babies helps children see that every animal begins life small and grows.
Some babies look like small copies of their parents. Others look very different at first. Children often match by size or colour, which can mislead them. Good matching comes from looking for clues such as body shape, legs, covering and face. Talking about why a pair fits builds scientific vocabulary and the habit of giving a reason, which is central to early science.
Did you know?
- Young mammals drink milk from their mothers.
- Baby birds hatch from eggs.
- Some baby animals look like tiny adults when they are born.
- Some young animals look very different from their parents and change shape as they grow.
- Many young animals need an adult to feed them and keep them safe while they grow.
Skills and curriculum link
- Observing closely
- Comparing
- Matching
- Animal vocabulary
- Giving reasons
- Pencil and scissor control
Clues to look for
- Body shapeLook at the legs, the tail and the head. Many young animals have the same basic shape as their parents, just smaller.
- CoveringCheck whether the animal has fur, feathers, scales or smooth skin. This is often a strong clue.
- SizeBabies are usually smaller than adults. Size alone is not enough, because two different adults can have babies of a similar size.
- Face and featuresLook at the ears, eyes, beak or nose. Features often stay the same as an animal grows, even when colour changes.
Key words
- AdultA fully grown animal.
- BabyA very young animal. It is also called the young.
- OffspringThe baby or babies that an animal has.
- MammalAn animal that feeds its babies with milk and usually has fur or hair.
- SimilarAlike in some ways, but not exactly the same.
- DifferentNot the same. Children can say how two animals are different.
How to use it
- Print the sheet and read the instruction aloud: match the adult animals to the baby animals.
- Look at the pictures together. Ask your child to name each animal, or say the names for them if they do not know them yet.
- Decide whether to draw lines or cut out the pictures. Both work well.
- Match one pair at a time. Ask, "What makes you think they go together?"
- Check the whole sheet at the end. Talk about which pairs looked alike and which looked different.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Start with the pairs that feel easiest and do those first. Look at one adult and say what you can see, such as legs, a tail, fur, feathers or scales. Then look for a baby with the same clues. Cutting out the pictures lets you move them until they feel right.
To stretch confident children
Choose two pairs and say or write three ways the adult and baby are the same and three ways they are different. Then draw a growing up picture showing the baby, a middle stage and the adult. Add labels for the body parts you can name.
Make it a game
Cut out all the pictures and turn them face down. Take turns to flip two cards. If they are an adult and its baby, keep the pair. If not, turn them back over. The player with the most pairs at the end wins.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child matches by colour only, so animals with similar colours get joined together.
Try thisAsk them to cover the colour with a finger and look at the shape, legs and face instead. Colour can change as animals grow.
Watch forA child matches by size, pairing the smallest adult with the smallest baby.
Try thisExplain that size is only one clue. Ask them to find a second clue, such as the covering or the shape of the head.
Watch forA child draws lines quickly without checking, and some animals end up with two lines.
Try thisSlow down. Use a pencil so lines can be rubbed out, and tick each picture once it has been matched.
Talk about it
- Which pair was the easiest to match, and why?
- Which baby looks most like its adult? Which looks least like it?
- What can you see on the baby that is the same on the adult?
- How do you think this baby gets its food?
- What do you think happens to the baby as it grows?
- Can you think of another animal, and what its baby might look like?
Take it off the page
Animal sorting
Look through books or magazines for animal pictures. Cut them out and sort them into adults and babies, then match the pairs.
Playdough animals
Make a big and a small playdough animal of the same kind. Talk about what is the same on both, such as ears, tails and legs.
Animal spotting walk
Visit a park, farm or garden. Look for animals and talk about what their babies might look like. Take a notebook to draw what you see.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first pair, then let them take the lead. Ask them to explain each match in their own words. Around 15 minutes is plenty. If they lose interest, come back to the sheet another day.
Teachers
Use it as a starter in an animals topic, or as a quiet independent task. It supports the Key Stage 1 science strand on animals, including humans, and gives a clear way to assess whether children can name animals and give reasons for matches.
Home educators
Cutting out the pictures turns the sheet into a hands on table activity that suits mixed ages. Younger children can match with help, while older children can add labels, sort the animals into groups and draw how the baby grows.
What comes before and after
Before this sheet, children usually learn to name common animals and talk about what they look like. They may sort animals into simple groups, such as those with fur and those with feathers. These skills make matching much easier.
After it, children can move on to life cycles and how animals change as they grow. They can also explore what animals need to survive, where different animals live, and how adults care for their young. Each of these builds on the idea that babies grow into adults.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Match Adult and Baby Animals for?
It suits children aged about 4 to 7. Younger children can match with an adult beside them, and older children can explain their choices and add labels. It fits the early years and Key Stage 1 well.
- Do children have to cut the pictures out?
No. Children can draw lines between the pictures instead. Cutting is optional. It suits children who like to move pieces around, and it gives useful practice with scissors. Choose whichever suits your child.
- Which part of the National Curriculum does it support?
It supports the animals, including humans strand of Key Stage 1 science, where children learn that animals have offspring which grow into adults. It also builds the habit of observing closely and comparing.
- Do baby animals always look like their parents?
No. Some young animals look like small adults, while others look very different at first and change shape as they grow. This is why looking closely at clues matters more than guessing from colour or size.
- How long does the activity take?
Most children finish in about 15 minutes. Allow extra time if they cut out and colour the pictures. Talking about each pair can stretch the activity to 20 minutes or more, which is time well spent.
- What if my child does not know the animal names?
That is fine. Say the names together as you go, and describe what you can see in each picture. Learning the names is part of the activity. A picture book about animals can help.
- Can I use it in the classroom?
Yes. It works as a starter or plenary in an animals topic, as a quiet independent task, or as a pairs activity. You can cut up sets, laminate them and reuse them for matching games.
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.