Printables to Help Your Kids Learn About Mammals
Published:
February 13, 2020
Contributor:
Jeannette Tuionetoa
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.
We are mammals. It is pretty weird that scientifically we can be grouped into a category with an armadillo or a platypus. Kids find that hilarious. Nonetheless, it is entirely accurate. Don’t miss out on these free printables to help your kids learn about mammals this homeschooling year. See what sets us apart from others in the animal kingdom.
Ever wonder what makes up a mammal? Specifically, have you or your kids ever explored what makes a mammal, being that we are grouped with gorillas or dolphins? There are a few significant characteristics that are specific to mammals and are quite different from other animals like reptiles and insects.
The distinctive characteristics below classify how a mammal is different from other animals:
- Warm-blooded or endothermic – This means they can keep a constant body temperature no matter what the temperature of the environment.
- These animals breathe through the lungs.
- They have backbones – vertebrates.
- Mammals have mammary glands, which, of course, produce milk to nurse the young.
- Hair or fur on its body is a must. Some have very little, and some have A LOT.
Your kids will read about these descriptions and be able to guess a few mammals themselves. They may guess obvious mammals like cats, dogs, or even tigers. Those are great, and there are also some free printables below for those mammals.
However, don’t forget to teach them all about the funky mammals out there they may not know about or who don’t quite “look” like typical mammals (i.e. whales or dolphins). You may want to glance over this article of 7 of the World’s Weirdest & Most Unusual Mammal Wonders to find out more.
A few of the Weirdest or Most Unusual Mammals include the following:
3 Types of Mammals
Mammals are also divided into three different types depending on how they take care of their babies and how they give birth. The three types are live young, marsupials, and egg-laying mammals.
- Live young types give birth to live “young,” called placental mammals.
- Marsupials carry their “babies” in a pouch, like kangaroos, koalas, or opossum.
- Egg-laying animals lay eggs, of course. They are called monotremes, and some include platypus and the anteater. By the way, I had no idea anteaters laid eggs. Did you?!
Here is the best thing about mammals. They are uniquely smart, not to toot our own horn but “toot, toot.” We are exceptionally intelligent compared to other species. There is so much more to learn about mammals. These printables will help you teach your kids about them.
Grab these FREE printables to help your kids learn about mammals:
These FREE printables to help your kids learn about mammals are great resources for you to use in your homeschool. Learning about mammals will be a fun unit for your kids, and YOU.
Your kids will enjoy learning how cheetahs can run as fast as 70 miles an hour, that camels have a straight spine despite their hump, or how a giraffe’s tongue is about 20 inches long. Have fun learning about mammals at home and maybe do a field trip to the zoo to see them in action.
FREE Mammals Around the World Guided Drawing
FREE Blue Ocean Mammals | The Hungry Jpeg
Mammal Characteristics FREE | The WOLFe PACK
MAMMALS UNIT 2 W/ FREE PRINTABLES | Every Star is Different
FREE Small Mammals Montessori Inspired 3 Part Cards | Something2Offer
Mammal and Reptile Sorting Free File Folder Game | From ABC to Acts
Animal Word Search: Mammals | Education.com
Mammal Word Search | Monster Word Search
Specific Mammals FREE Printables
Monkey Free Printables for Preschoolers | Homeschool Preschool
Elephant Matching Game | Simple Fun for Kids
FREE Easy Elephant Origami Printables | One Colorful Day
Sea Otter Paper Bag Puppet Craft with Free Template | Buggy and Buddy
FREE POLAR BEAR PAW WRITING PROMPT: POLAR BEAR FACTS | The Classroom Creative
Color Matching Activity For Brown Bear Brown Bear, What Do You See? FREE PRINTABLE | No Time for Flashcards
Free Printable: Types of Bats 3-Part Cards and Types of Whales | Trillium Montessori
H Is for Hippopotamus Craft FREE Template and K Is for Kangaroo Craft | All About Learning Press
Wolverine Free Printable Craft | Learn Creative Love
Free I Spy Game – Cats and Dogs | And Next Comes L
FREE CAT AND DOG BINGO KIDS GAME | The Inspiration Edit
Free Puzzle with Donkey | Supercoloring.com
Learning About Dolphins: ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS AND FREE PRINTABLE | A Little Pinch of Perfect
Free Traceable Alphabet Worksheets Gorilla | Olphreunion
Platypus Playdough Free Mats and Coloring Pages| In All You Do
BEAR BOOKS AND A CRAFT | A Blog from the Pond
How to Draw a Dolphin Step by Step for Kids + Printable | Easy Peasy and Fun
D FOR DONKEY CRAFT WITH PRINTABLE TEMPLATE | Artsy Craftsy Mom
What Makes a Mammal a Mammal? Free Worksheet | The Happy Housewife
Mammal Books
Here are 6 books ideas to help your kids learn more about mammals. Look for them at your local library, your favorite bookstore or at Amazon.
- Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Mammals helps kids will learn how, where, and when to spot these animals, from chipmunks to mountain lions with this hands-on companion.
- A Mammal is an Animal explains what is and is not a mammal with simple language, cutaway, diagrams and more.
- Pocket Genius: Mammals: Facts at Your Fingertips looks at over 200 mammals such as humans, whales, wallabies, camels, and more, highlighting facts on anatomy, behavior, diet, habitats.
- Mammals (Animal Classifications) is beautifully illustrated with colorful photographs. It shows many examples of different types of mammals in their natural environment.
- DK Eyewitness Books: Mammals will allow your homeschool students to see how newborn mice develop, what the inside of a molehill looks like, what a whale has inside its mouth, how a chinchilla keeps its fur clean and more.
- National Geographic Kids Everything Dolphins: Dolphin Facts, Photos, and Fun that Will Make You Flip is full of fun facts and amazing photographs that provide exciting, real-life experiences with dolphins as well as interactive activities to enjoy.
You Might Also Like…
