Give preschoolers a paper plate with precut eye holes. Have preschoolers use tempera paints to paint the plate yellow like a lion's fur. Pour white school glue into a bowl and add an equal amount of water. Stir glue and water to thin out for easier application. Have preschoolers use a paintbrush to brush glue around the edge of their lion's mask. Have students tear small strips of yellow, brown and orange construction paper to glue down on the plate to create the lion's mane. Provide buttons and markers for preschoolers to add finishing touches to their lion's mask like a button nose, lines for a mouth and long black whiskers. Help students glue a large craft stick to the bottom of the mask to use as a handle.
Give preschoolers a photocopy of a kangaroo outline. Have students color their kangaroos brown, reddish brown or gray. Cut out the pieces. Guide preschoolers through the process of gluing kangaroos together. Glue the feet behind the body. Then glue the arms to the front of the body. Glue the head at the top of the body. On the kangaroo's stomach, glue the pouch with the baby joey sticking out. Have students glue the boomerang to one of the kangaroo's hands if they wish.
Bring in three medium or large size boxes to create a classroom zoo train. Place the boxes in a dramatic play area end to end like a train. Cut the tops off the boxes to create open train cars about two feet high. Cut two door notches in the side of each train car so students can easily step into the train. Place chairs inside each train car to act as seats. Have preschoolers help decorate the zoo train. Provide sheets of butcher paper for students to draw or paint large zoo animals. Have students cut out the animals and glue to the outside of the train. Add binoculars, play cameras and a wooden train whistle inside the train. Encourage preschoolers to take a pretend ride around the classroom zoo while on the lookout for some wild animals.
With your preschoolers help, twist large sheets of green butcher paper into vines. Hang the vines from the ceiling and walls to make a jungle. Use brown butcher paper to add tree trunks down the walls. Have preschoolers paint pictures of monkeys on large sheets of paper and cut them out. Staple monkeys to the vines hanging around the room. Encourage preschoolers to add more things to the vines such as tissue paper flowers or painted butterflies. Let your zoo jungle grow as much as your preschoolers' minds allow.
Show preschoolers books such as "Ed Emberely's Complete Funprint Drawing Book" or "Ed Emberly's Drawing Great Thumbprint Drawing Book." Talk about how Ed Emberely used fingerprints for the animals' bodies then used pens to add details such as eyes, ears, wings, feet, tails and other body parts. Provide preschoolers with white sheets of paper, colored pens and washable stamp pads. Allow preschoolers to use their thumbprints to make their own zoo animal collection.