For young kids, farm-themed activities provide a hands-on way to explore the natural world, understand where our food comes from, and learn about the animals and plants that play essential roles in our lives.
This roundup features a variety of engaging, educational, and imaginative activities that bring the excitement and learning of the farm right into your classroom or home.
Let’s discover the joys of farm life with engaging activities and DIY crafts.
1. Farm Animal Counting Activity
Preschoolers will love this hands-on counting activity using miniature farm animal toys or cutouts. Provide numbered sections on a tray or mat where children can place the corresponding number of animals.
It’s a fun and interactive way to practice counting skills while exploring the theme of farm life!
Learn more: Pre-K Pages
2. Paint, Play, and Wash Barnyard Animals
Let kids paint plastic farm animal toys with washable paint, then give them a mini “bath” using sponges, brushes, and water. This fun, hands-on activity encourages creativity and adds an interactive sensory element to farm-themed play!
Learn more: Sunny Day Family
3. Farm Animals Beginning Sounds Activity
Alongside each animal, place letter cards corresponding to the beginning sound of each animal’s name. Students will match the correct letter to the correct animal. This activity reinforces letter recognition and phonemic awareness.
Learn more: Fun Learning for Kids
4. Baa Baa Sponge Painting Sheep
The Baa Baa Sponge Painting Sheep activity involves using a sponge to create textured wool for a sheep drawing. Children dip a sponge into white paint and stamp it onto the outline of a sheep on paper, imitating the fluffy wool.
Learn more: Crafty Kids At Home
5. Pig Painting Craft
Pig Painting Craft is a fun and simple activity where children can create their own pig artwork using various painting techniques. To start, provide children with a paper or canvas, and ask them to use pink paint to create the pig’s body. Then, let them add details like ears, eyes, a snout, and legs with different colors.
Learn more: Teaching 2 and 3 Years Old
6. Farm Animal Ring Toss
To set up this activity, create rings by cutting the center out of paper plates and decorating them with animal prints or drawings. Use bottles, cones, or sticks as targets, each labeled or painted to represent different farm animals. Students will take turns tossing the rings onto the targets, aiming to land them correctly.
Learn more: Craftulate
7. Farm Count and Clip
To set up, prepare cards featuring different groups of farm animals, such as cows, chickens, or pigs. Each card should display three number choices below the images. Children count the animals and use a clothespin to clip the correct number.
Learn more: Teaching 2 and 3 Years Old
8. Paper Plate Farm Animal Craft
The Paper Plate Farm Animal Craft is a simple activity that introduces children to farm animals through hands-on creativity. To create a sheep, start with a paper plate as the base. Have children glue cotton balls all over the plate to resemble wool.
Learn more: The Holly Dog Blog
9. Popsicle Animal Matching Activity
To prepare, take pairs of popsicle sticks and paint them in matching colors. On one half of each pair, draw or paste a picture of an animal’s front, and on the other half, draw or paste the animal’s back. Mix up the sticks and let children find the correct matches by both color and animal image.
Learn more: Teaching 2 and 3 Years Old
10. Gardening for Letters
Cut pool noodles into small sections and write letters on them to prepare this activity. Shape the top with green plastic straws to resemble carrot stems. Place these “carrots” in a sensory bin filled with shredded paper, rice, or soil outside the classroom. Children will “harvest” the carrots by picking them up and identifying the letters.
Learn more: No Time for Flash Cards
11. Farm Animal Bowling Game
For this activity, use cartons as pins, painting or printing them to resemble various farm animals, such as cows, pigs, chickens, and horses. Arrange the painted cartons in a triangular formation and use a soft ball as the bowling ball. Children take turns rolling the ball toward the pins, aiming to knock down as many as possible.
Learn more: Kids Activities Blog
12. Farm Play Dough
Farm Play Dough provides an interactive way for children to learn about farm animals and their environments. By using homemade or store-bought play dough, kids can mold and shape various farm animals such as cows, pigs, chickens, and sheep.
Learn more: Pre-K Pages
13. Farmyard Pretend Play
Farmyard Pretend Play allows children to immerse themselves in a world of farming, where they can act out the roles of farmers, animals, and other characters found on a farm. This activity encourages imagination as children use toy animals, miniature barns, and farming tools to create stories and scenario
Learn more: Nurture Store Co UK
14. Coffee Grounds Farm Sensory Bin
A Coffee Grounds Farm Sensory Bin uses coffee grounds as the base material, providing a textured, earthy surface for sensory exploration. Children can add toy farm animals, plastic vegetables, and miniature farm tools to the bin
Learn more: Still Playing School
15. Farm Math Activities
In this activity, children roll dice with numbers and use a worksheet to track their progress. The game involves coloring in different sections based on the dice rolls, where players can color blue and green sections to match the number they roll.
Learn more: Fun a Day
16. Little Red Hen Activity
The Little Red Hen Activity introduces children to the classic story while encouraging participation in storytelling and role-playing. To begin, read The Little Red Hen aloud and discuss its message about teamwork and responsibility.
Learn more: Fun A Day
17. Measuring in Farm Units
Measuring in Farm Units is an educational activity where children learn the basics of measurement using farm-related items. In this activity, fake squash or similar farm-themed objects are used as units of measurement.
Learn more: J Daniel 4s Mom
18. Farm Small World Sensory Play
Set up a miniature farm scene using a tray or plastic bin filled with sensory materials like dried corn, rice, or straw. Place small chicken toys around the area to represent a farmyard. Add a simple coop made from a small box or craft sticks to create a nesting space for the chickens.
Learn more: Pre-K Pages
19. Horse Ranch Block Adventure
Using building blocks, children can construct their own horse ranch, complete with stables, fences, and horse paths. As they build, they can also incorporate elements of horse care and ranch activities, such as feeding, grooming, and riding.
Learn more: Pre-K Pages
20. Barnyard Numbers
The Barnyard Numbers Activity helps children recognize and match numbers with farm-themed visuals. Prepare a set of cards featuring barnyard animals and corresponding numbers. Children will count the animals on each card and match them with the correct number
Learn more: Homeschool Preschool
21. Muddy Pig Sensory Art
Start by drawing or printing a pig outline on a piece of paper. Place the paper inside a Ziplock bag and add brown paint to represent mud. Seal the bag tightly and let children press, spread, and move the paint around with their fingers to cover the pig in “mud.
Learn more: Teaching 2 and 3 Years Old
22. Planting Crops in Play Dough
Provide brown play dough to represent soil and let children mold it into small garden plots. Offer miniature vegetable figures or craft simple crops using pipe cleaners, paper, or beads. Guide children to “plant” their crops by pressing them into the play dough, simulating real gardening.
Learn more: Sun Hats and Wellie Boots
23. Paper Plate Chicken Coop Craft
Create a large chicken coop display for the classroom using layered wooden slats or craft sticks to form a realistic coop structure. Cut paper plates into chicken shapes, decorate them with feathers, googly eyes, and red paper combs, then attach them to different levels of the coop.
Learn more: Pinterest
24. Big Red Barn Sensory Small World
Create a small-scale farm scene using a plastic bin or tray as the base. Place a barn structure in the center, which can be a toy, a cardboard cutout, or a printable template. Children can explore the farm, move the animals around, and engage in imaginative play.
Learn more: Still Playing School
25. Old Mac Donald Sensory Box
Create a sensory box inspired by the classic song Old MacDonald Had a Farm using a large plastic bin or tray. Fill it with materials such as dried corn, beans, or shredded paper to represent the farm environment. Add small toy animals like cows, pigs, and chickens, along with miniature barns and fences
Learn more: Learning 4 Kids
26. Cardboard Chicken Coop
Construct a chicken coop using a large cardboard box as the main structure. Cut out windows and a door, then add wooden craft sticks or paper strips to create a layered effect for the coop walls.
Learn more: Craft Monzters
27. Easy Mess-Free Pig Nose Craft
The Easy Mess-Free Pig Nose Craft is a simple activity that requires minimal materials and cleanup. Cut out small circles from pink cardstock or foam to serve as the pig’s nose. Use a hole punch to create two nostrils in each circle.
Learn more: Teatime Teachable
28. Milk the Cow Craft
The Milk the Cow Craft is a fun farm-themed activity that helps children learn about dairy farming. To create this craft, start by making a simple cow face from cardstock or paper plates. Attach a white latex glove underneath the cow’s face to resemble the udder.
Learn more: Pinterest/Sarah Lopez
29. Oatmeal Farm Sensory Tray
Create a farm-themed sensory tray using oatmeal as the base to resemble a barnyard setting. Spread a layer of dry oatmeal in a large tray or shallow container. Add wooden farm animal toys, mini fences, and small farm-related props like tiny tractors or barns to complete the scene.
Learn more: Entertain Your Toddler
30. Picking Berries Counting
Prepare a set of small red or blue pom-poms or paper cutouts to represent berries. Arrange baskets or cups with number labels, and have children pick and sort the correct number of berries into each container.
Learn more: Planning Play Time
31. Pom-Pom Sheep Box Activity
Prepare a sturdy cardboard box and cut out a sheep shape on the front panel. Create circular holes on the sheep’s body, each outlined with a different color. Provide matching pom-poms and instruct children to place them into the corresponding holes.
Learn more: Pinterest/Rebeka Campbell
32. Paper Plate Pig Twirler
Create a fun and simple pig twirler using a paper plate. Start by painting the plate pink and letting it dry. Cut it into a spiral shape, beginning from the outer edge and working toward the center.
Attach a paper cutout of a pig’s face to the center and add curled paper strips for the tail. When suspended, the pig twirler will spin, making it a playful addition to any farm-themed activity.
Learn more: Kids Craft Room
33. Corn Picking Classroom Corner
Design a classroom corner with a farm-inspired cornfield backdrop using large sheets of cartolina painted with green stalks and leaves. Cut out yellow paper corn shapes and attach them to the wall with Velcro or tape so students can “pick” and reattach them.
Learn more: Pocket of Preschool
34. Handprint Carrot Patch Craft
Start by coloring a paper plate brown to represent the soil. Cut out several green handprints from construction paper to serve as the carrot tops.
Next, cut orange carrot shapes and attach them to the bottom of each handprint. Arrange and glue the carrots onto the plate, slightly tucking them under the brown surface to make them look as if they are growing in the soil.
Learn more: Our Kid Things
35. Feed the Farm Animal Cup Activity
Use a plastic or paper cup as the base for this farm-themed craft. Create a lid featuring a farm animal’s face, such as a cow, pig, or sheep, using colored paper or foam. Cut out ears, eyes, and other details, then attach them to the lid. Cut an open mouth section in the lid to allow small objects to pass through.
Learn more: Pinterest/Mari Robu
36. Hide and Match Farm Animal
Create a simple and fun farm animal matching puzzle using sturdy cardboard. Print or draw farm animal pictures on the cardboard and carefully cut each one in half, creating a puzzle-like split.
Learn more: Toddler Approved
37. Foot Print Horse
Begin by tracing and cutting out a footprint shape from brown activity paper. This will serve as the body of the horse. Paste the footprint onto a larger sheet of brown activity paper as the background. Cut out and attach additional pieces, such as legs, a head, and ears, to complete the horse’s shape.
Learn more: Pinterest/Tabassum Rehman
38. Sheep Fingerprint Art
Start with a printed or drawn outline of a sheep on paper. Let children dip their fingers in white paint and press them inside the sheep’s body to form its wool.
Learn more: Pinterest/Erin Grimes
39. Chicken Hand Print
In this activity, Start by pressing a handprint onto a sheet of paper using paint, ensuring each finger is painted in different colors to represent the chicken’s feathers. Once dry, draw and cut out a small oval shape for the chicken’s head and attach it near the palm area of the handprint.
Use markers or paper cutouts to add the beak, eyes, and a small red comb on top of the head.
Learn more: Pinterest/Eva Rivera
40. Pospicle Stick Craft
Arrange three popsicle sticks into a triangle and secure them with glue. Once dry, paint the triangle in a farm animal pattern, such as black and white spots for a cow. Cut out small paper shapes for the animal’s face, ears, and other features, then glue them onto the triangle. Add googly eyes or draw facial details using markers.
Learn more: In the Bag Kids Craft