Scientists sort animals into groups by what they have in common. Mammals have fur and feed their babies milk, birds have feathers, fish have scales and gills, reptiles have dry scaly skin, amphibians live in water and on land, and insects have six legs.
What your child will learn
- Name the main animal groups: mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians and insects
- Describe what covers each animal’s body
- Sort common animals into the right group
- Know some surprising members, like bats (mammals) and penguins (birds)
Look for clues
To sort an animal, look at its body covering and how it has babies. Fur or hair and feeding babies milk mean a mammal. Feathers and a beak mean a bird. Scales and gills mean a fish.
Some animals are tricky: a dolphin lives in the sea but breathes air and feeds its calf milk, so it is a mammal. A spider has eight legs, so it is not an insect.
Example questions
Here are a few questions like the ones in the first quest. Can you solve them?
1. What covers a fish’s body?
- Fur
- Wool
- Scales
- Feathers
Show answer
Answer: Scales. Most fish are covered in smooth scales.
2. What covers the bodies of most mammals?
- Fur or hair
- Feathers
- Slime
- Scales
Show answer
Answer: Fur or hair. Mammals have fur or hair — even humans!
3. Which animal is a fish?
🐠- Goldfish
- Dolphin
- Frog
- Duck
Show answer
Answer: Goldfish. Goldfish have scales and fins and breathe with gills.
Tips for grown-ups
- At the zoo or farm, play “Which group?” for every animal you see.
- Sort toy animals into groups and explain your choices.
- Count the legs on minibeasts in the garden: six legs means an insect.