Learning Resources

Info, Activities, Worksheets and More!

Click the links below or scroll down the page to access these free resources:

Activity Packs for SCHOOLS:
Cross-curricular pre-trip, post-trip, and at the zoo activities including worksheets.

Learning Trails for SCHOOLS:
Explore the zoo focused on STEM, Maths or Art.

Business Activities for SCHOOLS:
Resources and worksheets on the topic of business, travel and tourism.

Sensory Resources for ANY VISITORS:
Including a visual social story and sensory trails.

Children’s University Resources for ANY VISITORS (including families or groups):
Worksheets to complete at the zoo or after your visit to earn Children’s University hours.

Information Packs for STUDENTS (aimed at secondary and higher level):
Detailed information great for homework or course work!
Audio mp3 Information Packs

If you would like further information on these resources, please contact us at education@colchesterzoo.org

Activity Packs

Activity packs designed for schools to use as part of a school trip including fact sheets about relevant animals, and background information on the topic. To help you plan a topic themed visit to the zoo, the packs also contain a map showing suggested animals to visit, worksheets to complete during your visit, and pre-trip and post-trip classroom activities.

Click on the age range/KS level after the topic to open the pdf pack in a new tab.

• At Home – Wildlife Activities to do at Home – All Ages
• African Animals Activity Pack – KS1&2
• Animal Adaptations Activity Pack – KS1&2 or KS3&4
• Animal Behaviour Activity Pack – KS4&5
• Classification Activity Pack – KS3&4
• Endangered Animals Activity Pack – KS1&2 or KS3&4
• Evolution Activity Pack – KS3&4
• Exploring the Zoo (for fun and Teambuilding!) – KS3 but adaptable for other levels
• Plants at the Zoo Activity Pack – All Ages
• Rainforest Animals Activity Pack – KS1&2
• Water Animals Activity Pack – KS1&2

Please note, we suggest you pick and choose which worksheets would work best for your class and your topic from each pack, as each worksheet is independent and can be done without completing the whole pack.

Learning Trails around the Zoo

The above activity packs contain cross-curricular activities, including some focused on art and some focused on STEM. These learnign trails provide a more specific focus.

Art

Colchester Zoo Art Trail – this trail is suitable for all ages and provides a map and information about statues (and other 3D art), murals (and other 2D art), and curated gardens across the zoo. This includes work from celebrated British and international artists, as well as a variety of more commercial art. We hope this trail inspires and engages you across our site.

STEM

The below STEM activity pack is specifically focused on the wider range of STEM at the zoo and includes pre-trip and post-trip activities and worksheets relating to engineering, structural design, developing hypothesis, physics, medicine, and lots more!
To focus specifically on maths, the Maths Workbook provides in-depth at the zoo worksheets using a variety of mathematical skills including: estimation, graphing, measuring, and real world problem solving.  

• STEM Activity Pack (aimed at KS2 and KS3)
• Maths Workbook (activities for KS1-KS4)

There are a variety of independent worksheets and activities in the packs for a range of ages.  Please pick and choose which worksheets to complete based on the level of your students.

Business and Tourism Resources

Resources for Business or Travel and Tourism schools groups learning about Colchester Zoo.

Business and Tourism Activity Pack: activities relating to business and tourism coursework, including worksheets and research at the zoo and follow-classroom activities.

Business and Tourism Information Pack: in-depth information about the zoo’s operations. Please see the other information packs for further information about zoo operations.

If your students are completing surveys on customer service, visitor opinions, etc. while at Colchester Zoo, please ensure they comply with our Business Survey Guidelines.

Sensory Resources

A downloadable Visual Social Story (click to open in a new tab). This resource uses images and concise text to explain what to expect during a visit to Colchester Zoo.

Downloadable sensory trails to help you explore the zoo. The LONG Sensory Trail (click to open in a new tab) includes exploration around the entire zoo. The SHORT Sensory Trail (click to open in a new tab) explores the Familiar Friends farm section of the zoo.

Children’s University Resources

Packs designed for families and groups to use independently during your visit to the zoo. If your child is a member of Children’s University, they can earn CU hours and passport stamps! See inside the packs or the Essex Children’s University website for details of how to get involved.

Download and print these activity packs yourself.

• Learning at the Zoo Activity Pack 1
• Learning at the Zoo Activity Pack 2
• Learning at the Zoo Activity Pack 3

Please note, you can earn a maximum of 6 hours per day by completing worksheet pages. You can mix and match to complete worksheets from different packs to earn your hours.

Please note, in order to qualify as Children’s University hours these workbooks should be completed outside of school hours (either at home, or as part of a before or after school club). Complete the entire workbook to earn 2 CU hours.

Information Packs

These information packs provide in depth background information on a range of topics.
Great for homework and coursework!

Click on a pack title to open the PDF in a new window.

• Business and Tourism
• Careers with Animals 
• Career Pathways
• Classification and Variation
• Conservation
• Elephants at Colchester Zoo
• Enclosure Design
• Endangered Species
• Enrichment
• Management of Zoo Animals
• 60th Birthday – Colchester Zoo History

We have tried our best to cover all topics of interest here at Colchester Zoo. However, after looking through the information, if your question remains unanswered, please contact the Education Team by email: education@colchesterzoo.org 

This is a trial mp3 audio version of Colchester Zoo’s Endangered Species information packs. If this mp3 format is popular, we will endeavour to create audio formats of all our available information packs. Click on a link in the below list to open the mp3 in a new tab, or select save as to download it to your computer. If you have any comments or feedback regarding this audio format (including the voice selection, pacing, etc.) please let us know at education@colchesterzoo.org.

After using these information packs, if you have time please fill in our online feedback to help us improve: