There is perhaps nothing more fascinating to a child than the animals in our world. In my experience, all children love to learn about animals big or small in English class. Luckily, you can use this desire to learn by introducing them to the many animals in our world. Not only will they love it, but they will also learn English vocabulary and sentences along the way.
Today’s lesson is going to look at farm animal names in English. This lesson should give your child an overview of the animals they might see on a farm, the names we have for their babies and some ideas for fun exercises you can use to practice them.
Don’t forget that, although learning vocabulary is important, the target sentences you can teach alongside this vocabulary is where the real goal is. Take a look below our list of farm animals’ names to see some basic sentence structures you can use while teaching your children about farm animals in English.
If you would like to download our free flashcards, you can click here.
If you would like to see more of our fun animal content, you can head over to our Animal Names in English home page where you can find flashcards, coloring pages, and everything you need to teach your child animal vocabulary.
If you have any questions about pronunciation, grammar, etc., don’t hesitate to send us a message. You can do that by clicking on the image below or sending us an email at contactthelearnersnook@gmail.com
Names of Farm Animals in English
For each animal, we have included the plural form of the noun. As well, we have included a YouTube link to a video that shows your child these animals and the sounds they make. We did not make these videos, so please make sure to show your appreciation to these content creators on their YouTube page. Finally, below each photo is audio for the pronunciation of each of these vocabulary words.
Cow(s)
Click here for a video to learn about cows.
Horse(s)
Click here for a video to learn about horses.
Chicken(s)
Click here for a video to learn about chickens.
Pig(s)
Click here for a video to learn about pigs.
Sheep (Sheep)
Click here for a video to learn about sheep.
Goose (Geese)
Click here for a video to learn about geese.
Goat(s)
Click here for a video to learn about goats.
What is the Difference Between a Chicken, a Hen, and a Rooster?
A chicken is a general term for this kind of bird. An adult male chicken is called a rooster. On the other hand, an adult female chicken is called a hen.
Baby Farm Animals – Common Questions
Farms don’t just have adult animals, though. They are also the home of a lot of baby animals as well. Make sure your child gets to know all of the cool farm animal terms by teaching them about baby animal names too.
What is a Baby Cow Called?
A baby cow is called a calf in English.
What is a Baby Horse Called?
A baby horse is called a foal in English. A male foal is called a colt, while a female foal is called a filly.
What is a Baby Chicken Called?
A baby chicken is called a chick in English.
What is a Baby Pig Called?
A baby pig is called a piglet in English.
What is a Baby Sheep Called?
A baby sheep is called a lamb in English.
What is a Baby Goose Called?
A baby goose is called a gosling in English.
What is a Baby Goat Called?
A baby goat is called a kid in English. We also refer to human children as “kids” as well sometimes.
Free Flashcards for Farm Animals
Vocabulary Games
Vocabulary games are always a great way to practice farm animal vocabulary. To help you out, we have made a whole post on different vocabulary games you can use to develop your child’s vocabulary skills.
This post includes two games that you can download and play with your child. As well, we give you ideas on how to use your new farm animal flashcards in fun and useful ways to teach your child about animals in English.
Target Sentences to Practice with Farm Animals
One of the fun things about teaching English is that almost any lesson can be an opportunity to review or learn a sentence pattern. Here are a couple of examples of sentences you could try to teach while reviewing farm animals. If these are too hard or too easy for your children, then feel free to pick your own target sentences that work better for you.
If you would like to learn more about this topic, take a look at our post on target sentences and scaffolding in ESL.
This/That farm has a/some _________.
ex. This farm has some geese.
There are lots of things to practice here. You can learn the difference between this and that. You can work on articles like “a/an” and “some”. You can also emphasize the verb to have in the present simple tense.
How many _____ does he/she have? He/She has __#__ _______.
ex. How many cows does she have? She has five cows.
This sentence is a super useful question and answer for your child to learn. Reinforce numbers and the “how many” phrase while learning about farm animals.
What does a ________ (like to) eat? / It likes to eat ______.
ex. What does a horse like to eat? It likes to eat hay.
Animals are a great opportunity to teach your child about the sentence pattern: subject + like(s) to verb. This is a very basic sentence pattern that will form the basis for a lot of questions and answers in the present tense.
Exercises for Farm Animal Names in English
Once your child has learned some farm animal vocabulary, you are going to want to practice it with some of the target sentences above. Here are some ideas you can use to practice English animal vocabulary with your children.
English Farm Animal Songs
Songs are always a great choice when teaching children. Their catchy, no-pressure nature lets children absorb English and learn new vocabulary in a fun way for them.
Old MacDonald Had a Farm
There are many versions of this classic, here is one of our favorites available online for free from YouTube.
The Farmer in the Dell
Another classic children’s song staple, The Farmer in the Dell will help your child learn about the animals you can find on a farm. The fun animations will keep your child enthralled and engaged while they learn this English vocabulary.
Draw or Color Your Own Farm
Drawing is another great way for children to learn vocabulary. Drawing gives them the time to really internalize what they are learning and engages their mind differently than just listening and speaking.
If your child loves to draw, let them do their best with a blank piece of paper. If that is too hard, we have made a background that they could draw over top of and add animals. If drawing isn’t their thing, then they can just color our pre-made farm animal coloring page.
When they are done coloring, make sure to ask them about their work. Which animal is their favorite? What color are they? What do they like to eat? Use this opportunity to practice any sentences that you have taught them before.
Drawing Guessing Game
This fun video will slowly draw a farm animal. Your child needs to guess which animal it is before the time runs out.
Animal Sounds Guessing Game
If you want to teach your child animal sounds, this game will help them learn to associate each sound with the animal it comes from.
Animal Board Game
Board games are a flexible way to learn anything. Practice grammar or sentences by playing or making your own board game. For more details, and a free board game to download, take a look at our post on how to use a board game to teach English.
Visit a Farm or Petting Zoo
Depending on where you live, you may be able to do better than just looking at animals on YouTube! Make a trip out to your local farm or petting zoo so that your child can experience the animals they have learned about in person.
Further English Vocabulary Practice
Animal vocabulary is always one of my favorite units when I am teaching. Children love animals, and the possibilities for using animals to teach English grammar are endless.
Farm animals are a fun place to start learning about animals because most children are already familiar with them in their native language. As well, there is a good chance that you can go and see them in a nearby petting zoo or farm.
Although English animal vocabulary may not seem like something crucial for your child, it is an invaluable method for them to learn grammar. Practice basic sentence patterns, adjectives, or whatever you want by incorporating them into lessons about your child’s favorite animals.
If you need any help, please don’t hesitate to send us a message or comment on this article. You can send us any grammar or vocabulary questions you have by clicking the picture below or contacting us at contactthelearnersnook@gmail.com. We are also happy to check pronunciation or answer any questions you have about teaching your child from home.
Great post ! It reminded me of Animal Farm, by George Orwell. It’s quite readable, even for beginners (though they wouldn’t understand all its intricacies).
Yes, I think that may be a bit difficult for children, but a good goal to build toward.