Are you looking for interesting resources for the animal lover in your family? Check out these 15 educational resources for animal lovers! If you buy anything through one of my links I may get a small commission at no additional cost to you.

If you are familiar with my family and me, you know that my son, Ty, LOVES animals. He is crazy about them. He enjoys learning about them and the very specific differences between similar species and loves teaching me and our community about them too. His love for animals is what made me start #WildWednesdays on my Instagram page, where Ty gets to share his favorite fun facts about animals.

He does not, however, magically come to know this information. My days are filled with finding books, television shows, and child-friendly academics he can use to learn about this beautiful world of nature and wildlife. If you have liked seeing him explain how to tell the difference between a crocodile and an alligator or why the cheetah print on fabrics is actually not correct, then check out the 15 educational resources for animal lovers below to learn some fun facts of your own!

1) National Geographic

Who doesn’t automatically think of National Geographic when they think of animals? This popular television network and reputable magazine are the go-to when learning about wildlife! My family particularly loves their Instagram page, where the award-winning visuals will have you scrolling for hours. There’s also a National Geographic section on Disney+ where you can browse many of their shows. I’ve set up a “homeschool” profile on Disney+ where I add movies, documentaries and shows I deem age-appropriate for him to watch with or without me. More on how that works in another blog post soon!

2) Wild Kratts

This educational PBS show has been a hit for years at our house. It follows the adventures of animated versions of brothers Chris and Martin Kratt. In the show, the animated Kratts encounter wild animals during stories of adventure and mystery. We first stumbled upon it for Ty, but Lee Lee, Jayda and the whole family really get into it. You can stream it for free on the PBS app, you don’t get all the episodes at once but it’s enough to hold you over for a bit and refreshes pretty often.

3) Outschool Animal Classes

Like many people, we first discovered Outschool when schools went virtual during the pandemic. There’s a wide range of topics from math and science to music, history, books clubs, cooking and so much more. I often just asked my kids what they’re interested in learning about that week and search the topic on Outschool. Many one-time classes range from $7-15. Some of his favorites have been learning about the Titanaboa, the top 10 strongest animal bite forces, and great white sharks. If you sign up using my link you’ll get $20 off your first class which should allow you to try one for free!

4) Our Planet Daily and Nature Geography

Continuing on my family’s love for animal information on social media, OUR PLANET DAILY has an insightful and creative Instagram page filled with animal content from around the globe! They are not only educational but super funny and interactive. Then, from glorious up-close shots of leopards to heartwarming interactions between unlikely animal friends to beautiful landscape photographs of tulip fields – NATURE GEOGRAPHY’S Instagram page has it all!

5) Big Cats Sanctuary 

There is just something inspirational and intriguing about seeing a big cat, even through a screen. Big Cats Sanctuary provides coverage and content on these powerful but threatened animals. Ty loves their page, and I am sure you will too!

6) Paul Nicklen

Paul Nicklen is an acclaimed Canadian photographer, filmmaker, author, and marine biologist. His popular Instagram page showcases the amazing work he has produced worldwide, which includes photographs of majestic animals and information on them. 

7) Jay Brewer

An absolute favorite in the Borget household! Jay Brewer’s videos on animals around the world are entertaining, educational, and inspiring. Ty cannot get enough of them!

8) What If You Had Animal Teeth?

An old-school tried and tested way to get children curious about specific topics is through books! “What If You Had Animal Teeth?” is a cute book that allows children to imagine a world where those of a different animal replaced their own front teeth. It’s fun and interactive!

9) What If You Had An Animal Nose?

Another Sandra Markle children’s book that replaces ‘teeth’ with ‘nose’. Would you be able to smell better? Does it affect your breathing? If you could choose an animal’s nose to replace your own, which would it be? Explore this in “What If You Had An Animal Nose?”. These are just a couple of the “What if” animal books we have by the same author. There’s also “What if You Had Animal Feet” “What if you Had an Animal Tongue” and more.

10) Ultimate Shark Rumble (Who Would Win?)

It’s such a wacky concept that no child can help but be intrigued by it! “Ultimate Shark Rumble (Who Would Win?)” is a non-fiction children’s book that compares 16 different types of sharks and explores which would win in an underwater fight. It’s educational in an incredibly fun way! This is just one of the Who Would Win books we own and love in the series. There are more about Jungle Rumbles, Alligators vs Pythons, and so many more. We really like the Ultimate Showdown books because they’re hardcover and have 5 matchups in 1 book. Our paperbacks are lightweight and well loved.

11) Animal Smackdown: Surprising Animal Matchups With Surprising Results

Ever wondered who would win between an ant and an elephant? What about an emperor penguin versus a pygmy marmoset? If it were a cuteness contest, then that would not be easy to judge! “Animal Smackdown: Surprising Animal Matchups With Surprising Results” pits incredible animals up against one another in all kinds of fun and obscure competitions. It’s not just exploring who is physically stronger between the two, but cuter, wittier, faster, and more!

12) National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Animals

Bringing it back to the go-to animal information source, National Geographic has a “Little Kids First Big Book of Animals,” which presents information about all kinds of animals in a child-friendly format! 

13) Melissa and Doug giant stuffed animals

Sometimes, teaching your children about animals does not have to be about books and photographs, but rather cute fluffy toys they can interact with. Melissa and Doug provide just that! They are a family-friendly children’s toy company started by two parents of six (!) children who are on a mission to ignite imagination and a sense of wonder in today’s overstimulated children. My kids adore their products! Ty particularly loves their giant stuffed animals, which he keeps around his bed. We started with the giraffe when he was first born and have since collected too many to list. But some of his favorites are the stuffed lion, stuffed tiger and the stuffed shark.

14) Animal picture prints

Speaking of Ty’s bedroom, I recently redecorated it according to his love of animals. On my journey to giving him his dream space, I found these amazing prints of animals you could easily frame on Etsy! They have all kinds, but I choose the bear, panther, and wolf art.  

15) Grow your own venus fly trap

Interactive activities that are child-friendly are a great way to teach your kid about any topic! A venus fly trap may be a plant, but it’s a carnivorous one, so growing your own with safe kits can be an insightful way to teach your family about the food system firsthand. 

The topic of animals never seems to get old… at least not in my household! Using these 14 educational resources for animal lovers can teach you and your family a lot about animals and foster love and care for them. 

Tags: animals, educational, educational resources, nature, wildlife