Celebrate Rainforest Day – Explore, Learn, and Create!

June 22 is World Rainforest Day, and it’s the perfect moment to take your students on a vibrant learning adventure into one of the most vital and fascinating ecosystems on Earth. 

Rainforests are bursting with biodiversity, home to half of the world’s plant and animal species, and play a huge role in stabilizing Earth’s climate. Teaching kids about the rainforest helps them appreciate nature’s balance and the importance of protecting it.

That’s why I’ve created two cross-curricular rainforest-themed resources that blend science, art, and writing in a fun and engaging way:

Rainforest Fact Booklet

This printable booklet is packed with fun facts and hands-on activities designed for young learners (K–2). It helps children:

Learn about layers of the rainforest, unique plants and animals, and the critical role rainforests play in our planet’s health

Build reading and comprehension skills

Practice research and writing using a student-friendly research form

Engage in sentence sorting and complete a fun rainforest-themed craft

Perfect for independent work, sub days, or even a mini rainforest unit!

How to Draw Rainforest Animals

This step-by-step directed drawing activity features 15 rainforest animals, including the sloth, toucan, jaguar, tree frog, and more! Each drawing includes:

3 differentiated writing prompts per animal

Opportunities for kids to express creativity while building fine motor skills and listening comprehension

A perfect pairing with the Rainforest Fact Booklet for a well-rounded thematic study

5 Rainforest Books for K–2 Kids (Fiction & Nonfiction)

"The Great Kapok Tree" by Lynne Cherry (Fiction)A powerful, beautifully illustrated story that teaches about rainforest conservation and respect for nature.

"If I Ran the Rainforest" by Bonnie Worth (Nonfiction - Cat in the Hat Learning Library)A playful yet informative Seuss-style introduction to rainforest habitats.

"Over in the Jungle: A Rainforest Rhyme" by Marianne Berkes (Fiction - Counting & Rhythm)Engages young learners with counting, rhyme, and hidden rainforest animals.

Hello, World! Rainforest Animals" by Jill McDonald is a bright and engaging board book that introduces toddlers and preschoolers to rainforest creatures with simple facts and cheerful illustrations. It’s a perfect first nonfiction book to spark curiosity about nature and animal life in the jungle.

"Slowly, Slowly, Slowly," Said the Sloth by Eric Carle (Fiction)A gentle, thoughtful tale that celebrates the sloth and encourages appreciating the slower pace of nature.

Skill-Based Rainforest Activities

 Science – Rainforest Layers Flip Book

Have students label and illustrate the 4 layers of the rainforest (emergent, canopy, understory, forest floor). Use fun facts to describe animals that live in each layer.

 Art – Rainforest Animal Collage

Use tissue paper, construction paper, or magazine cutouts to create a colorful rainforest background. Add drawn or cut-out animals to their correct layer.

 Craft – Rainforest Diorama or Animal Mask

Let students build shoebox dioramas or create animal masks (toucan beaks, sloth faces, butterfly wings) to role-play and present what they've learned. 

Writing Prompt Ideas:

If I lived in the rainforest, I would...

My favorite rainforest animal is ...

How can we help protect the rainforest?

Rainforests are sometimes called the “lungs of the Earth” because they absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. They help regulate Earth’s temperature, provide medicines and foods, offer homes to thousands of species, and 

influence rainfall and water cycles.

Teaching kids about rainforests isn’t just a science lesson—it’s a call to action. When children understand and care about nature, they grow into responsible stewards of the planet.

Whether you're teaching in the classroom or homeschooling, these resources make it easy to celebrate Rainforest Day with purpose and play!

Grab both the Rainforest Fact Booklet and How to Draw Rainforest Animals in my store to bring the jungle into your students' imaginations and hearts! 

Both resources may be found in my store: 

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/thebeezyteacher