Meet Farmer Jack and his animals
Farmer Jack spends every day looking after the animals on his farm. He makes sure they are fed, have fresh water and stay happy and healthy.
There are lots of different animals on the farm, and each one needs different care. Some lay eggs that Farmer Jack collects every morning. Some grow thick woolly coats that can be made into warm clothes. Others give milk, which you might pour on your cereal or drink warm before bed. Many of them have babies in the spring, which keeps Farmer Jack especially busy.
How the puzzle works
Can your child name every animal on Farmer Jack's farm? Each picture comes with the animal's name, but some of the letters are missing. Your child fills in the gaps to finish each word.
Once the names are complete, children can colour in the pictures. If a picture is hard to recognise, talk about it together before your child starts writing.
Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.
For parents
The puzzle is intended for children aged 4 to 7, with help as needed. Choose how much support to offer based on your child's reading experience and how familiar they are with the words.
Filling in missing letters can help children practise spelling familiar animal names. Encourage your child to say the sounds rather than the letter names, and to think about which letters represent them. Some sounds are written with more than one letter, such as sh and ee in sheep, so be ready to point these out.
Talking about the animals as you go can help too. You could ask what noise each animal makes, what it likes to eat or what its babies are called.
For more ideas on supporting reading at home, the National Literacy Trust and BookTrust both offer free guidance for families.
Downloading and printing
The puzzle is free to download and print. It comes as a PDF, which most computers, tablets and phones can open without extra software. If the file does not open, try opening it in your browser or using a free PDF reader such as Adobe Acrobat Reader.
To get started, you will need:
- a printer and some plain paper
- a pencil for filling in the letters
- colouring pencils, crayons or felt tips
You will find more free printable games and puzzles in our Downloads section. Print a few copies of this one to keep for another day.
Ask Kids and Reading a question
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