Create simple animals using the bricks you already have at home with this Brick Animal Building Activity.
This printable activity helps children build familiar animals, such as a sheep and a duck, using a small number of bricks, making the activity approachable and confidence building.
After purchasing bricks, many parents wonder what children can build beyond the ideas included in the set.
While free building is wonderful, some children find open-ended play challenging, and others may struggle to follow complex building guides without help.
This activity page offers easy-to-follow animal building ideas designed specifically for young children, allowing them to build independently while still feeling supported.
Benefits of This Activity
Supports Fine Motor Development
Placing small bricks in the correct position requires careful finger control and hand strength. As children build, they strengthen fine motor muscles that are essential for everyday skills such as using scissors, holding a pencil, or learning to use chopsticks.
Encourages Imagination
The worksheet provides clear building ideas, but it also encourages children to think beyond them. As they recreate the animals, children often begin to wonder, “Can I build this in a different way?” or “Can I make another animal?” This process naturally supports creativity and imaginative thinking.
Builds Focus and Persistence
To match the model, children search for specific shapes and colors and spend time adjusting their builds. This increases engagement and motivation to finish the task, helping develop focus, patience, and perseverance.
Introduces Shape Awareness
Children learn to recognize and use different brick shapes while building, supporting early spatial reasoning and shape recognition.
Builds Confidence and a Sense of Achievement
Completing a small build gives children a strong sense of accomplishment. These early successes help build confidence and lay the foundation for tackling more complex challenges later.
Tips for Using This Worksheet
Buying brick sets often means having many loose pieces scattered around, which can feel overwhelming for both parents and children.
For this activity, try preparing a small container:
- Print and laminate the worksheet
- Collect only the bricks needed for the animals
- Store everything together in one container
During playtime, simply take it out and let children build freely, then encourage them to pack everything away when finished.
This setup is also ideal for long trips, such as plane or train rides, helping children stay engaged during travel.
Related Building Activities
If your child enjoys building animals with bricks, you may also like our Pattern Block Silhouette Flash Cards.
This activity uses wooden blocks instead of bricks and helps children build animals and objects by matching shapes to silhouettes, supporting spatial awareness and problem solving skills.
Download the free printable below and let children enjoy the brick building that supports creativity, focus, and confidence. New animal building ideas will be added over time, making this page a growing collection of simple brick building activities for kids.
