Making a “Z is for Zebra” craft is a fun activity that is great for preschool and kindergartners who are starting to recognize letters and animals. This is a part of our Letter of the Week series! We’ll be sharing fun animals that can be made from letters- similar to when we shared how to make 10 animals from heart shapes!
You can use this craft as a template or as a coloring page and do the activity directly on the printout. Our free printable alphabet template is the base for all of our animal letter creations, you can download and print the full alphabet or grab just the letter ‘Z’ at the bottom of this post!

What does “Z is for Zebra” mean for kids?
- It’s an easy way to introduce letters to kids and help them with alphabet recognition.
- Using a zebra as an example ties it to a real life animal they can picture, and it helps them identify the animal as well.
- As children work on the sounds letters make it can be helpful to have the association with the animal.
- It can be a quick activity or way to work on phonics without them feeling overwhelmed.
What’s Great About Letter of the Week Crafts
I love projects that are simple to achieve. All you need for this craft is a printed template, crayons and some scrap paper. You can add fun embellishments like googley eyes or work on cutting out the full letter too. I like crafts that you can adjust to what age of kiddo you’re working with, or their skill level. You can prep most of this ahead of time or let them work on it from scratch!

Supplies and Printable for your Z is for Zlligator
- Printer or access to a printer (this is the printer I have and love)
- Letter ‘Z’ template
- Googley Eyes (or you could make them with paper!)
- Crayons or markers
- Cardstock
- Gluestick
Making a Paper Zebra

Print your template so you have the plain letter ‘Z’ as a starting point. Cut out and glue on a cardstock ear and nose. You can also draw these if you prefer!

Add a googley eye so you can see it’s the side of the zebra. You can color this on too but adding a googley eye is a great way to work on fine motor skills with glue or a gluestick.

Using cut out cardstock or markers, add stripes to your zebra.

Add the Zebra’s fur hair and you have your ‘Z is for Zebra’ craft ready to take home!
Book Ideas to Pair with this Craft
Pairing a book with a craft is a fun way to bring storytime to life and create a fun theme! Try some of these titles to go along with the letter Z or for a fun story about zebras.
- That’s not my Zebra
- How the Zebra got it’s Stripes
- Z is for Moose by Kelly Bingham
- Old MacDonald Had a ….Zoo? as told & illustrated by Iza Trapani
- Life-size Zoo by Toyofumi Fukuda
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What age is this ‘Z is for Zebra’ craft for?
This is ideal for kids who are just starting to learn their letters, most likely 3-6. It’s great for preschool and kindergarten too!
How can I use this printable?
This free letter template is for personal and classroom use. If you use it please link back or share what you make!
Letter ‘Z’ Template
Here is the template for an uppercase letter ‘Z‘. If you’re looking for the full alphabet set or for other specific letters, be sure to check out our Alphabet Template.
