Are your students learning about animals? Do they like to perform and show off what they’ve learned? Here is an easy skit for your young learners to try. This skit has seven main characters with a few lines each. There are also a few lines for the rest of the class. Have fun!

Characters

• Narrator
• Elephant
• Parrot
• Peacock
• Lion
• Polar bear
• Zookeeper
• Zoo visitors (everyone else)

Props

• Pictures of the 5 animal characters taped to sticks (scroll to end of Zoo Animals lesson for full-page flashcards)
• Many signs that say Send the polar bear home! and The polar bear needs to roam! and one sign that says THE END (print these ready-made signs)
• A name tag that says Zookeeper

Script

So Long, Polar Bear

Animal characters stand in the center of the stage holding the picture of their animal out for the audience to see. The animals can step forward when it’s their turn to speak. The signs about the polar bear can be placed at their feet. The narrator stands at the side or front of the stage. The visitors (extras) stand on the other side of the stage with their polar bear signs behind their backs.

Narrator:	Once upon a time there was a big zoo. The biggest animal at the zoo was the elephant!
Elephant:	This zoo is too small.
Parrot:	[parrot voice, repeating] This zoo is too small.
Narrator:	The prettiest animal was the peacock.
Peacock:	I’m the prettiest animal of all.
Parrot:	I’m the prettiest animal of all.
Narrator:	The loudest animal was the lion.
Lion:	[loudly] I’m the loudest animal. Hear me roar!
Parrot:	I’m the loudest animal. Hear me…
Lion:	[looks at parrot] Roar!

The parrot flies offstage.

Narrator:	The lion was the loudest, but the noisiest animal was the parrot.

The parrot flies back onstage.

Parrot:	The noisiest animal was the…hey!
Everyone (except parrot):	[Laughter]
Narrator:	The saddest animal at the zoo was the polar bear.
Polar Bear:	[sadly] This zoo is too warm.
Everyone:	[sadly] Aww!
Parrot:	[in a more serious voice] It’s true. This zoo is too warm for the polar bear.
Everyone:	You can say that again.
Parrot:	This zoo is too warm for the polar bear.
Narrator:	One day, the zoo animals had a meeting.
Elephant:	It’s too warm for the polar bear at this zoo. What are we going to do?
Lion:	The polar bear needs to go home.
Peacock:	The polar bear needs to roam.
Parrot:	[excitedly] The polar bear needs to go home. The polar bear needs to roam.
Everyone:	The polar bear needs to go home. The polar bear needs to roam.
Narrator:	The zoo animals made some signs.

Animals hold up signs that say: The polar bear needs to roam. Send the polar bear home.

Narrator:	The zoo visitors made signs too.

Zoo visitors walk across the stage showing their signs: Send the polar bear home. The polar bear needs to roam.

Narrator:	One day, visitors stopped coming into the zoo.

Visitors walk offstage.

Narrator:	All of the animals were sad. The saddest animal was still the polar bear.
Lion:	This zoo feels too quiet.
Elephant:	This zoo feels too big.
Peacock:	I don’t feel pretty.
Polar Bear:	I feel too hot.
Parrot:	Too quiet. Too big. Too hot. Not pretty!
Narrator:	One day, the zookeeper made a big announcement.
Zookeeper:	We are sending the polar bear home! The polar bear needs to roam!

Zoo visitors walk onstage and tear up their signs.

Narrator:	All of the animals cheered! All of the people cheered too.
Everyone:	So long, Polar Bear!

Everyone waves. The polar bear runs happily off the stage. The parrot flies across the stage with a sign that says THE END.

Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meaning
you can say that again	I agree strongly
roam	to move about freely
cheer	to express happiness/success loudly
so long	goodbye

Related

• Word Bank: Zoo Animals
• Fun Grammar Lessons: Adjectives
• Fun Grammar Lessons: Superlatives
• Discussion Starters: Climate Change
• Discussion Starters: Zoos
• Flashcards: Animals

Find ESL Library’s lesson on Zoo Animals in the Word Bank section.