Follow the Footprints – Discovering Animal Tracks in Nature
Become a nature detective and follow animal footprints! Learn to identify fox, deer, rabbit and bird tracks in this fascinating animated story for curious kids aged 2–7.
About This Video
After a night of rain, a muddy woodland path becomes a record of everything that passed through in the dark. This animated tracking story teaches children to read five different sets of footprints: the fox's neat diamond-shaped four-toed print, the deer's split hoof that looks like two teardrops, the rabbit's long hind feet and small round front paws, the badger's five-toed track with long claw marks, and a bird's three-forward-one-back print in the softest mud at the stream's edge. The prints are followed to discover each animal's story.
Perfect for children aged 2 to 7 who love wildlife or outdoor detective games. After a rainy night, take a muddy walk and look for real animal prints — fox tracks are common near any garden or park. Bring a field guide or use a tracking app on your phone. Nature detection is one of the most engaging outdoor activities for any age. Free to watch.
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Parents' Questions
Which animal footprints does the tracking story teach children to identify?
This animal tracking story covers the fox (a neat oval print with four toes in a diamond pattern and visible claw tips, walking in an almost perfectly straight line), the roe deer (a split hoof print like two pointed teardrops side by side), the rabbit (large elongated back feet and small round front paws arranged in a distinctive bounding pattern), the badger (a wide five-toed print with long visible claw marks, often with a slight waddling gait pattern), and a blackbird (three toes forward, one toe back, in the soft mud of a streambank). Each track leads to a glimpse of the animal itself.
What nature detective activity should children try after the animal tracks video?
After heavy rain, walk a muddy path, streambank or beach at low tide and look for real animal prints. Fox tracks are surprisingly common near parks and gardens — look for that neat diamond-shaped four-toed print in a straight line. Make a plaster cast of an excellent print by pressing a ring of card around it, mixing plaster of Paris with water and pouring it in. When set and lifted, you have a permanent three-dimensional record of a real wild animal's footprint — one of the most memorable nature crafts for children aged 2 to 7.
What age is the Follow the Footprints animal tracking story suitable for?
Designed for children aged 2 to 7. Young children aged 2 to 4 love the detective game of following prints to find the animal. Children aged 5 to 7 memorise specific track shapes and want to find them on real outdoor walks. After watching, go for a 'tracking walk' in a local woodland, park or muddy path and treat every print found as a genuine discovery moment. A tracking field guide in your coat pocket transforms a routine walk into an outdoor science investigation for any age.
