Teacher Approved Habitats Videos for Kids

Bring your habitats lessons to life with these amazing habitats videos for kids that are engaging and teacher-approved!

Teaching habitats and ecosystems

My students love learning about habitats, ecosystems, and animal adaptations, and I love finding new and exciting ways to teach about habitats! It’s an important unit in second grade, in which students expand their knowledge and understanding of the interdependence of living things in the world. There’s so many new things for students to learn while they’re exploring the habitats and ecosystems on Earth!

I like to mix up my lessons and activities by adding videos when they’re relevant. I’ve compiled a list of engaging videos to use during my habitats science unit. From learning what a habitat is to exploring the details of specific ecosystems, there is a ton of information in these videos to enrich your lessons!

Read on to see the top videos that made my list and get a FREE Clickable Video Guide with 30 classroom videos for teaching about habitats and ecosystems below.

Habitats videos for kids

What is a habitat? (5:45)

This video from Discovery Education UK gives a basic overview of what a habitat is. Students will learn about how a habitat supports life by providing basic needs for living things. The video also discusses the fact that the plants and animals living in a habitat depend on each other.

Home Sweet Habitat (4:41)

This Crash Course Kids video delves into how certain animals are suited to live in certain habitats. There is also some general information on food chains and food webs with some relatable examples.

Exploring Micro-Habitats: Life under logs (8:42)

This interesting habitats video gives another perspective on the concept of habitats by exploring a micro-habitat. It gives a real life look at many animals that live under logs and the special adaptations that help them survive there. Your students will definitely learn some fun facts by watching this habitat video for kids!

Why do some species thrive in cities? (3:20)

Take a look at some of the effects of urban development on wildlife with this video. It discusses some of the surprising ways that plants and animals are adapting to life in a concrete jungle.

Urban habitats (9:42)

This is another one of the habitats videos for kids that helps students better understand urban city habitats. It gives some good examples of ecosystems to give students a more concrete understanding of this concept.

Biomes of the world (12:54)

Help students better understand the concept of biomes and ecosystems with this video. It goes over oceans, mountains, grassland, rainforest, and desert biomes, and it tells a little more about the plants and animals that live in each place.

What are tundras? (2:16)

Learn about the unique plants and animals that survive in the extreme conditions of the tundra with this habitats video for kids. It’s a quick look at what a tundra is and how species survive there.

Exploring the arctic for kids (20:03)

Here is another of the habitats videos for kids that gives a real world look at the tundra. This 20-minute video discusses arctic animals and climates, and it really helps students get a better grasp on understanding arctic animal adaptations.

Life on the African Savanna (5:04)

Give students a 5-minute glimpse at the fascinating plant and animal life within the African savanna ecosystem. The video explains the significant roles that species play in this habitat, and it also touches on the importance of preserving this habitat.

Types of Wetlands, Marshes, and Swamps (2:04)

This quick habitats video for kids gives an overview of the different types of wetlands: marshes, swamps, bogs, and fens.

Temperate deciduous forest (2:54)

Take a quick look at the temperate deciduous forest biome with this 3-minute video. It talks a little about the characteristics of the temperate deciduous forest biome and it gives a lot of great images to help bring students’ learning to life.

Desert biome facts (3:08)

This is another one of the quick habitats videos for kids that gives a brief overview of a biome. There are some interesting facts about deserts in this video, and it also tells the basic characteristics of the desert biome. These quick videos could be great as openers or “hooks” for lessons about habitats!

Rainforests 101: National Geographic (3:40)

Learn more about the richest ecosystem in the world with this video about rainforests. It explains the difference between tropical and temperate rainforests and it emphasizes all of the vital roles that rainforests play in the world.

Animal adaptations (2:20)

This video tells what adaptations are and it gives specific examples of animals’ adaptations that help them survive in their habitat. It takes a closer look at the adaptations of camels, giraffes, and penguins, which works great for second graders who are usually familiar with those animals!

How do whales, penguins, and polar bears keep warm? (3:45)

Students will learn about some important arctic animal adaptations in this kid-friendly habitat video. The video goes into detail about how whales use blubber to keep warm, while polar bears have special layers of fur. It also talks about a special behavioral adaptation that penguins use to survive in the freezing arctic temperatures.

Meat-eating plants (3:08)

Students will definitely be excited to learn about carnivorous plants in this video! It explores some different meat-eating plants and their adaptations.

Aquatic biomes (9:16)

Help students learn more about the different types of aquatic biomes with this video. It talks about both freshwater and marine biomes, so it’s a great addition to any lesson about water habitats!

How do fish breathe underwater? (0:55)

Students will get a very quick intro into how fish use the special adaptation of gills to breathe underwater.

Exploring a coral reef (9:22)

Investigate the amazing underwater habitat of coral reefs! The gorgeous footage in this video will make your lessons come alive!

Florida Everglades (2:04)

Take a virtual field trip to the Everglades when you watch this video! It includes lots of information about the importance of mangroves in the Everglades ecosystem.

What is a river? (1:51)

If you’re teaching about rivers, this video is a great quick introduction to what rivers are and what they do.

Exploring for tide pool creatures (1:32)

This is one of the super fun habitats videos for kids because it will have students feeling like they are really there in the tide pool. They’ll learn about some interesting creatures and their crazy adaptations.

Ocean animals for kids (13:13)

When your students are learning about marine habitats, you’ll want to show them this video. It has information on a ton of animals and their adaptations. It even includes timestamps in the description so you can jump to a certain time in the video to learn about a specific animal.

Habitats: Oceans (2:09)

This video has an overview of why sea creatures need certain adaptations to survive. It’s great for starting off a lesson on underwater animal adaptations.

Sea Animal Camouflage (4:02)

Learn about the wild underwater world of marine life disguises with this BBC Earth video! Your students will be fascinated and engaged while they learn about camouflaged creatures under the sea.

How plants and animals depend on each other (3:42)

In this video, students will learn about how plants and animals help each other to survive in their habitats. It has a bunch of great examples to really bring students’ learning to life!

The salmon cannon (3:23)

This is a news segment all about a special cannon used to help move salmon upriver to spawn. Crazy, right?! The video teaches a little about why these cannons are necessary and how they came up with the idea.

How can we keep plastic out of the ocean? (3:10)

If you want to help students understand the impact of plastic pollution and marine pollution, definitely check out this video. The images really give a more concrete visual of what plastic pollution is doing to the environment.

Protecting the natural habitat (5:00)

This video goes into some detail of specific ways people are trying to protect nature for the future.

Are you looking for habitats and ecosystems lesson plans with STEM activities and science experiments? I created an in-depth science unit, with high engagment teaching slides, that includes everything you need. It’s also available in a digital version with narrated audio lessons.

Habitats & Ecosystems Science Unit

Habitats & Ecosystems Digital Unit

These habitats videos for kids will make your lessons come alive as your students learn about biomes, ecosystems, and habitats! Save this post and Pin it for later so you have it when you plan!