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Maths In Jobs

Be a junior zoo keeper for a day maths challenge

An imaginative role-play challenge where children use feeding schedules, animal counts and enclosure sizes like a real zoo keeper.

Quick answer

You can be a junior zoo keeper for a day by using maths to work out how much food animals need, how many animals live in each enclosure, and how big the enclosures need to be.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will be able to use maths to help plan how to feed, count, and house animals like a real zoo keeper. Success signs:
  • You can count animals in groups and work out how many animals are in each enclosure
  • You can use multiplication to work out how much food each animal needs
  • You can measure and compare the sizes of animal enclosures
  • You can solve simple maths problems about animal care

Why this matters

Zoo keepers use maths every day to make sure animals are healthy and happy. They need to count animals, work out how much food they eat, and make sure their living spaces are big enough. When you play the role of a zoo keeper, you’re using the same maths skills that grown-ups use in real jobs. This helps you see how maths is useful in the real world and makes learning more fun.

How it works

To be a junior zoo keeper for a day, you will:
  1. Count animals in groups
  2. Use multiplication to work out how much food each animal needs
  3. Measure the space needed for enclosures
  4. Plan daily schedules using maths

Examples you can see

Let’s imagine you are the zoo keeper for a day and your job is to feed the animals. Here are some real examples of how you use maths: Example 1: Counting animals In the giraffe enclosure, there are 4 giraffes. Each giraffe eats 20 kg of food a day. How much food do all the giraffes eat together? You can solve this by multiplying: 4 giraffes × 20 kg = 80 kg of food Example 2: Measuring enclosures The elephant enclosure is 10 metres long and 8 metres wide. What is the area of the enclosure? You can find the area by multiplying: 10 m × 8 m = 80 square metres Example 3: Sharing food You have 30 bananas to share equally between 5 monkeys. How many bananas does each monkey get? You can solve this by dividing: 30 bananas ÷ 5 monkeys = 6 bananas per monkey

Try it as a mini adventure

Adventure: Be a junior zoo keeper for a day You are now the zoo keeper for a day! Your mission is to plan how to feed, house, and care for animals in the zoo. 1st time: You see 3 lions. Each lion eats 15 kg of meat a day. How much meat do all the lions eat in one day? 2nd time: The tiger enclosure is 12 metres long and 6 metres wide. What is the area of the tiger enclosure? 3rd time: You have 24 fish to share equally among 4 penguins. How many fish does each penguin get? 4th time: There are 8 zebras in the zoo. Each zebra eats 10 kg of grass a day. How much grass do all the zebras eat in one day? 5th time: The giraffe enclosure is 15 metres long and 10 metres wide. What is the area of the giraffe enclosure? 6th time: You have 40 apples to share equally between 8 monkeys. How many apples does each monkey get? 7th time: There are 5 elephants in the zoo. Each elephant eats 30 kg of food a day. How much food do all the elephants eat in one day? 8th time: The monkey enclosure is 5 metres long and 4 metres wide. What is the area of the monkey enclosure? 9th time: You have 28 carrots to share equally among 7 rabbits. How many carrots does each rabbit get? 10th time: There are 6 flamingos in the zoo. Each flamingo eats 2 kg of food a day. How much food do all the flamingos eat in one day?

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: Thinking that 3 × 4 = 12, but confusing it with 3 + 4 = 7
    Why it happens: Mixing up multiplication and addition
    Fix: Use repeated addition to check: 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 12. Or draw 3 groups of 4 items each to see the total
  • Mistake: Forgetting to multiply by the number of animals when working out food
    Why it happens: Not reading the problem carefully
    Fix: Always ask: "How many animals are there?" and "How much does each one eat?" Then multiply
  • Mistake: Confusing area with perimeter
    Why it happens: Not knowing the difference between measuring around and measuring inside
    Fix: Area = length × width. Perimeter = add all sides together
  • Mistake: Thinking that 20 ÷ 5 = 3
    Why it happens: Not knowing the division facts
    Fix: Use objects or drawings to share 20 items into 5 equal groups to see how many are in each group

Parent and carer guide

Being a junior zoo keeper is a fun way to use maths in everyday life. Here’s how to help your child:
  • Encourage them to use their own words to explain how they solved a problem. This helps them understand the thinking behind the maths.
  • Ask questions like: "How did you work that out?" or "Can you show me how you counted that?"
  • Use real-life examples like counting food for a family dinner or measuring the size of a room.
  • Let them make up their own problems to challenge you. For example, "If we have 12 cookies and 4 people, how many cookies does each person get?"
  • Keep it fun and avoid pressure. If they get stuck, guide them gently rather than giving the answer.

Practice questions

  1. There are 6 tigers. Each tiger eats 25 kg of meat a day. How much meat do all the tigers eat in one day?
  2. The penguin enclosure is 10 metres long and 5 metres wide. What is the area of the penguin enclosure?
  3. You have 36 carrots to share equally between 6 rabbits. How many carrots does each rabbit get?
  4. There are 7 giraffes. Each giraffe eats 20 kg of leaves a day. How much food do all the giraffes eat in one day?
  5. The monkey enclosure is 8 metres long and 4 metres wide. What is the area of the monkey enclosure?
  6. You have 48 fish to share equally among 8 penguins. How many fish does each penguin get?
Answers:
  1. 6 × 25 = 150 kg
  2. 10 × 5 = 50 square metres
  3. 36 ÷ 6 = 6 carrots
  4. 7 × 20 = 140 kg
  5. 8 × 4 = 32 square metres
  6. 48 ÷ 8 = 6 fish

FAQ

What is the role of a zoo keeper?

Zoo keepers care for animals by feeding them, cleaning their enclosures, and making sure they are healthy and happy.

How do zoo keepers use maths?

Zoo keepers use maths to count animals, work out how much food they need, and measure the size of their living spaces.

Can I be a zoo keeper when I grow up?

Yes! If you love animals and enjoy problem-solving, you could become a zoo keeper or work in animal care.

How can I practice maths like a zoo keeper?

You can practice by counting animals, sharing food, measuring spaces, and solving real-life problems about animals.

What other jobs use maths like this?

Jobs like farmers, gardeners, builders, and chefs also use maths to count, measure, and share things fairly.