Tap AAC

Animal communication boards: pets, farm, ocean and bugs

An animal communication board lets a child who doesn’t speak, or doesn’t speak much, point to say what they see and what they think of it: I see cow, moo, wow. Here are four free animal boards to print: pets, farm animals with their sounds, ocean animals and bugs. Each has 12 to 18 animals and words for talking about them.

Each board is one page with I see at the top. Print the PDF, or add the board to the Tap AAC app, where every button on the page says its words out loud.

Pets

Twelve pets, from dog and cat to guinea pig and lizard, with the words for looking after them: feed, walk the dog, gentle hands, a treat, litter box, the vet. The last row says how it feels: cute, soft, scared, wow.

Printable pets communication board with I and see. Pets: dog, cat, puppy, kitten, fish, bird, rabbit, hamster, guinea pig, turtle, lizard, parrot. Take care: feed, pet, walk the dog, gentle hands, a treat, leash, pet bed, litter box, fish tank, cage, the vet, pet store. Talk: cute, soft, I like it, scared, wow, look.
Pets (one page), to print or to add to Tap AAC.

Pets PDF US Letter, 1 page, 1,257 KB

Portrait (tall page, 1 page): US Letter PDF (1,257 KB) · A4 PDF (1,256 KB)

Landscape (wide page, 1 page): US Letter PDF (1,259 KB) · A4 PDF (1,259 KB)

Have Tap AAC? Add to Tap AAC (.obz file, 1,384 KB) · How to add a board

Farm animals

Eighteen farm animals and their babies (calf, piglet, lamb, chick), the farm itself (farmer, tractor, hay, egg), and six animal sounds from moo to cock-a-doodle-doo. Animal sounds are often among a child’s first words, and they make a farm song or book a game to join in.

Printable farm animal communication board with I and see. Animals: cow, pig, horse, sheep, goat, chicken, rooster, duck, donkey, turkey, llama, goose, calf, piglet, lamb, chick, pony, cat. On the farm: farm, farmer, tractor, hay, egg, feed, and the sounds moo, oink, baa, neigh, quack and cock-a-doodle-doo.
Farm animals (one page), to print or to add to Tap AAC.

Farm animals PDF US Letter, 1 page, 1,135 KB

Portrait (tall page, 1 page): US Letter PDF (1,135 KB) · A4 PDF (1,135 KB)

Landscape (wide page, 1 page): US Letter PDF (1,136 KB) · A4 PDF (1,136 KB)

Have Tap AAC? Add to Tap AAC (.obz file, 1,254 KB) · How to add a board

Ocean animals

Eighteen sea animals, from shark and whale to seahorse, pufferfish and otter, and twelve words to talk about them: where is it?, big, little, deep, swim, that’s funny. Take it to the aquarium, or use it with an ocean book or show.

Printable ocean animals board with I and see. Animals: shark, whale, dolphin, octopus, crab, starfish, jellyfish, seahorse, sea turtle, seal, walrus, stingray, clownfish, pufferfish, orca, lobster, penguin, otter. Talk: look, wow, where is it?, big, little, I like it, swim, the ocean, deep, shell, that’s funny, scared.
Ocean animals (one page), to print or to add to Tap AAC.

Ocean animals PDF US Letter, 1 page, 1,105 KB

Portrait (tall page, 1 page): US Letter PDF (1,105 KB) · A4 PDF (1,105 KB)

Landscape (wide page, 1 page): US Letter PDF (1,106 KB) · A4 PDF (1,106 KB)

Have Tap AAC? Add to Tap AAC (.obz file, 1,218 KB) · How to add a board

Bugs

Eighteen bugs for the garden, the park and nature walks, with look closer, it’s hiding and gentle, and the words for when to be careful: don’t touch, it bit me, bug spray.

Printable bugs communication board with I and see. Bugs: bee, butterfly, ant, ladybug, spider, worm, caterpillar, snail, grasshopper, cricket, dragonfly, moth, fly, mosquito, beetle, firefly, slug, cocoon. Talk: look, look closer, wow, where is it?, it’s hiding, gentle, don’t touch, scared, yucky, I like it, it bit me, bug spray.
Bugs (one page), to print or to add to Tap AAC.

Bugs PDF US Letter, 1 page, 1,164 KB

Portrait (tall page, 1 page): US Letter PDF (1,164 KB) · A4 PDF (1,164 KB)

Landscape (wide page, 1 page): US Letter PDF (1,165 KB) · A4 PDF (1,166 KB)

Have Tap AAC? Add to Tap AAC (.obz file, 1,284 KB) · How to add a board

The 4 boards at a glance

BoardButtonsPagesName in the Tap AAC app
Pets321“Pets”
Farm animals321“Farm animals”
Ocean animals321“Ocean animals”
Bugs321“Bugs”

Every board is also a ready-made page in the Tap AAC app, under the name in the last column: search the app’s Page library for it. Printed together, the 4 boards make a small communication book on this topic: keep them in a binder or folder, with the one used most at the front (tips for communication books).

How to use the animal boards

  1. Start with I see. Point to I see and then an animal, and say it as you point: “I see … dog!” Two points make a sentence.
  2. Add one word. After the animal, point to a word about it: big, soft, wow, scared. Then wait, so the person can add their own.
  3. Use them with books and songs. Read an animal book with the board open, and point to each animal as it comes up. The farm sounds go with any farm song.
  4. Take them out. The bugs board belongs on a nature walk, the ocean board at the aquarium, the pets board at a friend’s house or the pet store.

Going to the zoo? The zoo communication board has 18 zoo animals and a field trip schedule.

All the boards are free to print and share (terms of use). The “Add to Tap AAC” files are Open Board Format (.obz) files: Tap AAC opens each one as the printed page, and other AAC apps that open .obz files show it as a grid of buttons. How to add a board to Tap AAC.

More free boards on related topics

See all free printable boards

Need a different board? Make your own with the free AAC board maker.

These boards and guides are general information, not therapy or medical advice, and they don’t replace a speech therapist. A speech therapist who knows the person can help choose the right words, pictures and layout. The boards are free to print and share; please don’t sell them (terms of use). Questions about the boards? Email support@lmnoplabs.fun.