Caring for a small pet, such as a fish or reptile, can provide young children with the opportunity to learn more about animals firsthand. As preschool teachers, we know that young children are engaged and learn best by DOING. We can certainly teach about animals through books and pictures … but how much MORE will they learn when they can actually interact with one. They can learn about caring for animals and the responsibility that goes with it. For preschool programs, having a classroom pet provides a wonderful opportunity for learning about nature, science and living things. At our preschool (and at my home), we have Betta fish, which have a low start-up cost and are very easy to take care of. At the beginning of the school year, we have the class name the fish – and that really helps to give the children ownership of the pet. One of the most favorite classroom jobs a child can have for the day is the “Fish Helper” – where it is their day to feed the fish. The Betta fish food are really tiny pellets, so it’s also a good fine motor skill for the children to pick up the pellets and put them into the tank.

I think children can learn a lot from seeing and interacting with living things. At various times during the year, we will also bring in special visitors who bring in some other animals that the children can learn about. During our summer camp, we even had some older children come in and share their pets with the preschoolers. This gave the children an opportunity to observe, touch and feel an animal they may not have seen before, or only seen in pictures. Updates on a few grant programs to help teachers who want to bring in a pet into their classroom. PetSmart is now offering a “Pets in the Classroom” grant for Pre-K through 6th grade teachers to cover all the expenses of a classroom pet. Teachers will also receive additional assistance with a PetSmart associate who can help them with the basics of pet care. /teachers to apply for the grant and learn about ways to incorporate a classroom pet into their curriculum. This section of the website also provides teachers with some lesson plan ideas, some of which can be adapted to fit into a preschool curriculum.

The Pet Care Trust helps to promote public understanding regarding the value of and right to enjoy companion animals, to enhance knowledge about companion animals through research and education, and to promote professionalism among members of the companion animal community.3 foot fish tanks for sale Pets in the Classroom grants are offered to Pre-Kindergarten through Eighth grade classes only in both public and private schools.  fish tanks for sale in buckinghamshireThese grants are intended to support pets or aquariums in the classroom for the purposes of teaching children to bond with and care for their pets responsibly.aquarium fish sale in kolkata Petco is also a partner with The Pet Care Trust, which supplies products and funding for classroom critters at low cost to schools, with no out of pocket supply cost.

Do you have a pet in your classroom? Other than fish and reptiles, what other types of pets would be good in a preschool classroom?Seed CoverCover Seeds6 PlaygroundPreschool PlaygroundBs PreschoolPreschool ResourcesLearning OutdoorsOutdoor LearningThe OutdoorsForwardCutting grass with scissors. Use this fun sensory activity in the outdoor classroom. Take a sandbox and make many holes for drainage. Fill with potting soil and plant grass seed. Cover seeds with a thin layer of soil. We will be adding a fence, rocks and animals.Space Role Play IdeasOuter Space Party IdeasKids Space PartySpace Birthday Party IdeasSpace Party ThemeSpace Eyfs Role PlaySpace Theme EyfsClassroom Space ThemeThemed ClassroomForwardSimple idea for 'moon rocks' - scrunched up tinfoil - aren't these fun! Now with a link to the original idea.Planet ProtectorChildren take pride in being given responsibilities, if those responsibilties are manageable and explained. Let them help out in the classroom!We explored fish a few weeks ago and made squishy fishy aquarium.

You can see how to make these sensory gel bags by clicking here. The children put green and yellow food color in their gel bags because Mrs. Stewart (me) was not thinking very clearly that day. For some reason, I had it in my head that green and yellow make blue.  Have you ever had one of those days? So instead of blue fishy bags we had a variety of green and yellow fishy bags. I am so glad children don’t really care about the final product as much as the process… You can’t see the fish in there all that well in these pictures but the children also added foam fish to their gel bags… I hung all our fishy bags in the window which made them tempting to walk by and feel throughout the day… The light shining through makes our green and yellow squishy fishy bags quite a beautiful display… So to make up for my brain lapse on color mixing, I served the children jello aquarium cups instead… Linking up to No Time for Flashcards: Link and LearnHermit Crabs are fun to watch and children are fascinated by them!  

Find out what is involved in having one as a classroom pet. They are actually crustaceans.  This means from the Crustacea class such as shrimp and lobster.  There are literally hundreds of different species!Hermit is an ironic name for these land crabs.  Hermit means one that lives in isolation but hermit crabs are actually social and live in large groups!  It is best to have 2 or more of them as pets for this reason.This crab is a decapod:  it has 10 legs.The left leg has a large pincer called a chela.  It is used for climbing and to defend itself.  Many times the chela will be a purple shade.They are not born with, nor do they grow, their own shells.  When born, the search for a discarded snail shell.They do grow and will outgrow their shells so you will need to be sure to have extra shells in larger sizes for your crab to grow into.They shed their skin once or twice a year.  If your crab seems to be less active and not coming out of its shell much, this might be why. It needs enough room to move around and explore.  

Also, they are social so it is best to have 2 or more.It needs a substrate to live in.  Sand is typically the best choice.  You can also use some aquarium gravel.Crabs will bury themselves in sand to cool off.  You can mist them with a spray bottle mist a couple of times a week (NOTE:  They tend to become more active when you do this!).You can also pour a little bit of water in the corners of the aquarium.  This will be absorbed by the bottom layer of sand.  When the crab then wants to cool off, the bottom will be a little damp.The aquarium should be cleaned once a month and the sand changed.  If you use gravel, rinse the gravel (NO SOAP) in clear water and let dry.Sand should be replaced, not reused.Check the cage every couple of day for discarded food or droppings and remove to avoid bacteria from growing in the cage. Feed the crabs as often as they will eat.  But, be sure to change their food before it spoils.They do need water.  Keep their water dish full. Hermit crabs are typically nocturnal, but will play during the day.

These are fun creatures to watch!  They LOVE to climb!  Having rocks, sticks, small terra cotta pots, etc. are great for them.  They like to climb these things and will climb and then hang upside down from the cover of their aquarium.Be sure you keep a vented cover on your aquarium or they will climb out! You will need the following:A plastic one will work, but depending on your environment, it can get very hot inside.  I have used a glass 10 gallon fish tank.Items for the crab(s) to play in and explore such as rocks, small flower pots (like terra cotta ones)If they are too deep, the crab can actually drown if it can not get out.  Also, avoid dishes that are slippery on the bottom or your crab will not be able to get to the water or food.This can be found at pet supply stores.Choose shells that have openings larger than the openings of the shell opening it is currently living in.  Have several for the crab to choose from. When picking up a hermit crab, be certain to pick it up from the middle or back end of the shell, not the front.

This will scare the crab.When holding the crab, be sure the holder has an outstretched hand.  Remember, the crab uses its claw to climb....if it feels it is falling, it may pinch you and, though small, it can hurt!The crab can also walk on the floor.  I have always provided a large clean towel for the crab to walk on rather than the carpet.  This ensures that your crab is not picking up any residue from paint, glue or carpet/floor cleaners that may be there.Prior to holding the hermit crab, I recommend having the children wash their hands in case there is any food the hermit crab may want to try to eat or glue or dirt on their hands. The average temperature that they like is around 75-80 degrees F.  90 degrees F or higher is too hot for them.Conversely, low temperatures can make them go dormant and possible die.  Avoid temperatures below 60 degrees F.Avoid having your crabs near the heater or the air conditioning.Do not "bathe" or submerge your crabs-they can drown.  They are land crabs.

You can, however, rinse them lightly once a week to help prevent food residue from getting stuck under their shells as well as to keep their gills wet, though it is not necessary.We actually did rinse ours once a month and then let them walk around on a slightly damp towel in our sand table.  We did this when we cleaned the aquarium each month. We called it their Monthly Beach Time! Below are some resources you might find helpful with links to Amazon.  We purchased our extra shells at the local mall.  The companies and items below are ones that I have found to have very good reviews. It is difficult for anyone who loses any type of pet.  As teachers, we will all deal with the loss of a pet at some level. It may be the loss of our own pet, the loss of our classroom pet or helping a child and family deal with the loss of their personal pet. Losing a pet is difficult and very emotional for children and adults alike. There is a grieving process that happens.Click Here to read my article which you may find helpful if dealing with this with your preschoolers.