Do you have a classroom pet for homeschool? Family pets are great, but having a pet right in the classroom has many advantages. Your children will absolutely love the pet, and you will be excited to see all of the benefits a classroom pet can have!
#1 New Learning
A classroom pet brings so many new learning opportunities to the classroom. Whether it is math and the discussion of how much the hamster weighs, Science and what a snake eats, Geography and where a ferret lives, or Language Arts, and how many adjectives can be used to describe a goldfish.
You can easily bring in different subjects while learning about or deciding which pet to get. Your children will approach learning all these subjects with enthusiasm and interest. You can even have your children create presentations about which pet they think would be best for your homeschool and why.
#2 Enrich Your Classroom
There are many ways a classroom pet for homeschool can enhance your classroom.
Observing and caring for an animal gives children a sense of responsibility and respect for life.
- A pet increases sensitivity and awareness of the feelings and needs of others (both human and animals). They help children develop empathy.
- Children will learn what a living thing needs to survive, besides just food and water.
- The presence of animals tends to less tension/stress while learning.
#3 Health and Education
Studies have shown that children from families with pets can fight off infections more than kids from non-pet households. They also have higher levels of immune system performance, and children who have pets average more days learning than children without pets.
Another study showed that kids turn to their pets for emotional support and 40% of children chose the companionship of their pets when they were feeling down in the dumps. They also seek out their pets when feeling tired, upset, scared, or lonely. Pets can help morale and teach children about relationships and the needs of another living being. Kids who learn to take care of a pet are also learning how to take care of people.
#4 Nurturing Behavior and Self-Esteem
Nobody enjoys being treated poorly. Classroom pets help children learn about behavior and how if they want to be liked by the classroom hamster, they need to treat her carefully and with kindness.
Caring for a classroom pet gives kids a sense of accomplishment and pride, and they will especially feel this if the animal can return the affection they have given it. If your children can bond with the classroom pet, they will feel more confident and have higher self-esteem levels than those without pets.
#5 Responsibility and Friends
No matter how small your child is, they can begin to learn to care for the needs of the classroom pet. They can help empty a cup of food into the rabbit’s bowl or fill the hamster’s water bottle. It is never too early to start teaching responsibility. Of course, you should continuously monitor the classroom pet care and ensure everything is done correctly and in the right way. But, the children should be responsible for completing the actions. There will be mistakes, but do not focus too much on them. Just make sure to point out that the pet depends on them to be happy and healthy!
Animals such as cats, dogs, and guinea pigs love when humans snuggle or have contact with them, and they can quickly become a child’s BFF. Kids can develop strong bonds with their animals, even non-responsive animals like fish or turtles. These relationships can help strengthen kids’ social skills and make it easier for them to connect to and make friends.
Get the pet
If those five reasons haven’t convinced you to get a classroom pet for homeschool classrooms, then head over to Google and do a little more research. I promise you will see how much a pet can positively impact children and their learning. Plus, having a cute little guinea pig or betta fish hanging around while you are teaching may just positively affect you as well!
