Talk to your local shelter or rescue group about presentations on pet responsibility for kids. Members of these organizations might be willing to bring along animals that are used to being handled by strangers, depending on the age of your audience.

You don't have to be an accomplished public speaker for this purpose. In fact, it is better if you talk casually, as you would when speaking to a neighbor kid or teenager.

The purpose is not to lecture, but to get youngsters to open up their minds about possibilities, and to discuss their own perceptions and feelings about pets and animals in the wild kingdom. Kids can participate by drawing pictures of their own pets, writing stories about a favorite kitty, and for older students, doing the "math" of animal overpopulation.

A number of humane organizations provide teaching packages that are either free or available for  classrooms for a small charge. If you can't bring yourself to participate directly, you can sponsor one kid or a classroom to receive nine monthly issues of KIND (Kids in Nature's Defense) News. KIND News is printed in three versions, by grade: primary (K-2), junior (grades 3-4), and senior (grades 5-6), and the subscription includes a teacher package with other classroom aides. Consider the following suggestions and resources for different age groups:

 

Pre-School and K-3

• The Denver Dumb Friends League has  wonderful youth camps and clubs

• Look into a Kids Read to Animals program and set up one in your own town.
• Cut out photos of animals from magazines, including cats, dogs, birds, monkeys, iguanas. Let the children try to identify the animal. If it is a cat or dog, ask them if they have one at home. If it is another animal, ask whether it would make a good pet, including reasons why and why not.
• Copy and print coloring pages of cats and dogs. Ask the children to color and name their "pet." Here's a good one to start with. Encourage them to talk about their own pets as they color.
• Discuss the things "your pet needs." There is a great list from the Massachusetts SPCA along with other educational material for children.
• Use the information in the sidebar links for other activities.

Elementary and Middle School

• KIND News is a great tool for ages up to grade 6, if you can afford it. Most of the preparatory work has been done for you.
• Introduce the concept of Spay & Neuter. PBS has a S&N fact sheet written especially for kids.
• Talk about responsible pet ownership (pets as family members, rather than disposable property.) Share the World has a wonderful worksheet in PDF format about Animals and their Feelings.
• U.K. Residents can get a free Early Years Foundation Stage pack for class presentations.
• Ask a rescue person to come to class to discuss the plight of homeless cats and dogs.
• Schedule a trip to a local zoo. You'll need school permission, as well as several parents to assist with supervision. On a subsequent visit to the classroom, discuss the benefits and downsides of keeping wild animals in zoos.

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