Animal Adoption

Age: all

Group: any size

Season: any

Consider adopting some farm animals as a project with your class (any age). You don’t have to have a full working farm to expose children to animals and teach them the care required to keep them. A few chickens show children where eggs and chicken meat come from. Rabbits offer something to carefully cuddle resulting in some calm time for your group. Small brooms mimic the adults’ large ones and give the children responsibility in caring for the animals. Having animals for a full year also gives an opportunity to notice the changes they go through during the seasons. Finally, if it's your choice to use the animals as a resource, this may be an opportunity to explain to children where meat, wool or fur comes from.

If having animals on your property is not an option, consider visiting a farm multiple times through the year and allow children time to help the farmer feed and water the animals.

Finally, a totally different way to adopt an animal is through a local conservation authority. Some conservation groups have set up adoption or sponsorship programs for endangered or injured wildlife. Participants pay a fee to support conservation efforts and receive an “adoption certificate”.  For example, in Ontario, Canada you can adopt an owl: http://www.theowlfoundation.ca/