Household Pets

Learning about pet diversity builds respect for different family structures and cultural practices.

• Framework: IPC
• Unit: Pets
• Learning area: Social Studies
• Level: Infant & Toddler, IPC Level 1, IPC Level 2, IPC Level 3

Objectives

• Develop awareness about diversity of household pets
• Name up to three common household pets
• Use fine motor skills to create pet art

Materials

• Pre-printed pet images (dog, cat, fish, rabbit, bird, hamster)
• Coloring pencils and markers
• Chart paper for class list

Instructions

Begin by reviewing previous lessons about pets, creating a shared chart of household pets children have named throughout the unit. Encourage children to think beyond dogs and cats to include fish, birds, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, and other common household pets. Distribute pre-printed images of various household pets and invite children to select and color a pet using their creativity. While children color, engage them in conversation about the pet they chose, asking about its needs, sounds it makes, and why families might choose this pet. Guide children in writing their own name on their work and attempting to write or copy the name of their pet with support as needed. Display finished artwork in a 'Pets in Our Community' gallery.

Educator tip

Create a class graph showing which pets children have at home to integrate math and social studies.

Assessment

Observe students' ability to name household pets and use developing fine motor and writing skills.

More from Pets

• Pet Movement Games
• Animals Are Living Things
• Baby Animals and Parents
• What Do Animals Eat?
• Kinds of Animals
• Counting Dog Bones
• Pet Shapes Exploration
• Pet Patterns