How to Teach a Toddler About Animals

Numbers, letters and reading are always important lessons for children, but learning animals is fun and useful for both child and parent.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Books with animal pictures
• Posters or other pictures of animals
• Toy animals
• Stuffed animals

1. Buy books with realistic pictures of animals doing realistic things. Read these books together and spend time on each page with each animal. Discuss with your toddler what the animal does, says, eats and where he lives.

2. Buy posters, paintings or cut pictures out of magazines of animals to hang on the walls in your toddler's room. She'll love pointing to each of them and telling you or asking you what each animal is. Include the name of the animal in clear text with each picture and this serves as a bonus reading exercise as well.

3. Take regular trips to the zoo and pet store and encourage your toddler to name the animals. Petting zoos are especially fun. Also, check your local zoo or rescue society for any special program that helps kids learn about animals.

4. Use plastic animals toys and stuffed animals to support what your toddler has learned. Letting them see and understand that sometimes animal toys come in funny shapes and colors, but they are still that animal is a valuable lesson in reality versus fantasy.

5. Group animals together by posting a picture on the wall then placing toys, other pictures, and stuffed animals underneath it. Later on you can advance the learning by placing animals together by habitat.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't be afraid to look or sound silly when talking about the animals. Learning should always be fun, and any little thing can always advance the bonding between you and your toddler.
• You can use plastic animals that are actually labeled for older children provided you always supervise your child closely, and then remove the toys when your lesson is over. Keep them in a safe place where your toddler can't reach them on his own.
• Never leave a child unattended with a live animal.
• Always wash your hands after petting or feeding an animal and instruct your children to do the same.
• Never allow your children to play with toys that are not proper for their age group unless they are very closely supervised.

[grouch]

on 12/15/2007 Once you have hit all the regular spots the internet is a great resource. My son loves the wierd and exotic....helps him understand it is ok to be different.