This fun pet-themed storytime is all about cats, dogs, fish, and other critters we can welcome into our families. It includes a stuffed animal sorting activity, book suggestions, a song, an exercise, and pet masks for your kids to color and wear!
Stuffed Animal Sorting: Pets vs Wild Animals
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This is a fun and quick activity to get the kids differentiating between domesticated and wild animals. Gather up various stuffed animals, place them in a bag, then pull them out one by one. Have the kids identify the animal then decide which pile/group it should be in. We had three piles: wild animals, pets, and animals that can be both.
Pet Themed Storybooks
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What Pet to Get? (Emma Dodd)
A boy suggests a number of exotic pets to his mother, but she has an objection to each of them. He finally decides on a puppy...but in the surprise ending we learn that the puppy isn't so ordinary either. This one really got the kids laughing!
I Wanna Iguana (Karen Kaufman Orloff)
This book is a funny back-and-forth between a son and his mother. The son really wants to adopt an iguana, but his mother has some valid concerns. It's a lighthearted way to explore the decision-making process that one should go through before choosing a pet.
Oh No, George! (Chris Haughton)
Pets can be mischievous and George is no exception when his owner, Harry, leaves him home alone. After wrecking the place, George decides to make better choices...until he sees some smelly trash. He loves digging in the trash. The kids loved guessing what George would do next and his long nose and guilty eyes are adorable!
More books I used:
All of these are great! You can find a list of even more pet-themed books I love here.
Pet Song & Exercise Activity
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Sing-Along: If You're a Pet and You Know It
The kids loved this one! It's a simple adaptation of "If You're Happy and You Know It" with animal noises. You can read the lyrics on Miss Mollie's blog.
Exercise & Rhyme: Can You?
I modified this rhyme from Library Storytime to make a fun pet-themed movement activity. It is actually a REALLY good exercise. We did it twice before sitting down.
Can you hop like a rabbit? (stand and hop)
Can you leap like a frog? (get down and jump like a frog)
Can you strut like a cat? (crawl)
Can you howl like a dog? (howl at the moon)
Can you fly like a bird? (get up and flap your arms)
Can you swim like a fish? (move your arms like you are swimming)
Can you sit back down and be still like this?
Craft: Color & Wear Pet Masks
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These cat and dog masks are free at my TPT store! Simply print the masks (preferably on cardstock), color them, and cut out the face and eyes. You can punch holes in the sides and lace string through or take a large popsicle stick and glue one end to the back so the mask can be held in front of the face. Kids love these!