Hey i need to chose a good class room pet... 28 cent gold fish ??

Question

Well im a student teach. @ a pre-school (luv kidz) And well i really want the kids to have a goldfish. ( if i get a hamster or sumthing fury i really dont want alergies to start) A goldfish is cute and safe. Wal-mart has pretty good ones. well i was wondering if i should go along with this plan. or maybe another non alergic type. A lizard may scare some kids and im shure as heck not getting a snake :( i think a fish is okay, But its still kind of boring. ive got a 5 gallon tank for the fishie. and i have a filter light and a air pump (although i heard they dont need an airpump) But i still would like to get two pets ( just to make some space in the large class room) im going to teach the kids all by my self for 3 weeks and i really want to pass my test. And ive decided a classroom pet would be a good start on our animal unit. (they learn about varius animals and what makes them special). Well i really would like to find a different pet other than a gold fish :) sorry for my spelling

Answer 1

Turtles should NEVER be in a classroom.  They carry salmonella.  In many states it is illegal to sell them or to have them as pets.  Lizards are nice but require a lot of work and a special habitat.  Hermit crabs are good.  Gold fish are good.  Hamsters are good (but you have to tame them first).  Do you have pets at home that can come to visit?  My pets are always at school (fish, hamsters, crabs, dog, cats, etc...).  This past spring we even had night crawler worms as pets.  It was totally cool.  But NO TURTLES....

Answer 2

I like the fish idea, due to the fact that you never know which child will have allergies or asthma.  Better safe than sorry!  

Why not skip the goldfish though, and get a Beta?  They come in different colors (pretty colors) and have pretty long fins.  The children might be more interested in taking care of something 'pretty'.  

If you get a Beta, be sure to get a male, as those are the pretty ones.....and be sure you only get one.  They will fight with other fish.  You definitely don't want children to witness that!  

You can pick up a Beta at most pet stores, and I've seen them at Walmart.  They run about $2.50 each and you'll just need a glass bowl, some rocks for the bottom and some food.  I'd say for under $10 you have yourself a pet that's perfect for everyone and their needs.  Have fun and good luck!

Answer 3

Since you are about to start your animal unit. How about introducing Adoption:

Adopting animal as apart of your unit. Decide on what kind a stuff toy animal you could purchase. Talk to the children about shelter animals and read some books (age appropriate).Make a chart with pictures of a dog, fish, frog, etc. and have them write their names under the column for the pet they would prefer. Next, have them tally up the votes.Let them decide on the name of the pet. Include the parents by having them bring in items to set up a pet store in the classroom dramatic play area. (more stuff animals, play tools for grooming and play animal treat/food). The next day bring in the 'pet' (stuff animal of their choice). Also, the students could take turns taking home the classroom pet. Have them journal(on their level) how they cared for the classroom pet at their home. What a way to incorporate cooperation, math, science, team work, dramatic play,language & literacy, art,  patience and lots of fun! The best to you.

Answer 4

frogs, lizards, turtles

Answer 5

Sounds like you are already set up for fish so go with that.  Kids love fish although you might not want to go with a beta because then you can only have one (they kill eachother) and it sounds like you have a big enough tank for more than one.  If you get the cheap goldfish at Walmart they all look the same and so it "Goldie" dies she is easy to replace and the kids are none the wiser.  It will be hard to find an exact match for the beta if it dies.  You could also throw in some snails.  They sell them at Walmart too and they are cheap, keep the tank clean and they are always having babies.  It's a great lesson to teach the kids about a lifecycle in a cheap way.  I've always done the cheap feeder goldfish and snails as pets in my classroom and they're always a hit.  Good Luck!.

Answer 6

how about a hermit crab?  they are awesome pets and easy to take care of.  Have the kids all bring in pictures of their pets at home and make a pet wall to go along with your unit. Good luck - sounds like fun!

Answer 7

A goldfish will die so fast. I can just picture kids sticking hands and stuff into the tank.

Kids want something they can hold. I recommend a turtle, a 5 gallon tank is a good size for a turtle, and kids can hold a turtle without allergies. Plus, there's a lot to learn about turtles. They are a pretty safe reptile, you can relate them to the ocean tortoises in finding nemo which I know every kid can understand, you can teach them how they live in lakes and ponds too, and about how their shell is defense and what not.

They're pretty low maintenance. There is so much to learn about turtles too, you can have some that are only a few inches, you can have others that weigh 2000 lbs.

It's a great learning opportunity, especially for your animal unit. They are way more special than gold fish too because they can breath in the land and in the water.

Go for the turtle =)

Answer 8

how about bugville,they show the commercial on tv and sell them at Wal-Mart. Its a small tent like thing with baby caterpillars then watch them turn into butterflies and then release them and it has a DVD with the set . I dont know how good it is though.

Answer 9

get a catfish

Answer 10

My son's K teacher had aquatic frogs...he would even go into her room when he was in PreK just to watch them.  They're incredibly easy to care for, and the kids (boys and girls) tend to love them.

We now have an aquatic frog (ds is now in 6th grade) and we've taken it to preschool classes during water and animal units...the kids have gathered around to watch like you wouldn't believe.

They're really pretty cool, and there's nothing scary about them.  If you don't want to keep it afterward, you can gift it to the class or a local family.

Answer 11

i like the suggestion that was made about adoption pets.  last summer we had the local spca come out and they brought adoption pets and did a little chat about the care and feeding of the pets and the kids got to pet them.  the only cost involved was a donation of pet food.

i'd stay away from fish unless you are prepared to do grief recovery.

Answer 12

I'd say fish are a good idea & maybe something else like a bird, a guinea pig or a rat. We had 2 guinea pigs & a bird when i was in pre school & my mum was a teacher & a principal for many years & she did the rat & the tadpoles. frogs are quite hard to care for so i would not suggest this but  personally i like the rat idea the most. (: