Teaching Children to Love and Care for Animals

Kids and animals, a natural friendship!  Most children will say that they love animals, but the love of animals goes so much deeper than they can imagine! Teaching children from a young age to not only love animals, but to also cherish and respect them is very important. Doing so is a great way to raise socially aware children who are empathetic and passionate about helping others, especially those who can’t help themselves. 

Below, we’re discussing a few ways that you can teach your kiddos to truly love and care for all living creatures including ways to interact with animals as well as ways to learn about them. 

Visit Places Where They Can Interact With Animals

One of the very best ways to teach children to love animals is to allow them to interact with them. The more you interact with animals, the more respect you will gain for them as you see their beautiful personalities shining through. 

If you live near Melrose, Florida, you can actually visit Rooterville, our animal sanctuary that is home to over 400 animals including pigs, chickens, goats, dogs, and so many more! You and your kiddo can interact with the animals and learn all about them. 

If you don’t live near Rooterville, you likely have a nearby farm, animal shelter, or sanctuary that allows visitors to interact with the animals. 

Volunteer At An Animal Shelter or Sanctuary

Speaking of sanctuaries and shelters, these are great places to volunteer your time and many allow children to volunteer as well. Get in touch with some local societies and ask about volunteer opportunities for families. 

Read Animal Books To Them

Children’s books are an amazing way to teach life lessons that kids can grasp on to. At The Pink Pigs, we have numerous unique children’s books about animals that will teach your little ones to love animals and be excited about them. Below, we’ll discuss a few of our favorites! 

Barnyard, Ocean, and Jungle Friends - These unique children’s books make fun sounds and teach children about our friends in the barnyard, ocean, and jungle. Not only does this acquaint kiddos with certain animals, it also teaches them about the different habitats animals might live in. 

Honey Bees - This educational kid’s book from National Geographic is a great way to teach children about a special animal they are often afraid of: bees! This book is about a young girl who is afraid of bees. However, once she gets a chance to learn about the amazing honey bee, her fear turns to fascination. It’s never too early to teach kids about saving the bees! 

Reduce Or Eliminate Meat In Your Diet

Here at The Pink Pigs, we love promoting a vegan lifestyle and all of the health benefits that can accompany it. However, we know that being completely vegan with a small child can be difficult. We encourage you to try to reduce the amount of meat in your diet by having one or two meatless meals every week. 

When you do eat meat, make sure to talk to your children about where it comes from so that they don’t take it for granted. Saying a quick “thank you” to the fish or chicken on your plate can remind your child to be grateful for the sacrifices made so they can eat.

If you do want to adopt a fully vegan lifestyle with a kiddo, we’d love to chat with you about some easy ways to do that!

Choose Vegan Soap, Shampoo, and other Body Products

Many shampoos, bubble baths, and other products kids use daily contain animal products that you might not even be aware of! Instead of animal-derived bubble bath, try using our vegan fizzy bath salts from FinchBerry! Check out some of our other vegan bath products or do some research to find some kid-friendly vegan products. 

Adopt A Pet In Need

If you would love to help out animals in your own home, consider adopting a pet (if you’re ready for the responsibility!) from a local shelter. While it can be tempting to adopt a puppy or tiny kitten, consider the fact that the puppy will grow out of its puppy phase before you know it! Adult dogs and cats are easier to train and will have a more predictable personality. Puppies almost always find homes, whereas adult dogs and cats can spend years in shelters. 

How Will You Teach Your Little One To Love Animals?

The above are just a few ways you can teach your child about the importance of loving and respecting all living creatures. At the end of the day, much of it comes from being a good example! Supplementing your example with vegan products, unique children’s books about animals that your little one will love, and spending lots of time with all different species of animals is a great way to teach your child to be empathetic to the needs of animals! 

Take a few minutes to browse our children’s books and toys and consider making a purchase from The Pink Pigs today! When you buy items from our website, you can be proud of the fact that all proceeds will go towards helping the hundreds of animals we care for at Rooterville Animal Sanctuary. 

When you surprise your little one with a new toy or animal book, you can explain that just by owning that product, they are already being a hero for animals in need! Shop today!