I don’t think I’ve kept it much of a secret that I love how past me informs present me, especially in my role as a behavior consultant. My years as a Montessori teacher and case manager have provided me with skill sets that I use on a daily basis when I am helping people and their pets. And my years as an educator of youngsters is still hugely beneficial when I am working in homes with dogs and children. My passion for teaching little ones is partially why I became a Family Paws Parent Educator too. I just love helping parents learn how to meet their dog’s needs and getting the kids involved in the process. Ideally, we can accomplish multiple objectives simultaneously; one is meeting some of the dog’s needs, second is providing the child with an activity that meets their needs and sharpens their skills as well. A double win for the household!
A long while back, I wrote a blog about my life experiences all colliding and contributing to me being the consultant I am today. In the blog, post I share some ideas for enrichment activities that kids can help create for the household dog with promises to share more ideas. Alas, other responsibilities and blog ideas took precedence over that plan. But as part of our enrichment challenge series, I wanted to revisit the idea with you and provide you with some further fun things your children can do to contribute to meeting your dog’s needs.
Always, Safety First
When you are choosing activities for your child to do, remember that you should be using materials that are safe for them to handle and food items that are safe for them to touch (and possibly sample!). The items or foods must be safe for your dog too. The suggestions I provide are safe items for most dogs, but you know your dog and their behaviors and diets best, so please keep that in mind. You can always modify things by checking this list of fruits and vegetables that are safe for most dogs. It also lists unsafe fruits and vegetables so that you can make informed decisions about the items you choose.
Left to Right and Why
When we set up, it is important for the child that we arrange the items in a left to right progression. In a Montessori environment, the child’s “work” is almost always arranged from left to right. There are several reasons for this. The order of items helps the child track from left to right which is a prerequisite skill for, you guessed it, reading and writing! That is the Montessori way! Of course this is not true of all languages, so please adapt the order accordingly. Children are so very capable of developing remarkable skills and focus when we arrange the environment in a way that helps them be successful. The photos included will help you with each set-up so that your child can do each step systematically and with focus and purpose.
Child’s Age
Your child’s age should be taken into consideration with all activities. Children as young as two can participate in many of the activities. And while our goal is left to right progression, the younger your child is, the less likely they will understand that. Montessori is exceptionally child-focused so it is important that we are gently demonstrating and guiding the child while still allowing them to explore independently.
Here are some guidelines for demonstrating the activity for your child:
- Sit next to your child, not across from them. This allows your child to see from their point of view. If your child is right handed, sit on their left side, if your child is left handed, sit on their right side.
- Let your hands do most of the “talking.” Verbal instructions can be distracting as your child watches the actions you are taking. Their focus should mostly be on the way you are interacting with the materials.
- Model the activities from left to right no matter which of your child’s hands is dominant. We are modeling the prerequisite skills for language and literacy.
- Exaggerate your movements especially regarding care of the materials. Model calm, gentle, careful movement and manipulation of the materials.
- Most importantly, recognize that a two year old will not have the focus and stamina as a school aged child, so for a toddler, the modeling should be very brief and they can be encouraged to take a turn as soon as necessary to contain their focus.
- The younger your child is, the more supervision is required. Pick activities using items that are not a choking hazard for your child as children under the age of 3 are still exploring the world using their mouths.
Activity #1- Water Bowl Transfer
Items required:
- your dog (or cat’s) water bowl
- a second bowl filled with water
- a ladle or baster
Photos of set-up from left to right:
Activity: Your child will use the ladle or baster to transfer the water from the bowl to your pet’s water bowl.
Skill development for the child:
- hand/eye coordination
- left to right tracking
- finger/hand muscle dexterity
- small muscle coordination
- focus as hand moves from water bowl to water bowl
- pre literacy learning
Activity #2-Spoon Transfer to Food Puzzle
Items required:
- bowl with your pet’s kibble or treats
- Food puzzle
- Spoon
Photos of set-up from left to right:
Activity: Your child will use the spoon to transfer the kibble or treats to the food puzzle. You can vary the size of the spoon. The smaller the spoon, the more focus and hand/eye coordination is needed.
Skill development for the child:
- hand/eye coordination
- left to right tracking
- finger/hand muscle dexterity
- small muscle coordination
- focus as hand moves from bowl to puzzle
- pre literacy learning
Activity #3-PB & Banana Lick Mat
Items required:
- Tray
- Half of a banana
- Tablespoon of peanut butter (dog safe please-no xylitol!)
- Cutting board
- Child safe cutting utensil like the one in the photo
- Masher
- Spreader
Photos of set-up from left to right:
Activity: Child peels the banana, uses the slicer to cut the banana into pieces, mashes the banana, spreads it on the lick mat. They then use the spreader to spread the peanut butter on the lick mat too.
Skill development for the child:
- Fine and gross motor skills
- hand/eye coordination
- left to right tracking
- pre literacy learning
Now What?
Just a few final notes. Once the activity is complete and is ready to give to your dog, make sure that your child is allowing you pet to explore their enrichment freely and without interference. Your child can watch the fruits of their labor from a safe distance.
Creating enrichment activities can be a splendid way for your child to practice skills while providing them the opportunity to do something kind for your pet and can contribute to something that will help your pet get some of their needs met too! Wins all around!
These are just a few ideas to help you get started. Now it’s time to get creative and see what ideas you can come up with! Have fun exploring, creating, and learning with your kids and let me know how it goes!
Happy Training!
MaryKaye