Classroom Pet

Freddy the Frog one of my students favorite things about our classroom!

Every Pre-K through Second grade classroom should have a classroom pet.  For my pet I chose a webkins frong I named "Freddy the frog" and put a sweater on him I bought from a build-a-bear workshop.  I bought a clear bag from Lakeshore school supply store, and added a phonics dictionary (from lakeshore), a snap-it-up cvc spelling game, snap-it-up addition game, alphabet cards, sight word cards, number cards, and simple books.  I have a journal in which children write down what they have done with Freddy the frog on their weekends.   I have 5 kids, and right now they rotate taking Freddy home on Fridays.   In a larger classroom, I would recommend sending Freddy home throughout the week as well.

Tip: At walmart there is a children's CD called "Fisher Price: ABC sing-along".   Track number 7 has a song called "Freddy the Frog" that sings about what a great friend Freddy the frog is to them (he's got his own theme song! :-)

Tip: Want to make your classroom pet extra special?  I am taking my pictures of Freddy the frog and each student and uploading them to my computer, then going on online to http://www.blurb.com/ I added all the pictures and typed their journal entries into the program and have made a real Freddy the frog book for them to read at home, and to give them ideas of journal prompts to add.  (book $10 - $20).