Simple classroom pet ideas for elementary teachers

If you think back to elementary school, I’m sure you can remember a teacher who had a classroom pet. For me, it was fourth grade, Mr. Black’s class. He had two cockatiel birds in our classroom. Everyone wanted to be in his class because he had class pets and because he taught a unit on the rainforest and his students got to turn the entire classroom décor into a rainforest.

As a kid, you probably thought classroom pets were exciting. Maybe you even got to take your classroom pet home one weekend. If you’re looking for a classroom pet that’s simple and easy to take care of, this blog post is for you. Keep on reading, friend!

I used to view classroom pets as just another thing to manage during the day

I started out my teaching career not wanting a classroom pet because I thought it was just something else to manage during the day. I was busy working on two masters degrees and wasn’t sure I wanted to have yet another responsibility. The teacher I student taught with had a classroom full of pets, so I understood the learning opportunities classroom pets could have on students but wasn’t ready to take the plunge. Once I had been teaching for a few years, I started with something small. My dad installed a bird feeder so my students could learn about bird watching. This classroom “pet” idea led to creating a TPT product which then led to winning an all expenses paid trip to study birds in Maine. You can read all about that here!

The key to enjoying a classroom pet is involving your students in learning about them and caring for them

Once I saw how engaged my students were when we did our birdwatching unit, I couldn't help but wonder what other types of classroom pets would be easy to take care of while providing lots of opportunities for learning. My dad encouraged me (yet again, thanks Dad!) to take some tadpoles from his house and keep them at school until they turned into tree frogs. My students LOVED learning about tadpoles and were excited everyday to see if any transformation into tree frogs had taken place over night. This tadpole unit also tied directly into teaching my kindergarten students about animal life cycles which was a unit in science for us.

I was able to find joy in watching my students learn and giving them access to seeing animals they wouldn’t normally see. We released the tadpoles into the wild and that experience was one they’ll never forget. Those kids are now in third grade and they still talk about it with me when they visit my classroom.

Fish make a great classroom pet because they’re relaxing to watch and easy to care for

If you’re looking for a low maintenance classroom pet, fish are a great place to start. You don’t have to have a huge tank and can start small with a fish bowl and one fish. I was given a 5-gallon aquarium by my dad, so I started out with 5 fish and one sucker fish. I’ve had these fish for 2 years now and they’re so easy to take care of. As long as you clean the tank and keep a fresh filter in the tank, you’re going to love having classroom pet fish. My students like to look at the tank and are mesmerized by the fish. It’s a great spot for kids who need to calm down. Exactly why dentist offices often have fish tanks - they’re calming! Your students will love these hands-on activities to keep track of their pet fish.

One of my main goals of having classroom pets is showing my students how to properly take care of animals

A big step for getting more classroom pets was realizing that having a classroom pet wasn’t about me, it was about teaching my students how to properly take care of animals. Many of my students come from homes without pets or have told me horror stories about losing their pets. I wanted to create fun and engaging lessons that involved pets we could easily manage in our classroom. Which is what led me to getting my newest classroom pet: a hamster!

Hamsters are a fun pet for the kids to interact with while being easy to take care of

When I got our class hamster for my first grade class this year, I made activities so they could be part of the journey every step of the way. My students even got to name her! They ended up choosing the name Biscuit. One of my former students and now tutoring client was looking to get rid of a ton of hamster accessories. So, Biscuit has an amazing place to live at school. My first graders love to keep track of what she’s up to with their hamster data tracker. They also love writing about her during Daily 5 work on writing time. Hamsters are great because they’re small and easy to take care of. We’ve slowly worked our way up to petting her and holding her. You can check out all the activities we do with our classroom pet hamster here!

Guinea pigs are a great addition to any classroom and easy for your students to handle

Guinea pigs are similar to taking care of hamsters. They’re just slightly bigger! If you’ve had success with a hamster, guinea pigs can make a great addition to any classroom. You’ll need a larger cage for them and have to change their bedding slightly more frequently. Your students will love having the guinea pigs out and about and can even put them inside a ball so they can roam the classroom during literacy time! Once you get your guinea pig, you’ll love doing these activities with your students.

Bird watching is a great alternative to a classroom pet

If you want your students to experience nature but aren’t sold on a classroom pet, bird watching is a great activity for them and easy to maintain

Just remember that you don’t have to have a classroom pet. If you want your students to experience nature and aren’t ready to take on a pet that requires daily maintenance, bird watching is a great alternative. You can learn how I used bird watching to reignite my own teaching flame by clicking here!

So there you have it, a few simple classroom pet ideas that can work for any elementary teacher! Let me know in the comments below what kind of classroom pet you have!

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Simple Class Pet Ideas for Elementary Teachers