Animal Shelter

Materials

1. Cardboard boxes
2. Pens
3. Paper
4. Clipboards
5. Leashes
6. Collars
7. Pet food dishes

Instructions

1. Talk about animal shelters with the children. Explain what they are and why there is a need for them. Ask the children if any of them have ever adopted an animal from a shelter.
2. Set up a pretend animal shelter with a front desk, pretend application forms, collars, cages (cardboard boxes), and resource books with pictures of pets, and pet supplies (leash, brush, dish, and food).
3. Ask the children to choose their roles, such as volunteers, people searching for pets, or the animals themselves. Be prepared to model and explain the roles.
4. Guide children as needed to play their roles and let them refer to the books as needed. Provide space for "owners" to play with their pets once they have filled out an application form.