A classroom stuffed animal such as this polar bear can be a special education treat for the children.

Classroom stuffed animals can be a wonderful idea.  Stuffed animals can help to teach the children about different kinds of animals as well as teach other skills as well.

Sometimes a teacher will choose a specific animal as the classroom mascot for a whole year, and the children will decorate and do activities around the theme of that animal.  There are almost endless possibilities for classroom learning surrounding a stuffed animal.

An obvious idea is to have the children learn everything about their classroom stuffed animal by watching video, doing a coloring page, writing a fiction story about the animal, writing a report or reports about the various aspects of the animal or perhaps learning about the habitat of that animal as well.  

It is often a good idea to choose a wild animal for the classroom animal, but a teacher may also choose a dog or cat and teach the children about responsible pet ownership and about adopting an animal from a shelter.  Perhaps the children could vote on which animal they wish to adopt as their classroom animal for the year.

Another idea is to have a classroom stuffed animal that the children take home with them on a rotating basis.  I have heard of cases where the stuffed animal has a journal of his activities, and the children add to the journal daily with both classroom activities of the animal and with pictures or activities from when the animal goes home with each child.  Children will love to look back over a journal as the year progresses to see the stories, artwork and general history of their special classroom stuffed animals.

With a little imagination and a lot of fun, a classoom stuffed animal can be a memorable friend that will give each child a memory for a lifetime. I will guarantee that each child will remember this experience well beyond their school years.

If your class has done this, be sure to leave a comment about your experiences and any tips that may help another teacher to implement this idea!