Animals as Learning Partners: Opportunities and Limitations
Whether guinea pigs in the group room, a rabbit in the schoolyard, or an aquarium in the classroom – animals fascinate children. They bring nature into the classroom and make learning experiential. However, animals are not pedagogical tools, but sentient beings. For them to become true learning partners, they require protection, mindfulness, and clear structures.
Learning with Heart and Hand
Animals appeal to children on an emotional level. They react without prejudice and provide immediate feedback. When children observe, feed, or care for an animal, learning becomes sensory: they hear, see, smell, and feel. These experiences foster concentration, empathy, and a sense of responsibility.
Especially in heterogeneous groups or inclusive settings, animals can facilitate valuable interactions – even among children who otherwise have little to do with each other.
Opportunities for Educational Work
1️⃣ Social Learning: Animals promote consideration, teamwork, and communication.
2️⃣ Emotional Development: Children experience empathy and self-efficacy.
3️⃣ Learning Motivation: Animals spark curiosity – observing, researching, and discovering become natural.
Respecting Boundaries
Animals require protection and peace. They must not be overstimulated and should not be constantly ‘played with’. Educators should therefore develop clear rules. When may the animal be observed? Who is responsible for feeding and care? Where can it retreat?
Only when animal welfare is prioritized can genuine learning processes emerge.
💡 Practical Tip:
An “animal duty roster” creates clarity and provides relief.
Children take turns with tasks, which promotes responsibility and structure.
What Educators should Consider
- Establish clear responsibilities (care, feeding, cleaning).
- Create retreat areas for animals – no constant hustle and bustle.
- Inform and involve parents (allergies, holiday arrangements).
- Regularly reflect on children’s behavior – this is also a learning process.
Conclusion
Animals in schools and daycare centers are not learning objects, but living partners. They open up opportunities for emotional, social, and experience-based learning, provided their welfare is central.
In this way, animals become ambassadors for values such as empathy, respect, and responsibility, which extend far beyond the classroom.