An outdoorsy childrens activity at Willow Henge, in Mojo’s Meadow.
We have been busy developing a new children’s activity designed to introduce children to the responsibilities involved in looking after a dog.
Our intention is to make learning about dog care fun, through imagination and participation, rather than simply telling children what they should do.
The activity takes place in our outdoor mature meadow setting and lasts approximately one hour.
We have collected a variety of soft toy dogs, of different breeds, shapes and sizes.
Each child chooses their own dog, which becomes their responsibility to look after for the entire hour.
And this is where our dog care story begins.
1. CHOOSING YOUR DOG
If you are thinking of getting a new dog, the first thing you need to do is choose one.
The children each pick a numbered ball from a bag, which determines the order in which they get to choose their dog.
2. NAMING YOUR DOG
Now you have your dog, what are you going to call it?
Each child chooses a name for their new companion.
3. WALKING YOUR DOG
Dogs need regular exercise, and they need walking whatever the weather!
Using our small garden trailer, each child takes their dog for a walk around Willow Henge.
But there’s a surprise waiting for them along the way.
They have to walk through a wall of bubbles, representing the fact that sometimes we have to walk our dogs in unpleasant weather.
4. PICKING UP AFTER YOUR DOG
Of course, another responsibility of owning a dog is picking up its poo.
While children are taking turns walking their dogs, the others have a little challenge.
We place plastic dog poos of different sizes on top of logs around Willow Henge.
Each child is given a bag and has to find one they think might have come from their particular dog.
After all, a big dog is likely to produce a bigger poo than a little dog.
And yes, we really do have logs on logs!
5. VISITING THE VETS
Sometimes our dogs become poorly and need veterinary attention.
Each child is asked to find out where their dog hurts, by asking it, and then putting a plaster on the poorly part.
Of course, real dogs cannot tell us where they hurt, so this introduces the importance of paying attention to our dogs and recognising when something might be wrong.
6. FEEDING AND DRINKING YOUR DOG
Every dog needs food and water, but what should we feed them?
Each child asks their dog what it likes to eat, before choosing from our collection of pretend foods.
We also have a water bowl, introducing the importance of making sure dogs always have access to fresh drinking water.
This activity introduces the idea that not all foods are suitable for every dog, and that different dogs can have different dietary needs.
7. GROOMING YOUR DOG
Dogs also need looking after to keep their coats in good condition.
Each child is given a brush and can give their dog a little grooming session.
8. LOVING YOUR DOG
And finally, one of the nicest parts of having a dog is showing it love and affection.
Each child gives their dog a cuddle, before putting it to bed and covering it with a little blanket.
And that’s the end of our Children’s Dog Care Hour.
Of course, we don’t expect children to learn everything about responsible dog ownership in just one hour.
But we hope that by participating in these simple activities, they will gain a little more understanding of what it means to be responsible for a dog.
Our activities are designed to be engaging and adaptable for children of different ages and abilities, including children with special educational needs.
We will be establishing more advanced levels of care activities as we progress, this is the induction session.
BOOKINGS AND PRICES
Our Children’s Dog Care Hour is available for groups of up to 10 children.
– £5 per child
– Minimum booking charge £25
– Maximum 10 children per session
– Each booking is exclusive to one group. Your group will not be joined by children from other bookings.
The hour is intended for all children, including those with special educational needs, and we welcome enquiries about individual requirements.
For enquiries and bookings, please email:
john@Dog-World.uk
The photographs show our newly prepared setting at Willow Henge, where we look forward to introducing children to some of the responsibilities, and pleasures, of caring for a dog.
Once details are confirmed via emails, a booking online of Mojo’s Meadow will be required as a non refundable deposit, with the balance payable on arriving. However, as we are approaching winter, on occasions when it will be too wet, we will accept short notice cancellation via email without any further payment.
