Today we would like to introduce you to some of our animal roommates at the Farm Daycare. The two guinea pigs Blitz and Donner were our first roommates in the farm nursery. Blitz is a dark shorthaired guinea pig with a light spot on the nose. He is rather shy and loves to hide. Donner is a funny, bright fellow with light brown long hair. He likes to playfully bounce around the barn and even eats out of your hand. Our kids love taking care of the guinea pigs. Every Monday we muck out the stable together with a small group. Meanwhile, the guinea pigs are allowed to stay in the group room and are observed and stroked by the children during this time. The very brave children are also allowed to take one of the furry noses on their lap and are usually very proud of thisresponsible task. Twice a day, Donner and Blitz are fed together with the children and it is checked if they are doing well and if there is enough water and food. By caring for the animals, the children also learn many things about their eating and living habits.
Our children learn a lot with and through our animals. The keywords are attention – responsibility – competence. The aim of working with animals is to transfer positive experiences and acquired skills to other areas of life.
