Pre-Easter Bunny Rabbit Presentation to children

[bojay]

This year my children will be bringing in a fewrabbits to their classrooms and giving short presenations on what ittakes to care for them etc....

They'll be doing this a few weeks before Easter. Part oftheir mission is to increase rabbit awareness and part to show offtheir responsibility skills.

Does anyone have any good linksto concise information thatexplains rabbits and rabbit care honestly and accurately (and at anelementary level)?

Do you think this is a good idea or a bad idea? For example,I think it's a good idea because it will be an opportunity for somechildren to see how a properly cared for rabbit looks andbehaves. It might be a bad idea because some kids might getimpulsive and convince their parents into getting them rabbits forEaster without thinking it through.

Maybe I can help my kids put together a flier they can pass out thatquicky explains rabbits as pets and maybe some contact information tothe House Rabbit Society and Humane Society.

Has anyone else done this? What are the pros and cons? Thanks for any input and advice.

 

[naturestee]

Have you heard of the Make Mine Chocolatecampaign? Or the HRS fliers? They have some verygood ones. Here's the link for their Easter fliers.I like the "10 Year Commitment" one.

http://www.rabbit.org/easter/flyer/index.html

They also have fliers that explain basic rabbit care andresponsibities. The Ontario rabbit rescue has some greatfliers too. I can find those when I get home.

You can find the link to the Make Mine Chocolate campaign on the HRS website:

http://www.rabbit.org/index.html

 

[Bassetluv]

Perhaps having a handout to give to each of thechildren that is oriented towards the parents would help....you know,explaining why children undera certain age shouldn't bepicking up rabbits, how delicate their digestive systems are, how anoisy environment can lead to undue stress and/or illness, etc., whilealso stating the pros of responsiblerabbitownership.That might make the parents more aware if theirchildren come home stating that they want a cute bunny for Easter.

I only did a presentation once for school children with my rabbits, andit was actually for a bit of a different reason. The house I lived inbacked onto a school (actually it was the elementary school I attendedas a child) and one year the school board made some changes at thatparticular school...including tearing down the fence that separated thehouse properties from the school yard. As a result, children quicklybecame aware that I had rabbits housed there, which resulted in majorstress for my rabbits, as well as a bit of destruction to the cages(kids trying to bend the wire doors to grasp the rabbits). So I decidedto take a pro-active approach, and my hubby and I requested permissionto go to the school with some of the rabbits and educate the childrenabout them. There was much ooooh-ing and aaaah-ing over it all, and thechildren loved it as they got to see and touch the rabbits first-hand,realize that they were living creatures with names and personalities,and they were to be respected. It seemed to help, because after that,attempted vandalism and general uninvited visits by children dissipated.

I think it's a great opportunity if you can do so...sometimes childrencome from homes where they have no pets and, unfortunately, grow upunaware that these living creatures are sentient and feel fear and painjust as we do. They also learn so much from the experience...my vote isto go for it.

 

[naturestee]

Here's a couple more good handouts, if you're interested.

Rabbits and Children
General Health Guide
Is a Rabbit the Right Companion For Me?

And the Wisconsin House Rabbit Society care guidelines:
http://www.wisconsinhrs.org/pdfs/WHRS_RCG.pdf

And for fun:
Understanding Your Rabbit
Fun and Affordable Toys for Rabbits

If there's any specific type of handouts you are looking for, let meknow. I come across a lot of them when I reseach threads inthe Reference Section.