We're going to show and tell tomorrow :)

[BunnyLove♥]

My housemates daughter asked to take the rabbits to school for show and tell so we're going in tomorrow morning. My boys are very social and like kids a lot. They're also very use to car rides and noise. I know they'll be just fine, what i want to ask is if anyone has ever taken buns in for show and tell and if they have any advice for us? I think I'm more excited than Zoey. haha.

It's so fun having the kids around with the bunnies. I tore down Lux's condo today and rebuilt it bigger and with some cool shelves. The three year old decided to 'help' by pulling out pegs almost as fast as I could put them in and the 7 year old actually helped quite a bit since she can fit through the bunny door she held up the shelves while I clipped them on. I'm also cat sitting a four week old kitten today so it's been quite the circus with the cat and the three rabbits and the kids. So much for devoting today to studdying haha.

Kids are also awesome bunny catchers. My boys stick around really well so I let them have a lot of free range in the backyard since I'm always out playing with the kids anyways they take turns being out. There are two gates they can fit through. Usually they know better. Lux is better at it than Loki if I call him he turns around, but Loki ran right under the gate today and the kids fit under and grabbed him. \
\
Anyways... I got way off track. haha. The point of this post was to ask if anyone knows some cool bunny facts third graders might be interested in or if anyone has done show and tell if they know a few good rules to go over before letting them at the buns.

 

[funnybunnymummy]

We took Gus to school for show and tell when my youngest was in Grade 4. The kids had TONS of questions and my son did very well answering them. Some fun bunny facts I like to tell people:

-The oldest rabbit in the Guinness Book of World Records is 16.

-Rabbits have a third eyelid so they can sleep with their eyes open.

-It's nearly physically impossible for a rabbit to throw up.

-You can litter train rabbits. (I know, totally obvious, but it always astounds people... )

-Rabbits can grunt, growl, honk, hum, and buzz.

-Most people think rabbits love carrots (and they do), but what really get bunnies excited are bananas.

-There are rabbit agility and rabbit hopping clubs in Europe, Canada, and the USA.

-When they are happy, rabbits "purr" by grinding their teeth together.

-Rabbits are crepuscular, meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk.

-Rabbits are NOT rodents, they're lagomorphs. They're related to the pika.

-Rabbits don't have pads on their feet. Instead the bottoms of their feet are entirely covered with fur.

-Because their teeth never stop growing, rabbits need to eat fibrous foods to keep them ground short.

Hmm... Well, that's all I've got for now. If I think of anything else, I'll post it.

Rue

 

[BunnyLove♥]

That's great stuff. Thanks!

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

Make sure you supervise the kids with the rabbits. Kids don't always know how to handle or even pet a rabbit. If possible, have them come in small groups to pet them. You should hold the rabbit or have them on the floor or a table, don't let the kids hold them, again most don't know how to properly hold a rabbit. The groups could be 3 or 4 kids and they can then ask a question directly to you if they want, some might be too shy to ask in front of the whole class.
If you can, have them in a pen. This lets the kids see them while you talk without them running all over. Bring a tarp or something to protect the floor and a blanket for on top. Make sure it is tall enough so they can't jump out and the kids can't easily reach in.
If they are used to it, have the rabbits on a harness. This gives you a bit more control when holding them and keeps them from running off if they are on a table. Don't worry about it if they aren't used to it, but it you were to do this on a regular basis it could be a good idea.

Bring items that are good for rabbits like toys, foods and maybe pictures of cages. Kids tend to like to see things rather than just hear about it. Some kids might not know what hay is, so seeing it could be cool for them. Even litter could be neat. If you do take a pen, bring a litter box, food and water dishes and toys so you can sort of set it up like a cage so the kids could see what that is like.

Keep things age appropriate. They don't need to know about breeding, so spaying and neutering could be an issue since you may have to explain what it is. Going into detail on nutrition might not be good, but some basic diet stuff is useful. Try to ask them if they know something, like what should rabbits eat. This lets you see what they know and you can correct some things. They might say rabbits eat carrots and you can say that carrots are high in sugar and should be limited and given as treats.
I think that you want to educate them, but be realistic about it. Kids will be kids and some of them will go home and ask their parents for a rabbit. You want them to know what the care is like and that it is a responsibility. I know this is sort of last minute, but getting some care sheets printed off can be a good idea so they can take it home. Maybe leave your contact info with the teacher if other parents want to contact you about rabbits.

Be prepared for the "I had a rabbit once but..." stories. They tend to not end well for the rabbit. Also be prepared for comments about eating rabbits, you never know what kids may say.

Hand sanitizer is a good thing to bring. You never know what kids might have on their hands and don't want the rabbits to get anything. It is probably best to have them use it before and after petting the rabbits to be safe.

 

[BunnyLove♥]

Thanks. I was planning to leave the pen behind, but I think I will bring it. I have a harness for one of them, but the other hates it and will riggle out and get himself into a tangled up mess.


I hadn't thought of the kids wiping germs on the bunnies either. haha. I have lots of hand sanitizer though.

 

[BunnyLove♥]

We had fun. Loki is such a confident bunny he went sniffing around all of the kids and even demonstrated the perfect binky. Lux is my calm boy and he let me trance him for the kids. Zoe had fun showing them off. Every day we spend a few hours in the backyard playing outside and letting the bunnies get exercise. I've been talking to her about them and I was amazed how much she held on to. She regurgitated every piece of bunny info I've ever told her! haha.The teacher asked that if I ever give my angora Loki's hair a trim to bring it in so the kids can do art work.

 

[funnybunnymummy]

Awesome! :thumbup

Nothing like being a good rabbit advocate and dispelling myths about bunnies!

Rue