Desk Pets - Animal Friends, 40-Pack

Product Information

You might not have the space for a large habitat to stay out on student desks, so have students draw their desk pet’s habitat on a piece of paper. They will love imagining where their pet is from and designing a space that is just for their special friend. They can use their own creativity to come up with fun ways to make their pet unique. Ideas for Science Looking for a brain break idea for your students that requires no additional planning and can be done spontaneously? Incorporate the Desk Pets! If your Desk Pet store involves students earning and spending classroom money, you can incorporate math practice every time they visit the store. They can also keep a math journal where they document their earnings and savings. Ideas for Art Above you will see some ways that the students have decorated their pet’s home. They even used tissue until they earned a blanket. NOTE: Desk Pets are not earned easily, neither is the food or accessories. I think that is what makes them special. I have seen Desk Pets used in many ways,’ Begay says. ‘It can be used during transitions, as a brain break, used to teach literature and science, as manipulatives, behaviour management and I have seen some teachers use it as an incentive to keep students’ desks nice and tidy. The possibilities are truly endless!’ How to Use Desk Pets in Your Classroom Desk Pet Desk Plates

There are certain factors you should weigh before deciding to get an office pet. Considerations include: A desk pet is typically an animal-shaped mini eraser or toy that students earn as a reward or incentive and then are further incentivized by earning cute accessories for their desk pets. This trend is a fun way to get students excited about their time spent in the classroom while also giving them the little boost they need to strive to achieve the goals set for them. Sometimes you will just have to give students a break from their pet. But it doesn’t have to be seen as a punishment, just a natural consequence. You can set up a fun “time out” area for the companions. Clothespins are a mainstay of an elementary school classroom, but have you thought of switching in a desk pet for some of your favorite clothespin activities? We love this activity for helping students break words down into syllables: You aim to build enthusiasm and anticipation around your students’ desk pets, but you also want to minimize disruptions to learning. The optimal way to do this is to have ‘shop hours.’ This could be every Friday or just before the end of the school day – whatever works best for your class. Going Digital: Printables and Virtual Desk Pets

System Requirements

If the idea of introducing desk pets to the classroom seems daunting, consider purchasing a starter kit designed specifically for teachers, catering to up to 30 students. This kit aids in saving time and allows you to dive straight into the process. It includes a comprehensive lesson plan, desk pets, accessories, and incentives. Important Tips for Managing Desk Pets in the Classroom Keeping a Stash of Desk Pets and Accessories Handy Kids absolutely love these because they are fun to collect, especially when it comes to earning accessories and food items for their pets. In my head, I was thinking that the erasers alone would not be enough to keep my students motivated,” she explains. “I started to think about how I could make tiny, cheap erasers fun. It just came to me right then and there …’Desk Pets!'”

Desk pets have been taking over Australian classrooms since the idea was born on TikTok in America, and no wonder. These small animal erasers give kids a friend right at their desk and a little bit of comfort during the school. And of course, they’re a great classroom reward system and option for behaviour management in the classroom and there are heaps of ways to incorporate those mini erasers into your daily classroom activities. The nice thing about having punch cards is that you won't have a whole group of students wanting to spend time in the pet store all at once, because of course students are not going to earn their reward all at the same time. Wondering the best way to get the desk pet trend going in your classroom? We asked the expert for her best advice. Here’s what desk pet creator Begay has to say:Cozmo also has more game features that connect to his app where kids can actively play with their pet when they aren’t working on homework. Like Vector, his expressive eyes allow interactions with the desk pet to be remarkably personal and human-like. For your middle mathematicians, try using desk pets to guide students on skip counting by multiples and multiplication tables in their hundreds charts or hooray arrays! The question of the hour — who started desk pets? The desk pet movement was created by elementary school music teacher and viral TikToker Marissa Begay, who began posting about them in late 2020 as a prize bin alternative, only to see her video (and idea) go viral. Desk pets have become all the rage since several teachers first shared this idea on TikTok. And it's no wonder - they are super adorable, and if implemented thoughtfully, they can be a wonderful and relatively inexpensive classroom management strategy inside your classroom. What are desk pets? Not to mention, watching the office hamster run on a wheel might inspire colleagues to be more productive.