Many of the activities on these pages may require adult supervision.
Be sure to tell a grown-up about what you're planning and ask for permission before getting started.

There's so much that is fascinating to learn about animals that it's hard to know where you should start. Perhaps the best place to start is at home. Having a pet is one of the first experiences you can have that involves real responsibility. Since a pet depends on you for food, water, and shelter, you have to think about your pet day after day after day. You can't treat your pet like a toy to be played with one day and discarded until your interest revives a few weeks later. No, when you have a pet, you're responsible. Many kids like that. It makes them feel grown up. If you do get a pet, ask the pet store owner, a vet, or the person who gave it to you exactly how to take care of it.

But you don't have to have a pet to learn about animals. You can study animals outside your home: alley cats, squirrels, birds, insects. You can observe them as zoologists observe animals in the wild. You can study the exotic animals in the zoo and try to imagine the kinds of places they lived in their native countries.

HOW TO BEHAVE AROUND ANIMALS

PET FOR A DAY

FEEDING WILD BIRDS

MAKE YOUR OWN NATURE TRAILS

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