Celebrating World Wildlife Conservation Day With Kids

The holidays are in full swing! While the major events, such as Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s may get most of the attention, there’s also an important animal-related holiday on the calendar this month. December 4th is World Wildlife Conservation Day! For those of you with kids, this can be both a fun and educational opportunity. A Sarasota, FL vet lists some family-friendly options for celebrating this special day below. 

Make Your Home Hospitable

Why not add a few wildlife-friendly features to your home and property? Birdfeeders are a great example of this! Kids can make their own, or help by painting a plain wood one. 

Viewing

Wildlife movies and documentaries can be absolutely captivating. Some of our favorites include My Octopus Teacher, and, of course, the Planet Earth series. (Dolphin Tale is also a good one that’s really close to home. Though, sadly, its adorable star, Winter, recently passed away.) Pick out a few good ones, make some snacks, and settle in with your little ones.

Donate

There are many wonderful charities and organizations that are working hard to protect wildlife and preserve threatened ecosystems. Let the kids pick one to donate to. There are plenty of great ones to choose from!

Art

Arts and crafts are great for kids on many levels: they help children express themselves, explore creativity, and just have fun. Have your little ones draw some of their favorite wild animals. If you like, you can even turn their artwork into holiday ornaments! Look online for craft tutorials.

Spreading Awareness

Florida has a very unique and fragile ecosystem, and many of the animals that thrive in it are under pressure from pollution, loss of habitat, climate change, and other issues. Talk to the kids about some of the things we can do in this area to help. For instance, come turtle hatching season, turning off outdoor lights along beaches can help newly-hatched babies find their way to the sea. It’s never too soon to instill good habits! 

Fun Excursions

After a long closure during the pandemic, TECO’s manatee watching station is officially open again. This is a great thing to do with the kids! Or, you can head to one of our many local zoos or aquariums. 

Please contact us, your Sarasota, FL animal hospital, with any questions or concerns about your pet’s care. We’re here to help!