Animal-assisted therapy or animal-assisted activities often involve using animals as working partners for clients with specific health issues. But what about group animation workshops, also known as animal-assisted activities, for young children (0 to 5 years old) focusing on their motor development?
The Concept
It is proven that for a child’s psychomotor development to be harmonious, they need to feel good and experience pleasure. Considering this aspect, it can be beneficial to use animals to stimulate the child and leverage the enjoyment they derive to foster progress. In many cases, animals provide a calming and comforting situation that creates a positive environment for learning and discovery throughout educational sessions. By participating in these, children can primarily enhance their fine and gross motor skills, but also their intelligence, knowledge, and exploration of their world.
Parental Involvement
Parental involvement is essential for the child’s development throughout the workshops. Parents are present to reassure, motivate, and encourage certain behaviors in their child. The parent will also directly strengthen their bond with their young child.
Some examples of exercises…
The animal-assisted therapist can focus on physical contact with the animal or on exercises where the animal serves only as a pretext or motivation for the activities presented.
During the sessions, activities can be varied. Participants can walk near the animal, complete a course with it, interact, throw a toy to it, feed it, imitate it, and much more.
For example, with a parrot, the child and parent can be invited to handle it, feed it in different ways, move like it, make a toy for it, etc.
The presence of animals always offers stimulating situations that open up a multitude of possibilities, limited only by creativity.
©All reproduction and representation rights are reserved and are the exclusive property of Synergie plumes et poils.