I came across PETA Kids’ “Spooky, Sweet Ways Kids Can Help Animals This Halloween,” and I thought it would make a fun addition to our Halloween content and a fun space inside our Interactive Halloween Gift Guide. But as we looked around the website, we realized that PETA Kids is about much more than Halloween. So before we get to the spooky stuff, we wanted to introduce you to the website itself.
PETA Kids is a youth program of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) designed for children 12 and younger and the grown-ups who care for them. The goal of the site is to teach children about animals, animal rights, and ways they can help animals. PETA Kids describes itself as a place where kids can learn about animals and take action, while parents can find resources for raising kind kids. And there is quite a bit to explore.
The website includes sections for animal facts, saving animals, games, videos, quizzes, activities, comics, and food, along with resources specifically for parents. That means you don’t have to visit PETA Kids only when Halloween rolls around. There are resources that families can use throughout the year.
The page that caught our attention right now is “Spooky, Sweet Ways Kids Can Help Animals This Halloween.” It’s designed as a Halloween challenge where children can look for five animal-safety problems in a Halloween scene and complete an animal-friendly checklist.
The activities focus on simple choices that can make Halloween safer and less stressful for animals, such as being careful about decorations and keeping candy away from animals. The page also currently offers a Halloween reward opportunity for children who complete at least two of the checklist activities, subject to the site’s requirements and availability. But honestly, the Halloween activity isn’t the only reason we think parents should take a look at the site.
One of the biggest parts of PETA Kids is helping children learn about animals. There are animal facts, videos, activities, games, quizzes, comics, and other educational materials. The site covers companion animals and wildlife, as well as animal issues involving food, clothing, entertainment, and experimentation. For a child who loves animals, it can become a place to explore a subject they’re already interested in. And for parents, it can provide another starting point for conversations about kindness, responsibility, and how we treat animals.
Not every child wants to sit down and read a long article. That’s another reason the variety on PETA Kids caught our attention. Children can find games, quizzes, printable activities, coloring pages, comics and videos that make learning about animals more interactive.
There are activities involving animal footprints, animal facts, coloring, and other ways for children to learn while they are having fun. Some of the site’s activities can even make a nice addition to a homeschool lesson or a rainy-day activity. PETA Kids also has a video section with content about animals and ways children can learn more about them. Topics range from companion animals and wildlife to animal protection and stories about rescued animals. So if your child is the type who would rather watch a video than read a page, there are resources for them, too.
There is also a section for grown-ups. PETA Kids provides parents with information about teaching children to interact safely and respectfully with animals. For example, its parenting resources discuss setting boundaries around animals, teaching children to be gentle, and helping children understand when an animal needs space. That’s an important conversation for families with pets. Children need to learn that even though a dog or cat is part of the family, that animal still has boundaries.
Of course, we couldn’t write about helping animals without thinking about Sandy. Sandy is part of our family now, but she once sat in an animal shelter with her sister, Rizzy, waiting for someone to give her a chance. We were able to bring Sandy home, and she has become part of our story. That’s why we love the idea of using a Halloween activity to open up a much bigger conversation with children:
What can we do to help animals? Maybe it’s keeping candy away from the family dog. Maybe it’s helping Mom or Dad donate food or supplies to a shelter. Maybe it’s learning how to safely approach an unfamiliar dog. Maybe it’s learning about an animal they’ve never heard of before. Or maybe someday it will mean walking into an animal shelter and meeting the dog or cat who becomes part of their family.
Peta Kids is bigger than one Holiday and that’s what we took away from exploring PETA Kids. Halloween may be what brought us to the website this time, but kindness to animals isn’t seasonal. The website has resources that can be explored throughout the year, whether your child wants to learn animal facts, watch videos, play games, complete activities, read comics, take quizzes, or learn more about ways to help animals.
And PETA Kids even offers free resources for children and families, including stickers, bookmarks, activities and other educational materials. If you’re looking for something different to do with the kids this October, check out the Spooky, Sweet Ways Kids Can Help Animals This Halloween challenge.
Then don’t stop there. Explore the rest of PETA Kids together and see what catches your child’s attention. Because Halloween lasts one night. Learning to be kind to animals can last a lifetime. You can explore the PETA Kids website here: And you can find the Halloween challenge here: Spooky, Sweet Ways Kids Can Help Animals This Halloween
Greatful Moments Note: We are sharing PETA Kids as a resource we discovered while looking for family-friendly Halloween activities involving animals. Families should explore the site and decide which resources are appropriate for their own children and family.
GratefulMoments.com
Grateful. Thankful. Blessed.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
