Stories by Storie

Everyone has a story to tell. What is yours?

  • Stories by Storie
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
    • Book Activities
    • Book Lists by Topic
    • Classroom Management
    • Freebies
    • Math
    • Reading Tips
  • Free
  • Shop
    • Teachers Pay Teachers
    • Amazon
    • Bookshop
  • Subscribe
  • Contact

5 Ways to Use Stuffed Animals in the Classroom

July 19, 2018

Having stuffed animals in the classroom can provide emotional comfort and academic support. Here are five ways you can use stuffed animals in the classroom.

Having stuffed animals in the classroom can provide emotional comfort and academic support. Here are five ways you can use stuffed animals in the classroom.

Reading Buddies

This is probably the most common way that teachers use stuffed animals in the classroom. If you use The Daily 5 for your reading block, you know that Read to Someone can often leave a student left to read alone when a child is absent or there is an odd number of students. When this happens, students can choose to read with a stuffed animal instead. Also, when students need to practice their oral reading fluency, stuffed animals make terrific listeners! They won’t interrupt, they maintain eye contact, and they don’t seem to intimidate or make the student nervous while reading which helps build student confidence.

One of the most common ways to use stuffed animals in the classroom is during reading. Stuffed animals make great reading partners because they always listen and they don't interrupt.

Listening Buddies

As I mentioned earlier, stuffed animals make incredible listeners! You can set up a station in your classroom where the animals can listen to a child’s worries, help a child celebrate an achievement, or even lend an ear to a tattle or two.

 

Audience

Speaking and listening skills are something students need to practice. I know I was always terrified to stand in front of the classroom when I was growing up. I may have tackled the ability to stand in front of a classroom full of students, but please don’t make me stand up in front of adults. Chances are some of your students are feeling the same way. Before a student gives a presentation or report in front of the class, you can allow that child to practice in front of a captivating audience of stuffed animals.

 

Class Pets

Stuffed animals can also be used as class pets. They provide comfort and conversation without the fear of making a mess or triggering allergies. Years ago, I introduced my students to Brownie and Rocks. These two pups traveled home with my each of my students. The students would write a letter to the class sharing about their adventures with the class pets. We never had a lost pup all year long and the pups were very well taken care of. You can read more about these adventures here. Still, if you fear that something will happen to your treasured stuffed animals, you could have your students write letters to the class pets during class time instead.

Stuffed animals can be used for a class pet. Our class pets went home with the students. The student would help write about the pet's adventures in a class journal.

 

Classroom Management

Stuffed animals can also be used to assist with your classroom management. If you are as grossed out about hall passes as I am (eww, germs), you can have your stuffed animals be seat fillers. When a child goes to the bathroom or the office, simply place the stuffed animal in the child’s seat. You can also choose to recognize appropriate behaviors you see in the classroom. When the class becomes particularly chatty, you can gently pick up the stuffed animal, walk up to a quiet student, and say, “Pete the Cat sure thinks you are groovy because you are working quietly. Can he come sit by you for a little while?” The other students will quickly quiet down because they, too, want to have Pete the Cat sit on their desk.

 

Finding Friends

If you are interested in building up your collection of stuffed animals, you don’t need to get carried away with spending a lot of money. You can ask families to donate gently used stuffed animals or even check out some local yard sales. If you are looking for specific characters, keep an eye out at Kohl’s. The Kohl’s Cares program carries popular book characters and Kohl’s donates the money towards different charitable organizations.

I have also found a few friends on Amazon. Here are just a few favorite book characters:

we are a participant in the amazon services llc associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Caring for & Storing Your Stuffed Animals

Stuffed animals should have a designated area in the classroom. This can be on a bookshelf, in a tub, or even by the window.

Where will you keep your stuffed animals? That is up to you. I definitely recommend having a designated area for your new friends. Not only will this help teach responsibility, but you will easily be able to see if a friend is missing and whether a friend needs a little TLC. I have seen stuffed animals kept on bookshelves, in a large plastic tub, and even next to the window. Find a space where students can easily access them. You also need to make sure your new friends are machine washable. They will need to get a bath occasionally to keep them safe and clean. If you have a stuffed animal that is not machine washable, you might want to consider leaving that friend at home or just keeping it on display.

 

 

Do you use stuffed animals in your classroom? I’d love to hear more about how you use them with your students!

Happy Teaching!

Having stuffed animals in the classroom can provide emotional comfort and academic support. Here are five ways you can use stuffed animals in the classroom.

signature

Related posts:

Using Tickets in Math Class blog2Bimage.jpgClassroom Rewards That Won’t Break the Bank Classroom Jobs for Students Goals help set a purpose and a direction for where you are headed. While you are building your classroom community, why not take the time to make some common goals that EVERY student in your classroom can work towards? Here's a little glimpse into how I do this in my classroom.Setting Classroom Goals Classroom Rewards & Freebie
«
»

Filed Under: classroom management, teacher tips 4 Comments

Comments

  1. Brandilee says

    July 26, 2018 at 11:08 pm

    I used stuffed animals constantly in ,my second grade class because kids loved them and it motivated them so much.
    I used stories the first week of school. I brought a huge bag and let the kids “adopt” one for that week. I didn’t let them keep it at their desk because it was too distracting but they could take it with them to centers and other less structured times. They invented and wrote about the animals character traits and favorites under a hand drawn picture of the animal. They also read nonfiction books about the real animals represented.. I put a lot of their work into class books. I had them write story problems about the animals, used them for graphing lessons, and had the kids measure them. At parent teacher conferences The parents would get to meet the animals and read their kids r Ed later work.

    Reply
    • Storie Belden says

      July 27, 2018 at 4:06 pm

      I love the idea of letting students “adopt” a stuffed animal for the week! Thank you for sharing this, Brandilee!
      Storie

      Reply
  2. Sandra says

    August 10, 2018 at 9:37 am

    I have used them in my classroom for years! I teach first grade and my students love them! We call them cuddle buddies. We use them in most of the ways you suggested in your article. I hadn’t thought about putting them on a quiet worker’s desk! Will definitely be using that this year! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Storie Belden says

      August 11, 2018 at 8:54 pm

      Hi Sandra,
      I love that you call yours cuddle buddies. I’m so glad you found a useful tip. Enjoy your school year!
      Storie

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe Via Email

Search

Categories

Latest on Instagram

I’m bored!⁣ ⁣ How many times a day do you he I’m bored!⁣
⁣
How many times a day do you hear that? In a world where kids are constantly going from one activity to the next, it can be hard for some kids to know what to do when they DO have some down time. But guess what? Creativity and imagination come alive when kids are bored. And if that creativity doesn’t come naturally, grab a book to help ignite that spark. I just put together a list of books to help inspire creativity and have shared it on my blog. Just follow the link in my bio or send me a DM for more info.⁣
Even though National Library Week is almost over, Even though National Library Week is almost over, it’s not too late to celebrate because April is also School Library Month. I want to share a book that celebrates the magic of a reader falling in love with books thanks to a little help from a school librarian.⁣
⁣
The new school library is finally open. Everyone in Mr. Tiffin’s class is excited...everyone except Jake. He is a slow and careful reader and often feels left behind on library day. When the new librarian notices that Jake shows more interest in the wooden bookshelves than the books, Librarian Beck introduces Jake to a book about woodworking. Suddenly, Jake has something he wants to read and checks it out over and over again.⁣
⁣
But, when Librarian Beck announces that books must be returned for the summer, Jake realizes he isn’t ready to say goodbye to the book. As he reads about woodworking again, he has the perfect gift idea for the librarian who changed his entire outlook on books and reading. And it’s one that will keep kids reading all summer long.⁣
⁣
Do you have any little free libraries in your area or at your school? ⁣
⁣
#thelittlelibrary⁣
#margaretmcnamara⁣
@randomhousekids⁣
@gbriankaras
Roland lives a quiet life doing the things he love Roland lives a quiet life doing the things he loves, but it can get lonely. While walking in the forest, he finds a friend. Milton might only be a pinecone, but to Roland, he’s the perfect companion for drawing, listening to music, and drinking tea. Suddenly, life isn’t so lonely.⁣
⁣
Not long after, Roland sees posters all over the forest. Someone is looking for their lost pinecone. That’s when he realizes that his new best friend already belongs to someone else. Will losing his new best friend send Roland back to his lonely days, or will this open the door for a new friendship to blossom?⁣
⁣
This beautifully illustrated book shares an important message about friends, both real and imaginary. Readers will root for Roland as he endures loneliness, joy, sadness, compassion, empathy, and more. Swipe to take a peek inside this book.⁣
⁣
Thank you to @peachtreepublishing for sharing this book with my family! My kids had so much fun creating a few new forest friends that were inspired by Milton. Check out my stories to see their creations.⁣
⁣
⁣
@sandrasalsbury #bestfriendinthewholeworld #peachtreepublishing #friendshipbooksforkids #booksaboutfriendship #kidlit #storytime #readaloud #picturebooks
Be Kind⁣ ⁣ We hear, read, and say those words Be Kind⁣
⁣
We hear, read, and say those words all the time, but what does it really mean to be kind? Do our kids really get it? When our words and actions aren’t getting the message across clearly, books can help.⁣
⁣
🪁 Kindness is a Kite String uses rhyming text, similes, and metaphors to show how one small act of kindness can start a ripple effect that quickly spreads through a community. “Kindness is contagious. Once you catch it...pass it on!” ⁣
⁣
I love that this book includes simple ways that kids can show kindness in their everyday lives. The discussion tips that you can use before, during, and after the story are also an added bonus. Swipe to take a peek inside this book or check out my stories to learn more! Thank you to @cardinalrulepress @schaubwrites and @clairelaforte for sharing this book with my family.❤️⁣
⁣
#kindnessisakitestring #cardinalrulepress #kindnessbooksforkids #selbooksforkids
I think I finally found the perfect books to give I think I finally found the perfect books to give to my children’s teachers at the end of the year! 💕 ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Have you read either of these books yet?⁣⁣
⁣⁣
#ateacherlikeyou⁣⁣
#dearteacher
A Poem in Your Pocket is a great story to share as A Poem in Your Pocket is a great story to share as you kick-off National Poetry Month! ⁣
⁣
When Mr. Tiffin announces that an author will visit the class for Poem in Your Pocket Day, the kids are excited. Since Elinor always gets the best grades, everyone is sure she will have the best poem to share. ⁣
⁣
All through April, the students read poetry books and learn poems by heart. Mr. Tiffin introduces similes and metaphors along with haikus and concrete poems. When it’s time to start writing poems, everyone dives write in....everyone except Elinor. The pressure to write the perfect poem keeps her from writing anything at all. ⁣
⁣
Can Elinor let go of perfection and start getting creative? Or will she be the only student without a poem to share when the author finally arrives?⁣
⁣
What are some of your favorite poetry books for kids?⁣
⁣
⁣
#apoeminyourpocket⁣
#margaretmcnamara⁣
@gbriankaras⁣
@randomhousekids
When it comes to picture books, the line between n When it comes to picture books, the line between need and want becomes blurry.

Anyone else have this problem? 🙋🏼‍♀️📚

Copyright © 2021 · Website Design By Jumping Jax Designs