Adesire to upgrade their setting’s pet rabbit to a horse might have been a pipe dream for the children at Cottage Day Nursery in Derby, but it did lead to an exciting visit from a pair of Shetland ponies.
‘We see how much the children gain from spending time with the nursery’s rabbit, and the proprietors are keen to get more pets. So we opened up the conversation to the children’s pre-school council. We printed off animal photos and they discussed what they’d like,’ says pre-school co-ordinator Steph Bull. ‘A pony resonated with a lot of them, probably because one of our favourite books is Sugarlump and the Unicorn [see Book corner].’
Staff looked into how they could meet a pony and contacted a company that specialises in equine-assisted learning sessions and could visit the nursery with Shetland ponies Tom and Harvey. The ‘Positive Ponies’ experience has a special focus on wellbeing, mindfulness and connection.
The setting’s ethos
One of Cottage Day Nursery’s proprietors is an animal-lover and lives on a small farm, so has brought in various animals to meet the children over the years. Staff have witnessed the positive impact that interacting with animals has on learning, development and wellbeing, so including animals in the curriculum is highly valued.
Staff were also conscious of providing experiences that children may not gain at home. ‘We’re a nursery in the middle of a city and many of our children have not had the opportunity to visit farms. Some parents are unable to drive and it is expensive to go on trips,’ says Steph.
The nursery has a high number of children with special educational needs and so staff are focusing on how they can give extra support. ‘We are finding ways to adapt and make sure that everything we are providing is super-inclusive,’ says Steph. ‘We know that parents avoid taking them to places where they may feel overloaded, so we are looking at how to bridge the gaps in children’s experiences.’
Benefits of interacting with animals
Along with understanding more about the natural world, interacting with animals can have a wide range of benefits for young children, including:
- Developing responsibility, empathy and compassion as they think of the animal’s needs and feelings and remembering to be gentle and routinely care for them.
- Enhancing social skills as animals bring companionship, encourage children to turn-take and interact, and often inspire children to talk to them.
- Supporting children’s wellbeing, with research (see Further information) showing how being around animals can be calming, help lower blood pressure, reduce stress and anxiety and reduce loneliness.
- Supporting children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with research (see Further information) finding that some children with ASD prefer interactions with animals to people.
What they did
‘It was the most incredible day when the Shetland ponies visited,’ says Steph.‘A lot of the children had not seen a pony before.’
In preparation, the children watched videos online of farm animals, particularly ponies, and discussed experiences of meeting animals. Staff also showed them photos of the Shetland ponies that were visiting.
Children met the Shetland ponies in small groups. ‘The ladies with the ponies were fantastic,’ says Steph. ‘They introduced the ponies to the children, explained that they are brothers and showed the children how to say hello to them and give them food off a flat hand. The children had the opportunity to walk them around the garden holding their reins. Then they had the opportunity to pick brushes and groom the ponies, with instruction on being gentle and where they do and don’t like to be groomed. There was a lot of reinforcement about how to behave around the ponies and their feelings.’
Grooming the ponies was most of the children’s favourite activity, with one child wanting to put her hair clipsin their manes.
Children with SEND were given additional time with Tom and Harvey. It was noted how a girl with autism held the ponies’ gaze for longer than she would with adults. One four-year-old with additional needs was incredibly cautious to begin with and chose to look at the ponies from afar. He agreed to walk around the garden with a pony, but not hold the reins before going for his dinner and rushing his food to return to the ponies. ‘He was so excited and absolutely loved being with them,’ recalls Steph. ‘Watching his confidence build was phenomenal and, despite not having much language, he was able to convey his excitement and wanted his granddad to meet the ponies at the end of the day.’
Staff even enjoyed visiting the ponies on their breaks and commented how calming it was to be with them and stroke them.
Extension activities
The ponies’ visit has inspired some families to take their children on farm visits and encouraged them to share their experiences with other animals, such as family and friends’ pets. A display board full of photos of children and staff with different animals has become a talking point in the setting.- Instead of ponies, children have decided that they would like to keep hens.
- Dads were invited into the nursery for a wildlife workshop for Father’s Day where they got to meet and handle creatures including snakes, millipedes, tarantulas, giant snails and frogs.
- ‘The success of the day has highlighted we can do more for children with SEND. Having the ponies visit was a talking point and enabled us to discuss with parents what they are experiencing at home,’ adds Steph.
- The nursery has started opening for monthly soft play sessions on a Saturday for families of children with SEND to enable them to network.
Book corner
Sugarlump and the Unicorn by Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks
Sugarlump the rocking horse wishes to see the world, so a magical unicorn turns him into a real horse…
The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse by Eric Carle
The artist in this book paints the world as he sees it, just like a child. More than anything, there’s imagination.
Polonius the Pit Pony by Richard O’Neill and Feronia Parker-Thomas
This book is based on a true story and draws on Traveller values of independence, initiative, courage and hard work.
Hello, Horse by Vivian French and Catherine Rayner
Meet a friendly chestnut mare in this introduction to horses.
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
Will they ever manage to find the perfect pet in this entertaining children’s classic?
Flip Flap Pets by Axel Scheffler
What do you get if you cross a cat with a snake? It’s a cake, of course! This rhyming book is perfect for young animal fans.
The Great Pet Sale by Mick Inkpen
Everything in the pet shop must go, even the rat with half his whiskers missing! Good for also introducing children to the concept of money and numbers.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Positive Ponies: https://www.hensforhire.co.uk/positive-ponies
‘Health Benefits of Human-Animal Interactions’: https://bit.ly/3OxfYA6
‘Pet Ownership and Autism’: https://bit.ly/3OCddNM
