Steppin’ Out Petting Zoo Visits Post Avenue Preschool
On a chilly October morning, Post Avenue Preschool students bundled up in their jackets and hats and headed outdoors to see the pigs, ducks, chickens and goats visiting from Steppin’ Out Ponies. The local traveling petting zoo provides therapeutic interactions and education to students, veterans and anyone who can benefit from engaging with nature. They are a nonprofit that’s favored by administrators for taking in rescues and caring for animals throughout their lives.
At the beginning of the visit, students displayed a mix of excitement, apprehension and curiosity as they walked toward the enclosure that held goats, and a single sheep that got along well with its short-tailed pen pals.
Steppin’ Out owner and operator Karen Haleiko prepared small food cups for the students to feed the animals. The sheep and goats were just as eager to see the students as the students were to feed them. They climbed up the bars and stuck their heads out to nibble from the tiny, outstretched hands.
Post Avenue Preschool supports nearly two dozen students from ages two to five. For many of these young children, it’s their first time meeting farm animals. Teachers and their assistants helped students push past their fear to give the animals a treat. Karen stepped in as well to provide an additional boost. She carefully supported the children’s hands while saying, “You can do it. Let’s be brave and do it together.”
After successfully getting an animal to feed from their hands, students giggled expressing their joy and pride. The petting zoo visit is fun and helps students build their socialization, language, gross and fine motor skills. Through modeling, students repeated after Karen and their teachers, getting more familiarity with words like “together,” “sheep,” and “a baby,” as they pointed at the little goat.
A bonus feature of this activity is that it can help students with sensory sensibilities. The mix of animals exposes students to different sensory experiences.
“It’s great for them,” said Teacher Assistant Jackelyn Reyes. “Some students don’t even like touching certain foods, but they like feeding the animals.”
Following the goat pen, students met a pair of ducks named Cheese and Quackers. Then a bunny and three Japanese Silkie chickens, that are distinguished by their fluffy heads and feet. Karen guided the students on how to pet the bunny, encouraging them to be gentle and use “soft, open palms,” as they stroked its fur.
“I’ve been doing this for twenty-nine years,” said Karen. “I love educating and interacting with the kids and how much it brightens their day. I love children and I love animals so it’s a perfect mix.”
After nearly an hour spent enjoying the animals, and all the treats were eaten, teachers gathered the children and told them to say “bye-bye” to the animals. They then made their way to the playground to relish in even more fun outdoors. Although this is the first time Steppin’ Out has come to Post Avenue, the school has yearly petting zoo visits to enhance students’ learning.