My boys are lovely, and they love animals, but they are far from gentle. It can be hard for them to understand that animals have feelings, and they should be as gentle with them as they are with their baby sister.
The most difficult part is that we can’t really teach them to be gentle with real pets and animals. Otherwise, the poor pets would be tortured during the learning phase.
The biggest struggle we’re having right now is with fish.
There is a fish tank at A-Man and Baby M’s therapy office, and A-Man tends to hit the tank because he gets so excited. There’s also a fish tank at my parents’ house, and the boys have tried to take the fish out of the tank. Then, the zoo that we frequent has added a “touch tank” in their aquarium, and the kids are definitely not the best at gentle touches.
Thankfully, we found a simple and fun way to practice being gentle without hurting any animals!
Learning to Be Gentle With Fish Toys
I received a selection of Lil’ Fishys toys to review, and I was compensated for my time. I was not required to give a positive review, and all opinions are 100% my own. See my full disclosure here.
Getting Our Perfect Pet with Fish Toys
To practice being gentle, we needed the perfect pet that couldn’t get hurt by my rambunctious boys. Luckily, Lil’ Fishys fish toys fit the bill perfectly!
We got an assortment of Lil’ Fishys motorized fish. They swim around through the water in the fishbowl that came with them.
Instantly these fish toys were a hit with all three boys.
Practicing Looking With Our Eyes
A-Man especially loves to watch fish swim through the water, but he struggles with tapping on the glass or reaching into the fish tank to try to splash the water and play with the fish inside.
I loved how these fish were as exciting as real fish, so we were able to practice skills that help when we are around fish in other tanks. Namely, the tank at our therapy office and the tank at my parents’ house.
The boys were entertained by the fish for over an hour where we were able to practice “looking with our eyes”.
Practicing Gentle Touches
We are a family who frequents the local zoo, and recently they added a “touch tank” to their aquarium. All of the kids get to reach into the tank and gently touch the different fish and aquatic animals.
Sounds great, right?
Except when you have one sensory seeker who thinks splashing water is the most exciting thing in the world, and a sensory avoider who panics when the slightest bit of water touches him.
So we practiced using two fingers to gently touch the Lil’ Fishys. The first several attempts were, let’s just say, less than gentle.. So I was very thankful that we were practicing with fish toys instead of real fish!
I know now that the next time we go to the zoo, all of the boys will be calmer and gentler when visiting the touch tank!
Learning Activities
These Lil’ Fishys can be used in a ton of learning activities that are perfect for summer. A few things that we’re planning include
- Studying the habitat of each of the fish
- Coloring the different fish with these free coloring pages
- Reading books about ocean animals
- Reading a pirate book and learning about the history of pirates
These Lil’ Fishys fish toys are a perfect starting point for a really great summer ocean unit study!
Fun Summer Activities
Lil’ Fishys go beyond learning activities, and they truly shine during summer fun! You can use Lil’ Fishys
- Swimming in the Pool
- During bathtime to keep the adventure going
- Re-Enact Finding Nemo
- Watch them in their Habitat
- Get the Pirate Ship and Sail the Seven Seas
I know that we’ll definitely have the Lil’ Fishys in the swimming pool all summer, and my kids will probably go on strike if we don’t get them the pirate ship set. These toys might even convince Baby M to finally get in the pool!
How to Get Lil’ Fishys Fish Toys
You can get Lil’ Fishys fish toys from Amazon here, and you can also find them in stores at Walmart and Target.
You can also enter this giveaway where three lucky winners will receive a grab bag of Lil’ Fishys products!
You can also connect with Lil’ Fishys on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Plus, you can participate in the Lil’ Fishys Instagram Challenge from May 16-27th, and come party with us for the Summer Fun Twitter Party on Thursday May 26th at 9 pm EST!
So cute! I never thought to use toys to introduce gentle touch (in place of a real life animal) to the kids, that’s a smart idea. My oldest daughter was the only one who had a pet introduced to her, my other two babies were born with animals in our home. Thankfully, my eldest was good with our gentle giant and he was good to her,. :)
That’s great! We’ve never had pets at the house, so it can be hard for our kiddos who don’t have that exposure! :)
These are super cute and my boys would love them. We don’t have pets in our home so this might work for a bit. Also with summer around the corner another great way to keep them entertain.
Joyce @ My Stay At Home Adventures recently posted…How To Save Money On Picnics
I have never heard of Lil’ Fishys! Wow! That is so cute! I have a couple of nephews who would love that! Thanks for letting me know about it!
You’re so welcome!
Those fish are very cute and perfect for the way you taught your kids how to be gentle and to look with your eyes. As a former teacher, I salute you!
Wow what a big compliment coming from a teacher! Thank you for doing such an important job!
what a great way to learn a lesson. My niece would love to play with this.
What an important lesson taught in such a fun way! These are life lessons for sure!
All great tips!! It is so hard for kids to not get excited when they see a fish tank! We have similar toys that my kids really enjoy too!
What a fun idea! We have two huge dogs so I will definitely need to teach my girl how to be gentle with smaller animals!
I love that these toys allow kids to practice gentle touches. Kids don’t often realize how rough they are being with pets so this is a great idea.
We have some of these fish and my kids love them. You are super creative to use them to teach your kids. Great idea!
What a cute idea? I could do this with my toddler right now. She’s very rough and has a hard time with self control. Thanks for sharing!
This is an awesome idea for teaching kids to be gentle. I know a few preschool teachers that would love this.
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I like the sound of the gentle fishes and that it teaches children to be more gentle. I have some pre-school friends that would enjoy using these for demonstration classes.
What a cute set! I like giving toys that make kids think. I will check this out.
These fish toys are adorable and what a great learning opp for kids! I think using toys to teach is a simple but effective way to parent!
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I probably should have read this before I bought a pet for my 3 year old. This is such a great concept! Thanks for sharing
I think it is wonderful that you are helping them learn to be gentle. We have a large fish tank in our house and I always appreciate it when kids are nice to the fish!
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Now this is different! I would of never thought something like this exsist but definitely a starter for when one is ready for a real pet!
what a wonderful way to teach any child to be gentle with their touch. I bet this really helps them out & teaches so much at the same time
I didn’t know touch fish tanks existed! Cool! It’s really practical and cute then that such a training toy exists.
Oh I love this! I have a little that seems a little rougher than her big brother and sister, so I might have to check this out!
Heather recently posted…First Rhubarb Crisp of the Year!
That’s an excellent idea for my grandson, thank you!
Bob
Robert recently posted…13 Colorful Angelfish Compatible Tank Mates
They look so cute. My kids will love them so much if I give them for the Christmas day.
Superfish recently posted…Amazon Sword plant (max height 20″) – background aquatic plant
These would be an awesome Christmas present!
Thank you, I think this is the best present for my sister son.
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Hi Kaylene,
We recently took our eldest to the local Sea Life centre and found that she was similarly a bit over-excited when interacting with the touch tank. Did you find that these toys actually helped calm their behaviour at the next visit?
Seb recently posted…10 Best Sensory Toys for Children on the Autistic Spectrum (UK Edition)
This post brought a smile to my face. I used to work in the conservation field and would go out to schools to teach kids about respecting animals. It was always a bit of a challenge to make much of an impact in only a 45 minute session. But this sort of in home lesson to teach gentle touch is PERFECT. It teaches an essential lesson in a perfect way. Plus it prepares them for the future when they can (hopefully) have a pet of their own. Great job!
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Gifted these to a autistic child in my school and he was so happy and excited. thanks for the wonderful share.