Have you heard about the latest craze sweeping classrooms and homeschools? Let us introduce you to Desk Pets! These adorable miniature figures are capturing the hearts of students and educators alike, offering a unique and exciting approach to classroom rewards and positive behavior reinforcement. We were instantly charmed by the concept of desk pets and recognized their potential to inject an extra dose of fun and motivation into learning environments.
Looking for a fresh way to encourage positive behavior, foster a good learning attitude, and motivate your students to complete their tasks on time? Desk pets might be just the solution you’ve been searching for. Moving beyond traditional treasure box rewards, desk pets offer an engaging and interactive system that students will adore.
What Exactly Are Desk Pets?
Desk pets are essentially miniature erasers shaped like animals. Imagine the delight of having a pet in the classroom without any of the mess or fuss! These tiny, charming figures are especially appealing to young elementary students. Educators are increasingly adopting them as a reward system to encourage positive behavior. Students earn desk pets, along with fun accessories like food, treats, and miniature homes, as they demonstrate good conduct and achieve learning goals.
Setting Up Your Desk Pet System: Everything You’ll Need
Creating your own desk pet system is easy and fun! Here’s what we used to establish our homeschool pet store and adoption center:
- Desk Pets Mini Erasers: The stars of the show! You’ll need a collection of these adorable animal erasers. Find Desk Pets here
- Desk Pet Homes: Provide cozy habitats for your desk pets. (Free printable templates are available further down this page!)
- Food and Accessories: Enhance the play experience with miniature food items and fun accessories for the desk pets.
We discovered a fantastic pack of puzzle mini erasers on Amazon that included animal figures, food pieces, and toy accessories. This set provided an abundance of pets, food, and accessories, perfect for launching both our pet adoption center and pet shop. All we needed to add were the pet homes!
Desk pets and animal-shaped mini erasers can also be found at various retailers such as Target, particularly in the Target Dollar Spot, Dollar Tree, and the Dollar Store. Five Below is another place to check. However, for the best value and quantity, Amazon often offers the most extensive selection and cost-effectiveness.
Desk Pet Homes: Creating Habitats for Your Miniature Friends
Some teachers utilize simple small plastic containers (like these) for students to keep their pets safe and sound. These containers are practical, serving as both homes and storage for pets and their accessories.
However, to amplify the fun of the desk pet adventure, we decided to create a variety of engaging homes and habitats. We designed several unique options for students to select from when they visit the classroom “pet shop.” A download link for the pet habitats and homes we created is available below, allowing you to easily incorporate these into your own classroom setup.
Implementing a Rewarding System with Desk Pets
Here’s the reward system we established for our homeschool classroom:
- Desk Pet Dollars: At the close of each school day, children who successfully complete all their assigned schoolwork receive one “desk pet” dollar. These dollars can be used at the “pet store” to purchase desk pet accessories like new homes, food, or toys.
- Pet Adoption Points: To encourage positive learning behaviors, children who demonstrate their best effort, attentiveness, and a positive attitude throughout the day earn a pet adoption point. Accumulating five adoption points allows them to adopt an additional desk pet, expanding their miniature pet family.
Introducing Desk Pets to Your Students
When introducing desk pets, clear communication and expectations are key. We explained the new reward system to our students, emphasizing that earning desk pets and accessories was tied to completing their daily schoolwork and demonstrating a positive learning attitude.
We built anticipation by announcing that the pet store and desk pet adoption center would open after schoolwork was completed. Once their tasks were done, students could choose their first desk pet from the adoption center. To adopt subsequent pets, they would need to earn five Pet Adoption Points, tracked on punch cards (free printables for these are also available below).
Furthermore, we informed them about “Pet Dollars,” which could be earned daily for completing schoolwork. These dollars could then be spent at the pet shop to acquire homes, food, and accessories for their beloved desk pets, adding a layer of economic fun to the reward system.
How to Earn Desk Pet Dollars:
Completing daily schoolwork is the primary way to earn Desk Pet Dollars. These dollars can then be used at the pet store or pet shop to purchase essential and fun items like food and accessories, enriching the desk pet experience.
How to Earn Pet Adoption Points:
Demonstrating a positive learning attitude is rewarded with a punch on a pet adoption card. Collecting five punches on the card entitles students to adopt another desk pet, encouraging consistent positive behavior and engagement.
Our pet store becomes a much-anticipated destination at the end of each school day. Students eagerly look forward to spending their hard-earned desk pet dollars to acquire new habitats, food items, or toys for their growing desk pet families. Our kids are absolutely captivated by this system!
Download our comprehensive Desk Pet Pack, including printable homes, desk pet money, labels, and pet desk point punch cards, by clicking here.
Share your desk pet adventures with us! Tag us (@kindlittleexplorers) on Instagram to show how you are using desk pets in your classroom or homeschool.
Holiday-Themed Desk Pet Habitats: Festive Fun for Every Season
Creating these charming desk pet habitats has become a delightful pastime for us! We’ve expanded our collection to include holiday-themed habitats, perfect for adding seasonal cheer to your classroom management strategy. These themed homes can be used as special rewards for good behavior or as festive gifts from teachers during holidays.
Our holiday habitat collection currently includes themes for Halloween, Christmas, and Thanksgiving, with two unique home designs for each holiday. Students will love the option to give their desk pets a holiday-themed residence, adding an extra layer of seasonal fun to elementary classrooms.
Download your FREE Holiday-themed desk pet homes by clicking here!
Custom Designed Desk Pet Homes: Personalize Your Pet System
Looking for a unique touch? We offer free personalized desk pet homes for your classroom! To receive custom designs, simply subscribe and contact us. Please note that subscription is required to access the Free Custom Design service.
Don’t forget to showcase your classroom desk pets! Tag us (@kindlittleexplorers) on Instagram and share your creative setups.
Explore More Classroom Fun and Inspiration:
For even more engaging classroom activities and creative ideas, check out these related posts:
Birthday Themed Desk Pet Homes (Click here)
Valentine’s Day Desk Pet Homes (Click here)
St Patrick’s Day Desk Pet Homes (Click here)
Easter Desk Pet Homes (Click here)
Are Desk Pets Truly Effective? Our Experience
Desk pets have proven to be incredibly effective in our homeschool setting. Our children genuinely enjoyed them, eagerly anticipating interacting with their desk pets each school day. Our primary goals were to maintain student excitement, boost motivation to complete schoolwork promptly, encourage a positive learning attitude, and foster a commitment to doing their best – and desk pets delivered on all fronts.
The allure of earning these cute miniature pets and acquiring desk pet accessories was a powerful motivator. In our experience, desk pets stand out as an excellent positive reinforcement strategy and a wonderful alternative to traditional treasure box reward systems.
Desk pets bring a playful element to young elementary grades and can significantly enhance the classroom community. The imaginative play surrounding the pet shop and pet adoption center adds an engaging, dramatic play component to the classroom, making learning fun and rewarding.
