Learning to Be Gentle With Fish Toys
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!
