My kids have been begging for a pet for months. My 11-year-old daughter, in particular, has been cooing about how “cute” and “furry” kittens and puppies are, while simultaneously exchanging a knowing glance in my direction. I can take a hint.
But my kids aren’t used to caring for pets and I’ve been a tad…concerned that they’re not quite ready to be responsible for one. So I was considering buying a fish. Honestly, though, I wasn’t thrilled about exposing a living creature to the possibility of an untimely death at the hands of my children.
Which made me thrilled to try out the fish toys for Lil’ Fishys! Read on to see how I used Lil’ Fishys fish toys to teach my kids to care for pets!
Disclosure: I received this product in exchange for this post and I was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.
Why I Love Lil’ Fishys Fish Toys
Take a look at the awesome products available from Lil’ Fishys!
We got a Fishbowl Habitat featuring two fish from Lil’ Fishys, which was what we used for our mock “pet care” lesson.
We also received several other fish, including Orky the Orca Whale and Wheldon the Whale. What makes these fish toys so great is that they actually spray water, so they are awesome for water play!
Plus, we also got a giant swimming Clownfish, Jitters the Electric Eel, and Lucky the Clownfish! Lucky was our “pet”.
Inside the Fishbowl Habitat were two fish and decals for decorating the fishbowl.
So we added some stickers to our fishbowl and filled it with water. Simple!
Now when it came to assembling the fish toys, I was a little intimidated. But the instructions were very clear.
I simply twisted off the top and unscrewed the battery compartment cover. The fish all take AAA batteries, so be sure to stock up on those.
Then I simply reattached the top and adjusted the tail. As the instructions show, you angle the tail, depending on the size of the water tank your fish will be swimming in. I angled ours all the way up because he would be swimming in the fishbowl.
To get a look at Lil’ Fishys in action, check out Orky the Orca Whale swimming around in our bathtub! My three-year-old daughter was thrilled. 🙂
How to Teach Kids to Care for Pets with Fish Toys
Here’s one thing to keep in mind with Lil’ Fishys: They need to come out of the water when you’re not actively playing with them. So I couldn’t leave it in the fishbowl all the time like a live fish. Otherwise, though, I was committed to making this as much like caring for a real fish as possible.
We took time to observe our fish in action each day.
We even spent time “feeding” the fish twice a day. A small container of ground thyme served as our “fish food”. I had them go through the motions of shaking the container over the fishbowl and everything.
And, of course, you have to change the water in the fishbowl every few days.
This was definitely a great exercise for my kids, because they didn’t have to worry about hurting the fish, they were able to follow my instructions without feeling nervous. And, as they found out, it takes a LOT more to care for a pet than they thought. I think they’ll wait a while before asking for another one. 🙂
Lil’ Fishys fish toys are great toys for kids of all ages. They’re easy to assemble and fun to play with. Plus, they’re the easiest pets you’ll ever own! 😉
Add more fun to your fishy learning with these adorable free coloring pages featuring Lil’ Fishys!
Get a chance to win all kinds of Lil’ Fishys goodies, including a Fishbowl Habitat and a grab bag of Lil’ Fishys fish toys! Three people will win! To enter, use the Giveaway Tools widget below!
If you’re on Instagram, be sure to check out the Lil’ Fishys Instagram challenge now through May 27!
And don’t miss the iHSNet Lil’ Fishys Twitter party on May 26! You could win awesome prizes from Lil’ Fishys and Atmosflare!
To learn more about Lil’ Fishys, follow the company on social media:
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