show & tell

yesterday during a school function i told my son's teacher that i will be buying myself a pet snake. at first her response was "oh...glad its you & not me."
then she said that i should bring it in for a show & tell someday...i've never done a show & tell before, so hm, im not at all too sure about that idea as its all 3 yr olds in the classroom, lol. i dont know how my snake will be when it grows up & i wouldnt wanna take it to a situation that would stress it out to where it snaps at someone after i say its a "nice" snake...
i dont know, im not all for the idea.
what do ya'll think?
you'll probably agree with me or tell me if i dont like the idea then dont do it, lol. im not looking for a specific response. i guess i just needed to throw this out there & see what ya'll gotta say about it.

There are several members on here who do presentations at schools. If you are unsure, the best thing would be for you to hold the snake and just let the kids touch it's body so they can feel that it isn't slimy...

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Originally Posted by Vypyrz

There are several members on here who do presentations at schools. If you are unsure, the best thing would be for you to hold the snake and just let the kids touch it's body so they can feel that it isn't slimy...

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Here are links to some of the threads...

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ghlight=school

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ghlight=school

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ghlight=school

my main concern is that i'll say "this snake is a nice snake" then it snaps at a kid...
i'll wait and see how my snake turns out as they all have their own individual personalities. if my snake turns out to be nippy then i wont do it. i cant have that on my consience that i said its nice & then the snake makes me out to be a liar, ya know what i mean?

I do shows all the time at school with my snakes...at least 2 times a month I take them in. I also did a big show at my sons school.....over 40 - 50 reptiles and 400 kids. No problems at all

Here is my concern...this is going to be a new snake? It will need time to adjust to its environment so that you don't stress it out. If it is very young...make sure it is not snappy.

Within a class I always go in first and talk about the snakes to the kids....let them know that they are sensitive to loud noise....teach them sign language clapping which is just raising your hands up and shaking them. Also that snakes don't like to be touched on their heads and to touch with 2 fingers as to discourage grabbing. Overall stuff like that!! This gets them excited and a bit educated. You will be surprised how much they retain.

When I take the snake into a class I usually sit on their level on the floor and talk about the reptile then I go around and let each of them touch them...(when they are young kids). Now I also have done 2nd and 3rd and 4th grade with my snakes....and they get to hold them and pass them to the next person. But these are established snakes that are for the most part super mellow. If I were you with the youngins I would hold the snake and let them touch him.

You can also make a little presentation...something for them to take home about BP's ....just basic stuff .....they love that and will hold onto it forever. I usually tell about Captive born and bred.....what to do if you see wild reptiles....taking care of pets ...etc. Remember the more animated you are....the more you grab their attention.

Good luck and have fun....it is a great feeling to teach kids about reptiles. I LOVE IT!!;)

Let me know if you want to talk off line about it. It would be a pleasure to help you!!

id love to talk offline sent you a pm

good thread....My son has been bugging me forever about bringing our bp to school...

lol im sure he has. they're fascinating creatures.

no other animal species can make you go from "eeeww" to "cooool" the way a good ol' snake does.

I took a couple of ball pythons in to a local school.

Bring your most docile animal.

Control the animal's head--if it snaps, it should be at you, not at a kid. Present the tail end to the children to touch it.

Bring hand sanitizer. Make sure the kids use it after touching the snake. Tell them why, but make sure they know that many other animals such as cats and dogs can also harbor germs that might make them sick, and the easy way to prevent it is to always wash your hands.

I teach kindergarten and have 2 Balls as class mascots/pets -- a 3 year-old Albino female "Lemonhead" and my retired Butter breeder male "Bob". :D

They are both super-docile and I have ZERO concern they will ever strike. They are passed around like a loaf of bread and the kids have learned a lot about snakes and DO LOVE THEM SO!!!

The holding while the kids pet is a good call f you are the least bit concerned. Good luck!!! :gj:

I've brought mine into my cousin's pre-k class without any problems. All the kids get to pet them while I hold them, and my cousin, since it's his show and tell, gets to hold him for a while. I usually bring all three of mine and my king to show how different they can be, but the kids only get to touch or hold Simon, since I trust him the most and he pretty much doesn't care what you do to him. Bringing snakes into the classroom is, in my opinion, an excellent way to dispel myths and fears about them early on. Just make sure the kids know they have to sit quietly, ask questions with a raised hand, and not make any sudden movements. It's fun to talk about the little quirks snake's have, like their lungs, how they eat, or shedding. Good luck! I'm pretty sure you'll have "coolest mom" status forever :D

thanks you guys. all this is very helpful. im not looking to get the snake until september or so, & by then the kids will be back in school & in different grades/classes. i'll take some time to work with the snake & tame it a little before i try any kind of public socialization. im sure the neighborhood kids will wanna come by & at least see the snake my daughter will surely talk about, lol.