Program Spotlight: Tot Tuesday

By: Lauran Skelton, Youth Education Director, Kansas Humane Society

One of the most important early lessons in life is how to navigate emotions, understand boundaries, and show kindness. While guardians, teachers, and peers play a major role in this journey, pets can be powerful teachers as well. At the Kansas Humane Society, we’ve created a special program to help toddlers develop these social-emotional skills with the help of some furry friends.

About Tot Tuesday

Launched in January 2025, Tot Tuesday is a monthly 45-minute program designed for toddlers and their caregivers. Whether it’s during craft time or meeting one of our animal guests; the session focuses on building confidence around animals, practicing safe approaches, and sparking creativity through themed crafts and storytime. With a maximum of 10 children per session, each toddler gets personalized attention from a volunteer or staff member. This small group setting ensures a calm and engaging environment where toddlers can explore at their own pace. 

What to Expect

As families arrive, toddlers choose a cozy spot on our paw print carpet squares. While everyone settles in, a volunteer leads a brief hands-in-lap activity to practice stillness and listening (perfect skills for meeting animals!) Kids are invited to share what pets they have at home, setting the tone for connection and curiosity.

Themed Stories & Crafts

Each month we read two books; one book is geared towards the 2-3 year old ages and the second book is geared towards 3-5. Our craft time is based around one of these books. One book we’ve previously read is Boopby Bea Birdsong. Boop is filled with fun ways for kids to interact, from counting and lively exclamations to pure silliness, and kids absolutely loved it. All kinds of dogs are featured in this book and some kids even found a dog they recognized in the story. The author has a note at the beginning of the book reminding children that if a dog isn’t yours or one you are familiar with, be sure to check with an adult before you “Boop a snoot”. I provided a small stuffed dog for each child to interact with and “boop” their nose during the book. For our craft I created a template on Canva, that has a variety of dogs with different colored noses. Children then matched pom poms to the correct color on the dogs nose. Our volunteers went around the room asking each child how many dogs are on the page. This activity helps teach coloring and counting.

In May, we read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Our craft consisted of a custom caterpillar template I created in Canva, and paired with colorful green and red pom-poms. The toddlers practiced color matching and counting by placing the pom-poms on the correct circle of the caterpillar. It was super fun and educational!

In June, we explored Dog’s Colorful Day by Emma Dodd, a playful story filled with colors and counting. Using a dog template that I printed on watercolor paper, children painted their own versions of the story's cheerful pup. To make the experience even more special, I printed photos of real KHS resident dogs and the children created colorful artwork using water color. These beautiful pieces were used to decorate our dog suites, adding a splash of color and love to our shelter, and hopefully drawing the public over to our longer staying dogs. 

In July we read Pete the Cat Screams for Ice Cream by Kimberly and James Dean. A fun book that follows Pete the Cat as he learns that it's always cool to be kind. For this craft I used cardboard that was left over from in-kind donations. I then cut out the shape of an ice cream cone, and glued cotton balls on the top. I  then filled small cups with colorful food-dye. Each child was given colorful pipettes that matched the color of their water. They then created their very own ice cream! 

Animal Time

After each craft activity, we give the children the opportunity to meet some of our resident animals which includes dogs, cats and sometimes guinea pigs.  We bring one child over at a time, carefully guiding them through how to safely approach and gently pet an animal they do not know. While many of the children have pets at home, for some this may be their very first time interacting with an animal.

To keep the experience engaging and educational, we ask the children simple questions while they interact with the animal like “What does it feel like?”, “Is the fur soft?”, “What color are the animal’s eyes?”, “How many paws do they have?” This helps make the moment both fun and interactive while reinforcing observation and communication skills.

Why It Matters

Tot Tuesday is a special time where learning goes far beyond story time and crafts. It’s a chance for toddlers to grow emotionally and socially as they begin to understand empathy, patience, and how to treat animals with kindness and care. With the support of their guardian and the calming presence of our friendly animals, children are building foundational skills in compassion and safe animal interactions.

We are excited to see what the next Tot Tuesday brings as each month brings new experiences and new faces. It is our hope that Tot Tuesday helps guide and foster valuable lessons for the next generation of thoughtful and compassionate pet parents.