# Cholla & Zoey go to Kindergarten!



## PJM (May 7, 2010)

I've got a friend who teaches Kindergarten. She was telling me about one of the books she reads to her class called "Hedgie Blasts Off". Long story short, we decided to have Cholla & Zoey visit her class. She had mentioned it to the other 2 Kindergarten teachers & they asked if they could join in. So, in all, we had about 60 children. :shock:

I was pretty nervous, but everyone did great! The kids just loved them & you should have heard the gasps, oooohhs & aaaaahhs when I first brought them out. I got to tell them all about hedgehogs & then they asked questions. Great questions too. And they laughed at the "let me down dance". :lol:

I brought in mealworms, pupae & beetles too. They were set up on a screen so you could see a projection of them on the wall behind me. They were a big hit too, especially with the little boys. :lol:

My friend's daughter was brought in from her class to be my helper. She had come over to my house before & fell in love with Cholla (I think it was mutual) (sorry Tie-dye  ). After we were done, each child came up & got to pet a hedgie & had their picture taken. Then I gave them a bookmark that I had made with Cholla & Zoey's pictures. I would switch off every now & then between Cholla & Zoey, so they wouldn't get too tired. But they really did great! I was so happy! They each only balled up once & that was over quickly. I'm so proud of both of them! 









The bookmarks I made








Zoey saying HI








With my helper. (blurry)








One of the children


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## susanaproenca (Aug 14, 2010)

That is so cool and the pictures are so cute! You must have felt so proud of your babies behaving and not balling up!


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## MoonBean (Feb 22, 2011)

That's wonderful! My son is asking me to bring our new baby to his class as they just read a hedgehog book, too. I don't think mine is ready for that kind of public appearance yet. I am hoping if I work with him he might be able to eventually.


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

aawwwwwwwwwwwww...the pics are awesome...you have such good hedgies...<sigh>...

I couldn't help but picture Snarf with 60 kids. And being touched. :shock: 
Yeah. No.

Snarf's more of a "Scared Straight" kinda guy.


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## V2Neal (Dec 27, 2010)

Very cool!


MissC - your Snarf and our Mrs.Puff must be related. :lol:


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## firephoenixla (Sep 13, 2010)

haha, adorable! ...and MissC I can imagine Snarf in a "scared straight" program.. being plopped down on a metal prison table infront of a group of punk teenage kids, rolled up in an angry ball, eventually poking a foot out the side and sticking his nose out, giving the kids an angry look and popping and hissing at them... that would be enough for me to say, I'll be better I swear! no more punk kid shenanigans! :lol:


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

So sweet of you to share with the children and us as well.


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

firephoenixla said:


> haha, adorable! ...and MissC I can imagine Snarf in a "scared straight" program.. being plopped down on a metal prison table infront of a group of punk teenage kids, rolled up in an angry ball, eventually poking a foot out the side and sticking his nose out, giving the kids an angry look and popping and hissing at them... that would be enough for me to say, I'll be better I swear! no more punk kid shenanigans! :lol:


 :shock: 
Do you have a camera hidden around here somewhere?


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

firephoenixla said:


> haha, adorable! ...and MissC I can imagine Snarf in a "scared straight" program.. being plopped down on a metal prison table infront of a group of punk teenage kids, rolled up in an angry ball, eventually poking a foot out the side and sticking his nose out, giving the kids an angry look and popping and hissing at them... that would be enough for me to say, I'll be better I swear! no more punk kid shenanigans! :lol:


 :shock: 
Do you have a camera hidden around here somewhere?


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## Galvon (Sep 20, 2010)

That was so sweet of you to make the bookmarks! They look great!

And MissC I think you might be surprised at Snarf's reaction. I've always thought that Sandslash and Snarf would get along great, Sandy hates everyone and everything also. That's why I was so surprised when this happened:

So we're at the airport, and the security guy wants to to swab Sandy's kennel to make sure I'm not slangin drugs in there I guess, so he says to take him out. I'm like uh oh... :? but yank Sandy out of there and he is ENTIRELY unimpressed. Anyways, the second people see him, they all rush over to have a look. A two year old reaches her hand up to pet him and he just sits there and lets her pet his face :shock: I DONT EVEN GET TO DO THAT, but he just sat there and enjoyed snuggles from all the airport people! It was BIZARRE. He hasn't shown such a display of friendliness ever since. How odd.


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## susanaproenca (Aug 14, 2010)

Sandy loves you too much, he didn't want to embarrass you in front of all the airport people!


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## shetland (Sep 2, 2008)

I think your school story is wonderful! You had it well planned and you were in control of the situation so that your hedgies were with constantly with you. The idea of using the projection screen was great! I think the book markers are fabulous! Did you ever think of marketing them on the side (I know-like you have time!) It was everything rolled into one: fun and educational.


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## pokybaby (Jan 20, 2011)

This was inspiring. I work at a library and our children's librarian has already asked if my hedgie could come to storytime. We need to work with Horatio a bit more (and it needs to stop snowing here) but you had some great ideas. Thanks for sharing!


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## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

That was so sweet of you, you did a wonderful job and I know those children loved it  The bookmarks were such a great touch. From the sounds of it I would have loved the presentation even though I'm grown and have 2 of my own hedgies lol


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## cylaura (Jan 13, 2011)

This whole thing is just so cute! I bet the kids loved it! 

One of my aunts is a first grade teacher, hmmmmm....


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

It really was fun! And more than just the kids enjoyed the hedgies. Each of the teachers wanted to pet them & have their pictures taken too. One of the parents heard about it & came, with his own camera & even asked a question himself. And the ladies in the principals office wanted to see them too.

It's the first time I've ever had them outside the house (except for the vets office). I was so nervous, I prayed on the way there! :lol: Please don't let me stress them out to much & please make the kids be gentle & not hurt or scare them. I know that sounds silly, but it made me feel better. And it all worked out.

It was a really neat experience & I'm so happy we were all able to do it. I left them alone for a little longer than usual last night, just in case they were stressed. But during cuddle time, they were both themselves. I'm still such a proud hedgie-mama.


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## Alastrina (Sep 18, 2009)

How exciting! I wish I'd been there, I'd be in the back cheering for the hedgies


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## CritterHeaven (Feb 21, 2011)

This is so cool. I just posted a thread about taking a hedgie in to my daughter's grade 4 class. I was just planning on taking Toffee since she is such a "goer" and Truffle is, well, not! But perhaps I will take both in.

I love the idea of the bookmarks, pictures, mealworms and projector too. Awesome. I need to put my thinking cap on and come up with some cool things like that!


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## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

What a great story! Wonderful pictures, too. I bet the kids were so excited to see a real, live hedgehog! They aren't the most common pets out there. I know I would have loved something like that when I was young. My fiance's nieces were so excited to see my Mildred, but they were awfully loud and giggly, and Milly didn't handle it well.  Props to you, PJM! You have two extraordinary hedgehogs.


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## pammie (Aug 31, 2008)

i teach year 1 over here (age 5-6) and i have taken holly, klaus and welly tenrec into school. The kids absolutely loved meeting them and especially loved it when i told them i call welly smelly welly. i took them in for my class but they ended up having to visit nursery and the whole of the infants as well. our kids were not allowed to touch the hogs though incase of allergies which i thought was a bit mean but they loved meeting them all the same. holly was a big hit because she is such a show off and was being her usual diva self totally refused to ball up at all and the kids wanted to see a hedgehog in a ball.


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

I've thought of some other interactive things that could be fun with groups of kids. The kids could ball up like a hedgie. Then they could do the "let me down dance". You could show them how to lower their visor quills (with their spread fingers on their forehead), or how to annoint. They could run around the yard like a hedgie on their wheel & STOP & rock back & forth when you say a command. You could bring in those fried noodles for chow mein & ask if they want to eat a fried mealworm.

Good thing we don't have kids - I would have to have a children's hedgie party. Make all the neighborhood kids run around acting like hedgies. :roll: :lol:


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