We are excited to introduce another new provider in our Arts Directory–Ferrets and Friends, LLC! Ferrets and Friends brings together art and animals for engaging arts integrated lessons for students in grades pre-k-12.
Ferrets and Friends have over 50 animals including invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and small mammals that are paired with art concepts to help students learn about both animals and art through observation and practice. The owner, Alex Byrne, has been trained by Brittany Roger (from the Drawing Zoo) in her lesson style so that you will receive the same structure of the program you enjoyed, but with a different face and new animal experiences. Alex is also a licensed social worker. Like our other programs, we incorporate special attention to building emotional intelligence, developing social skills, learning body language, and navigating boundaries.
Examples of art connections include using parrots or chameleons to learn about color or a hedgehog to learn about texture. Each program features one educator, one to three animals (depending on species and theme), and art supplies for the lesson. Each lesson includes an introduction, warm-up exercise, meeting the animal, drawing the animals, and time for sharing and reflection. The complexity of the lesson can be adjusted to meet the needs and skills of the class.
According to owner Alex Byrne, “Live animals have a way of bringing joy and wonder in the classroom. Talking parrots, curious ferrets, or captivating reptiles will easily be the highlight of your students’ week. Our programs are a great way to encourage passion for animals and the arts.”
Ferrets and Friends LLC offers fluent Spanish speaking educators as well as some limited ASL interpretation (vocab related to the lesson and fingerspelling). For more information, check out their website and their directory listing.
