Our reception children had an absolutely unforgettable time when ZooLab came to visit with a whole host of incredible minibeasts! The classroom was buzzing with excitement as the children got hands-on, bravely holding giant snails, huddling close to see scurrying cockroaches and millipedes, and gently stroking friendly gerbils. We even got to feel the unique texture of snakes and examine real, crunchy snake skin! A massive highlight was seeing a spectacular live tarantula; she was incredibly impressive, but we made sure to just use our looking eyes so we didn’t scare her. As well as meeting all the animals, our little explorers turned into fantastic scientists, learning that female spiders can live much longer than males (and sometimes even eat them!), and that snail slime has a magical healing power that quickly fixes any cuts they get. Special recognition must go to our bravery superstar, Niyah, who was the very first to volunteer to let a giant snail crawl right onto her face—well done, Niyah! We had so much fun and have continued to developed a wonderful interest in these tiny creatures. We can’t wait to discover even more amazing minibeast facts as we continue our topic this term!
