Children and alpacas are a marvelous combination. The wonder of a child approaching a curious alpaca for the first time is a sight to warm the heart. These gentle animals are true teachers. They can lead children to open their imaginations, explore new facts and investigate new emotions. Owners and breeders can provide many opportunities for the two to come together, but there are a few guidelines to consider to insure that all will end as a happy experience for both the child and the alpaca.
When planning to take alpacas to schools or having school groups to your farm, the first thing you should know is the age of the children. Three-year-olds are very different creatures from ten-year-olds. You must also know how many children are involved and how much adult supervision will be available, and adjust your program appropriately. If going to a school, it is important to have some idea of the location. Walking alpacas through long corridors reverberating with the excited shrieks of young children can be a harrowing experience - for you and the alpacas.
Always put the needs of your alpacas first and insist that the adults in charge be sensitive to those needs. This is where a really good "Public Relations" animal is invaluable. In spite of the most careful planning and best intentions, the thrill of seeing alpacas can lead to a serious loss of memory even on the part of the adults.
Go over alpaca etiquette with the children before introducing them to the animals. It is best to solicit suggestions for proper and safe conduct around the alpacas from the children themselves, and be sure explanations are offered as to why such conduct is necessary - for the children as well as the alpacas.
It is also important to know why the students want to visit with the alpacas. Are they studying a special unit on South America or just having a fun excursion? Social Studies students may ask teacher prompted questions. Be prepared and do your homework. Remember, children taking notes may need time to write.
When considering the purpose of the encounter, be sure that you have some idea of what you want to share with the children. Then if they sit awe-struck with mouths hanging open in amazement, you can get the ball rolling. Curiosity usually prompts all manner of questions, so allow enough time to answer as many as possible. If convenient, have some props and souvenirs. AOBA materials are welcomed by the teachers, and I always offer to provide (at cost) the Coloring and Activity book for each student. Also helpful are examples of raw fleece, roving, yarn and finished products such as sweaters and shawls. Children and teachers alike are thrilled to see fiber spun into yarn. If you do not spin, find out if any of the teachers do. For a small donation of fiber, they will gratefully provide a demonstration, and young children will certainly relate the spinning to fairy tales such as Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel. One word of caution - spinning wheels can be a great temptation and when spinning, a danger to little fingers. Be sure the children "Look, don't touch". Take small bits of your leftover fleece or some roving to hand out. These scraps of fiber quickly become cherished treasures.
Do not forget the most important part of the children's visit with the alpacas - the hands on experience. Again remind everyone of a few guidelines. Try to prevent your animals from being mobbed, but expect some decent into chaos as children want to pet and hug and pet some more. Amid oooh's, ahhh's and ummmm's, most will linger while others will be anxious to have their turn. On rare occasion, there may be the timid child who refuses to touch the alpacas. Let them be. After a few minutes a tentative hand will reach out, and then another voice will join the chorus.
In an attempt to make these experiences as pleasant as possible for our alpacas, I will often allow the children to feed them small amounts of llama pellets or carefully sliced pieces of carrots. These are a special treat for my p. r. alpacas, but you must watch the size of the pieces to avoid any possibility of choking. There is also a danger of germs being spread by unwashed hands. Think carefully before allowing others to feed your animals.
The most important thing you can do to ensure a successful encounter between children and the alpacas is to present animals that are well halter broken and have themselves been "schooled". Training is essential for the alpaca to survive the enthusiasm of children. They are intelligent animals and quick to learn, but without some prior introduction, education and socialization, they could learn that the noisy, grabby, two legged "beasts" are terrifying. A carefully trained P.R. alpaca, however, is a delight to take off the farm and will even enjoy the attention. Having a gelding to fill the role of public relations alpaca will avoid any negative affects of stress on your breeding stock.
Using well trained alpacas (I usually have two available), having some sort of plan and goal for your presentation, setting up some guidelines and structure and soliciting the help of other adults, teachers or older children will allow for an interesting and fun filled experience for all. You may be surprised to find there can be many benefits to be gained by providing opportunities for children to learn about alpacas. You will often get free publicity in the local press. The children will usually be accompanied by adults who are as enthralled as they are and who could become purchasers of your fiber or animals. And, all will surely spread their enthusiasm when they go home and go out into their own communities. But for me, it is the pleasure of watching the joyous range of emotions that play across the children's faces as they come to know the alpacas I already love.