How do you raise a child who is kind to animals?

30 October 2026

Simple ways to teach compassion at home and school

By the ACTAsia Caring for Life team · Updated 26 October 2026. ACTAsia’s Caring for Life programme has taught compassion to more than 575,000 children since 2012. Registered charity, England and Wales, no. 1127625.

Children learn kindness to animals mainly by example and by practice. Show gentle behaviour yourself, help them notice how animals feel, and give them real, age-appropriate jobs in caring for a pet. Ask them, “How would you feel if that was you?” Research suggests sustained humane education can increase children’s empathy, including towards people.

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Why teaching kindness to animals matters

Kindness to animals is often a child’s first lesson in caring about someone who is different from them. An animal cannot say how it feels, so a child has to notice, imagine and respond. Those are the same skills they will later use with friends, classmates and family.

Research backs this up, with some honest caveats. A well-known study by psychologist Frank Ascione found that a year-long school humane education programme improved children’s attitudes towards animals, and that the effect carried over to empathy towards people. A 2017 systematic review found pet ownership linked to emotional benefits for children, such as self-esteem, while noting that the strength of a child’s bond with an animal mattered more than simply having one. Short, one-off lessons tend to show smaller effects, which is why the habits you build over time count most.

The question at the heart of it

ACTAsia’s educators keep coming back to one simple question: “How would you feel if that was you?” It works with a three-year-old who pulls a cat’s tail and a twelve-year-old watching a news story about wildlife. It does not lecture or shame. It invites the child to step into another creature’s place, which is where empathy begins.

What children can learn at each age

Simple ways to teach kindness at home

Model it. Children copy what they see, so let them watch you speak softly to animals, move slowly and respect a pet’s space.
Name animal feelings out loud: “The dog has his tail tucked. I think he feels nervous.”
Give real responsibility, matched to their age, and praise the effort rather than the result.
Read stories with animal characters and ask how each character might feel.
Watch wildlife respectfully, in the garden or the park, without chasing or touching.
Make small things for animals together, such as a bird feeder or a bug hotel.
Answer hard questions honestly and calmly, without frightening details.

Teaching responsible pet ownership to children

The most important lesson comes before the pet arrives. ACTAsia often asks families a question they cannot un-ask: can you actually take care of a pet, every day, for its whole life? A rabbit can live for many years and a dog for well over a decade, long after the excitement wears off.

UK law makes the adult’s role clear. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, when a child under 16 looks after an animal, the parent or guardian is legally responsible for it, and pets cannot be sold to anyone under 16. A child-friendly way to explain a pet’s needs is the law’s own list of five welfare needs:

Keeping children safe around animals

Kindness and safety go together. Never leave a young child alone with a dog, however gentle it seems. Teach children to ask the owner before stroking an animal, to let a dog sniff their hand first, and to leave animals alone when they are eating, sleeping or hiding. Explain that a growl, a stiff body or a turned-away head means “please give me space”, and that respecting it is a kind thing to do.

What if a child is unkind to an animal?

Most young children who are rough with animals are curious or overexcited, not cruel. Stay calm, gently stop the behaviour, and explain what the animal might be feeling. Then show the kind way to do it. If a child repeatedly and deliberately hurts animals, it can be a sign they are struggling with something else, and it is worth talking to their school, health visitor or GP.

Educational materials about animals for children

Good resources share a few qualities. They are age-appropriate, they focus on feelings and needs rather than shocking images, they invite questions, and they link care for animals with care for people and the environment. Many UK animal welfare charities offer free classroom and family resources, and libraries stock picture books about caring for pets and wildlife.

How schools teach compassion: ACTAsia’s Caring for Life

ACTAsia’s Caring for Life programme shows what sustained humane education looks like in practice. It is a six-year curriculum for primary school children aged 6 to 12, based on UNESCO’s Four Pillars of Education, which covers animal welfare, the environment, social welfare and citizenship together. In 2021 the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs recognised it as a Good Practice.

Since 2012, Caring for Life has reached more than 575,000 children in China, including around 265,000 in rural areas, and ACTAsia has trained 12,667 teachers and educators to deliver it. The programme has been independently evaluated throughout, for more than twelve years. ACTAsia’s analysis finds a pound goes around three times as far in Asia as in the West (Grant C., 2024).

ACTAsia’s view. Compassion is not something children either have or lack. It is taught, like reading, through practice and patience. A child who learns to ask how an animal feels grows into an adult who asks how everyone feels. That is why ACTAsia starts with children, and why it does not stop.

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Frequently asked questions

How do you teach a child to be kind to animals?

Lead by example, name what animals feel, and give children real, age-appropriate responsibilities, such as filling a water bowl or brushing a pet. Asking “How would you feel if that was you?” helps them imagine an animal’s point of view, which is where empathy begins.

At what age can children learn to care for a pet?

Even toddlers can learn gentle touch and to notice when an animal is happy or scared. From around six, children can manage simple daily tasks with an adult’s help. Under UK law, a parent or guardian remains legally responsible for any pet a child under 16 looks after.

Does kindness to animals help children’s empathy towards people?

Research suggests it can. A year-long school humane education programme studied by Frank Ascione improved children’s attitudes to animals, and the effect extended to empathy towards people. Children with strong bonds to their pets also tend to show more empathy.

How do I teach my child responsible pet ownership?

Before getting a pet, talk honestly about its lifespan and daily needs. Then use the five welfare needs as a checklist: a suitable home, the right food and water, the chance to behave naturally, the right company, and protection from pain and illness.

What should I do if my child hurts an animal?

Stay calm, stop the behaviour gently and explain how the animal might feel, then show the kind alternative. Most young children are curious rather than cruel. If a child repeatedly and deliberately hurts animals, talk to their school, health visitor or GP for support.

What educational materials teach children about animal welfare?

Look for age-appropriate resources that focus on feelings and needs rather than shocking images, and that link care for animals with care for people and nature. ACTAsia’s Caring for Life curriculum does this for primary school children, and many UK charities offer free resources.

What is ACTAsia’s Caring for Life programme?

Caring for Life is ACTAsia’s six-year humane education curriculum for children aged 6 to 12. Since 2012 it has reached more than 575,000 children in China, with 12,667 teachers trained, and the UN recognised it as a Good Practice in 2021.

Education is urgent. Behaviour is learnt. And the kindest children are simply the ones who were taught, one gentle moment at a time. Help teach compassion to more children.

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