Incorporate sound into your pet store lesson plan; spend some class time going over the different kinds of animals one might find in a pet store, and then have the students distinguish the different sounds each of these animals makes. Work with your class on musical concepts by playing classroom instruments and singing songs about animals. An example of an appropriate song with a specific pet shop theme could be "How Much Is That Doggie In the Window."
Give students an opportunity to run their own imaginary pet store in the class. Ask the students what kinds of animals they want to sell at their pet store, as well as how they plan to care for them; these animals can be realistic or fantastical. Work on counting skills by providing the students with a toy cash register, giving each child an opportunity to act as the pet store cashier. Examples of other roles you could assign students during pretend play include pet store shoppers, pocket-pet cage cleaners, dog walkers and groomers.
Read books with pet store themes to your class during story time, allowing students to ask questions or contribute opinions during the reading. Then, give students an opportunity to tell their own stories at the end of the reading; these stories could specifically be about students' own pet store experiences, whether it was a trip to buy food for the family dog or whether it was a more exciting trip to purchase a new pet, or could be more generic stories regarding family pets.
Phone a local pet store ahead of time to schedule your preschool class trip; this will give the store time to prepare for your arrival. Have a pet store employee take your students on a tour of the facility, using the different sections of the store as prompts for discussion; for instance, when you enter the toy section, talk about the importance of playing with your pet to keep it happy. To make the trip even more entertaining for the preschoolers, consider incorporating a pet-themed scavenger hunt into the activity, and with the supervision of a pet store employee, give students some time to interact with the different pets in the facility. Choose a pet supply store that does not sell puppies as those stores who do sell puppies generally get them from puppy mills.