In general, opossums are docile, non-aggressive animals and will not attack your pets. They prefer to avoid confrontations. If escape is not possible then the threatened opossum may play possum , show its teeth, or bite in self-defense, as any animal would. Children should be taught not to attempt to feed or touch a wild animal. Opossums are nocturnal, that is they sleep during the day and come out at night, so the chance that a small child will come into contact with an opossum is slim.
Opossums prefer to sleep in dark, secluded places.
If your children are playing in this type of area then there is a greater danger of being bitten by a poisonous spider or snake. The opossums eat the fruit off my trees. Opossums prefer to eat the rotting fruit that have fallen to the ground. Keep opossums out of trees by cutting branches away from the ground, fences and roof. Cover the trunk with heavy plastic sheets obtained at hardware stores and secure with duct tape.