It’s no surprise that little kids are fond of animals. Your child is unlikely to come into contact with many species other than dogs, cats, and the occasional gerbil in their daily lives. You can learn a lot about animals by taking your family to a local zoo and what you need to know for a successful day at the zoo with your kids.
How to Plan a Zoo Trip
Even the youngest toddlers will be engaged and stimulated by a trip to the zoo if they only look and listen (or do so from the comfort of their arms). The older kids can learn more about the animal world, such as what animals eat and where they live. They can also watch or even take part in a feeding. While the zoo is full of fun and educational activities, you should limit your visit to two hours. This is the maximum time that munchkins will tolerate without becoming tired or irritable. Another word of advice: If you can, try to take your kids to the zoo when there are fewer people (weekdays, daytime).
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Before Visiting the Zoo
- Learn all about the animals and people you’ll see at the zoo. You can even sing about them. Books that highlight the animals that live in the zoo are a great way to get your child interested. Pop-up books or books with sounds can be a lot of fun. You can also sing along to songs that feature animals. “Down by the Bay”, “Pop Goes the Weasel”, and “Pop Goes the Weasel” are both tried and true favourites. You can remind your child of the animals they saw at a circus if you have taken him there before. He might recognize them!
- Dress to succeed. Comfortable walking shoes are essential for your child (and you). Since zoos are both indoors and outdoors (not to mention the chilly reptile houses and hot, humid aviaries), you should dress in layers. Also, bring a jacket and a sun hat with you so that both of your comfort is guaranteed.
- Bring healthy snacks. Zoos have a lot of cotton candy and ice cream carts. If you succumb, it can ruin your trip with a sugary crash. Bring healthy snacks from home to boost your child’s energy and avoid junk food. If you want to give your child a treat, you can buy it on the way out. This will help them cope with leaving.
- Rent or bring a stroller.
What to Expect on Your Zoo Visit
- Try to limit your child’s exposure to lions, tigers and even bears. These creatures are often hidden in vast landscapes and can be difficult for children to see. It is better to take your toddlers to a petting zoo, where they can interact with the animals and see them up close. If you want to see the safari animals with your loved one, go during scheduled feeding time or trainer talks.
- Do not feed animals human food. Animals do eat animal crackers. This makes sense to a toddler who is eager to share. Explain (and enforce) the fact that these animals only eat special animal feed. Buy some food from the vending machine at the petting Zoo if he is gung-ho about feeding. After the feeding frenzy, be sure to use hand sanitiser and head to the sink.
- Use all your senses. Please encourage your child to use his other senses, excluding taste. Ask him how the coat of the lamb feels as he cuddles it (fuzzy? or scratchy?). What does the llama odour like? (Stinky is the most common answer.) What about the monkeys? What about those monkeys? How about the beak of that toucan? These are called stripes. These simple questions will engage your child at the zoo, and they’ll learn as well.
- Talk the talk, walk the walk. Children love to mimic, so a visit to the zoo provides the perfect opportunity to improve their mimicry. Your child can be challenged to walk or trumpet like an ape or even to mimic an elephant. Once you get home, try your best animal impersonations and see if the child can identify that creature.
