Since I was a child, I’ve always enjoyed visiting the zoo. We are lucky enough to live close to Flamingo Land, a theme park zoo. I’ve always enjoyed being taken there to learn about the animals. It is magical to be able to get close to animals you wouldn’t otherwise see. We took our boys to London Zoo for the first time. They loved it.
When we visit the zoo, I emphasize that it’s not just a fun day out for the family. It can also be a great educational experience – in this case, the trip can count toward Reuben’s Children’s University, which he’s doing at school. Reuben, who is a big fan of rhinos at the zoo, asked me about the large red circle that was next to the name on the placard. We’d already seen it a few times, and he was telling me which animal he thought was red, yellow, or green. I decided to explain what the circle meant. We talked about why animals become endangered and then extinct. What does it mean, and what impact does it have on our planet? His Dad was very impressed by his explanations when he explained everything to him.
We had a similar experience at London Zoo. We even heard a presentation about Amazonian Fish and the fact that the myth that the fish can only grow to the size of the tank they are in is a myth. This helped us to understand why we couldn’t keep a tank of goldfish.
The children are sponges. They soak up information and love to learn. (Especially when they’re learning about road rages from their mother …).) So, I put together some tips on how to get the most out of a trip to a zoo.
1. Every animal you come across is worth mentioning.
Talk about the animals. Ask your children questions about the animals’ behaviour and what they are doing. What is your favourite food? We enjoyed watching tigers eat at the zoo. They were right there in front of us and were eating a carcass. Some parents were shooing their kids away from the tigers because they thought that it was gross, but it is nature. This led to an interesting conversation about how cows eat grass and how tigers eat cows to survive. We were able to see the Lions up close and personal this weekend. This allowed us to discuss the reasons why the male stood at attention, the fact that there was only one, the dominance of pride, etc.
2. Break up your day with a few snacks.
I take some snacks with me for the boys. It can be rice cakes, biscuits, or fruit. Simple snacks I can grab at a moment’s notice to give them while they look at something. We avoid eating when we are hungry because it is difficult to focus on anything. We made several pit stops at ZSL (mostly for coffee …) but also to grab some crisps and cakes).
3. Encourage your kids to bring home one item from every trip.
This is my little trick for the days that the boys want to run and aren’t in a learning or curious mood. This works even if they’re inquisitive. When we return home, we choose one thing we’d like to be able to tell Daddy about (or another member of the family if you are going as a group; this weekend, it was Mawa Maw). If they choose, I let them. Or if I find a fact I think they’ll enjoy, I tell them. I once told my boys that hippos don’t sweat blood. Their sweat is reddish because their skin pigments are what give it a pinkish colour. That’s a really cool fact! Reuben was eager to tell Daddy about hippo-sweat and Toby to learn how to say hippo. It was a win-win.
4. Talk to older children and plan your trip so that you can hear them speak.
My mum used to stop and talk to the keepers a lot when I was growing up. She would ask them many questions. We stopped at the Chimpanzee House to hear a part of the Keeper Talk the last time we visited Chester Zoo, which is one of my favourite zoos. The older children were very interested in the keeper’s talk because the chimps were all at the window looking out to see the keeper. This is not a good idea for little children, but older kids will find it a wealth of information. Edith and I walked around and looked at the fish while Daddy and his boys listened to the Amazon fish talk.
5. Maps are fun, and they’re worth it.
At the zoo, a map can be your best friend. We had to buy one for each of the boys because they are so obsessed with maps! Reuben will tell us which animal belongs to which person, which place he would like to go first, and which things he doesn’t care about. Toby loves to shout out the names of animals we pass and then spends hours looking at the map a day later. Maps are not only useful to plan your trip (if your child can navigate, this will be a life skill and orientation tool), but they also help your child remember what they saw and learned. Reuben will remember what he saw on a map on a visit to the zoo.
These are my top tips. I cannot encourage you enough to include zoos in your family’s time. If you homeschool, they will be a vital part of teaching your children everything from science to history.
