A Trip to the Zoo

We have a membership to the zoo this year.  I had grandiose dreams of walking through slowly with the kiddos and talking about each animal and watching each animal for at least a few moments.

Enter 5 children.
All under the age of 6.
Let's just say there wasn't a whole lot of learning going on.
It was more of a test of endurance.  We sprinted through exhibit after exhibit.  I was barely saying the names of the animals as we whizzed by each cage because someone wanted to see what was next.

 By the time this photo was snapped, we had made it through just 2 sections of the zoo.  I was tired.  The kids were hopped up on the excitement of the zoo, and were zipping by animals left and right.  I was trying to talk about each animal and it just wasn't working.

They also were all really excited about non-animal related stuff, like the hammock above.

Not to mention the statues and of course the train.

So, what is the point of all of this, you ask?

Did you know that you can print worksheets, games, and scavenger hunts at kidszoo.org?  If you are eager to take your children to the zoo, so that they learn something the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo has several different ways to help little ones stay focused on the animals and conservation.

There are Printable Games, Quick Lessons that are divided up by grade level, and for those of us who want to read about the animals they have all that information on their site as well, so you can read about it before the trip to the zoo.

I have learned my lesson, and am better prepared.  This time, we talked about the animals before we went to the zoo, so there were fewer distractions.  I also printed off some age-appropriate scavenger hunts to help us stay a little more focused on learning.

Have you ever done a scavenger hunt at the zoo?  How did it go?  Leave a comment below and share your ideas! :)