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Zoos: Why zoos are such great places for kids

© Wayne Dawe

(Note: The Internet is a dynamic place and web sites can come and go quite quickly. This is one of my older and some of the links may not work anymore. If you find that this is the case I invite you to look at some of my more recent articles. My links section has my favorite links from past articles and is checked regularly for non working links. Wayne)

Zoos have got to be the ultimate kid-friendly outing: it gets the kids outside where they can get rid of some of that boundless energy away from TV and I don't know a kid who doesn't like animals. The secret about zoos is that they are a great place to learn for both parents and kids. I have to admit I'm a bit of a zoo freak myself and I go to zoos without the kids.

The important thing to remember when going to the zoo is that it's not a race to see how many animals you can see in the shortest time. They don't put those information plaques up all over the place just for show. Stop and take the time to read them and help those younger kids with the hard words. It's likely that most of us will never get a chance to see the majority of the animals in zoos in the wild. Most zoos have breeding programs for endangered species and have information on why animals are becoming extinct. Kids (and adults) can learn about geography from the maps that accompany many of the animal displays.

I hope I haven't scared you off by making zoos sound boring; they are still great places to visit and provide a relaxing informative day. Don't skip the greenhouse and plants if the zoo you visit has them.

My kids like the sea lions (not seals, that's the quiz when you return from the zoo, what's the difference) and the big cats - especially the snow leopards. When you enter, check for any "meet the keeper" and/or animal feeding events and get to these events early especially for popular ones like polar bear feedings (at least that's what's popular here).

Zoo tip 1: Avoid really hot weather: the animals are more lethargic and so are the kids. For those in colder climes, zoos can be a great place to visit in winter because it is less crowded and the animals are more active. Zoo tip 2: If your kids are small, see if you can get a wagon (our local zoo rents them) because they are easier for the kids to get in and out of then strollers and are easier on parents' backs. Zoo tip 3: Don't forget hats, sunscreen and comfortable shoes for all members of your party.

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