When was the last time you took your kids to the zoo? Do you remember how much fun they had, and do you remember how much you enjoyed watching their faces light up when they watched the penguins being fed, or the chimpanzees chasing each other around the exhibit? Isn’t it time you packed up your family and headed to the nearest zoo?

A day at the zoo isn’t just a fun way for the entire family to spend the day, but also a great opportunity for you to teach your child about all sorts of stuff. There is of course the obvious, like naming the different animals with your preschooler or reading the exhibit signs with your school-age child. Let’s take a look at some other teaching opportunities.  

If you are taking a preschooler to the zoo, talk to him about what sounds the different animals make. Ask him what sound the monkey makes and then ask him to listen to the animal. Don’t forget to praise him for how closely he imitated a monkey’s call.

There are also plenty of opportunities in the Zoo to talk about colors. What color is the lion, how about the flamingo? You can also count the animals with your child. How many elephants can you see? Another idea is to talk to your preschooler about what a particular animal likes to eat. Some of his suggestions may be outright funny. My little cousin figured that flamingos only ate cotton candy, since they were so pink.

For a school-aged child, the questions should of course be a little more challenging. Talk about where the animal originally came from. You can leave it at the continent, or look at the exhibit signs to figure out what country exactly they came from and then ask your child what continent that country is in, what the climate is like and also how this particular animal has adapted to the climate. For example, a polar bear’s coat is white so he blends in with all the snow and ice.

You can also talk about the animal’s particular habitat and how it was recreated in the zoo. You can look at the chimpanzee exhibit with your child and compare it to the forests in Africa that they originally came from. Did the zoo provide plenty of opportunities for the chimpanzees to climb?

Don’t forget to talk about the classification of the animals as well. You can ask a younger child whether a particular animal is a fish, a bird or a mammal and go into a little more detail with an older child. You’ll be surprised how much they have picked up in science class in school and will be more than happy to share with you.

After you get home from the zoo, encourage your children to talk about the trip, look up information online about their favorite animals, or to answer any additional questions they may have. Ask your preschooler to draw you a picture of their favorite animal.

Read the following child product reviews related to the zoo that will let your child relive the day at the zoo at home.

Playmobile Zoo

Little People Zoo

Zoo Story Pop-up Book

Susanne Myers is the founder of www.kinderinfo.com .
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