What can families do at the zoo?
Hello, parents. How are you? This is Jiahui. As spring break and summer slowly approach, I am looking forward to going home and spending time with my family, and I know all of you are looking forward to spending time with your children. If you’re looking for the perfect outing for your family, I highly suggest the zoo. When I was a child, I enjoyed going to the zoo because I was able to see so many different animals, and I could spend time with my family, and especially my little sister there. You might be thinking to yourself, “what can families do at the zoo?” The answer to this is a lot! The zoo is an exciting and stimulating place, especially for your children, and I’ll explain a few reasons why.
One of my favorite zoos to go to in California is the Sacramento Zoo. It offers several attractions for families to visit and experience. There is something for everyone to enjoy because there are more than seven exhibits and major arenas for the wide variety of animals and exotic creatures. The zoo tries to mimic the environmental habitats of the various animals with plants and lifelike decorations everywhere. One of the arenas within the zoo is the Tall Wonders of Africa, where the giraffes reside. Not only can your family observe these magnificent creatures, but for a small charge of $5 per person, your family members have a chance to physically interact with the giraffes and feed them during a scheduled encounter. This is an exciting, once in a lifetime opportunity, especially for your children!
Furthermore, the zoo is a home to a Reptile House, where you all can walk through and observe over 200 types of reptiles, amphibians, and more slither, hop, and crawl. This is sure to excite your children as they’ll want to look at every single one to see what they look like. Moreover, there is a Big Cat Row, which is the home to snow leopards, jaguars, lions, tigers, and more (oh my!). You can all see firsthand how they interact with each other, while also marveling at their beauty (“Zoo Attractions,” 2019).
In addition to these sites, the zoo has rides that both you and your kids could enjoy for $3 a person. First, there is an animal carousel, where each animal is carved and painted by hand. There is also a zoo train that takes riders on a tour through the Big Cat Row (“Zoo Attractions,” 2019). You all can take a family picture in the photo booth to have as a memory. There is also a rock-climbing wall that children love to go on because they can race each other to the top, and once at the top, view the park from above.
While a vacation to the zoo can just be for mere entertainment, zoos actually offer several wonderful learning opportunities for your children that they may not even be aware of. First, walking around the zoo as a family encourages dialogue between everyone, and your children are exposed to new words and concepts from the descriptions of animals that they are interested in, which helps improve their vocabulary and communication skills. Additionally, because every animal in zoos have a unique story, zoos help kids understand and appreciate the animal kingdom and the responsibility of humans to care for animals in need. Zoos can also increase academic knowledge by offering specific workshops, or even hands-on interactions with some animals (Lopa, 2014). All of this can ignite curiosity within your children as they explore and seek to engage with the environment, which ultimately promotes learning and brain development, showing that zoos do more than provide entertainment for families. (Lopa, 2014).
Now, I know that cost may be an issue for some of you, and while going to the zoo is a little pricey at about $16 per person, children get discounted tickets, and it’s important to keep in mind the wonderful and educational experience the visit will be for everyone in your family. These ticket funds go to helping the zoo care for its animals and ensuring that every animal’s needs are met.
Simply put, a zoo is full of once in a lifetime experiences for every family member. It’s a place that not only can inform people more about animals, but also can help families to bond together and develop more communication. Only with the price of tickets, you could spend some priceless quality time with your families. And while these experiences were my own from the Sacramento Zoo, every zoo is unique and offers its own unique animals, activities, and sense of culture, so no matter which zoo you choose, you’re bound to have a wonderful experience! Thank you for listening to my podcast. Hope you have a nice day!
One of my favorite zoos to go to in California is the Sacramento Zoo. It offers several attractions for families to visit and experience. There is something for everyone to enjoy because there are more than seven exhibits and major arenas for the wide variety of animals and exotic creatures. The zoo tries to mimic the environmental habitats of the various animals with plants and lifelike decorations everywhere. One of the arenas within the zoo is the Tall Wonders of Africa, where the giraffes reside. Not only can your family observe these magnificent creatures, but for a small charge of $5 per person, your family members have a chance to physically interact with the giraffes and feed them during a scheduled encounter. This is an exciting, once in a lifetime opportunity, especially for your children!
Furthermore, the zoo is a home to a Reptile House, where you all can walk through and observe over 200 types of reptiles, amphibians, and more slither, hop, and crawl. This is sure to excite your children as they’ll want to look at every single one to see what they look like. Moreover, there is a Big Cat Row, which is the home to snow leopards, jaguars, lions, tigers, and more (oh my!). You can all see firsthand how they interact with each other, while also marveling at their beauty (“Zoo Attractions,” 2019).
In addition to these sites, the zoo has rides that both you and your kids could enjoy for $3 a person. First, there is an animal carousel, where each animal is carved and painted by hand. There is also a zoo train that takes riders on a tour through the Big Cat Row (“Zoo Attractions,” 2019). You all can take a family picture in the photo booth to have as a memory. There is also a rock-climbing wall that children love to go on because they can race each other to the top, and once at the top, view the park from above.
While a vacation to the zoo can just be for mere entertainment, zoos actually offer several wonderful learning opportunities for your children that they may not even be aware of. First, walking around the zoo as a family encourages dialogue between everyone, and your children are exposed to new words and concepts from the descriptions of animals that they are interested in, which helps improve their vocabulary and communication skills. Additionally, because every animal in zoos have a unique story, zoos help kids understand and appreciate the animal kingdom and the responsibility of humans to care for animals in need. Zoos can also increase academic knowledge by offering specific workshops, or even hands-on interactions with some animals (Lopa, 2014). All of this can ignite curiosity within your children as they explore and seek to engage with the environment, which ultimately promotes learning and brain development, showing that zoos do more than provide entertainment for families. (Lopa, 2014).
Now, I know that cost may be an issue for some of you, and while going to the zoo is a little pricey at about $16 per person, children get discounted tickets, and it’s important to keep in mind the wonderful and educational experience the visit will be for everyone in your family. These ticket funds go to helping the zoo care for its animals and ensuring that every animal’s needs are met.
Simply put, a zoo is full of once in a lifetime experiences for every family member. It’s a place that not only can inform people more about animals, but also can help families to bond together and develop more communication. Only with the price of tickets, you could spend some priceless quality time with your families. And while these experiences were my own from the Sacramento Zoo, every zoo is unique and offers its own unique animals, activities, and sense of culture, so no matter which zoo you choose, you’re bound to have a wonderful experience! Thank you for listening to my podcast. Hope you have a nice day!
References
1. Lopa, J. (2014). Educational Benefits of Zoos. Retrieved from
https://mommyuniversitynj.com/2014/09/08/explore-discover-learn-10-benefits-of-visiting-a-zoo/
2. Zoo Attractions. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.saczoo.org/visit/attractions/
1. Lopa, J. (2014). Educational Benefits of Zoos. Retrieved from
https://mommyuniversitynj.com/2014/09/08/explore-discover-learn-10-benefits-of-visiting-a-zoo/
2. Zoo Attractions. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.saczoo.org/visit/attractions/