The petting zoo is a fun and educational place to visit for the whole family. For the first few months of birth, the twins did not cross paths with too many different species other than our beloved dog, Dexter. Seeing how gentle the twins were with Dexter, we took them to a petting zoo to learn about other animals when they were barely 6 months old.
During that visit, they couldn’t walk and had to stay in their stroller most of the time. We took turns to hold them so they can extend their tiny hands to connect with these adorable animals. Since that trip we have been back at least 4 times. Each trip left our twins wanting more.
Here are some informative tips on how to prepare for a fun trip to the petting zoo.
Prep before the Visit
Read and even sing about the animals to your kids. There’s a reason why Oh MacDonald is a hit among toddlers. Show them pictures of the animals. Our twins absolutely love watching animals make sounds on YouTube clips. 1 week prior to the visit we would tell them that we’re going to visit these animals at the zoo to get them excited.
Pack Healthy Snacks
There’s nothing worse than having your kids cry because he/she is hungry. Feeding them with high sugar content from the petting zoo will make them feel worse. So, remember to pack their favorite healthy snacks to avoid tantrum and drama.
Protection
We are stickler about skin protection. Our entire family lives and breathes on SPF whenever we are out in the sun.
The Right Shoes
Make sure your kids are wearing the right shoes at the zoo because the ground is dirty and most likely filled with germs.
Feed the Animals
Once you are at the zoo explain to your kids that these animals eat only special animal food so they don’t feed human food to the animals. Most petting zoos have feed from the vending machines that you can get to feed the animals.
Use Your Senses
Don’t forget to encourage your kids to activate all their senses. Remember to ask them how the animal coat feels, how certain animal smell, etc. These questions will help your kids learn while having fun at the same time.
Mimic the Animals
Most kids like to imitate, so the petting zoo is the perfect place to practice their mimicry skills. Our twins love to mimic how the hens walk and scratch on the floor.
Keep it Clean
Always remember to wash hands thoroughly. We always make sure our twins wash their hands after the visit to avoid getting germs.
Going to a petting zoo not only teaches your children to have an appreciation of nature and animals, it is also guaranteed to provide some great photographic moments that you can treasure and remember visit after visit.
Disclosure: Thank you Kimberly-Clark for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions are my own.
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2 Comments
Looks like they had great fun! My little one loves anything to do with animals, it always makes a great day out 🙂
They had a lot of fun 🙂 We try to do this at least once a year.