Ways Your Kids Will Benefit From a Trip to the Zoo

As well as a great family bonding experience, a trip to the Zoo allows your kids to get up close with the animals, which helps them build their imagination and creativity. Read on to learn more about the many benefits of visiting a zoo.

 

Sensory Experience

Did you know koalas sleep for around 20 hours a day? Or that Tasmanian Devils have the strongest bite force of all mammals? The zoo has hundreds of fun facts about animals and their habitats, and at the same time, your kids can learn about our conservation efforts and the WILD LIFE Conservation Fund. For a gold coin donation, you can go behind the scenes with Ringo the wombat or feed Princess the Cassowary. See our feed and talk times for more information.

Seeing animals in real life is a much more immersive experience than reading about them in books or watching them on screens; kids feel more connected to the creatures. By helping them develop empathy and compassion, they’ll be more likely to care about how humans impact our animal kingdom.

WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo has different exciting zones like the Daintree Rainforest, Kakadu Gorge and Koala Rooftop so your kids can have a sensory Australian animal experience in Darling Harbour. Hear the unique caws and cries of birds or catch a glimpse of a ginormous saltwater crocodile’s set of teeth – that’s what makes the learning stick.

Plus, there are always animal stories unfolding; spark your child’s curiosity (yours too!), and get them asking questions and engaging in storytelling. They’ll also discover things about themselves, like what animals they like or dislike, or perhaps even conquer their fear of certain creatures.

 

Whole-Family Bonding

It’s easy to hide behind screens these days. A zoo invites the family to get active and have some fun together. Being in nature reduces stress, so slow down, observe and have great conversations about what you see.

At WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, the whole family can have a delicious hot buffet breakfast with the koalas before you start your activity-filled day; a lasting marsupial memory! The zoo is also fully wheelchair accessible and pram friendly, so no one misses out.

 

Enhance Vocabulary

‘Endangered.’ ‘Herbivorous.’ ‘Nocturnal.’ Kids will be exposed to new words and concepts with the assistance of fact boards and fast facts shared by our keepers. An expanded vocabulary can help them better understand the world, as well as express themselves more effectively.

 

Top Tips

To make the most of visiting a zoo, check to see if it’s running special events, especially during the school holidays. There are daily keeper talks and animal feeds happening throughout the day too, which is a fantastic chance to get to know your favourite animals even more.

When you leave, relive the zoo magic by asking your kids to draw a picture of their new animal best friends or tell an animal story through a performance at home.

 

Want to keep the learning going? In Sydney, mega-value combination passes give access to WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Tower Eye and Madame Tussauds Sydney. Pick and mix which attractions you want to visit, from two to all four!