More Fun at the Zoo

Now that you’ve planned your trip to the zoo and printed out pictures to take with you, think for a moment about how long to stay.

Houston is such a large city that many families will drive for at least 45 minutes just to get there. Children will enjoy the experience more if they are not rushed once they get to the zoo. Let your child guide you about how long to stay at each exhibit, when to have lunch and when to go home.

Don’t try to see all exhibits in one day. That is too much information for a child to take in and the experience may end on a less-than-positive note if you try.

What may seem like aimless wandering to an adult is fun and educational for a child. Just the sensorial experiences of feeling the wind blow or smelling the flowers in bloom or feeling the different surfaces on which he is walking can be interesting to a child. Encouraging your child to spend as much time as she wants at any one exhibit will foster concentration, confidence and the ability to make choices.