Safety of course has to come first and we’ve put lots in place to ensure social distancing around the zoo, but that doesn’t mean that a family visit can’t also be playful, help children learn and support everyone’s wellbeing.
In fact, we believe these things are more important now than ever, so we’ve put together some top tips and special resources to help you get the most out of a visit.
TURN A TRIP TO THE ZOO INTO A PLAYFUL ADVENTURE
Play is really important to us, we believe a playful visit is a good visit.
Some of the usual places to play are closed for now, but there are still lots of opportunities to fill your zoo visit with playfulness. Here are some useful links for being playfully Chester Zoo, before, during and after your visit.
Before you visit, at home or even in the car on the way, why not see if you can complete our Animal Alphabet Activity
Or get prepared by seeing how many animal themed jokes you can think of.
Here’s one of our favourites to get you started:
What happens to a frog’s car when it breaks down?
It goes toad away!
We’ve designed an activity sheet especially to give families lots of inspiration for playful activities and challenges to complete during a visit to the zoo.
Take a look at our: Playful Adventures at Chester Zoo
The Chester Zoo themed play doesn’t need to stop when you get home. We’ve lots of games on our website in the PLAY! section or on our resources pages.
Why not challenge your family to a round of the Meerkat Sentry Survival Game.
Who in your household can make the best meerkat noises?
Or how about finding out which is the biggest of the big cats with our Top Cat Card Game
If you enjoyed the animal impressions challenge in the Playful Adventures activity sheet, you might also enjoy our Chimp Facial Expression Game
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR AWESOME ANIMALS
You’ll learn lots by simply watching animals and reading some of the signs around the zoo, but when there are so many amazing facts to discover it can be hard to cram it all into one visit.
Here are our top tips for turning a visit to the zoo into a learning adventure.
Before you visit why not find out more about some of the animals you might see during your visit. Our selection of animal fact files and recorded keeper talks are a great place to start.
Take a look at our: Animal Fact Files and Virtual Zoo Days
If you’re feeling inspired by our keeper talks, you could have a go at designing your own animal talk with our Create your own Animal Talk
You could even bring it with you to practice at the zoo.
To help you collect some great animal facts during your visit, why not download our Explorer Trail
Please take care to maintain 2 metre social distancing when looking for your trail answers or practicing animal talks at the zoo.
We’re sure a visit will inspire you to find out even more about some of the amazing species we care for at the zoo. When you’ve done your research why not turn it into something creative.
Here are some of our top learning at home resources you could use to share what you’ve learnt.
Create a comic book all about an endangered animal and featuring your own conservation superhero.
Download our: Create an Endangered Animal Comic Book
Design your own zoo, complete with tickets and a map showing where the habitats of all your favourite animals are.
Try our: Design your own zoo!
Or, our Chester Zoo Writing Sheet is perfect for any writing inspired by a visit to the zoo and the animals you saw.
Download our: Chester Zoo Writing Sheet
LOOK AFTER FAMILY WELLBEING
These are undoubtedly stressful times for many of us and taking care of our wellbeing is really important. Play and learning can both contribute to our wellbeing, but here are a few extra resources to help you get some more wellbeing benefits from a trip to the zoo.
Connecting with nature is proven to support human wellbeing, so spending time immersed in our 128 acres of zoological gardens and watching our animals going about their days is a really good start. Walking around the zoo is also great for keeping active – another way to support our own wellbeing.
Our mindfulness trail is full of ideas to make your visit a little more wellbeing focused, as well as lots of fun.
Download: Mindful Moves at Chester Zoo
There is lots you can do at home using our resources too.
For a little animal themed mindfulness why not try some of our beautiful: Colouring Sheets
Get closer to the nature in your garden or in a green space near you with our Garden Bird’s Spotter’s Guide
Learn about beautiful songbirds and enjoy something crafty with our Origami Songbird Collection
Take notice of some of the great natural materials around you and do something creative with our:
How to Create a Nature Rubbing [VIDEO]
We’d love to see your art, writing, animal talks and playful antics at the zoo.
Share with us on Twitter @LearnatCZ.