DIY Zoo Activity Guide

We are members of a little zoo in Atascadero, California named Charles Paddock Zoo. The zoo is quite small. So small in fact that recent visits lasted around 15 minutes as my children blew by all the exhibits without so much as glancing at the animals. They've seen them plenty of times, but I wanted them to really take a look at each individual animal. I also wanted to make the trip to the zoo last a little longer and add some more interaction. I decided to make a booklet featuring animals specific to the ones at Charles Paddock Zoo.

 
The book tasks my kids to match the animal they are looking at to the one in the book by identifying it by look and name. Turns out they both loved it! My six year old was able to visually identify the animals, learn to read their names, count how many where present and check off that she found it. My two year old colored over the image of the animal when he matched it. In the end our zoo trip was extended and the kids got a fun new activity to do.

 

Want to print your own zoo activity booklet? Download a pdf of the one I created for the Charles Paddock Zoo to take with you the next time you visit. Add extra pages, or addtional tasks for your kids to do to make it fun and creative.

Download

To download click on the pdf icon. First print the odd pages only. Put the cover (page 1) aside. Flip the remaining pages over and print the even pages on the back side of the odd pages. Stack the pages and fold in half to create a booklet. Add the cover to the outside. Staple along the fold to hold the pages together. The pdf is 3 MB so be patient downloading.