Earlier this month we went to the zoo with some friends. Yes, another zoo! (There isn't one really big zoo around here, but there are five zoos in this state and another one in the nearest neighboring state. We have a membership to two of the bigger zoos here.)
The zoo had recently redone the children's area, which we hadn't yet seen.
Matt and his friend looking at the red panda, or is the red panda looking at them?
Matt looking at the muntjac in the red panda exhibit
The children's zoo encompasses a newly redone duck pond, too.
Matt watching the ducks swim and dive
Luckily the weather was warm enough for the giraffes to be out.
Andy looking at the baby giraffe, born just three days after he was
We then headed into the tropical forest exhibit.
The gorillas giving Andy a lookover
Matt examining fish in between jumps
Another thing this zoo has added is a massive playground. (When Jon and I were in college, this particular zoo was on the verge of closing due to financial difficulties, but it has really turned itself around since then. The major renovations and additions to the children's areas are huge improvements.) This was Matt's first time on this playground, and it was a big overwhelming.
Climbing up a play structure
Spinning the car's wheels
Playing the xylophone
Spinning gears with his friend
Tracing the Braille alphabet and numbers
Matt found a slide he liked, though. (His favorite thing to do a playground right now is run around with friends. But his second favorite thing is climb up to do the slide and repeat.)
It was a big one (but not the biggest there)!
Whee!
Andy found a lot to watch as his big brother and his buddy played.
Andy and me (thanks to our friends for this photo and others!)
We stopped in the bird house before heading home with some very tired kiddos (and parents and grandparents, too).
The new red panda exhibit is fantastic. The poor thing used to be in a little cage back in some bamboo, tucked behind a building and hardly visible. Now she's front and center.
The children's zoo encompasses a newly redone duck pond, too.
Luckily the weather was warm enough for the giraffes to be out.
We then headed into the tropical forest exhibit.
Another thing this zoo has added is a massive playground. (When Jon and I were in college, this particular zoo was on the verge of closing due to financial difficulties, but it has really turned itself around since then. The major renovations and additions to the children's areas are huge improvements.) This was Matt's first time on this playground, and it was a big overwhelming.
Matt found a slide he liked, though. (His favorite thing to do a playground right now is run around with friends. But his second favorite thing is climb up to do the slide and repeat.)
Andy found a lot to watch as his big brother and his buddy played.
We stopped in the bird house before heading home with some very tired kiddos (and parents and grandparents, too).
Looking at (and smelling!) the flamingos
Examining the blue-tongued skink
