This June, the Bronx Zoo is excited to celebrate the opening of the long-anticipated Children’s Zoo. This treasured exhibit places an emphasis on getting kids outside and involved with nature. For most kids, this the first time they encounter wild animals. New species range from giant anteaters to sloths and the world’s smallest deer. There is a terrific domestic petting zoo and as part of the celebration there will be a recycled children’s garden.
How Do You Make Your Garden Grow children’s garden, presented by FarmON! Foundation will be by the Mouse House exhibit and will offer tons of kid-friendly events taking place every weekend. The fun started with the grand re-opening of the Children’s Zoo on Saturday, May 30 with a visit by Peppa Pig and continues with lots of other veggie-friendly activities at the children’s zoo and in the garden this month. Don’t miss the special Father’s Day weekend celebration! Starting June 8th, the garden will be open daily with all sorts of fun activities. Keep reading for details on what Bronx Zoo has to offer and check bronxzoo.com/events for more information.
June 6-7:
Meet Your Farmer – Seed & Soil
- Get dirty and learn how to make your garden grow at the Bronx Zoo’s dig station.
- Common Ground Farm will present Eat a Rainbow a hands-on discussion about why it’s important to eat a variety of colors and foods, with examples and samples.
- Join a special butter churning demonstration and discussion on how dairy milk is transformed into cheese
- Join the Green Bronx Machine as they celebrate urban framing and lean about innovative ways to farm in the city
June 13-14:
From Kitchen to Compost – Composting: Food Waste
- McEnroe Organic Farm helps families learn the basics of composting their meal leftovers.
- Meet the soil’s best friend, the earthworm, in a fun and informative activity. Also, enjoy storytime with Professor Snail and his friends and explore a worm composting bin.
- Join the Green Bronx Machine and learn how to grow your own soil and create a small worm box.
Father’s Day weekend/June 20-21
Celebrating All-Star Dads: Healthy Food & Recipes
- Eat Local NY presents a fermentation workshop and talks about pickling and fermentation
- French Culinary Institute chef, Lisa Witkowski presents healthy, seasonal recipes from the garden and shows kids how to utilize nutrition-packed ingredients for on-the-go fun snacks.
- Interactive Farm games! Have fun with dad by testing your skills at America’s favorite farm yard competition including a bean bag toss and cornhole
- Super Sprowtz will be onsite. Meet Roger and Colby Carrot on June 20 at 12:00-1:00pm and 2:00-3:00pm.
June 27-28:
Celebrating Pollinators
- Bee storytime from favorite author Lela Nargi
- Fancy some honey? The zoo will host honey tastings from Eat Local and explain the importance of pollinators
- Play Pollinatorpalooza! Children can find their inner bee, butterfly, or hummingbird as they learn the language of the bee to get their job done. They’ll also learn simple ways to help these special animals in their very own neighborhood and become official Pollinator Protectors.
Every weekend in June will also include hands-on activities to celebrate the opening of the Bronx Zoo Children’s Zoo with craft projects at the Dancing Crane Pavilion and Re-Usable the Musical which is a one-of-a-kind show, where a young girl named Kazumi takes a musical journey to learn about protecting our animals in the wild with actions we take at home. This show teaches kids how to protect the planet using the five Rs: Refuse, Reuse, Reduce, Recycle, and a very special and important R: Remember. This show occurs in the Asia Theater at 12:30, 1:15, 2:00, 2:45, & 3:30.
Here are a couple of fun, easy and educational at-home gardening projects to try out with the little ones:
Kitchen Scrap Gardening – http://www.kidsgardening.org/node/101582
Planting a Window Box – http://www.garden.org/howtos/index.php?q=show&id=1279
I am a WCS Zoo Crew Ambassador and receive a complimentary family premium membership and exclusive opportunities for my participation.
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