Here are some helpful (and incredibly easy) tips for ensuring a great day at the zoo with your under-one tot!
1- Go LEFT
This trick works for any public place. Most people naturally turn right. Instead, turn LEFT when you first enter the zoo. It might feel wrong, but it will be worth it. You’ll have smaller crowds that don’t linger as long because so many people have kids crash and/or meltdown before they ever get there. Speaking of crowds, if you want to get an animal away from a crowd and closer to you, use your baby as “baby bait”. Just hold your baby up Lion King style to the window and wait for the animal to come to you. This works especially well for primates.
2-Think Like a Baby
Remember, nearly everything in the world is novel for your infant. They don’t know an endangered species from a common house cat. The “big name” exhibits often come with long lines and crowded windows. Skip all that. Pass by the giant python and go a few windows down to look at the turtles or toads. Re-frame your idea of interesting by reminding yourself how your baby sees the world – with their senses. They might be far more interested in the wood in the cage than the giant snake. That’s fantastic!
3- Pack Simple
Every time I go to the zoo, I see more and more mommies wearing their babies. If you have a good baby carrier, I HIGHLY recommend using it. If it is really hot, put a damp cooling cloth (usually sold for exercising) between you and the baby to prevent heat rash. I still bring my stroller, but I really only use the stroller to cart around my diaper bag and a drink while I wear the baby. Only bring the basics: sun protection, diapers, water, and whatever you need for feeding the baby.
4- Eat, Drink, Poop, Repeat
Your baby eats every few hours, so stop at one of my favorite nursing/feeding spots:
Reptiles and Amphibians: it is air conditioned, dark, and has a little bench in the first room.
Tiger Trek: also air conditioned, but the windows make it pretty bright and can make you feel a bit exposed. This spot is awesome when the Tigers are further away and no one lingers. It’s far less attractive (for feeding) when kids are screaming (it echoes) and clamoring to get to the windows because the cats are up close and personal.
Penguin Cove: it may be outside, but it has a long bench, full shade, and the added bonus of some very calming wave crashing noises. Be sure to track your little one’s growth by having them take a picture on the way out every few months.
Otters: I may be biased, since these are my favorite animals, but this spot comes complete with shade, a bench, and a lot of entertainment.
*You’ll be tempted by the Gorilla or Chimpanzee/ Orangutan exhibits (since they are both air conditioned), but these are normally bustling, bright, and the front row benches are great for viewing but not ideal for out-of-the-way feedings.
My favorite diaper change spots are the Beastro and the Koch Gorilla exhibit. Both are air conditioned and I’ve always found them to be clean.
5- Don’t be Super Mommy
You don’t need to see the whole zoo every time you go. If you have a membership, you can go as many times as you want without paying each time and feeling like you have to get your “money’s worth.” If you try to do it all, you’ll wear you and your baby out. Despite the name, I brought my little one to the zoo almost twenty times before we ever stepped foot into the Children’s Farms. I knew it would be busy, a little stinky, and much more exciting when he was a toddler. I was right.
Don’t try to get a picture with every single animal. While we’re on it, really think about if you want pictures of just animals. Have you ever looked back on pictures of zoo trips and thought, “Man, I sure am glad I have this picture of a giraffe?” No, but you probably love the pictures of you with dated clothes, crazy hair, grinning with a gap toothed smile at your very favorite animal. Sure, grab one or two selfies, but focus on enjoying the experience at YOUR pace.
We also offer a room in the Cargill Learning Center for nursing moms to use as needed. Just stop by the front desk at the CLC and ask if the room is available! – Sedgwick County Zoo