Education
Paw Prints

Get Tickets   
kidZone 

Carousel

Dora & Diego's 4-D Adventure

Acacia Station Giraffe Deck

Cool Pets

 

You are here: Home : Education : kidZone

kidZone

 kidZone  

Open March 29 - October 31
Hours 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 

kids jumping at kidZone

Protect the earth for tomorrow by playing in nature today! 

Join the N.C. Zoo and its education division in the movement to reconnect children with nature. kidZone is the perfect place to start. Here children and families alike can connect with the natural world through play. Building forts, digging in the garden and drawing with chalk are just a few of the activities in our play spaces. kidZone is not an animal exhibit area.

Note to parents: Children may get dirty and want to spend lots of time playing.

Live animal presentations Thursday through Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at the kidZone "Front Porch".  This is not an animal exhibit area.

Learn more about connecting children and nature with these resources:

Children and Nature

NC Children and Nature 

 

Tips for Using kidZone During Your Visit

kidZone can engage children quickly, so take a look at the tips below...

*kidZone closes at 4:30 p.m.

 

Summer Pre-School Programs

Help your little ones learn more about wild animals in our pre-school programs.

Family Fun Days

Join us once a month to make your mark in kidZone as a family. Learn more about the activities and how to get involved.

kidZone kritters Browse Garden

kidZone gardening with kids

The browse garden grows vegetables to help enrich the lives of many zoo animals. Keep an eye on the garden just outside the entrance to kidZone. When the garden is open, join in and lend a hand in weeding, harvesting and other activities to care for the garden. If you would like a thirty minute program on gardening for a group of 15 or less,
e-mail.

Learn more about Play Leader training

Playful Pedagogy, part of NC Zoo's Education Division, offers professional development opportunities for practitioners working in children's learning and play environments. The Play Leader seminars are two day intensive workshops that focus on play theories, play's role in a child's development and the importance of the adult in service of playing children. The activities and discussions will give participants a chance to share experiences, learn new skills and generate ideas to bring back to their programs.