Welcome
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Scroll down for a complete listing of all Education Programs.
 
ZOO TROOP
Learning and growing is fun at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden! These 4 week series encourages the development of important skills and values that will allow your child to interact with peers while fostering knowledge and respect for wildlife and wild places. Through age appropriate, skill and wonder-building hands-on activities, close encounters with animals, Zoo hikes, and child-led projects, children learn biological concepts and become curious to explore the world around them and find their own answers. Come to Zoo Troop, where children can let their imagination run wild!

New skills and experiences are learned in each 4-week Zoo Troop series. Newcomers are welcome to sign up for each new series.

Please note: The Zoo cannot prorate Zoo Troop fees and gift certificates will not be issued for missed classes. Participants who withdraw from Zoo Troop will receive a gift certificate which never expires and may be used for any Zoo camps or classes.
Toddlers: Beastly Behaviors
Regular Price: $80.00
Member Price: $65.00
Hop like a bunny, creep like a caterpillar, fly like a bat, animals sure do move their bodies in a lot of different ways! During the course of this four-week series, we'll explore the different ways that animals move around their home! With dramatic play, songs, animal visitors, and hikes into the Zoo, participants will not only learn about animals, but will also work on their gross and fine motor skills and social skills in a fun environment with their peers.

IMPORTANT: We require adults accompanying their children to classes to wear masks to be in compliance with the governor's guidelines. Please plan for one adult to stay with your child during in-person and virtual classes.

Capacity: 10 children, 10 adults
Toddlers: What Shape Is Your Home?
Regular Price: $80.00
Member Price: $65.00
Does a robin's nest look like a circle? Does a tree trunk look like a rectangle? What better way to learn how we can discover shapes than by learning with animals. Bring them to this four-week series to learn how we can discover shapes while we learn about animals! Join us to learn about animal homes while we move around the Zoo, meet animals in the classroom and act like an animal with our friends.

IMPORTANT: We require adults accompanying their children to classes to wear masks to be in compliance with the governor's guidelines. Please plan for one adult to stay with your child during in-person and virtual classes.

Capacity: 10 children, 10 adults
Pre-K: At Home In The Cold
Regular Price: $80.00
Member Price: $65.00
Do you like to play outside when it's cold or snowy? So do some of our Zoo animals! Join us as we journey through the Zoo to identify our cold weather warriors, the animals with the best adaptations to keep warm, even though the harshest cold temperatures.

IMPORTANT: We require adults accompanying their children to classes to wear masks to be in compliance with the governor's guidelines. Please plan for one adult to stay with your child during in-person and virtual classes. 

Capacity: 10 children, 10 adults
Pre-K: Feelin' Hot Hot Hot
Regular Price: $80.00
Member Price: $65.00
Scorching sun, dry heat, no shade - wait, what?! We might run the opposite way, but some animals can take the heat! Join us in this four-week series as we discover how some animals can survive the hottest temperatures on the planet!

IMPORTANT: We require adults accompanying their children to classes to wear masks to be in compliance with the governor's guidelines. Please plan for one adult to stay with your child during in-person and virtual classes. 

Capacity: 10 children, 10 adults
Kindergarten: My Home Is A...
Regular Price: $85.00
Member Price: $70.00
Pack your bags and join us for a journey around the world! From the freezing arctic to tropical rainforests, different animals call different places "home." During this four-week series, we'll take hikes in the Zoo, meet special animal friends, and play games that will help us learn about the diverse and exciting habitats that animals call home.

IMPORTANT: Parents are encouraged to allow their children to experience these classes independently.  We require children attending class to wear masks during animal demonstration to be in compliance with the governor's guidelines.

Capacity: 12 children
Kindergarten: I Sleep In A...
Regular Price: $85.00
Member Price: $70.00
Do you sleep in a nest like a cockatoo or do you burrow down in the dirt like an armadillo to stay safe and warm? Many animals sleep in unique places! During this four- week series, we'll play games, hike through the Zoo, and meet some new animal friends as we discover where different animals like to sleep and what sorts of material they use for shelter.

IMPORTANT: Parents are encouraged to allow their children to experience these classes independently.  We require children attending class to wear masks during animal demonstration to be in compliance with the governor's guidelines.

Capacity: 12 children
1st-2nd Grade: Livin' Off The Land
Regular Price: $85.00
Member Price: $70.00
Can you picture an elephant climbing a tree? Some animals are made for life on the ground. Join us in this four-week journey to figure out what animals are best suited for terrestrial life! Discover these ground dwelling critters by meeting some animals in the classroom and out in the Zoo!

IMPORTANT: Parents are encouraged to allow their children to experience these classes independently.  We require children attending class to wear masks to be in compliance with the governor's guidelines. 

Capacity: 12 children
1st-2nd Grade: Who Lives In The Water?
Regular Price: $85.00
Member Price: $70.00
Who has flippers, fins, tails, or webbed feet? All of these body parts seem perfect for moving through water! Join us as we investigate how some animals live the aquatic life! In each class, we will explore aquatic animals around the Zoo, challenge ourselves with classroom activities and experience up close animal encounters.

IMPORTANT: Parents are encouraged to allow their children to experience these classes independently.  We require children attending class to wear masks to be in compliance with the governor's guidelines. 

Capacity: 12 children
3rd-4th Grade: Globetrotting
Regular Price: $90.00
Member Price: $75.00
From the giraffes of Africa to the komodo dragons of Asia, and the leaf-cutter ants of Central and South America to the river otters of North America, this intercontinental journey will take us all over the globe. Join us for this four--week series where we'll travel from north to south and east to west as we explore the wildlife that calls each continent home.

IMPORTANT: We require children attending class to wear masks to be in compliance with the governor's guidelines.

Capacity: 12 children
3rd-4th Grade: Island Inhabitants
Regular Price: $90.00
Member Price: $75.00
Islands are very special places. Split from the mainland by water, over time, they become home to some unique animals and habitats. Come island-hop with us through this four-week series as we travel from the Galapagos to Madagascar to Sumatra (to name a few) to learn about the animals that are found only in these special ecosystems and the ways scientists are working to protect these amazing places.

IMPORTANT: We require children attending class to wear masks to be in compliance with the governor's guidelines.

Capacity: 12 children
5th-6th Grade: Backyard Biologist
Regular Price: $90.00
Member Price: $75.00
Animals leave many signs behind when they live in or pass through a place. Their call, their footsteps, a nest spot and even their scat can tell us a lot about who they are and how they spend their time. Plants also have clues to tell us what they are and about the habitat in which they live. During this four--week class, we will learn to look for the signs that help us identify local plant and animal wildlife and what we can do to be good stewards to our own backyard wildlife.

IMPORTANT: We require children attending class to wear masks to be in compliance with the governor's guidelines.

Capacity: 12 children
5th-6th Grade: Animal Architects
Regular Price: $90.00
Member Price: $75.00
From tree-eating elephants to mound-building insects, animals change, mold, and shape their world with the homes they build and the food they eat. During this four-week series, we will learn about the original architects of this world and how the things they build or destroy help them survive and impact their habitat.

IMPORTANT: We require children attending class to wear masks to be in compliance with the governor's guidelines.

Capacity: 12 children
7th-8th Grade: Most Extreme Habitats
Regular Price: $90.00
Member Price: $75.00
Polar, arid, harsh, and extreme are words that can describe some of the most seemingly inhospitable places, yet nature finds a way! From the tops of treacherous mountains to the middle of scorching deserts, some animals are adapted to not just survive, but thrive in some of the most extreme habitats on Earth. During this four-week series, we will do some in-depth investigations of these habitats and learn about the lengths that animals will go to, to make them their homes.

IMPORTANT: We require children attending class to wear masks to be in compliance with the governor's guidelines.

​Capacity: 12 children
7th-8th Grade: Sharing Spaces And Common Places
Regular Price: $90.00
Member Price: $75.00
Humans and animals share habitat in places as close as our backyard and as far away as the savannahs of Kenya. With such close proximity, conflict can arise, but so can coexistence. During this four-week series, we will explore the ways we have found a balance, and the wildlife and cultures that have benefited from these successes.

IMPORTANT: We require children attending class to wear masks to be in compliance with the governor's guidelines.

​Capacity: 12 children
 
VIRTUAL ZOO TROOP
Join us online for Virtual Zoo Troop
These 4 week series encourage the development of important skills, values, and knowledge, all done through virtual video conferencing live at the Zoo! Virtual Zoo Troop offers an online experience with a knowledgable Zoo Educator delivering age appropriate online activities, close encounters with animals, and Zoo hikes. These programs seek to foster knowledge and respect for wildlife and wild places, and encourage kids to become more curious about the world around them, teaching them the tools to find their own answers. Join Virtual Zoo Troop, where children can let their imaginations run wild!

New skills and experiences are learned in each 4-week Zoo Troop series. Newcomers are welcome to sign up for each new series. Each class is live but is recorded. If you can't join the live class you can always catch up later.

Please Note: You need an internet connection and a device (computer, smartphone or tablet) to access the online platform. Programs are live and occur at prescheduled dates and times but are recorded for later viewing. The Zoo cannot provide technical support before or during the program. A link to our Virtual Zoo Troop Portal and a password to access will be located on your ticket. The portal is accessible for approximately 1 week before and after the Zoo Troop series.
PreK-K: At Home In The Cold
Regular Price: $85.00
Member Price: $70.00
Do you like to play outside when it's cold or snowy? So do some of our Zoo animals! Join us as we journey through the Zoo to identify our cold weather warriors, the animals with the best adaptations to keep warm, even though the harshest cold temperatures.

 
Session Fridays: Fri, Jan 8, 2021 - Fri, Jan 29, 2021 11:00AM - 12:00PM AVAILABLE
PreK-K: Feelin' Hot Hot Hot
Regular Price: $85.00
Member Price: $70.00
Scorching sun, dry heat, no shade - wait, what?! We might run the opposite way, but some animals can take the heat! Join us in this four-week series as we discover how some animals can survive the hottest temperatures on the planet!
 
Session Fridays: Fri, Feb 19, 2021 - Fri, Mar 12, 2021 11:00AM - 12:00PM AVAILABLE
Media Release Agreement
By participating in a Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden program, all participants grant the Zoo permission to use and publish photographs, video, or audio, written statements and/or verbal interviews from participants. The Zoo is allowed all rights, title, and interest in the finished work and may transfer or broadcast the same to any individual, business, TV, radio station, or print media.

If you are not able to tune in during the live program we are recording the classes. If you would like a recording of the class please email us (education@cincinnatizoo.org) and we will share that class recording. Because these are recorded it's important you are
 
ZOO TROOP T-SHIRTS
Zoo Troop Shirts (optional)
Price: $15.00
If your child is participating in Zoo Troop and you would like to purchase a Zoo Troop T-Shirt for your child, please do it here. Your child will recieve the shirt on the first day of class.
 
WINTER CAMPS
Boredom Busters and Backyard Buddies 2 Day Camp
Regular Price: $115.00
Member Price: $100.00

Some animals live at the Zoo all of the time and some are wild visitors just stopping by to find the things they need to survive. During this camp, we will learn how to help keep our resident animals' brains and bodies busy during this colder time of year when, just like us, they can’t spend as much time outside. We’ll also learn about how we can support the Zoo’s wild animal neighbors during this cold time of year and use that knowledge to help us be good neighbors to the wildlife around our own homes this winter. Be sure to brrrrring weather appropriate gear because we are going to be taking hikes through the Zoo as well as meeting animals up-close in our classroom during this interactive and hands-on 2-day camp.



This is a 2 day camp, 9:00am-4:00pm.
No Before or After Care available.
Cold Weather Critters and Winter Warriors 4 Day
Regular Price: $215.00
Member Price: $200.00
4 Year Olds – 2nd Grade
Cold Weather Critters
Brr-rr-rrr, get out the gloves, jackets and hats, winter is coming! Good thing many animals have built-in cold weather gear!  Join us for this adventure as we meet cold weather animals face-to-face through animal encounters, hike to animal habitats, and discover the local wildlife that can tough out the harsh cold, just like we can!
 
3rd-8th Grade
Winter Warriors and Fair-Weather Friends
Some animals are equipped to tough out the cold and snow while others migrate or hibernate to avoid the winter weather altogether. Whether they stay or go, these animals’ bodies are adapted to survive the long chill, sleep, or journey that comes with this time of year. During this fun, hands-on program, we will investigate our own cold-weather adaptations with Zoo hikes, compare our adaptation to those of other animals with up-close encounters, and use games and other activities to have fun exploring together.


This is a 4 day camp, 9:00am-4:00pm.
No Before or After Care available.
 
FAMILY PROGRAMS
These family-oriented programs explore wildlife through animal demonstrations and hikes though the Zoo as well as crafts or games in a manner that is sure to be fun for all ages. Please note that at least one adult must be registered with each family group. Children under 2 years old are free.

Please note: Refunds will be given only if the Zoo cancels a class.
The Zoo Gourmet
Regular Price: $13.00
Member Price: $9.00
Food is a huge part of celebrating holidays! At the Zoo, our animals feast year-round on carefully planned diets. Join us for a holiday food frenzy and learn how we feed thousands of animals every day. Through a game, a visit from an Education animal ambassador, and a behind the scenes tour of the Zoo's commissary, we'll learn about why different animals eat different foods, how the Zoo manages its many menus.

IMPORTANT: All participants 6 years old and older must wear a mask during the program. One adult must register per family group. Children under 2 years old do not need a ticket.
 
GIVE THE ZOO TO KIDS IN NEED
Support Low Income Students Visiting The Zoo
 
Donate today and support low income students visiting the zoo.

The Living Classroom Education Access Fund began in 2012. Since that time the fund has brought 60,000 low-income children and their teachers to the Zoo for a free, fun, standards-aligned daytime or overnight field trip.You can give EVERY child the opportunity to be inspired by wildlife everyday and enjoy the essential Cincinnatian experince of visiting this top zoo.

An entire grade of young people can visit the zoo for $1000.00
Provide a zoo experience to a bus full of students for $500.00
Send an entire classroom to the Zoo for $250.00
Any donation amount could help! Please donate today.

Learn more about the Living Classroom Education Fund here- http://cincinnatizoo.org/lceaf/
 
EDUCATION GIFT CERTIFICATES
Zoo Education Programs make a perfect gift. You can even redeem your Education Gift Certificate online! When making a purchase online with an Education Gift Certificate select the Gift Certificate option in the payment screen and enter the barcode number.
$10.00 Education Gift Certificate
Price: $10.00
Gift Certificates only redeemable for Zoo Education Programs.
$50.00 Education Gift Certificate
Price: $50.00
Gift Certificates only redeemable for Zoo Education Programs.
$100.00 Education Gift Certificate
Price: $100.00
Gift Certificates only redeemable for Zoo Education Programs.
$225.00 Education Gift Certificate
Price: $225.00
Gift Certificates only redeemable for Zoo Education Programs.
$250.00 Education Gift Certificate
Price: $250.00
Perfect for Summer Camp!
Gift Certificates only redeemable for Zoo Education Programs.
 
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