We watched the lorikeets at Wild Wheels on Thursday
If I asked you to list the age groups that our education programs target, you’d probably think of school-age kids, maybe preschoolers, possibly even adults. But do you realize that we also offer programs for infants and toddlers?
I know, you’re probably thinking, “Really? Infants and toddlers?” but the answer is a resounding yes. During the school year we offer a program called Wild Wheels, for kids up to age 3 and an accompanying adult. Based on our attendance, it is definitely a popular program.
We all take turns teaching our classes, and I taught Wild Wheels this week. We talked about animals that live in trees, specifically hornbills, howler monkeys, tamarins, clouded leopards, and fruit bats. For each program we tour the zoo, looking at the animals that fit the day’s theme and interacting with biofacts like feathers, skulls, and puppets. We finish up in the BEC, with books and toys and a live animal to touch. This week we met a dove up close and personal.
We cover each topic for a week, once on Tuesdays and once on Thursdays. As Wild Wheels is a program you can register for on the day you attend, I never know how many to expect until we start. On Tuesday, I had 11 adults and 13 kids, but on Friday I only had 3 and 3. It is very different, teaching 24 vs 6! It is a fun class no matter how many we have and the kids seem to enjoy it. Of course, how much they get out of it depends a lot on how old they are, but smiling babies and laughing toddlers are clearly enjoying themselves. The adults usually enjoy themselves, too!
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