A little while ago zoo trips used to be the most favourite thing that a family would indulge in. With electronic gadgets raiding our lives, making us more sedentary, and day-to-day activities taking the front seat, most families find the task of going to the zoo rather long and tiring. But if they look from a child’s perspective, who has never or rarely seen a live animal before, this long and tiring trip will be worth every second. Nothing excites children like watching animals at a zoo.

Also, apart from being a time-pass, a zoo visit can offer many learning benefits. It is a trip that can be planned any day of the year and is bound to bring family and friends together. Children benefit the most from a zoo trip. Apart from watching wild animals in their natural habitat, there is more they take home from this trip. Here are a handful of advantages that a zoo trip can provide for a family and, specially, children.

Family bonding: For working parents a zoo trip can be the much-needed opportunity to bond and spend quality time with their children. The moment a zoo trip is planned your children’s face will light up like a bulb. They won’t be just excited to see the animals but also look forward to spend some time with the people they love the most.

Environmental awareness: A zoo is a place where environment finds real care and nurture. When children visit a zoo they learn and realise the importance of environmental awareness and its impact on people’s lives. It helps them become better, kinder and play a role in its conservation.

Pollution-free outing: As our cities are getting more polluted, a zoo is a place where one can breathe peacefully without hurting the lungs. It is a place filled with green landscapes and trees that even taking a walk makes you feel calm from the inside. It’s an outing in the lap of nature that not everyone is lucky enough to enjoy.

Physical activity: The vast structure of a zoo allows children to explore its various areas on their own. To make the most of their surroundings, they walk, run, and climb trees. The sheer energy they have is remarkably great and they know how to make the most of it. Regular zoo trips will ensure that your children get the dose of physical activity they need to grow healthy and strong.

Language development: A zoo trip can also be very helpful for your child’s language development. Every animal you visit or see must be talked about. Start a dialogue with your children. Tell them what a particular animal is called and what it does. Answer their questions and satiate their curiosity about their favourite animals. This will help them sharpen their comprehension skills and enhance their vocabulary.

Academic knowledge: A zoo is the perfect place to observe nature and animals at their best. Even if you don’t have a healthy conversation with your children, they still learn a lot by just looking and roaming around. Since they will read about nature and animals in school, the knowledge they gather at the zoo will help them understand things better.

Petting experience: The zoo is the only place where children can get the experience of petting wild animals. Petting will enable the children to actually feel close to the animal. A simple touch will teach them a lot and give them an incredible experience that they will never forget.

These are just a handful of benefits you and your children will reap on a trip to the zoo. The more trips you plan the more benefits you get. Also, it is important to stay close to nature and the things it created much before humans. So when it comes to plan a zoo trip, don’t think twice to mark a date on the calendar. It will never fail to bring out the inner child in you.