STROLLER SAFARIS at Utica Zoo
Stroll through the zoo with these monthly private programs aimed at young families with children 0-5 years of age. Each month’s program offers a new topic children can learn from through the tour, storytime, craft, and animal experience.
Summary of Program:
Stroller Safaris at Utica Zoo are monthly programs aimed at parents with young children between the ages of 0-5 years. These programs are 75 minutes in length before the zoo opens to the public from 9:00am to 10:15am monthly (Friday or Saturday each month). These are the perfect opportunity for young families to enjoy a stress-free adventure with other parents to socialize, make memories, and even learn something new at the zoo!
A Stroller Safari at Utica Zoo consists of a 30 minute mini zoo tour, storytime, an ambassador turtle/tortoise experience, a craft for children, and even a coffee cart for adults! Our stroller safaris will have different themes or topics each month that the book, mini tour, and craft are based around. Topics and activities are aimed at children aged 0-5. These programs are in collaboration with the Mom Walk Collective of Utica, NY.
To maximize experience quality, safaris will be capped at 40 child participants per safari with no cap for adults or parents who tag along. Tickets are regular zoo admission plus $5 for the safari. Babies under 2 years of age receive free admission per usual and no additional fee for the safari. Each adult and child above the age of 2 will be required to pay regular zoo admission plus the $5 for the private experience. Utica Zoo members receive free admission but are required to pay the additional $5 for the safari. Pre-booking for these experiences is highly recommended and can be completed online at the button below. The one site allows booking for each monthly safari.
Upcoming Dates & Corresponding Topics:
- August 22nd – Cockadoodle Zoo
- About: Spread your wings and join the Utica Zoo’s very first Stroller Safari, Cockadoodle Zoo! Designed for children ages 0-5 and their caregivers, this 75-minute adventure introduces young explorers to the amazing world of birds through an interactive storytime, mini zoo tour, animal ambassador experience, hands-on craft, children’s snacks, and coffee cart for adults.
- Participants will see a variety of feathered friends, including ostriches, cranes, emus, chickens, and Spirit the bald eagle, while discovering what makes birds unique, from their feathers and eggs to their beaks, wings, and incredible adaptations. Along the way, children will learn about bird sounds, colors, habitats, diets, and how birds live around the world, with a special introduction to the continents these animals call home.
- Through movement activities, sensory exploration, and art, young learners will build fine motor skills while developing an appreciation for wildlife and learning simple ways to help protect birds, such as turning off lights at night and respecting animals both at the zoo and in the wild. This fun and engaging safari is the perfect way to introduce little ones to nature, conservation, and the wonderful variety of birds that share our planet.
- September 25th – Back to ‘Schools’
- About: Kick off the new school year with a wild adventure at the zoo! During this engaging and hands-on program, children will explore how animals live, learn, and travel together by seeing fascinating species such as gibbons, spider monkeys, lions, fish, otters, and alpacas.
- Through a storytime, a mini zoo tour, an ambassador animal talk, biofacts, and an interactive animal-themed craft, participants will discover the many ways animals communicate, camouflage, find food, and care for their families.
- Along the way, children will compare mammals and fish, practice animal movements and sounds, learn why wild animals should be respected from a distance, and explore simple actions they can take to help protect wildlife. This fun-filled program encourages curiosity, conservation awareness, fine motor skill development, and a deeper appreciation for the incredible diversity of animals that share our planet.
- October 24th – Water Water Everywhere
- About: Dive into a splashing good adventure as we explore the importance of water for animals and people alike! In this interactive Stroller Safari, young explorers will see a variety of amazing animals that depend on water in different ways, including spider monkeys, fish, cranes, otters, and beavers. Through an engaging storytime, mini zoo tour, ambassador animal experience, and hands-on conservation craft, children will discover the different types of water found in nature, learn how animals use water to survive, and explore why clean water is essential for healthy ecosystems.
- Along the way, participants will practice animal movements, compare fish, birds, and mammals, learn fun facts about animal habitats and diets, and discuss simple ways they can help wildlife, from keeping waterways clean to conserving water at home. Each child will also create a wildlife watering station to take home, providing a safe place for pollinators to rest and drink while learning the importance of respecting wild animals from a distance. This fun-filled program encourages curiosity, conservation, fine motor skill development, and a deeper appreciation for the water that connects all living things.
- November 20th (weather permitting) – Old McDonald had a Zoo!
- About: E-I-E-I-O! Join us for a fun-filled Stroller Safari as we explore the wonderful world of mammals through some of the zoo’s most fascinating furry friends. Young animal lovers will see camels, donkeys, zebu, cavies, and sheep while discovering what makes a mammal a mammal, from warm bodies and hair to the ways they care for their young. Through an interactive storytime, mini zoo tour, ambassador animal experience, and hands-on craft, participants will learn how humans and mammals have worked together throughout history for transportation, farming, clothing, and companionship.
- Along the way, children will practice animal sounds and movements, learn where different mammals live around the world, discover what they eat, and explore how their unique colors and adaptations help them survive. Participants will even have the opportunity to safely interact with animal biofacts and learn why some animals can be touched while others should be admired from a respectful distance. This engaging program encourages curiosity, fine motor skill development, and a deeper appreciation for the role animals play in our lives while inspiring young conservationists to take simple actions, such as saving energy at home, to help protect wildlife and the environment.
