Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden®

Home of the world famous hippo Fiona. Family friendly Zoo committed to inspiring visitors with wildlife and saving species.

education program
zoo troop
zoo troop kids with penguin
zoo troop
zoo troop
zoo troop
zoo troop
zoo troop
zoo troop
zoo troop
Virtual Zoo Troop
We are now offering new Virtual Zoo Troop programs online! All in-person education programs are temporarily suspended.

These 4 week long, age-appropriate classes for toddlers through 8th graders are designed to develop curiosity, create empathy, encourage healthy social skills, and grow self esteem. Participants will be immersed in fun, educational, wildlife rich experiences designed to develop knowledge and life skills.

Toddler and PreK participants must participate with an adult to enjoy all the action.  To encourage independence, Kindergartners and older are not accompanied by adults and for in-person programs they are dropped off before and picked up after each adventure!  Join the club and hang with the Troop!

Virtual Zoo Troop

Hang With The Troop From Home!

zootrooptoddlersFor Toddlers (18-36 months old)

Cost: Members: $49 / Non-Members: $60 (An adult must accompany child online. No charge for accompanying adult.)

Register Here!
All Animals Great and Small

Our world has animals, big and small, that call it home. From a tiny tadpole to a giant giraffe, animals come in all shapes and sizes! Come to this four-week series where you and your child will virtually explore the Zoo to discover the itty bitty insects, the gentle giants, and everything in between! Each week we will discover these animals through virtual animal encounters and personal guided hikes through the Zoo!

Steps
1. Discover the words we use to describe animal sizes.
2. Identify animals, small to large, around the Zoo.
3. Explore the sizes of animals we can find in our backyard.
4. Meet virtual friends and share our world together.

Purpose
When I have finished this Zoo Troop adventure, I will have discovered animals of all sizes and how to share our world with them.

Dates
Join us online every Saturday for 4 weeks
May 9, 16, 23, 30: 9am-9:45am

zootroppprekFor Pre-Kindergarteners (ages 3-4 years old)

Cost: Members: $49 / Non-Members: $60 (An adult must accompany child. No charge for accompanying adult.)

Register Here!
Backyard Buddies

From rabbits hopping around during the day to skunks scurrying around at night, have you ever wondered what creatures live just outside your door? Throughout this Zoo Troop journey, we will learn how to explore our own backyards to find our animal neighbors! Each week we will meet animals up close in our virtual classroom and out in the Zoo as we learn how to share our spaces with them!

Steps
1. Discover what it means to be a “native” animal.
2. Learn how native animals use local habitats.
3. Discover what native wildlife calls the Zoo home.
4. Meet virtual friends and learn to share our space with native wildlife.

Purpose
When I have finished this Zoo Troop adventure, I will have learned how to find native animals and how to share our world with them.

Dates
Join us online every Saturday for 4 weeks
May 9, 16, 23, 30: 11am-11:45am

zootroopkindFor Kindergartners

Cost: Members: $53 / Non-Members: $64

Register Here!
Home Sweet Home

Explore the continent that we call home. From sea to shining sea, North America is filled with unique places for us to live. Animals have found ways to call this land home too! During this 4-week series, we’ll take a road trip from coast to coast through playful activities, Zoo hikes, and live animal encounters in our virtual classroom.

Steps
1. Explore the different habitats found across North America.
2. Discover the diversity of animals that call North America home.
3. Instill wonder & respect for native wildlife and shared spaces.
4. Have fun and learn new skills at home!

Purpose
When I’ve finished this Zoo Troop adventure, I will have discovered how important North American habitats are to both native animals and us.

Dates
Join us online every Friday for 4 weeks
May 8, 15, 22, 29: 3:30pm-4:30pm

zootrop1or3For 1st-2nd Graders

Cost: Members: $53 / Non-Members: $64

Register Here!
Native Neighbors

What do bees, bears, bobcats and beavers all have in common besides the letter “B”? They all live pretty close to you and me! Some of the world’s coolest critters can be found in your own backyard. During this 4-week series, we’ll take an in-depth look at a few of North America’s most exciting inhabitants through observation-based activities, Zoo hikes, and live animal encounters in our virtual classroom.

Steps
1. Gain knowledge about native species.
2. Compare and share what makes native wildlife similar to us and to each other.
3. Learn to explore creative thoughts through observations, projects, and activities.
4. Build upon communication and teamwork skills by working together through virtual polls and chat box features.

Purpose
When I’ve finished this Zoo Troop series, I will have developed my observation skills and used them to explore the lives of some of our favorite North American wildlife.

Dates
Join us online every Monday for 4 weeks
May 4, 11, 18, 25: 3:30pm-4:30pm

zootropfirstFor 3rd-4th Graders

Cost: Members: $57 / Non-Members: $68

Register Here!
Who’s Awake?

Day shift, night shift, in between shift, animals have adapted their activity levels to share space with each other. In this four-week series, we will explore nocturnal, diurnal, crepuscular and cathemeral lifestyles, the adaptations that go with each, and how native wildlife utilize these activity strategies to reduce competition for resources in shared habitats. Each week in our virtual classroom will have new and exciting encounters with our ambassador animals and the animals we see on our Zoo hikes.

Steps
1. Learn to use scientific words to describe the times when animals are active.
2. Learn the adaptations required to be successful when active at different times of day.
3. Hone our nature observation skills.
4. Discover how our actions can affect our local wildlife.


Purpose
When I finish this Zoo Troop adventure, I will have developed my observational skills and used them to discover and compare the adaptations of animals’ that interact with their world at different times of day.

Dates
Join us online every Thursday for 4 weeks
May 7, 14, 21, 28: 3:30pm-4:30pm

six8For 5th-6th Graders

Cost: Members: $57/ Non-Members: $68

Register Here!
Eco-Explorer

Tracks, scat, skulls, nests, scratch marks, calls, scent marks, and more. Animals are not always easy to see and, sometimes, neither is the evidence they leave behind. With virtual weekly investigations focusing on the different ways animals leave clues, we’ll work on honing our own observational skills and learn to use those clues to identify the animals they belong to, even when we cannot spy them.

Steps
1. Learn to use scientific words to describe the evidence of animal presence.
2. Explore the methods used by forensic zoologists.
3. Uncover the secrets of wildlife living in your own backyard.
4. Discover how our actions can affect our local wildlife.

Purpose
When I finish this Zoo Troop adventure, I will have developed my observational skills and used them to discover and compare evidence animals leave behind and use this information to identify them.

Dates
Join us online every Tuesday for 4 weeks
May 5, 12, 19, 26: 3:30pm-4:30pm

3For 7th-8th Graders

Cost: Members: $57 / Non-Members: $68

Register Here!
Naturalist Notebook

Learning to be a naturalist is all about honing your observation skills. During this four-week series, we will focus on using inquiry and participatory learning to observe, ask questions, and uncover some cool information about our native wildlife. After we have practiced and honed our inquiry skills, this virtual class will culminate in encouraging family, friends, and neighbors to help us with a citizen science project!

Steps
1. Learn about how a naturalist makes observations.
2. Hone our skills at creating comparative questions about the animals we are observing.
3. Learn more about how native wildlife behave and interact with their habitat.
4. Learn about the importance of citizen science.
5. Make new friends and interact digitally with them and the instructor.
6. Find creative ways to help native wildlife that shares our spaces.

Purpose
When I finish this Zoo Troop adventure, I will have developed my inquiry and observational skills, built confidence in my skills as a scientist, and discovered how I can use them to learn more about the wildlife that sharing our continent.

Dates
Join us online every Wednesday for 4 weeks
May 6, 13, 20, 27: 3:30pm-4:30pm
css.php
en English
en Englishes Spanishne Nepaliuz Uzbekfr Frenchar Arabiczh-CN Chinese (Simplified)nl Dutchde Germanit Italianpt Portugueseru Russian