Home Safari Resources

Wild Art

Did you know that little blue penguins are the smallest species of penguins? Like other penguins, little blue penguins are designed to swim, not fly. They spend the day searching for small fish in the shallow waters close to shore. The Cincinnati Zoo has the largest colony of little penguins outside of their native home in Australia and New Zealand! Our new habitat features an eye to eye view with our little penguins. We encourage you to create your very own little penguin craft using supplies you have at home. You can even craft up a tasty treat for your penguin, their favorite food is a savory fish!

We want to see your little blue penguin craft, so please upload your photos or videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected]. We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

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Wild Art

As you watch Isla, make note of all the colors, shapes, and textures that you see on each part of her body. Does her tail look the same as her nose? How do her feet compare to her tongue? Next use whatever supplies you have available to re-create Isla at home! Try getting Isla just right, and then try making other silly versions of Isla out of your pure imagination. Looking for more to add to your creation? How about her favorite foods or her exploring her habitat? What supplies do you have at home that could really show off her shapes?

We want to see your creations, so please upload your photos or videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected]. We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

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Rhino Headband

Black rhinos have not one, but two horns that adorn the top of their heads. The word rhinoceros comes from the Greek words “rhino” for nose and “ceros” for horn. This tough headwear helps the rhino to defend its territory against other rhinos. We’d like for you to create your own horn out of recycled materials. Use an old brown paper bag or scrap paper to make a headband. Then cut out a large triangle or cone, decorate it and glue it to your headband. Add a second horn or two ears if you’d like. Now practice crashing about like a black rhino.

We want to see your creations, so please upload your photos or videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected]. We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

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Habitat Diorama

Prehensile-tailed porcupines spend much of their time in the canopy of the South American rainforest, munching on leaves, flowers and bark. Close your eyes and imagine what this habitat might look like. All habitats, no matter where in the world they are, must be able to provide an animal with enough food, shelter, water and space for survival. We’d like to challenge you to create your own porcupine habitat diorama using a shoe box and items around your house or outdoor spaces. Make sure your creation has everything a porcupine needs to live a happy and healthy life.
We want to see your creations, so please upload your photos or videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected]. We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

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Wallaby Safari
Joeys (or baby wallabies) can hang out in their mama’s pouch for up to 9 months. This safe, cozy space is kind of like a wallaby stroller. They can hop out and explore, but when they get tired and want to take a nap or eat, they retreat back into the pouch! We would like you to make your own wallaby pouch to use in a game of wallaby toss. You’ll need some scrap paper, glue and scissors to create your very own wallaby. Once you have created your own wallaby, find a small cup and attach it to your wallaby. Now you just need some items to “toss” into your wallaby target. This could be anything you have around in your house (pom poms, rolled up paper balls, paper clips, or whatever is small enough to fit in the cup). Start a competition with your friends or family and see who has the best toss.

We want to see your wallaby toss craft, so please upload your photos or videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected]We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Saturday, September 19^th is International Red Panda Day! You can celebrate these unique mammals by learning more about them through watching today’s Home Safari. Challenge your friends or family to see who knows Red Pandas best by completing our Red Panda Crossword Puzzle! Click here to learn more about how the Cincinnati Zoo is helping Red Panadas.

We want to see your Red Panda Crossword Puzzle, so please upload your photos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected]. We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Kissable Fiona Face

Who doesn’t want a kiss from Fiona? We encourage you to make your very own “kissable” Fiona with recycled materials. Use a toilet tube roll and scrap paper  to make your very own Fiona. Have extra materials? Make a “bloat” or a group of hippos including our very own mama hippo, Bibi!

We want to see you giving a kiss to your very own, so please upload your photos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected]. We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

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Cheetah and Dog BFFs

Kris and Remus have been paired together for an important purpose. Believe it or not, a pup can be a perfect playmate for a cheetah cub. Dogs can communicate with cheetahs in a way humans simply cannot. They can jump, run and nibble at each other and it’s all still fun and games. There’s no doubt that this makes Remus Kris’s best friend! We would like you to use our Wild Writing worksheet to share some stories with us about your best friend! How are you and your best friend the same or different than Kris and Remus?

We want to see your responses, so please share with us on Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected]. We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

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Sock Sloth Claws

The two-toed sloth spends most of its time hanging upside down by its four-inch long, curved claws. We’d like you to find an old pair of socks to create your own pair of sloth claws! Use construction paper, fabric, or recycled cardboard to create two claws to glue, staple or sew to the toes of each sock. Now wear the socks on your hands and practice moving slowly like a sloth!

We want to see your sock sloth claws, so please upload your photos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected]. We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

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Recycled Ocean Art

Our brand new African Penguin Point habitat highlights the importance of reducing the use, reusing and recycling single use plastics in a very creative way! Many colorful bottle caps were used to create a mural of our African penguins to show off the important role we have in keeping the ocean clean for wild penguins to eat, sleep and play in! We’d like you to identify your favorite ocean animal and use recycled materials (bottles, plastic bags, etc.) to recreate that animal swimming, hunting or splashing around in the water.

We want to see your ocean art, so please upload your photos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected]. We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

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Giraffe – Count With Us!

As the tallest animals in the world, giraffes have a clear view of their surroundings on the African savanna. With excellent eyesight, they often detect predators and threats from a greater distance than do other animals. Giraffes also use their extended reach to forage on leaves inaccessible to all other savanna dwellers except elephants. We’d like you to use our Giraffe-Count With Us worksheet to build your own giraffe while practicing your counting skills.

We want to see your counting creations, so please upload your photos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Fiona Kiss + The Graduate

Don’t miss this special Facebook Live presented by Graduate Cincinnati where you see Fiona create her famous kiss paintings!

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Sabu Stomp

Did you know that when an elephant stomps its feet it creates a seismic waves in the ground that can travel nearly 20 miles along the Earth’s surface? These waves can be felt through the feet of nearby elephants communicating to them that danger is near.

We want you to test your ability to interpret vibrations! Use any recycled materials you have at home to create wearable elephant feet (scrap paper, coffee cans, tissue boxes etc.) Pick the beat of a song to stomp out. Grab a friend and see if they can guess what song you are trying to stomp out by listening to your beat.

We want to see your Sabu Stomps! Upload photos and videos of your elephant feet to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post int in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected]. We may share your activity with our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

If you love our Home Safaris, consider signing up for our in-person summer camps.

Aye-Aye

Did you know Aye-aye’s are some of the only primates thought to use echolocation to find prey? Echolocation is the process of using reflected SOUND to locate an object. In this exercise, you will be testing your own sense of sound! Find a bag or a box and decorate it however you want! Once it’s all decorated, have a friend, relative, or caregiver fill the box/bag with something from around your house- but don’t let them tell you what is inside! Shake the box or bag and try to use your sense of SOUND to guess the mystery object(s)!

Let us know if you can figure it out! Upload your sound bags/boxes to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post int in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected]. We may share your activity with our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.”

If you love our Home Safaris, consider signing up for our in-person summer camps.

Fennec Fox and Large-Spotted Genet

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Quiz

After watching our Home Safari, take this quiz and be entered to win 4 tickets to the Cincinnati Zoo!

If you love our Home Safaris, consider signing up for our virtual or in-person summer camps.

Vultures

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Wild Art

Hearing about the vulture’s eating habits might not paint the prettiest picture, but we think Bubba is beautiful! Vultures play a crucial role in many ecosystems by cleaning up deceased animals and stopping the spread of disease. What textures, colors and shapes do you observe during our vulture Home Safari? We want you to recreate what you see using whatever materials you have at home. What objects can you use to make the curve of the vulture’s long neck (paper towel roll, pipe cleaners, socks)? What about the necklace of fluffy feathers around it’s bare head (toilet paper, tissue paper, leaves)? Try getting it  just right, and then try making other silly versions of the vulture out of your pure imagination.

We want to see your masterpieces, so please upload your artwork to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Red Panda

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Habitat Diorama

The tree-dwelling, bamboo munching, red panda lives in the mountain forests of Asia. Close your eyes and imagine what this habitat must look like. All habitats, no matter where in the world they are, must be able to provide an animal with enough food, shelter, water and space for survival. At our zoo, you will see that our red pandas have enough food, water and places to sleep and play. We’d like to challenge you to create your own red panda habitat diorama using a shoe box and items around your house or outdoor spaces. Make sure your creation has everything a red panda needs to live a happy and healthy life.

We want to see your creations, so please upload your photos or videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

If you love our Home Safaris, consider signing up for our virtual or in-person summer camps.

Brown Mountain Tortoise

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Tortoise Crossword Puzzle

Tortoise puzzle!

Burmese brown mountain tortoises are experts at camouflaging in the dense tropical forests of Southeast Asia. Can you take what you’ve learned during our Home Safari to help us uncover the important words hidden in our Tortoise Crossword Puzzle?

We want to see your completed puzzles so please upload your photos and videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your photos or videos on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

If you enjoy our Home Safaris consider signing up for Virtual Zoo Summer Camp.

Sloths

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Sloth Craft

Sloths spend a lot of time hanging around the rainforest. The sloth hangs upside down on tree branches by its four-inch long, curved claws. We’d like you to make your own hanging sloth craft by cutting out the shape of a sloth, decorating it, and adding clothespins to its feet! If you don’t have clothespins at home, try using pipe cleaners. Don’t forget to decorate your sloth to look just like Moe and Lightning. Now attach your sloth upside down to the couch, curtain or other silly places in your indoor and outdoor spaces.

We want to see your sloths hanging around at home, so please upload your photos or videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].

Ring-Tailed Lemur

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Lemur Ring Toss

A ring-tailed lemur’s famously black and white striped tail helps it to keep its balance while it leaps through the forest. The pattern is a visual cue that helps these playful, social primates find each other in the dense trees. Find the closest social (human) primate, and invite them to play a game of lemur ring toss! First you will need to create a ring-tailed lemur tail using an old paper towel tube. Next, you will need to decorate it by painting it white with black stripes. Now, recycle an old paper plate, piece of scrap paper or cardboard to cut out giant rings. Now you’re ready to play! One person should have the rings, while the other stands at a distance with the tail. Toss the rings one by one, the objective being to catch the rings on the tail without the rings hitting the floor. Are you getting really good? Try standing farther apart or having a time limit on how fast you must toss the rings.

Activity by Ranger Rick.

We want to see you playing lemur ring toss at home, so please upload your photos or videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website. Sign up for our new virtual summer camp! All Zoo Camps are age-appropriate and are guaranteed to be a WILD time.

If you enjoy our Home Safaris consider signing up for Virtual Zoo Summer Camp.

Sand Cat / Black Footed Cat

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Cat Matching Game

Can you identify the differences between some of the world’s wild cats? Play a game to match the cat with its description. Print out our worksheet and cut out all of the squares. Once they are cut, shuffle them around and place them facedown on a table. Flip over two squares at a time. You get a match when the image of the cat matches the description shown! Make sure to remember where you last saw each cat so that when you find the description, you’ll remember. Play by yourself for speed or play with others.

Make sure you tell us which cat is YOUR favorite. Please upload your photos or videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected]. We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

If you enjoy our Home Safaris consider signing up for Virtual Zoo Summer Camp.

Parrot

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Wild Art

ACTIVITY 1- Parrot Coloring Page

Parrots come in many different shapes, sizes and colors! Try finding the right shades to color in our thick-billed parrot coloring page.

ACTIVITY 2- Flexible Feet

Parrots use their strong beak to help break open hard foods like seeds and nuts, but they also use their feet a lot while eating! Parrots can stand on one foot while holding and eating food with their other foot. How dexterous are you with your own feet? Can you try to be like the parrots you see in our Home Safari and pick up items from the ground using only your feet? Use household items like stuffed animals, rocks, or crayons to test your skills!

We want to see you working on parrot related activities at home, so please upload your photos and videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

If you enjoy our Home Safaris consider signing up for Virtual Zoo Summer Camp.

Alpaca & llama 

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Wild Art

Llamas and alpaca are known for their thick woolly mops of hair. Observe our llama and alpaca Home Safari and recreate the unique shapes, textures and colors that you see from their heads to their toes! Use any materials you have at home to create a body with a long neck, face and ears (cardboard, construction paper, toilet paper tubes, etc). Now don’t forget about all that fur (cotton balls, pom poms, crinkled tissue paper)! Try decorating to get the patterns of the wool just right, and then try making other silly versions out of your pure imagination.

We want to see your masterpieces, so please upload your artwork to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Baby Wallaby 

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Wallaby Pouch

Do you see a joey peeking out of it’s mom’s pouch in our Home Safari? We’d like you to make your own wallaby pouch! The itty bitty joey must stay inside the warm, safe pouch for several months. Take a paper plate and fold it in half. Staple or tape the edges so that it creates a secure pouch! You could also use construction paper or a brown paper bag. Next, take two pieces of string and attach to each side so that you can tie the pouch around your waste. Now grab your favorite stuffed animal and tuck it inside for a ride. Hop around like a wallaby to lull your joey to sleep.

Baby Armadillo 

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Act Like an Armadillo

Armadillos are known for their hardened skin used for defense. Did you also know that despite that heavy armor, the armadillo can be quick and nimble? Baby armadillos can be curious and playful, too. We want to get you up and moving by challenging you to act like an armadillo! Try out these armadillo exercises at home in your inside or outdoor space. Do as many times as you can until you’re worn out and need an armadillo nap.

Tip-toe

Armadillos have long claws that they walk on like stilts! This would be tricky for us, but for them they are still able to move quickly.  Try walking as fast as you can on your tippy-toes.

Roll Up

Armadillos use their armored plates for protection against predators. Pretend you have armadillo armor and roll up into a ball by tucking your arms, head and legs into the center of your body.

Dig

Those claws are made for digging! Stand up and pretend your fingers are armadillo claws. Bend over and “Dig”  near your feet like you’re digging in the dirt. Pretend to “dig” high up in the air above your head like you’re underground.

Sniff & Slurp

Armadillos dig in the dirt to find bugs to eat. They use their long powerful snout to sniff out the location of worms, beetles, ants and termites. Then they use their sticky tongue to slurp them up as quickly as they can. For this armadillo exercise, get down on all fours.  Pretend to sniff to the left, sniff to the right, forwards and backwards. Then do a little spin!

We want to see you doing armadillo exercises, so please upload videos and photos of you acting like an armadillo at home to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

If you enjoy our Home Safaris consider signing up for Virtual Zoo Summer Camp.

Flamingo 

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DIY Flamingo Mud Nest

Take a closer look at the nests you see in our flamingo Home Safari. These nests may not look like what you see in trees —they’re made of mud instead of twigs and leaves. Flamingo mud mounds must be tall enough to protect the egg from flooding. Make your own Flamingo Mud Nest with this easy DIY air dry clay recipe using everyday household materials:

• ½ Cup Cornstarch
• 4 oz. White Glue
• 2 oz. Olive Oil
• 1 oz. Lemon Juice

Mix all the ingredients together and microwave them for 30 seconds. Remove, stir, and microwave for another 30 seconds. Stir until doughy. Now you can place on parchment paper with extra cornstarch and begin playing with your dough! Mound it together to make a mud nest just like our flamingos. Decorate with paint and maybe even add your own flamingo and a single large egg.

We want to see your mud mounds, so please upload your photos and videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Sign up for our new virtual summer camp! All Zoo Camps are age-appropriate and are guaranteed to be a WILD time.

Meerkats

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Meerkat Finger Painting

Meerkat mobs can be as small as 3 or as large as 50 meerkats! Create your own meerkat mob with your family by dipping your thumbs or fingers in paint and leaving your prints on a piece of paper! Each fingerprint can be the body of an adorable meerkat. Be sure to give each member of the mob a face and feet, and then fill in the background with a habitat for them to live in and food to eat.

If you share your meerkat masterpieces you will be entered to win one of the meerkat paintings made during the Home Safari. Please upload your photos or videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected]  We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Aardwolf

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At Home Activity

ACTIVITY 1- Quiz

After observing our aardwolf, take this quiz and be entered to win 4 tickets to the Cincinnati Zoo!

ACTIVITY 2- Aardwolf Snack Challenge

Using their long tongues and peg-like molars, aardwolves can slurp up and chomp down on 200,000 or more insects in one night. That is nearly 500 insects every minute! How do you think you compare to an aardwolf? Try taking the Aardwolf Snack Challenge! What will you snack on instead of insects? Try cheerios, berries, goldfish, etc. Set out your snack on a plate and use your tongue only to collect your food. Be sure to be safe and chew your food well before swallowing!

We want to hear if you took the Aardwolf Snack Challenge, so please upload your photos or videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Zebras

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What’s Different? Spot the Stripes!

Can you spot the difference in our zebra’s stripes? As distinctive as a fingerprint, every zebra has a unique pattern of stripes. These stripes are a form of camouflage that confuse predators and biting bugs. Download our Spot The Stripes worksheet and see if you can spot which zebra is different.

We want to see your completed zebra worksheets, so please upload your photos and videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Alligator Snapping Turtle

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WILD ART

Turtles and tortoises carry protection on their back wherever they go! Observe our alligator snapping turtle Home Safari and recreate the unique shapes, textures and colors that you see on its shell. Use any materials you have at home to create a strong shell (egg cartons, cardboard, rocks, etc.) for your turtle. Now don’t forget about the legs and head (pom poms, bottle caps, pipe cleaners, sticks, stones, etc.)! Try decorating to get the patterns on the shell just right, and then try making other silly versions out of your pure imagination.

We want to see your masterpieces, so please upload your artwork to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Kris and Remus

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Dynamic Duo Craft

Kris and Remus are unlikely, but great, friends! The animal world is full of unlikely but very important relationships. We’d like you to do your research at home to learn about some of nature’s other unlikely friendships. Our example is of the clownfish and the anemone. When you’ve identified your dynamic duo, use whatever materials you have at home to recreate their important friendship.

We want to see your Dynamic Duos, so please upload your pictures and videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Sign up for our new virtual summer camp! All Zoo Camps are age-appropriate and are guaranteed to be a WILD time.

Bat-eared Fox

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At Home Activity

ACTIVITY 1- Quiz

Arctic Fox

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Changing Colors Craft

In the winter, the Arctic fox has white fur to blend in with the snow, but during the spring the fox sheds its winter coat to reveal another color underneath! It’s time to create your own Arctic fox with changing fur using these steps:

1. Use our fox template to trace your own Arctic fox on a paper plate or piece of scrap paper. Cut out the fox to create a silhouette.
2. Take a second paper plate or piece of scrap paper and paint half of it white, and half of it brown or gray.
3. After it dries, place the painted plate under the plate with your fox silhouette. Stick a brad, pin or paperclip through the middles and spin the top plate to watch your fox change colors!
4. If you’re feeling creative, make your fox turn any color of the rainbow by adding more colors to the bottom paper plate.

We want to see your new fox friend, so please upload your artwork to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your photos or videos on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Giraffe

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Giraffe Greeting Card

This year the Cincinnati Zoo is bringing the babies to you via social media throughout the month of May! We have adorable baby giraffes for you to see in action during our Home Safari, as well as two fabulous giraffe moms. We’d like to invite you to create a belated Mother’s Day card for our giraffe moms, Tessa and Cece, or any other greeting card of your choosing to send well wishes to our giraffe family or giraffe care staff. Perhaps a “We can’t wait to see you soon” card!

We want to see your giraffe greeting cards, so please upload to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories, our website, and most certainly with our giraffes!

Mail can also  be sent to:

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

3400 Vine St.

Cincinnati, Ohio 45220

Sign up for our new virtual summer camp! All Zoo Camps are age-appropriate and are guaranteed to be a WILD time.

Rhinoceros Hornbill

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Origami Rhinoceros Hornbill

You can make your own origami finger puppet that looks just like Terri, our rhinoceros hornbill. You will need paper, coloring utensils, scissors, and glue or tape. Follow these step-by-step folding instructions by Red Ted Art.

Did you know that rhinoceros hornbills get their name from the large casque on the top of their beak that looks a lot like a rhino’s horn? They use this casque to help their calls echo through the rainforest. Be sure to add a casque like Terri’s to your creation by drawing the shape on a separate piece of paper, decorating it, and gluing it to the beak. Now your hornbill is ready to eat fruit!

We want to see your rhinoceros hornbill, so please upload your artwork to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Porcupine

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Paper Plate Porcupine

It’s time to make your very own Quilliam at home using a paper plate. First take your paper plate and cut it in half for the porcupine body. Use scrap paper to cut a triangle for the head and squares for the feet. Did you know the cape porcupine gets its name from the white bristles around its neck, like a cape? You can create this at home too by making cuts all along the edge of the paper plate to make strips that look like bristles. Some of those hairs, called quills, are very long and sharp and are used for protection against predators. What do you have at home that you could turn into those long quills? Try long strips of paper, toothpicks or sticks and stick to the back of your porcupine!
We want to see your paper plate porcupines, so please upload your photos or videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Sign up for our new virtual summer camp! All Zoo Camps are age-appropriate and are guaranteed to be a WILD time.

Reptile House Tour

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Habitat Scavenger Hunt

Grab a pencil and piece of paper and go outside! Write down, draw or take photos of things you find that reptiles or amphibians could use for food, shelter, water or space. If you don’t find anything, consider starting a brush pile and then monitor it to discover new wildlife. Check out our habitat worksheet for examples. You are on your way to becoming a true Herpetologist!

We want to see where you think reptiles or amphibians could live, so please upload your photos or videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Gorilla

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Gorilla Bank

Western lowland gorillas are considered critically endangered, with habitat loss being a contributing factor to their population decline. The Cincinnati Zoo has partnered with Nouabale-Ndoki National Park for gorilla conservation. You can help gorilla conservation too! Decorate a jar to collect change to donate to a conservation organization working to protect gorillas. This can be a jar you have laying around the house, or you can find one to repurpose, such as a jelly or a pickle jar! You can use paint or glue 3-D objects to the jar to make it however you want! Decorate the jar so that when you look at it, you think of helping endangered species!

We want to see your masterpieces! Please upload your photos or videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected]. We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website. “

Sign up for our new virtual summer camp 

Tiger

Get your own cuddly tiger on the Zoo’s online shop

Wild Art

Malayan tigers are famous for their orange fur with black stripes! Use whatever supplies you have available to recreate the tiger’s striped pattern (paint, rubberbands, tape, etc). How can you mimic the shapes, colors and textures of the tiger’s tremendous tail, powerful paws and white whiskers? Try getting it  just right, and then try making other silly versions of the tiger out of your pure imagination.

We want to see your masterpieces, so please upload your artwork to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to[email protected].  We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Schedule a Frisch’s Zoo on the Move where the Zoo comes to you. You can partner with a Cincinnati Zoo instructor and create a masterpiece from a not-so “still life” observation.

Tamandua

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At Home Activity

ACTIVITY 1 – Quiz

After observing our tamandua, take this quiz and be entered to win 4 tickets to the Cincinnati Zoo!

Activity 2- Tamandua Word Search

Tamandua use their long snouts to sniff out termites and ants in the tropical rainforests of South America. Download our tamandua word search to uncover key tamandua vocabulary words from our Home Safari!

Learn about our all new virtual summer camp 

Leaf Tailed Gecko

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Leaf Tailed Gecko Craft

Leaf tailed geckos are incredible at camouflaging in their environment to stay safe and find food on the island of Madagascar. We want to see if you can create a gecko that blends in perfectly with your house or yard! Print out our leaf tailed gecko template onto a piece of paper. Look around your house or yard and choose an object (i.e. couch, wall, tree, bush) to make your gecko camouflage against. Get out your coloring supplies and get to work! See if you can have a grown up or sibling find the hidden gecko.

We want to see your gecko camouflaged in your house or yard, so please upload your photos or videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Consider signing up for virtual Summer Camp. All Zoo Camps are age-appropriate and are guaranteed to be a WILD time.

African Painted Dogs

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Painted Dog Valley is Sponsored by US Bank

Painted Dog Mosaic

A painted dog relies heavily on its pack, and each member is uniquely outfitted in a patchwork of yellow, red, brown, black and white fur. This helps the expert hunters to remain hidden as they track down large prey like antelope and wildebeests. We’d like you to take a piece of paper and glue different pieces of paper bags, tissue paper, scrap paper or whatever you have at home on it to create a mosaic that mimics a painted dog’s fur. Next, attach your artwork to the back of your shirt with a paperclip or safety pin. Now go outside and see if it helps your blend into your surroundings. Make a painted dog mosaic for your whole family and show us your painted dog pack at home!

We want to see your painted dog mosaics, so please upload your artwork to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Register for our new virtual zoo camp.

CREW

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Saving Species Poster

CREW saves species through their research at the Zoo and you can too. Research your favorite endangered animal and then make a poster to share what you’ve learned. What does that animal need to survive in their environment? How can people help these animals? Use any materials you have at home (paper, cardboard, markers, paint, or chalk, etc.) to create your poster. An incredibly important part of the scientific process is sharing your findings with others. Who can you share your research with?

We want to see your saving species posters, so please upload your work to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Bearcat

We just added our first ever bearcat stuffed animal in our online store.

Popcorn Bearcat Craft

Did you know bearcats have a long tail, long whiskers, rounded ears, and…smell like a fresh batch of buttered popcorn? You can use popcorn to craft your own binturong at home. This can be done by drawing Lucille and laying popcorn on the paper, making yummy popcorn ball treats, or any way you can imagine to include popcorn in your creation. Your bearcat now smells just like Lucille and you get to eat any leftover popcorn!

We want to see your popcorn binturongs, so please upload your artwork to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to[email protected].  We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Join the Troop by registering for our new Virtual Zoo Troop! https://cincinnatizoo.org/education/camps-classes-zoo-troop/zootroop/

Insects

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At Home Activity

Baby bugs can be crawly, wiggly and itty-bitty too! While watching our Home Safari, we want you to use our wild writing worksheet to use your own words to describe the animals that you meet. Be sure to include any fun facts that you learned along the way.

We want to see your completed worksheets, so please upload your photos or videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to  [email protected]atizoo.org. We may share your posts on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Bongo

Check out our new puzzles on our online shop. 

At Home Activities

ACTIVITY 1 – Quiz

After observing our bongo, take this quiz and be entered to win 4 tickets to the Cincinnati Zoo!

ACTIVITY 2 – Bongo Word Search

The shy and well camouflaged bongo does an incredible job staying hidden in the dense montane forests of Central Africa. Download our bongo word search to uncover key bongo vocabulary words from our Home Safari!

Ostrich

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Ostrich Egg Craft

Ostrich eggs are the largest egg in the world. They can weigh up to 3 pounds, which is the equivalent of 24 chicken eggs! Ostrich chicks then grow up to join the herd of the world’s largest and heaviest bird species. We’d like you to create your own ostrich chick hatching out of an egg. First, grab a large piece of paper and draw an ostrich in the middle with pencil, markers or paint. Once your beautiful work of art is finished, take a brown paper bag and cut into an egg shape. Use scissors to cut a few slits in the middle of the egg. Glue the egg over top of your ostrich to make it look like your ostrich chick is peeking out of its egg!

We want to see your ostrich eggs, so please upload your artwork to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Join the Troop by registering for our new Virtual Zoo Troop! 

Mexican Wolves

Get your own cuddly wolf made out of 16 recycled water bottles on our online store. 

Paper Food Chain

Mexican wolves are at the top of the food chain in their habitat. Wolves help their ecosystem thrive! They control the population of other animals and help keep the environment balanced. Our food chain template has 4 links in the food chain for you to decorate and cut into long paper strips. Next attach the strips together in circles to make a chain. What does the wolf need to eat in order to survive? What does that animal need to eat to survive?

We want to see your paper food chain, so please upload your photos or videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Screech Owl

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Wild Art

Be inspired by the screech owl’s colors, shapes and texture…fluffy feathers and all! Use whatever supplies you have available to re-create a screech owl at home! Do the feathers on its head look the same as on its wing? How does its beak compare to its feet? Try getting it  just right, and then try making other silly versions of the screech owl out of your pure imagination. Looking for more to add to your creation? How about making it hunt for a mouse or snuggling up in a tree? What supplies do you have at home that could really show off its texture (cotton balls, leaves, tissue paper)?

We want to see your masterpieces, so please upload your artwork to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Schedule a Frisch’s Zoo on the Move where the Zoo comes to you. You can partner with a Cincinnati Zoo instructor and create a masterpiece from a not-so “still life” observation.

Cruncher the Alligator

Check out the new puzzles in our online shop

Alligator Appetites

Did you know the mighty alligator only eats about once a week? Alligators can also go more than two years without a meal! Makes you hungry just thinking about it, right? What do you have at home that you could turn into a yummy snack shaped like an alligator? Maybe some tasty toast with alligator shaped fruit or even cupcakes decorated like alligators? Use anything you want to create your own snack inspired by alligators!

We want to see your creations, so please upload your photos or videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Japanese Giant Salamanders

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Salamander Slime

If you were to touch our Japanese giant salamanders, they would feel slimy to the touch. Salamanders have a moisture barrier on their skin to keep them from becoming too dry. When salamanders feel threatened, they can secrete an extra slimy substance to escape predators! Today, we’d like to challenge you to make our own Japanese Giant Salamander Slime. You could even try to mold your slime into an ooey gooey salamander shape.

What you will need?

• A 6oz bottle of Elmer’s Glue (Standard white or Glitter Glue)
• 1.5 TSP Baking Soda
• 1.5 TSP Contact solution (Boric Acid or Sodium Borate in the ingredients)
• Mixing owl
• Spatula or Spoon
• Optional (Glitter and Food Coloring)

Directions:

• Empty the bottle of Elmer’s Glue into a mixing bowl
• Stir in the baking soda. Mix it well.
• Add in the contact solution. Keep mixing until the slime forms. It comes together quickly, but takes a few minutes
• to fully form.
• Knead the slime with your hands to get the slime to a consistency you’re happy with.

We want to see your ooey gooey salamander slime, so please upload your photos or videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Check out our new Virtual Zoo Troop

Orangutan

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Orangutan Tool Maze

Adopt a Shelter Pet Day

Purchase your own Kris & Remus shirt!

Make Your Own Cat Toys

Clouded Leopard

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At Home Activities

ACTIVITY 1 – Quiz

Poison Dart Frog

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At Home Activity

WILD ART

A pop of bright yellow, green, blue or vivid red…the poison dart frog’s coloration is nature’s way of saying “beware”! While watching our Home Safari, take special note of the colors, textures and shapes you see on our poison dart frogs. What supplies do you have at home that could really show off the texture of an amphibian’s skin (maybe reuse foil or plastic wrap)? Next, try to recreate the black poison dart frog’s characteristic colorful hue with black spots.

We want to see your masterpieces, so please upload your artwork to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

If your kids are enjoying the Home Safari series you might be interested in our new Virtual Zoo Troop classes.  Click here to learn more. 

Lady Ross’ Turaco

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Turaco Beak

Zulu has a beautifully bright, colorful beak. What sorts of colorful food do you think she would eat while hopping from branch to branch in the canopy of the rainforest? Now we’d like for you to dress up like Zulu by creating, decorating and wearing your own turaco beak! Take a toilet tube or piece of scrap paper and fold it in or cut it on one side to fit comfortably against your face. Cut or fold in the opposite side to create a pointed shape. Decorate it bright yellow with a hint of red at the top. Your finished beak will pair nicely with the crown that you may have made a few weeks ago after watching our Home Safari on our Lady Ross’ turaco chick. Wear your crown and beak and hop around like Zulu.

We want to see you dressed up like Zulu at home, so please upload your photos and videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Consider signing up for Summer Camp. All Zoo Camps are age-appropriate and are guaranteed to be a WILD time.

Eurasian Eagle Owl

Shop our online store for more ways to stay busy at home – https://shopcincinnatizoo.com/collections/arts-crafts

At Home Activity

ACTIVITY 1 – Make a Bird Feeder out of Recycled Materials

Help out your local wildlife by reusing materials you have at home to create a bird feeder. This can be very simple, like cheerios on an old shoe lace. It can also be more intricate using sticks, paper towel rolls, a recycled milk carton or popsicle sticks coated in peanut butter, birdseed and diced fruit! Be sure to go out and collect the leftover materials after all the food is gone.

Activity Inspired by National Audubon Society

ACTIVITY 2 – Birdwatching Nature Journal

National Audubon Day is in honor of John James Audubon (1785-1851) who is best known for his attempt to paint and describe all the birds of America. His Birds of America collection consisted of 435 life-sized prints. Many of these works of art are still used today within the birding community to identify different species of birds. We would like you to create your own Nature Journal, to follow in the footsteps of Audubon! Observe birds from your window or while sitting safely outside. If you have a birdfeeder, you may see more activity. Use whatever materials you have at home (paper, pencil, crayons, marker, paint), to draw the birds you see and make note of their behavior.

Activity Inspired by GSMIT

We want to see what you’re up to at home in honor of National Audubon Day, so please upload photos or videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Little Penguins

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At Home Activity

ACTIVITY 1 – World Penguin Day Worksheet

Watch our Home Safari and then use your words to complete the Wild Writing worksheet about World Penguin Day.

ACTIVITY 2 – Go Fish!

Penguins are known for how they slowly waddle on land, but did you know they dive quickly through the water like little torpedos? We want you to practice being a penguin searching for delicious food in the water! Designate a safe play area (living room, backyard, etc.). Next, scatter around items that you can pretend are fish, krill or squid (stuffed animals, toilet tubes, rocks).  Next pretend to be a penguin diving through the water by laying on your belly and collecting as many items as you can, as quickly as you can!

We want to see your participating in penguin activities at home, so please upload your photos or videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Alligators

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Crocodilian Paper Chains

Do you know the difference between an alligator and a crocodile? Using strips of paper or whatever other materials you have at home (fabric, yarn, pipe cleaners), create loops that connect to form the body of your alligator or crocodile. Is it going to be very long like the massive Nile Crocodile or a bit smaller like our Chinese Alligator? Create a head, legs, and tail to add to the chain. Is the front of its snout going to be U-shaped like an alligator or V-shaped like a crocodile? Either way, be sure to give them a smile full of sharp teeth!

We want to see your creations, so please upload your photos or videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Consider signing up for Summer Camp. All Zoo Camps are age-appropriate and are guaranteed to be a WILD time.

Activity inspired by Happy Crafty.

Armadillos

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Tongue Craft

Armadillos have long sticky tongues that they use to slurp up their favorite food: bugs. Pretend to be an armadillo by creating your own sticky armadillo tongue. Roll a piece of paper into a long, sturdy straw-like tube. Then roll up pieces of tape and stick to the end of your armadillo tongue. Have fun decorating paper bugs on pieces of scrap paper. Now try to pick up as many paper bugs as you can with your sticky armadillo tongue!

Let us know how much fun you’re having pretending to be an armadillo by uploading your artwork to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Earth Day

For more ways to stay busy at home shop our online store.

At Home Activity 

Activity 1: Make a toad abode!  This activity is very easy and great for individuals or kids.  Simply turn a clay pot on its side and bury it halfway in the ground. Toads like the earthy floor, and you can add leaf litter for extra comfort.  It is best if you can choose a cool, damp, and shady place for your toad abode.  If you’d like you can cut a 3-inch hole in the pot to create a door.  Feel free to paint and decorate the pot however you like; the toads won’t mind! Be sure to send in photos of your toad abodes.

Activity 2: Be a Citizen Scientist

Share photos of the wildlife you see in your yard or neighborhood park with others by uploading them to the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s Home Safari Backyard Wildlife project on iNaturalist. iNaturalist is a citizen science app where people like you can upload and see photos of plants and animals that live around them. Scientists use this information to learn how wildlife populations change over time. iNaturalist can provide information on the different species in an area, and where certain species are most and least concentrated.

Participation Instructions:

Step 1. Download the free, easy-to-use iNaturalist app (www.iNaturalist.org). iNaturalist is an extensive, worldwide wildlife database that logs pictures of any plants, animals, or insects that users find. This can help determine the health of an ecosystem, what types of animals or plants are found there, and where populations are most or least concentrated.

Step 2. Create your iNaturalist account.

Step 3. Join our crew! Search for project Cincinnati Zoo Home Safari Backyard Wildlife project, and click “Join.” If you have questions about how to use the app, go here:https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/help

Step 4.  Snap photos! Go outside with your smartphone or camera and become an “Observer.” Look for any and all natural life and snap photos (“observations”) to upload into the Home Safari Backyard Wildlife project. If you know what the animal or plant is that’s great, but you don’t have to identify it.

That’s all there is to it! We hope you’ll join us in this time of social distancing and stay connected with the Cincinnati Zoo and your neighborhood wildlife!

Macaws

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Wild Art

Green wing macaws are just as colorful as their rainforest habitat. While watching our Home Safari, take special note of the colors, textures and shapes you see on Fiesta’s feathers! What supplies do you have at home that could really show off a macaw’s long colorful tail feathers (leaves, yarn, popsicle sticks)? Next, try to recreate Fiesta’s large beak cracking down on a delicious nut.

We want to see your masterpieces, so please upload your artwork to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to[email protected].  We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Schedule a Frisch’s Zoo on the Move where the Zoo comes to you. You can partner with a Cincinnati Zoo instructor and create a masterpiece from a not-so “still life” observation.

We hope you’ll come see Fiesta in person once the Zoo re-opens in our Wings of Wonder Encounter sponsored by Ameritas.

Cheetah

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At Home Activity

Activity:

ACTIVITY 1 – Quiz

After observing our cheetah, take this quiz and be entered to win 4 tickets to the Cincinnati Zoo!

ACTIVITY 2 – Run Like A Cheetah

A cheetah can sprint across a distance of 92 feet in a single second. How do you think your speed will compare to the fastest animal on land?

First, designate a safe running zone inside or outside (living room, driveway or sidewalk). Next, grab a stopwatch, cellphone or kitchen timer to clock your speed over the designated running area.

Report back to us your speed over the distance you are able to sprint on Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your photos or videos on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Join the club and hang with the Troop! Learn more about Zoo Troop (link: https://cincinnatizoo.org/education/camps-classes-zoo-troop/zootroop/).

Cougars

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Make Your Own Cougar Tracks

Animals leave their own prints behind long after they’ve passed through a habitat. These prints are called tracks. You too can leave unique prints in soft surfaces like mud, paint, or even shaving cream with your hands and feet!  Use whatever materials you have at home to make your own human track. Next, try transforming your human print into a cougar track by painting the palm of your hand only and pressing it down on a surface. Add 4 uneven cougar toes! Feeling extra creative? You can spend time creating a variety of animal tracks! Do all animal feet look the same?

We want to see your cougar tracks, so please upload your photos or videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected]. We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Consider signing up for a family overnight. Our Overnight Adventure programs put you in the middle of the zoo at night where you take a night hike and get a peek at some of the zoo’s behind-the-scenes areas.

Mini-Juliana Pigs

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Storybook Craft

Have you ever read a book or watched a movie that had a pig in it? We would love for you to write and illustrate your own storybook about our little pigs! Pigs make great characters because they are smart and full of personality.  You can make your own storybook at home by using staples, or tape to bind scrap paper together into pages. Next, fill it with pig drawings and tales of their adventures! Use any materials you have at home (paper, crayons, markers, glue, pasta, paint, mud, etc.) to bring your story to life.

We want to see your crafty storybook illustrations, so please upload your artwork to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your amazing storybook artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Consider signing up for Summer Camp. All Zoo Camps are age-appropriate and are guaranteed to be a WILD time.

Armadillo Lizard

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Armadillo Lizard Craft

The armadillo lizard gets its name because it is a lizard that curls up into a ball to protect itself from danger, like an armadillo. It does this in a very unique way: by grabbing hold of its tail in its mouth! It’s time to make your own armadillo lizard by following these steps:

1. Use our template to cut out a large circular ring (body) and a smaller oval (head).
2. Decorate the larger circular ring to look like the body of the armadillo lizard, and the smaller oval to look like the head!
3. Next, fold the head in half and cut along the lines to create two slits.
4. Then, for the body, cut the line (all the way) to create two free ends.
5. Slide one free end of the body through both slits of the head and tape closed.

We want to see your armadillo lizards at home, so please upload your artwork to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Bald Eagles

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At Home Activity

ACTIVITY 1 – Wild Writing

Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring brought to light issues bald eagles faced in the wild. Her book was extremely important to saving the species. Grab a pencil and paper and use your wild writing skills to make an impact too. Write a poem or short story encouraging humans to be kind to or support your favorite animal.

ACTIVITY 2 – Build an Eagle Aerie

An average eagle nest, called an aerie, can be 5 feet wide and 6 feet deep! We’d like you to use whatever materials you have at home to make your own life-sized eagle aerie. Head outside and use sticks or gather laundry baskets or a cardboard box in your living room to create a nest. Be sure to line it with something soft and cozy, like blankets, leaves or grass.

Activity inspired by Mother Natured

Share your wild writings or eagle aeries with us! Please upload photos or videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video or email wild writings to [email protected].  We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Otter

Purchase your own cuddly otter stuffed animal from our online shop.

Otter Paper Bag Puppet

Our otters are extremely playful. It’s time for you to create and play with your own otter at home. Try gluing our otter template to a brown paper bag or any other materials you have at home. Decorate your otter however you’d like! Don’t forget that otters are great at opening clams to get to the delicious treasure inside. Transform recycled materials into a clam (like an egg carton, bottle cap, or scrap paper). Fill your clam with any special treasure you find outside or around the house.

We want to see your otter paper bag puppet, so please upload your artwork to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your otter-ly amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Serval

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At Home Activity

ACTIVITY 1- Quiz

After observing our serval, take this quiz and be entered to win 4 tickets to the Cincinnati Zoo!

ACTIVITY 2- Serval Ears Craft

The serval uses its large ears to pinpoint prey in the tall grasses of the African savannah. We’d like to challenge you to create your own set of wearable serval ears with a paper bag, scrap paper, fabric or whatever materials you have at home. Decorate your ears with spots and stripes to look like the African serval. Practice jumping as high as you can after pretend prey.

We want to see your servals at home, so please upload your photos or videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected]zoo.org.  We may share your posts on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Consider signing up for a family overnight. Our Overnight Adventure programs put you in the middle of the zoo at night where you take a night hike and get a peek at some of the zoo’s behind-the-scenes areas.

Insects

Help support the Zoo by shopping on our online store.

Wild Art

Bugs come in all shapes and sizes! Pick your favorite bug from our Home Safari and take a close look at its shape, texture and color. Do you have any materials at home that look like the bugs you see? Go outside to find a stick for a stick insect, stems for tarantula legs or pebbles for millipede body segments! Try getting your bug just right, and then try making other silly versions out of your pure imagination. Looking for more to add to your creation? How about adding in their favorite foods or exploring its habitat? We want to see your masterpieces, so please upload your artwork to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Schedule a Frisch’s Zoo on the Move where the Zoo comes to you. You can partner with a Cincinnati Zoo instructor and create a masterpiece from a not-so “still life” observation.

Lady Ross’ Turaco

You can help support  the Zoo by shopping on our online store.

Turaco Crown

The Lady Ross’ turaco has a lot of flare. We want you to transform yourself into a turaco by creating a crown of bright red feathers. Use whatever materials you have at home (scrap paper, fabric, leaves), but be sure you color or paint the feathers bright red. Then pretend to be a turaco hopping from branch to branch.

We want to see your turacos at home, so please upload your artwork to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Consider signing up for Summer Camp. All Zoo Camps are age-appropriate and are guaranteed to be a WILD time.

Botanical Gardens

Shop on our online store for more ways to stay busy at home.

At Home Activity

ACTIVITY 1- Plant for Pollinators Challenge Presented by Simple Truth

Did you know that pollinators like bees and butterflies are responsible for 1 out of every 3 bites of our food? The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is dedicated to increasing habitat for pollinators across Greater Cincinnati. People have started to add pollinator-friendly plants to their yards and landscapes to provide vital habitat for pollinators while enjoying colorful blooms all season long. You can do it too! Whether planting just a few pots or a larger garden, you can do real conservation at home to support our pollinator friends as they do their job to keep our environment healthy.

Take our Plant for Pollinators Challenge in 3 steps:

1. Plan your garden using tips provided on our website at cincinnatizoo.org/plant-for-pollinators.
2. Choose the best plants. Over 25 years of plant studies, the Zoo has created a list of plants that grow best, look beautiful and benefit pollinators most in our region.
3. Register your garden on our website. You’ll receive a digital certificate and can order a sign for your garden. Your garden can be added to a map that shows the collective impact our community is having across Cincinnati and beyond. Together, we can make a big difference for our little friends.

ACTIVITY 2- Indoor Garden Craft

Create your own paper garden!  Use any supplies you have (construction paper, glue, toilet paper tubes, pipe cleaners) to cut out colorful flowers, butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds to make your own indoor garden. Tape the flowers on a wall or board.  For added fun, have your bees and butterflies fly from flower to flower, pollinating new plants.

Bonobo

Support the Zoo by shopping online.

Bonobo Buffet – Chalk Art

Some of the bonobos favorite foods might be tasty to you too, like a variety of fruit. We want you to head outside and draw all of your favorite fruits on the sidewalk or on your driveway with sidewalk chalk. After you’ve created a nice long pathway full of fruit, skip along the path you’ve created, trying your best to stay balanced on the fruit without falling. Pretend to be a bonobo swinging from tree to tree foraging for fruits! Of course, bonobos eat a balanced diet that also includes leaves, insects, worms and small birds. If you have an appetite for those too, include them in your masterpiece.

We want to see your chalk art, so please upload your artwork to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Consider signing up for Summer Camp. All Zoo Camps are age-appropriate and are guaranteed to be a WILD time.

Wallaby

Check out what’s new on our online shop.

At Home Activity

ACTIVITY 1- Wild Writing

Watch our Home Safari and then use your words to complete the Wild Writing worksheet about the wallaby.

ACTIVITY 2- Wallaby Hopscotch

Wallabies are known for the high hops, so get outside and play hopscotch! Grab some sidewalk chalk and draw ten squares on your driveway or sidewalk. See if you can hop from square to square like a wallaby would. Toss a marker (like a stone or stuffed animal) onto the square to decide which square to hop to. Pick up your marker along the way, holding it tight in your arms to keep it safe just like a wallaby would keep her joey safe in her pouch. Want an extra challenge? Try hopping with your legs inside a pillowcase or sleeping bag.

We want to see your completed worksheets and wallaby hopscotch games, so please upload your photos or videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your posts on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Fiona the Hippo

Check out all our Fiona merchandise including the brand new Fiona book on the Zoo’s online shop.

Fionatastic Art

Watch the video below, by the illustrator of several Fiona books, Richard Cowdry, to learn how to draw Fiona. https://youtu.be/V-eLYrc3WMo

Click here to purchase the new Fiona book by Richard Cowdrey

We want to see your Fiona drawings, so please upload photos of your art to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Win a Hippo Kiss Painting

A.D.O.P.T. any Cincinnati Zoo animal through Sat. April 11th and you’ll be entered to win a Kiss painting created by Fiona or Bibi during our Home Safari!* (All who have A.D.O.P.T.ed since March 15, 2020 will automatically be entered.) By becoming a Cincinnati Zoo A.D.O.P.T. parent, you help to provide world-class care to the animals you love!  Your support is critical now more than ever! Winners will be notified on Saturday, April 18, 2020.

African pygmy falcon

Help support the Zoo by shopping online!

At Home Activity

ACTIVITY 1- QUIZ

After observing Tanzi, take this quiz and be entered to win 4 tickets to the Cincinnati Zoo!

ACTIVITY 2- Tanzi Paper Airplane

The African pygmy falcon flits, dips and glides through the air after insects or to protect its nest from predators. It’s time for you to take to the sky by making your own paper airplane and decorating it to look like Tanzi, our African pygmy falcon.

Click here for step by step instructions on how to fold a paper airplane. Color your paper airplane with markers, crayons or paint. Remember, your Tanzi paper airplane should be light as a feather, so it is important that your decorations don’t add too much weight. Next, see how far your falcon can fly!

We want to see your Tanzi paper airplane, so please upload your photos or videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Aardvark

Look for more ways to stay busy at home on our online shop!

Aardvark Claws

Aardvarks have long shovel-like claws for digging. Why does the aardvark need  to get deep down in the dirt? Make your own set of claws to pretend to dig in the dirt to find bugs and make burrows.  Use scrap paper or whatever materials you have at home (i.e. cardboard, pipe cleaners, toilet paper rolls) to create aardvark claws. Attach a paper strap to the back and wear them over your hands.

We want to see your aardvark claws, so please upload your photos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your photos on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Komodo Dragon

You can purchase your own Komodo dragon on the zoo’s online shop.

Super Scales

The Komodo dragon has bony deposits under its skin, allowing the scales to act like armor. You can pretend to be as tough as a komodo dragon at home by creating super scales. Cut oval shapes out of scrap paper or whatever materials you have (foil, leaves, fabric). Glue or tape the scales to a piece of paper in rows. Cover the whole paper in overlapping rows of scales. Next, wrap the paper around your wrist and tape it closed to transform your arm into Hudo’s! Alternatively, you could draw a dragon on top of your sheet of super scales to make your own Hudo.

We want to see your super scales, so please upload your artwork to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Consider signing up for Summer Camp. All Zoo Camps are age-appropriate and are guaranteed to be a WILD time.

Okapi

Get your own cuddly okapi on our online shop!

At Home Activity

ACTIVITY 1 – Okapi Crossword Puzzle

Okapi are experts at camouflaging in the dense forest. Can you take what you’ve learned during our Home Safari to help us uncover the important words hidden in our Okapi Crossword Puzzle?

ACTIVITY 2 – Okapi Hide and Seek

Okapi leave their calf in a dark, cozy nest deep in the rainforest while they forage for food. In the wild, the adult’s white stripes and the baby’s smell may help them find each other. Designate one person to be the adult okapi and another to be the baby okapi. Designate a safe play area (i.e. living room or backyard). Now play a game of Hide and Seek, where the baby must hide and the adult must seek!

We want to see your completed Okapi Crossword Puzzle or you having fun playing Okapi Hide and Seek at home, so please upload your photos and videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your photos or videos on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Tamandua

Shop our online store for more ways to stay busy!

Purchase the shirt Isla’s keepers were wearing – proceeds benefit the Zoo! 

Tamandua Tail

A tamandua’s tail is prehensile and can double the length of its body! That means that the tail is used like an extra limb, able to grip on to tree branches while climbing. It’s time to show off your own tamandua tail. Take our template and trace on scrap paper, fabric or whatever materials you have at home to create a tail that is as long as you are tall. Next, decorate your tail to look like our tamandua.  When you’re done, fasten the tail to the back of your clothing, and pretend to be Isla. Be sure to stick out your tongue as far as you can and pretend to slurp up some delicious bugs.

We want to see your tamandua tails, so please upload your artwork to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to[email protected].  We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Red River Hog

Shop our online store for more ways to stay busy!

Red River Hog Mud Painting

Sir Francis and other pigs like him love to get down in the dirt. While it may be a lot of fun, rolling around in the mud also serves an important purpose. Mud baths help red river hogs stay cool and protect their skin from sun exposure. Can you help us give Sir Francis a mud bath? Use this Sir Francis coloring sheet, or any other materials you have at home. 

Next, get outside and create some mud paint. In its simplest form, this can look like gathering some dirt in a dish and adding water. Use your fingers if you’d like. If you’re able, you could mix in food coloring or tempera paint and use a paintbrush.

We want to see your Sir Francis mud paintings, so please upload your artwork to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Check out this photo of our Zoo Academy high school students meeting Sir Francis. Learn more about our Tech Program geared towards high schoolers interested in pursuing a career in wildlife conservation, or animal care.

Manatees

Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership

Pippen and Truffleshuffle, our manatees at the Cincinnati Zoo’s Manatee Springs, were both rescued from Florida waters as sick orphans, and now are being cared for by Zoo staff temporarily until they gain enough weight to be released back into the wild. They have come a long way, but there is still quite the journey ahead! Be sure to watch our Home Safari Manatees video to hear about the obstacles manatees face in the wild and what steps we take to be sure they are ready for the journey back home.

Shop our online store for more ways to stay busy!

At Home Activities

Activity 1 – Manatee Maze

Help navigate our manatees back to Florida’s waterways by completing our manatee maze. 

Activity 2 – Manatee Obstacle Course

Designate clear boundaries in your indoor or outdoor space (i.e. living room, backyard). Set up a life size obstacle course using whatever materials you have available! For safety, we recommend establishing rules about a pathway that must be followed around (or over) obstacles. Home obstacles could be things like books, toys, laundry baskets, etc. You can pretend to be a manatee headed back to warm wild waters, or you could pretend to be a manatee rescuer by carrying a “manatee” (i.e. stuffed animal, manatee drawing) to safety.

We want to see your completed Manatee Maze or you having fun creating a Manatee Rescue Obstacle course at home, so please upload your photos and videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your photos or videos on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Meerkats

Support the Zoo purchase your own cuddly meerkat on the zoo’s online shop.

At Home Activities

Activity 1- QUIZ

After observing our meerkats, take this quiz and be entered to win 4 tickets to the Cincinnati Zoo!

Activity 2 – Meerkat Shuffle

Meerkats rely on teamwork to stay safe from predators. They do this by staying close together in a group called a Meerkat Mob. Designate one person to be a Lookout and the rest as members of the Meerkat Mob. When the Lookout says “Danger”, the Meerkat Mob must lie on their bellies as quickly as possible. When the Lookout says “All Clear”, the Meerkat Mob can resume normal activities. Remember that meerkats are quick and are constantly foraging for food. The Meerkat Mob should be on all fours trying to gather as much pretend food as possible when in the clear.

We want to see your meerkats at home, so please upload your photos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Consider signing up for a family overnight. Our Overnight Adventure programs put you in the middle of the zoo at night where you take a night hike and get a peek at some of the zoo’s behind-the-scenes areas.

Flamingos

Watch the Home Safari live on Facebook at 3pm EDT. Don’t have access to social media? No worries! All videos will be posted to this webpage and to our YouTube channel shortly after the Facebook Live ends.

Get your own cuddly flamingo from our online shop!

Wild Art

From webbed feet to curved beak, take note of the shapes, colors and textures that make up our feathery flock. Next use whatever supplies you have available to re-create our flamboyance of flamingos at home! Try getting our flamingos just right, and then try making other silly versions out of your pure imagination. Looking for more to add to your creation? How about a flamingo filter feeding or flying high in the sky? What supplies do you have at home that could really show off their long necks and legs (spaghetti, yarn, sticks)? We want to see your masterpieces, so please upload your artwork to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Schedule a Frisch’s Zoo on the Move where the Zoo comes to you. You can partner with a Cincinnati Zoo instructor and create a masterpiece from a not-so “still life” observation.

Galapagos Tortoise

Watch the Home Safari live on Facebook at 3pm EDT. Don’t have access to social media? No worries! All videos will be posted to this webpage and to our YouTube channel shortly after the Facebook Live ends.

Support the Zoo! Shop our online store today!

Island Giant Shell

Why does the Galapagos tortoise need its giant shell? Their shells are distinctly domed and surprisingly light. What materials can you use to build yourself a tortoise shell? Try construction paper, cardboard, a laundry basket or pillows and blankets. Are you able to lift it with your back and move around with your new shell? What sort of decorations can you add to your shell?

We want to see your giant shells, so please upload your photos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Consider signing up for Summer Camp. All Zoo Camps are age-appropriate and are guaranteed to be a WILD time.

Snow Leopard

Watch the Home Safari live on Facebook at 3pm EDT. Don’t have access to social media? No worries! All videos will be posted to this webpage and to our YouTube channel shortly after the Facebook Live ends.

Support the Zoo! Get your own cuddly snow leopard from our online shop!

Snow Leopard Leap

How do you think your leap will compare to the great long jumpers of the animal kingdom? Go outside and measure 50 feet on your driveway or sidewalk.  Mark the following distances with sidewalk chalk:

• Grasshopper = 3 feet
• Rabbit = 9 feet
• Impala = 30 feet
• Red kangaroo = 43 feet
• Snow Leopard =50 feet

Now it’s time to see how far you can leap! How many of your jumps does it take to make one snow leopard leap?

We want to see all the best snow leopard leapers, so please upload photos of you doing this activity at home to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your photos on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Join the club and hang with the Troop! Learn more about Zoo Troop.

Lucille the Bearcat

Watch the Home Safari live on Facebook at 3pm EDT. Don’t have access to social media? No worries! All videos will be posted to this webpage and to our YouTube channel shortly after the Facebook Live ends.

Check out our online shop for more ways to stay busy.

Creature Crossover

The binturong gets its nickname “bearcat” because it looks like an adorable cross between a bear and a cat! Its prehensile tail is a lot like a monkey’s. Close your eyes and imagine your favorite animals. How could you take features of each one to create your own creature crossover? Create a bearcat, or your unique creature using pencil and paper or whatever materials you choose. Give it a name and share it with us!

We want to see your creature crossover, so please upload your artwork to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Gentle Giraffes

Watch the Home Safari live on Facebook at 3pm EDT. Don’t have access to social media? No worries! All videos will be posted to this webpage and to our YouTube channel shortly after the Facebook Live ends.

Purchase your own cuddly giraffe.

Giraffe Puppet

Giraffes stretch their long necks and tongues as far as they can to reach delicious leaves atop the tallest trees. Try stretching your arm as far as you can to reach out and grab any objects close to you. Now turn your arm into a giraffe puppet and try to reach things around the house, pretending they are leaves. 

What materials do you have around that can transform  your arm into a giraffe puppet? Perhaps socks or a brown paper bag? Decorate your puppet to look like our giraffes and put on a puppet show! Be sure to find a way to add that long tongue (yarn, scrap paper, etc.). 

We want to see your giraffe puppets, so please upload your photos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Consider signing up for Summer Camp. All Zoo Camps are age-appropriate and are guaranteed to be a WILD time.

Once the zoo reopens be sure to visit so you can feed our giraffe herd.  Giraffe Feedings are presented by Chick-fil-A.

Excellent Elephants

Watch the Home Safari live on Facebook at 3pm EDT. Don’t have access to social media? No worries! All videos will be posted to this webpage and to our YouTube channel shortly after the Facebook Live ends.

Get your own cuddly elephant here. Proceeds support the zoo!

Elephantastic Art

Watch the video below, by Cincinnati Enquirer illustrator Kevin Necessary, to learn how to draw an elephant.  You can also download step by step instructions or this finished drawing to color.

We want to see your elephant drawings, so please upload photos of your art to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

A Cat’s Best Friend

Watch the Facebook live at 3pm ET Monday! Don’t have social media? It’s ok! A YouTube version of the video will be posted on this page shortly after the Facebook Live ends.

Check out our Kris & Remus shirts on our online shop – Domestic orders of $25 or more receive FREE shipping.

Request a personalized message from Andie, Kris and Remus on Cameo!

Read more about Kris and her companion dog in these blogs written by their keeper Andie!

• A Cat’s Best Friend Blog
• Becoming an Ambassador Blog
• Full Speed Ahead Blog

A Cat’s Best Friend Home Activity

It’s undeniable that Kris and Remus are unlikely friends. They can be your pals at home too! You can make your own Kris and Remus by saving and repurposing two old toilet paper tubes or cutting an old paper towel roll tube into two pieces. No recycled tubes laying around? Use any other recycled materials like plastic bottles or rolled up scrap paper. Next use paint, crayons or markers to decorate one roll to look like Remus and another to look like Kris. What colors or patterns will you use to tell them apart?

We want to see your pals Kris and Remus, so please upload your artwork to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Rhinos Rule!

Check out lots of arts and crafts projects on our online shop.

Order a painting made by Seyia that supports rhino conservation!

Rhino Home Activity

Rhino Handprint Art

Can you name all 5 species of rhino? Now count to 5 on your hand. Looks like you’re ready to use that hand to create your own rhino handprint art!

Finger paint is tons of fun, but you could also trace your hand if there is no paint available. Have everyone at home participate to create a “crash of rhinos”. Be sure to add ears. Your rhino needs 3 toes on each foot. Of course, don’t forget the rhino’s most prominent feature…it’s horns! How many horns does our black rhino have?

We want to see your crash of rhinos, so please upload photos of your art to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Penguin Parade

Purchase your own cuddly penguin plush that’s made out of 16 recycled water bottles!

Penguin Home Activity

Penguins are EGG-cellent parents! Penguins take turns balancing their egg on their feet to keep it safe and warm. The egg could be any thing around the house (pillows, stuffed animals, balls, etc). Designate a start and a finish line in your play area (i.e. living room, backyard). Your goal, as a penguin, is to keep your egg safely balanced on your feet as you waddle from start to finish. If you drop your egg, you have to start over.

This could be simple to complex for all ages, or could even be a relay race if there are multiple kids. Make an obstacle course! For older kids, it could be a smaller object balanced on a spoon.

We want to see your penguins playing, so please upload your photos or videos to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share them on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Lion Around with John & Imani

Purchase your own cuddly lion here – proceeds from online sales help support the Cincinnati Zoo!

Activity 1- Lion’s Mane Craft

Using whatever paper products you have at home (paper plate, construction paper, scrap paper, card board, etc.) transform yourself into John the Lion. Be sure to capture his mane, whiskers and colors!

We want to see your pride of lions at home! Share with us on Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Activity 2- Snapshot Safari

Download the Zooniverse App to help Snapshot Kruger monitor the amazing biodiversity of South Africa’s oldest and most renowned protected areas from your own home.

Look through images taken by camera traps in Krueger national park and identity if there is any wildlife shown in the image. Follow these steps in order to participate:

1. Download the Zooniverse App
2. Click snapshot safari
3. From the projects list choose snapshot Kruger
4. Scroll down and look for a button called empty or not.
5. Answer the questions on if there is an animal in the image.

This is a fun project and it helps scientists understand the diversity and dynamics of wildlife populations

Let us know if you spot a lion!

Hanging with the Sloths

Purchase your own cuddly sloth here – proceeds from online sales help support the Cincinnati Zoo!

“Leaf it” to Moe

What are sloths most known for? Living life in slow MOE-tion! The reason they move so slowly has a lot to do with their leaf-lined bellies. Leaves have low nutritional value, which leads to a low energy lifestyle.

Head outside and collect an assortment of leaves of different shapes and sizes. Use your leaves to re-create Moe.  Use whatever other supplies you have at home to make your leaves look like Moe, Lightning and their rainforest home.

We want to see your masterpieces, so please upload your artwork to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Sign your kids up for a Zoo Summer Camp. 

Awesome Ocelot

Activity 1 – Print this a-MAZE-ing ocelot activity. 

Activity 2 – Sneaky Sihil

Ocelots are known for their stealth. They must rely heavily on moving through their environment undetected. If you were sneaky Sihil, what would you be trying to avoid? What would you be trying to sneak up on?  For this game, designate who will pretend to be Sihil and who will be Sihil’s Predators or Prey.  There can be multiples of each role depending on how many people are playing!  Next, designate a play area (i.e. living room or backyard) that the players must stay within. Sihil’s Predators or Prey should have their backs turned so that they cannot see Sihil’s approach, but they should be using their ears to listen very carefully! It is Sihil’s job to tag the Predator or Prey on the back without being detected. Sihil’s Predator or Prey can turn around to try to catch the ocelot moving. Sihil must freeze to stay in the game. An ocelot that is standing very still is all but invisible because of its excellent camouflage. If Sihil doesn’t freeze fast enough, the predator will catch her or the prey will escape.

Play again and again but switch up the roles or the play area. Sihil camouflage costumes encouraged, so please upload your photos or videos of your Sneaky Sihils in action to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your photos on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Consider signing up for Summer Camp. All Zoo Camps are age-appropriate and are guaranteed to be a WILD time.

Check out all our merchandise in our online store – proceeds from online sales help support the Cincinnati Zoo!

Prickly Porcupine: Rico

Check out all our merchandise in our online store – proceeds from online sales help support the Cincinnati Zoo!

Wild Art

As you watch Rico, make note of all the colors, shapes, and textures that you see on each part of his body. Does his tail look the same as his nose? How do his feet compare to his teeth? Next use whatever supplies you have available to re-create Rico at home! Try getting Rico just right, and then try making other silly versions of Rico out of your pure imagination. Looking for more to add to your creation? How about his favorite foods or him exploring his habitat? What supplies do you have at home that could really show off his texture (toothpicks, leaf stems, sticks? We want to see your masterpieces, so please upload your artwork to Instagram or Twitter using #ZooHomeSafari, post it in the comments of our Facebook Live Video, or email it to [email protected].  We may share your amazing artwork on our Facebook/Instagram stories and our website.

Schedule a Frisch’s Zoo on the Move where the Zoo comes to you. You can partner with a Cincinnati Zoo instructor and create a masterpiece from a not-so “still life” observation.

Hip Hippo Hooray

Watch the Fiona Home Safari on Facebook.

Take our fun hippo quiz and be entered to win four tickets to the Cincinnati Zoo!

Shop all our Fiona merchandise in our online store – proceeds from online sales help support the Cincinnati Zoo!