The other day, we had another fantastic trip to the zoo. My son and I usually go with friends. It’s the perfect place for a playdate – for the parents and kids. My friend has two daughters, and her three year old is as crazy as my son. Honestly, it’s our favourite place in Saskatoon to meet up outside. We have very few worries while we visit. We both have very active three year olds, and the Saskatoon Zoo and Forestry Farm is a perfect place for them to run off some energy. They love stopping for a break to watch the animals, but they also love running on the paths, through the big rocks, and of course, playing in the amazing playground.
I was watching the day camps, and have already decided that I’ll send my son when he’s old enough. While we were watching the prairie dogs, a group came over to watch them being fed, and some of the kids fed them themselves. It was good timing, Anthony loved watching them eat. He had a blast seeing them all pop out for some food, and enjoyed learning about them.
We were also extremely happy to see the bears, Koda and Mistaya, out playing. We’ve been lucky to see them out on every trip since they came out of hibernation. This time we got to see the bears play in the water together. They were having so much fun, and the kiddos actually took a few moments out of their play time to watch the bears play as well. Anthony’s friend was very concerned that the bears didn’t have any toys for the bath, but we pointed out that they did have some logs floating around (as well as one another to play with.) Anthony talked about seeing the bears in the water for the next two days.
The kids love the playground which is called the Orano Fun Zone, and even when it’s crowded, they never go far, and have so much fun with all the equipment. We can’t go to the zoo without stopping at the Orano Fun Zone. We sometimes try to go the opposite direction so we can stop there last.
This visit we did something different. We left the zoo to visit another area of the Forestry Farm. We went to the park and McDonalds Accessible Playground to meet a bunch of other Mamas for a potluck lunch. The parents were able to eat and chat while the kids discovered a whole new play area, and made some new friends. They loved playing, walking around the area, and looking at the trees and flowers. Next time, I think we’ll take a walk by the pond.
It was a great day. We spent most of the morning, and afternoon there, and we loved every moment. It’s so wonderful that Saskatoon has this beautiful area to explore and discover.
As always, donations help make the zoo a wonderful place. Donations not only help build the bears a new home, and will also help build the butterflies a house. Every little bit helps to promote education, conservation, and research.
It’s YOUR zoo!
Thanks for reading.
Erin McCrea – The Writing Momma
Saskatoon Zoo Foundation Blogger
