Arctic ring at the Copenhagen zoo!

 

The Arctic ring complex opened at the Copenhagen zoo this past week and we had a couple of really nice trips so far. Saule was very excited to see the new Puffin chicks that were hatched here at the zoo, after the eggs were collected in the Faroe Islands. 

 The Polar bears seem allot more active in their new home. We observed them wrestling and playing in the water, and fighting over a horse head!  They now have a very large swimming area where you can see them drive, and get a better understanding for how comfortable they really are in the water.

No trip to the zoo is complete with out a picnic basket! The Arctic ring has a large indoor section that is heated, so you are able to undress, sit down, and really take in some quality time with the animals.

 There are plenty of Arctic related lesson plans for all ages online but here are a few we found:

Arctic worksheets and other activities-
Arctic map
Arctic Maze
Connect the dots
Polar bear info
Puffin info and games

The zoo also has some very educational and interesting new exhibits worth exploring. Its best to go when its quiet (midweek) so you can really enjoy it all.

School was like a zoo today...

We usually go to the Copenhagen Zoo about once a week. Having the chance to visit so often is wonderful because it means we can really take the time to get to know the animals at a slower pace, rather than just rushing through to see them all in one day. Its an amazing home school resource and I don't see anyone else using this here. (Please tell me about how you use your zoo!)

Yesterdays visit we spent in the tropical area, which is an entire building that is open air and set up to give you and the animals a feeling of walking in a rain forest. There is no cage or glass between you and the critter (expect the alligators), so if you sit still and quiet you are often approached by large jungle fowl and sloths.

Saule testing out her butterfly wings in butterfly room. We did a study on silk production when she got these.

There were very few people at the zoo yesterday, so we were able to spread out our picnic blanket, take off all our layers of clothes, and put on our butterfly wings. I did some yoga. Ursa (almost 9 months) enjoyed having the freedom to crawl/cruise around where she liked, touch some plants and  the waterfall.  We had lunch, read books, took a nap, and did some worksheets.  But mostly we enjoyed being in the nature, and being able to sit long enough and quiet enough to really absorb it. We

These are the books we brought with us- all of them are rainforest themed.

We read this one "Slowly, Slowly, Slowly," said the Sloth by Eric Carle      
to the sloths that were sitting just above us. Ursa had a little nap.