Over the past five years, the Denver Zoo has been expanding its children’s programming and now offers regular classes for kids from tots to teens.
Today, children ages 9-11 are invited to become “DZ Naturalists” and learn all about polar bears.
The DZ Naturalists programming was introduced in the fall and helps round out the zoo’s educational opportunities. A family story time allows parents with infants and small children to participate in classes together, and “Tot Trekkers” invites toddlers to bring their parents along for animal-themed games, crafts and activities.
“KinderQuest” allows 4- and 5-year-olds to become more familiar with zoo animals, with “Junior Explorers,” for older kids, adds more science and conservation information to the program.
The zoo also offers multiple tween and teen programs and volunteer opportunities. Classes are scheduled regularly for each group, with different themes each month.
During today’s program, “A Place for Polar Bears,” kids will learn about the bears’ amazing adaptations to cold climates, and threats to their natural environment. Simple experiments help aspiring naturalists understand the animal. To teach children how a layer of blubber is essential to surviving in arctic cold, for instance, kids immerse their hands in an ice bucket three times: once with bare skin, once with a fur mitten, and once with a “blubber mitten” — a plastic baggie filled with Crisco — to simulate animal blubber. Each child records the length of time his or her hands can stay submerged in a results journal; the experiment clearly illustrates that bare skin and even fur alone are not enough to stay warm in icy water.
“Each month we try to focus on an animal in our zoo that faces challenges in the wild,” says Alicia Lamfers, family programs coordinator for the zoo. “We’ll talk about how global warming affects the bears (and) explain the issue without making the kids feel guilty about it.”
Each child will go home with a workbook full of easy ideas to help decrease global warming, such as carpooling to school or athletic events, planting trees and using less electricity.
“We really want to empower kids,” Lamfers says, “and teach them that they can help with conservation.”
“A Place for Polar Bears” is today from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Denver Zoo, 2300 Steele St. The price is $22 for members and $25 non-members. Register online at . A complete list of available classes and programs is also available on the zoo’s website.
