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Field Trip: The Zoo

Today we headed out to the Zoo! I wanted to get an early start since it was 88 degrees by 9am! We met some friends and headed out to see the animals!
First stop the Farm:
The farm animals were out and about. Jake was quick to point out that the cow was eating hay and drinking water. I was glad to see them eating because when we play with our farm toys I encourage Jake to feed the animals. He was able to see the cow's pick up the hay with their mouths and see how they chew.
This little goat was resting. His head was down like that with his eyes closed. Jake said he was sleeping and had a little laugh about it. Luckily the goat woke up and came over for the boys to pet him! They enjoyed this tremendously! 
Jacob was anxious to hear him 'maaaa' but we were not that lucky! He did try to get him going by maaaa-ing at him. Then listening to see if he could here the goat. We were disappointed to miss the horse and chickens but quickly moved on to the birds!
We love this exhibit! You get to walk into the bird habitat and the birds can fly around and even perch on your shoulder. This is one of Jacob's favorite parts of the zoo! He has always loved birds and being able to be this up close and personal is a dream come true!
We were getting pretty hot at this point but managed to see one last animal. Jake loves elephants and today we were able to see two elephants very close. The elephant exhibit was a perfect learning experience too! As I said, it was HOT! The elephants were using their trunks to brush dirt onto their heads and backs. I was able to explain this process to Jake.
They were also shooing flies with their tails. These were great learning experiences to aid in our Animal Theme. After the elephants it was time to go! We had been there about 2 hours and in the heat that is about all we could take. Even though we have been to this zoo and others numerous times, we were still provided with learning opportunities. Every outing has the potential for a learning experience and it is these real world experiences that truly aid in academic success. When children have a personal experience to connect back to while reading it helps with comprehension in all areas! 
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