Venue name: Oklahoma City Zoo & Botanical Garden
Kid Reviewer: Sam Roldán, 10 years old
What made the experience stand out?
The Zoo is really different now than when I was younger. There are more things to see and the Children’s Zoo is really fun. There are wallabies that can walk right up to you. They’re just loose and one might come near you! That doesn’t happen every day in just your regular life.
What was the best part?
I saw a condor! I also loved seeing the flamingos and peacocks. I know other people would probably say like the lions are the best or the giraffes are impressive but I like the birds I’ve seen on TV but not seen in person. The flamingos were fighting and all squawking at each other. I wonder if they were fighting over shrimp. I also liked the camp class we went to in the morning because there was information about animals and then we really got to see that same thing when we went out into the Zoo.
What was the worst part?
It was really hot! We walked for five hours. I like to take walks but that was one super walk. We just kept going and going and it was like 90 degrees out. The sun makes you tired and my brother and I both fell asleep on the way home. That doesn’t usually happen anymore.
Will other kids like this venue and why?
They will, especially if you let them ride in a stroller or wagon. Older kids like me will have to walk but that’s good for them. The reason they’ll like it is that most kids watch “Wild Kratts” or read “Ranger Rick” so visiting a zoo is a way to see the real animals we only know from those.
Would your siblings enjoy it? Why or why not?
My brother, Isaac, went with me to the Zoo. He’s 5 and he loved seeing everything with me since we both like animals. He liked seeing the diagrams of different animals that showed their skeletons because he likes archaeology a lot. His favorite animal was the bats. I really like watching him be excited. We didn’t take our baby, Gabriel, because he’s 2 and that would have been a long day for him but I wish he could have seen the chimpanzees with us.
If you could do this again knowing what you know now, what would you do differently?
I would get a map from the very beginning and figure out where I want to go first.
Does what you saw match up with anything you're learning inโฏschoolโฏor have seen before in a book, on TV, etc.?
Definitely. I’ve seen a lot about animals in magazines and books and on PBS but not really the animals themselves.
What do you think you'll remember most about the Oklahoma City Zoo?
The camp experience was cool. I would recommend that for summer because kids need to stay active and keep challenging themselves to see something new. There’s always something new there. I’ll also remember just spending time with my Mom and my brother.
[Editor's Note: Read all our Kid Reviews at www.metrofamilymagazine.com/Kid-Reviews/]