Dear Zoo Trail at ZSL London Zoo

On Saturday we got up very early

And headed off on a train to London

We were on our way to the zoo!

early train

We had first breakfast on the train

While playing a traditional zoo game

I went to the zoo and I saw …

regents park

We were all very excited about getting to Regents Park

And exploring the new Dear Zoo Trail

dear zoo trail

The trail is at ZSL London Zoo this Easter

And then it will move to ZSL Whipsnade for the May half term

We were incredibly lucky to be invited by Milly and Flynn

Not only to be among the first to follow the trail

Based on the famous Rod Campbell picture book

But also to meet the author

And hear him tell his story

rod campbell

It was a wonderful experience

Made all the more special by the fact that we all truly adore the book

It was also almost one year to the day since I made this video

Of Bea discovering the delights of the now 35 year old

Classic, lift the flap, book

On arriving at the zoo

We found the interactive storytelling hub

Wrapped in a red ribbon waiting to be officially opened by Rod Campbell

dear zoo hub

Esther, William and Bea were all very excited

They were certain that inside the red crate

Was a lion

Just like in the picture book

Bea was busy telling anyone that would listen

There’s a lion in there

There’s a fierce lion in there

naughty monkey

We had some breakfast

Including delicious Dear Zoo cupcakes

(It was a special occasion)

And then it was time for the most magical storytelling session

Dear Zoo with author Rod Campbell

dear rod

Rod was such a natural storyteller

He interacted with all the children

Added humour for the grown ups

And was generally very engaging

Throughout the entire event actually

I found him to be kind and patient

And very generous with his time

Even when one two year old

In the guise of another children’s classic character

(My Naughty Little Sister)

Insisted on gong up to the kind man

In front of everyone and showing him

Her bad back!

bad bea

And yes

Of course

It was Bea!

Who had also proudly and excitedly shouted out

At the page with the bright red box

This is my FAVOURITE page!

She perhaps more than any of us

Loved meeting ‘the man that wrote Dear Zoo’

fragile

After the story we had a chance to have a look around

The interactive hub

The children loved opening the crate doors

Finding the frog in the box

The snake in a basket

And cuddling the picture perfect puppy dog

interactive hub

Esther and I then queued to meet Mr Campbell

To say thank you for writing such a wonderful book

dear zoo 35

And to get three copies signed

For each of the children to treasure forever

signature

They love their books very much already

As well as the cuddly toys

And the colouring sheets they were given

What very lucky children!

zoo children

Once the books were signed

It was time to roam the zoo

To see all the animals

And to find those animals mentioned in the book Dear Zoo

camels

With each of the animals pictured in the book

There was a stamping station

Where children could get a trail card stamped

Showing that they had seen each of the story animals

In real life

As there are no elephants at ZSL London Zoo

That section of the card was stamped at the end of the story

too tall

We love London Zoo

And have been many times

We followed our own familiar route around

Catching up with all our favourite creatures

The penguins

penguins

The lions

lion

The tigers

The gorillas

The lemurs

The giraffes

giraffes

The Okapis

The Dear Zoo Trail added something new to our adventure

And is a lovely way for new visitors to structure their visit to the zoo

I have a new favourite exhibit at the zoo

Which is In With The Monkeys

in with the monkeys

The little monkeys in there are so naughty

So cheeky and such fun

my monkeys

Esther, William and Bea loved all the animals

They also love the statues

And have to climb on or interact in some way with each one

I decided that if I were to write a letter to the zoo

I would ask for a Komodo Dragon

Or a Galapagos Tortoise

komodo dragon

If you are looking for a fun family day out this Easter

Do consider a visit to ZSL London Zoo

To see all the animals and to follow the Dear Zoo Trail

It is perfect!

Thank you Milly and Flynn for inviting us to be part of such a very special day

One thought on “Dear Zoo Trail at ZSL London Zoo

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *