Toledo Zoo named BEST ZOO in the United States

We always make a special effort a few times per year to take a road trip with our kids to visit the TOLEDO ZOO because it really is a great park and a nice change of pace with different exhibits and animals on display to enjoy from our own local Detroit Zoo which with our annual membership itself is a pretty frequent destination for our family.  So it really wasn't that much of a surprise when we heard that this Midwestern factory town's zoo was named by USA TODAY as the "Best Zoo in the USA" and "one of the top 10 zoos in the U.S." by Family Fun Magazine. The Toledo Zoo is home to more than 9,000 animals representing over 800 species.  It also just completed a new 178,000 gallon aquarium so that a visit to the zoo not only lets you observe land animals but also takes you under the sea.

Because the Detroit Zoo is just a few minute drive from our house we've become pretty accustomed to that place so making a trip to the Toledo Zoo is always a special treat to check out new things.  My kids favorite three features of the Toledo Zoo ( the hippoquarium, elephant exhibit & salt water aquarium)  aren't available to see at our local zoo making the experience out of the ordinary and extra special for them.  These exhibits really provide a close up views of these creatures allowing for some extraordinary experiences.

The Hippoquarium

Visitors to this exhibit are treated to a view of the underwater world of Nile hippopotamus.  This 360,000 gallon pool has a filter system that cleans 8,000 gallons of water every 90 minutes to help provide a clear closeup view of the hippos as they lounge and wander about underwater.  My kids always are thrilled when they have an up close encounter with these humongous creatures.

 

Elephants of the Savanna

Speaking of larger creatures, right next door to the hippoquarium is the elephant enclosure.  Whenever my daughter brings up a trip to the Toledo Zoo the first thing she references is wanting to go see the elephants.  The Toledo Zoo enlarged and renovated this exhibit in 2012 providing for expanded viewing areas for people and more stimuli for the African elephants that call it home including elevated feeders, enrichment walls and trees that creating a dynamic space for the animals.

The Hippoquarium and Elephants of the Savanna exhibits are part of a larger themed African Safari themed display area called the Tembo Trail.  As you venture along the Tembo Trail in addition to elephants and hippos, you'll also encounter lions, white rhinoceros, spotted-necked otters, slender-snouted crocodiles, naked mole rats and meerkats.



Aquarium

After a two and half year closure for a $25 million dollar expansion and renovations just re-opened in the Spring of 2015.  This exhibit has transformed a 46,000 gallon aquarium that had mostly displayed local freshwater varieties of fish into a 178,000 immersive underwater experience where people can view more than 3,000 creatures from a variety of ecosystems around the world.

We took a road trip this summer to the Toledo Zoo just to check out the new aquarium facility and I have to say it really is fin-tastic!  CLICK HERE to check out A Geek Daddy's review of the Toledo Zoo's aquarium "Sea-ing the Toledo Zoo Aquarium is Fin-tastic!"

Playgrounds

It just figures though that my kids enjoy playing at the Toledo Zoo almost as much as venturing around observing all the wonderful animals.  The zoo has a nice area called Nature's Neighborhood that has a playscape area featuring a kids only tree house to explore, rock walls to climb and a stream to wade in.  There is also the Jumpin Junction indoor workshop area that has projects to do and presentations to see throughout the day all year long.  At Jumpin Junction kids can see themselves on a large TV screen with backgrounds from the natural world behind them or they can play around with animal costumes and puppets for a fun experience.

During the warmer months there also are daily performances at 2 pm each day featuring Toledo Zoo animals at the outdoor Fisher-Price Discover Stage for families to enjoy or you can pet African pygmy goats in Nature Neighborhood's Goat Yard.

As part of the aquarium renovation, the Toledo Zoo also just installed a great aquatic splash pad play area directly behind that facility that also includes oceanic themed play structures like a giant crab holding a tire swing in its pinchers.

A few other highlights of trip to the Toledo Zoo include taking a train ride around Africa! which circles a field filled with zebras, giraffe, wilderbeest, ostrich, and wild dogs; trekking through the Arctic Encounter to view polar bears and seals; meandering through the Primate Forest filled with lemurs, monkeys, and red pandas; and a walk through the reptile house which features a giant saltwater croc. CLICK HERE for a map with a full layout of the zoo.

Of course we can't head home for the day until we've taken a ride on the old fashion carousel situated by the park's main entrance.

 

If you happen to be visiting the area the Toledo Zoo has a nice Out-of-town Visitor Guide on its website to help with planning a trip to the zoo.  If you can make it to Toledo, A Geek Daddy recommends that a visit to their zoo is well worth it.  You'll always discover something that will put a smile on your at the Toledo Zoo!

Get Out & Play before Summer Days have gone Bye Bye

Wow! once again summer is flying by faster than our family would like.  In just a few weeks our kids' school year will be beginning so I want to maximize their opportunities to get outside while the weather is warm and they have the time to play in the backyard or over at the neighborhood park.  A nice way to excite your kids about playing outside is to pick up a Get Out & Play! Essentials Pack from Imagine Toys.  In addition to providing some great items to keep your kids active and amused outdoors, purchasing this fun play kit helps with a larger societal goal of encouraging children across the country to play outdoors more by providing a donation to the charitable organization KaBoom!  Imagine Toys will donate a minimum of at least 8% of its sales from the Get Out & Play! Essentials Packs this year to support this national non-profit organization that works to bring balanced and active play into the daily lives of all children, particularly those growing up in poverty in America.

Imagine Toys generously provided a Get Out & Play! Essentials Pack for A GEEK DADDY blog to test out and review this summer.  I will be upfront and say that I was initially skeptical of this product being too "basic" to be of much usefulness...seemed like a bunch of "random" stuff just tossed in a bag... but upon receiving it have found it to be very convenient and have been very impressed.  The Get Out & Play! Essentials Pack gathers all sorts of child play items that you might have scattered all over your house, shed or garage and keeps them organized in a backpack that you can easily grab to take outside in the backyard or with you on a trip to the park.  If your kids whine that they don't know what to do outdoors for fun or complain playing outdoors is boring there are plenty of things you can pull out of the backpack to encourage them to play with.  Plus just pulling the items out of the backpack itself seems to add an aura of excitement for the kids.

Additionally, there is a Get Out & Play handbook that comes along with the Essentials Pack that is full of ideas for outdoor games if parents and children may be stumped for an interesting activity to do.  My kids have been asking this summer to play Hopscotch and I hate to admit I had no clue about the rules or how to play this game.  I pulled out the handy guide that came with this play set and there was a whole section that detailed everything I needed to know. So we are going to play Hopscotch this weekend!  Also included in the book are lots of suggestions for variations of tag, hide-and-go-seek, sidewalk, race, ball, and other types of games to capture children's attention and promote excitement with playing outdoors.  All of the "basic" play items that I initially though were "randomly" included actually tie into games suggested in the included Get Out & Play guidebook enhancing their value by being packaged together.  This really is a great play kit!

Along with the book, this play kit is packed with timeless playground essentials including two jump ropes, an 8" dodge ball (the rubbery type I remember from gym class), a flying disc and a few boxes of sidewalk chalk.  All thrown in a high quality backpack that can easily be slung over a shoulder to be carried to where you need to be.  Backpacks are an item that I often come across and am disappointed by flimsy or cheap construction, but I can legitimately say this backpack is really well made and very useful for packing your kids up for an afternoon outside.  The kick ball, jump rope and flying disc are also well constructed so they are sturdy enough to weather rough play and won't break after being used for five minutes by a kid.  In my opinion the Get Out & Play! Essentials Pack is ideal for use by children between the ages of 5 to 10 years old and if you have a kid in that age range I'd recommend you check it out.


The Go Out & Play! Essentials Pack retails for $59.95 at Imagine Toys.  You can select from an orange or purple colored backpack.  With hundreds of cable channels to watch and video games to play on your television, it can be easy for kids to waste away hours sitting on the couch indoors, it is so important as parents that we make an effort to get our children playing outdoors to promote exercise and health living.  This Go Out & Play! Essentials Pack is a great resource for busy parents, or babysitting grandparents like the ones my wife & I depend on when we are at work, to utilize to encourage your kids to engage in some athletic and creative play activities outdoors.

For more information on Imagine Toys:  www.imaginetoys.com
For more information on KaBoom!: www.kaboom.org

Disclaimer:  A GEEK DADDY BLOG received a complimentary Go Out & Play! Essentials Pack from Imagine Toys to review.