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23 Virtual Zoo Field Trips, Tours, and Zoo Cams That Get You Up Close to the Animals

Bring the zoo to you.

We love field trips, but sometimes organizing an excursion just can’t happen. Fortunately, we live in a time when technology can bring the excitement to us. The pandemic encouraged many zoos and aquariums to put in the effort to bridge the gap for visitors at home. As such, we’re able to share this list of fantastic virtual zoo field trips, virtual zoo tours, and zoo cams you can enjoy from anywhere.

Best Virtual Zoo Field Trips, Virtual Zoo Tours, and Zoo Cams

San diego zoo.

The San Diego Zoo has a “Watch and Learn” section on its website. Here, students can check out the fantastic zoo cams including the burrowing-owl cam, giraffe cam, elephant cam, and many more.

Atlanta Zoo

While the Atlanta Zoo’s zoo cam is dedicated to pandas, they offer many videos and activities that feature bird watching, sloths, lemurs, monkeys, and more.

Reid Park Zoo

Located in Tucson, Arizona, this zoo features a variety of delightful zoo cams designed to give kids a virtual zoo tour of the elephants, giraffes, grizzly bears, lions, and more.

Tembe Elephant Park

Tembe Elephant Park is located in a remote area of South Africa. Renowned for having the largest elephants in the world, these zoo cams offer sights such as sand forests and wetlands, leopards, rhinos, and, of course, elephants.

GRACE Gorilla Forest Corridor

This extensive cam takes us inside the gorilla forest corridor in the Democratic Republic of Congo while connecting the habitat with the night quarters at the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center (GRACE).

Houston Zoo

Take a virtual zoo tour down to Texas and enjoy the live zoo cams set up by the Houston Zoo, allowing you to peer into the lives of giraffes, gorillas, elephants, and flamingos.

Explore the Arctic

Head to Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, to witness the annual polar bear migration. Discovery Education has teamed up with Polar Bears International to host a series that explores some of the biggest questions about the Arctic.

Bring your virtual classroom to life with animals from the Oregon Zoo. The Wildlife Live videos are aligned to different subject content areas, which are listed on the page. New videos are also posted regularly on the zoo’s social media channels. A few times every week, they go behind the scenes for a live interview with animal-care staff. Each live video is accompanied by a kid-approved activity related to the featured animal .

PBS Zoo Field Trip

Let’s all go to the zoo with PBS LearningMedia! At Zoo Miami, Penny and the KidVision VPK kids wash rhinos, feed giraffes, study a zebra’s stripes, and ride a camel. Lions and tigers and apes, oh my!

International Wolf Center

The cool wolf-pack cam live-broadcasts the adventures of four ambassador wolves: Denali, Boltz, Axel, and Grayson. The exhibit stretches across 1.25 acres and includes two dens, a filtered pond, and a forested area.

San Antonio Zoo

While San Antonio Zoo virtual field trips aren’t free, they’re very engaging. Enjoy virtual encounters with okapis, hippos, rhinos, and more.

From a virtual zoo tour and chats with staff to showing what the animals are up to and posting activity ideas from their education and conservation teams, the Dallas Zoo’s Bring the Zoo to You web series is perfect for a virtual field trip.

Australia Zoo

Australia Zoo was the home of the late Steve Irwin, best known as the Crocodile Hunter. His wife, Terri, and children, Bindi and Bob, have continued his legacy. This fantastic YouTube channel offers captivating videos of some of the world’s most fascinating animals.

Smithsonian’s National Zoo

This virtual zoo field trip takes us to the nation’s capital. Check out animal zoo cams that share a glimpse into the daily lives of black-footed ferrets, naked mole rats, giant pandas, and more.

Chester Zoo

This British zoo has been going live on Facebook and YouTube to offer a fun and engaging virtual zoo tour packed full of fantastic facts and adorable animal antics.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

The Monterey Bay Aquarium has created virtual zoo tour resources to support children’s learning for grades pre-K through 12. The site offers online courses, family-friendly science activities, crafts and printables, and fantastic video lessons (in English and en español) to help young learners who are excited about ocean animals.

Georgia Aquarium at Home

These wonderful guided virtual tours through Georgia Aquarium’s galleries allow you to explore the chilly unknown in Cold Water Quest , be immersed in a world of colors as a tropical diver , and more.

New England Aquarium Virtual Tour

Enjoy a virtual zoo tour of the New England Aquarium and check out the projects and activities available to both educators and families. New zoo cam videos premiere on Facebook , YouTube , and Instagram .

Folly Farm Sloth Cam

Witness the serene existence of Tuppee and Lightcap, two charming two-toed sloths residing in Sloth Forest, a habitat created as a comfortable “sloth retirement home.”

Aquarium of the Pacific Webcams

Peek into the lives of playful penguins, sleek sharks in the Shark Lagoon, the graceful sea nettles, the bustling Tropical Reef, the serene Honda Blue Cavern, and the intriguing coral predators. These webcams, complemented by resource kits, offer a vibrant, educational experience for all ages.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Giraffe Cams

Tune into the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s giraffe cams for a live peek into the lives of giraffes in the African Rift Valley exhibit. These cameras capture the giraffes as they roam, mingle, and interact with visitors hand-feeding them lettuce. It’s a “Way Beyond Watching” experience that brings you up close with these majestic animals from anywhere in the world.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium Webcams

Dive virtually into the world of marine rescue at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Their live webcams offer glimpses into the new Ruth & J.O. Stone Dolphin Complex, home to rescued bottlenose dolphins in a sprawling 1.5 million gallons of Clearwater Bay’s filtered water. Additionally, explore more live cams like the Otter Cam, Pelican Cam, and Mavis’s Rescue Hideaway Cam for a closer look at other rescued marine animals.

Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo Webcams

Catch a glimpse into the daily lives of Beardsley Zoo’s beloved animals with their live webcams. Be sure to switch between the Indoor and Outdoor Red Panda Cams, the Spider Monkey Cams, and the River Otter Cam to see these creatures exploring their habitats.

Did we miss one of your favorite virtual zoo field trips, virtual zoo tours, or zoo cams? Share it with us in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook!

Also, check out the best field trip ideas for every age and interest (virtual options too).

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40 Amazing Educational Virtual Field Trips

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15 Fantastic Zoo Virtual Field Trips

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Going on a field trip to the zoo is always an exciting and educational experience for students. However, not all schools have the resources or ability to organize such trips. Thankfully, with the advancement of technology, virtual field trips have become more accessible, allowing students to explore the wonders of the zoo without leaving their classrooms. In this article, we will highlight 15 fantastic zoo virtual field trips that can engage and inspire students of all ages.

1. San Diego Zoo Live Cams: The San Diego Zoo offers live cams of various animals, providing a real-time virtual experience. Students can observe polar bears, pandas, tigers, and many other fascinating creatures.

2. Houston Zoo Webcams: The Houston Zoo also offers live webcams, showcasing animals like elephants, gorillas, and giraffes. Students can observe their behavior and learn interesting facts about these animals.

3. Bronx Zoo Virtual Zoo Tours: The Bronx Zoo offers virtual tours with guided videos that allow students to explore different exhibits and habitats. They can learn about elephants, sea lions, penguins, and more.

4. Cincinnati Zoo Home Safari: The Cincinnati Zoo hosts daily live home safaris on their Facebook page. Students can join the sessions and learn about various animals and their conservation efforts.

5. National Zoo Virtual Tours: The National Zoo in Washington, D.C., provides virtual tours and online exhibits. Students can explore the panda habitat, big cats, and even take a journey through the Amazon rainforest.

6. Melbourne Zoo Virtual Tour: The Melbourne Zoo in Australia offers a 360-degree virtual tour, allowing students to navigate through different sections of the zoo and observe animals like lions, meerkats, and orangutans.

7. Edinburgh Zoo Live Cameras: Edinburgh Zoo provides live cameras that stream the daily activities of pandas, penguins, tigers, and koalas. Students can witness these animals up close and learn interesting facts about them.

8. Atlanta Zoo Virtual Field Trips: The Atlanta Zoo offers virtual field trips that include pre-recorded videos with educators, exploring different animal habitats, behaviors, and adaptations.

9. Kansas City Zoo: The Kansas City Zoo provides virtual field trips and educational activities where students can learn about various animals, their habitats, and conservation efforts.

10. Oregon Zoo Virtual Field Trip: The Oregon Zoo offers virtual field trips covering topics like animal adaptations, ecosystems, and conservation. Students can interact with educators in real-time and ask questions.

11. Toledo Zoo Virtual Classroom: The Toledo Zoo provides virtual classroom sessions where students can learn about different animals and their unique characteristics. They also offer interactive quizzes and worksheets.

12. Philadelphia Zoo Zoo360: The Philadelphia Zoo offers virtual animal adventures through their Zoo360 program. Students can watch live webcams and explore habitats like Big Cat Crossing and Gorilla Treeway.

13. Woodland Park Zoo Living Northwest: The Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle offers Living Northwest, a virtual program where students can explore the local wildlife, including bears, wolves, and birds.

14. Saint Louis Zoo Virtual Safari: The Saint Louis Zoo provides a virtual safari experience, allowing students to learn about animals like rhinos, giraffes, and cheetahs. They also offer virtual classrooms and online resources.

15. Dublin Zoo Virtual Learning: The Dublin Zoo offers virtual learning resources, including live webcams, teacher resources, and educational videos. Students can learn about animals from all around the world.

These 15 fantastic zoo virtual field trips provide students with the opportunity to learn about animals, their habitats, and conservation efforts from the comfort of their classrooms. By exploring these virtual experiences, students can develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for the natural world while engaging in interactive and educational activities.

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Virtual Field Trips for Atlanta Kids and Families Stuck at Home

Alliance Theatre Naked Mole Rat

Check out these kid-friendly Atlanta attractions all from the comfort of your home. Now more than ever, Atlanta attractions are offering virtual field trips to visit your favorite Atlanta places.

Table of Contents

Atlanta Museums at Home

Atlanta’s top attractions— Atlanta Botanical Garden ,  Atlanta History Center ,  William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum ,  Children’s Museum of Atlanta ,  College Football Hall of Fame ,  Fernbank Museum ,  Georgia Aquarium ,  High Museum of Art ,  Michael C. Carlos Museum ,  National Center for Civil and Human Rights  and  Zoo Atlanta —are offering virtual experiences through social media and website posts, ending the week with a “Field Trip Friday.”

Michael C. Carlos Museum

The Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory has at-home activities, puzzles, stories, exhibitions and more.

Booth Western Art Museum

Booth Western Art Museum has fun and educational activities for kids with current and past exhibitions, art activities, presidential activities and more. On Facebook , every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m., look at artwork from the Museum’s collection and follow an art lesson.

Heritage Sandy Springs Museum and Park

Heritage Sandy Springs Museum and Park offers a virtual goody bag with digital resources for education and entertainment. Explore virtual exhibit, “A House with Three Names,” and follow Facebook for painting workshops.

Elm Street Cultural Arts Village

Watch storytimes, interviews, how-to’s and more with community members, actors and Lantern Series artists.

Center for Puppetry Arts Streaming Live Performances

Find new programming on Center for Puppetry Arts @ Home Digital Learning platform that includes live streaming shows, curriculum-based workshops and virtual museum tours.

Alliance Theatre Streaming Performances

Watch the online performance of Alliance Theatre’s “In My Granny’s Garden,” along with behind-the-scenes resources and virtual classes.

Children’s Museum of Atlanta Virtual Activities

Check out Children Museum of Atlanta’s blog featuring an at-home activity, a vocabulary list that complements the activity and a YouTube playlist or book recommendation to support learning through play.

Sing-a-long Storytime with Coy Bowles of Zac Brown Band

Coy Bowles of Zac Brown Band fame will be hosting a Facebook Live sing-a-long and storytime every day this week at 3 or 4 p.m.

Zoo Atlanta Virtual Activities

Watch how the pandas spend their time with Zoo Atlanta’s Panda Cam . Learn about the other animals at the Zoo with their #FastFactFriday videos on Facebook .

Georgia Aquarium Virtual Activities

Take a moment to calm down and see what the jellyfish, sea otters, puffins, penguins, sea lions, beluga whales and more are up to live at Georgia Aquarium . Watch videos about the team and how they care for the animals at the Aquarium, and learn more about STEAM initiatives with these videos .

Fernbank Museum of Natural History Virtual Activities

Fernbank Museum of Natural History has a Museum At Home program, and follow them on their social media feeds for “guess the animal” quizzes, facts, science articles, videos and more.

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Virtual Activities

Go behind-the-scenes at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and listen to performances on their YouTube channel . They’re also hosting live watch parties on Facebook .

Tellus Science Museum Virtual Activities

Tellus Science Museum offers past lectures and live streams on their YouTube channel.

The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum Virtual Activities

Take a virtual tour of The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum , where you’ll start in the Oval Office. On Facebook , they’ve posted an accompanying scavenger hunt idea to go with the virtual tour.

Atlanta History Center Virtual Activities

View Atlanta History Center’s online exhibitions : “Atlanta in 50 Objects” and “More than Self: Living the Vietnam War.” They’re also sharing historical facts and tidbits on Facebook .

High Museum of Art Virtual Activities

Take a virtual tour of the High Museum of Art . They are publishing art activities you can do at home on their blog .

The Dad’s Garage Virtual Activities

With The Dad’s Garage Social Distancing Spectacular , see streamed live shows, podcasts, improv and more.

National Center for Civil and Human Rights’ Podcast

Check out the National Center for Civil and Human Rights’ podcasts , where they discuss activism, history and human rights concerns with leaders in civil and human rights.

The Breman Museum Virtual Activities

The Breman Museum is sharing digital content, such as lesson plans, archived stories and highlights from past Bearing Witnesses.

Atlanta Botanical Garden Virtual Activities

Atlanta Botanical Garden is posting panoramic and 3D photos on their Facebook to share spring blooms. Find at-home activities on their website .

Museum of Design Virtual Activities

MODA has online workshops and meetups for ages 8-18 for a nominal fee. Scholarships are available.

The World of Coca-Cola Virtual Activities

The World of Coca-Cola has a teacher toolkit you can use with activities related to educational standards.

Unexpected Atlanta’s Virtual Tour

The ATL Food Tour Box from Unexpected Atlanta allows you to try local restaurants while social distancing at home.

Atlanta Contemporary’s Virtual Tour

Atlanta Contemporary is offering a virtual tour of the exhibition “The Life and Death of Charles Williams” and the current Project Spaces.

DeKalb County Public Library has plenty of digital resources, including BookFlix, eRead Kids and HelpNow from Brainfuse for the kids. If you don’t have a library card yet, you can apply for one online.

Fulton County Library is offering a streaming storytime program Mon.-Fri. at 11 a.m. Check out their digital resources here .

Apply online for a Gwinnett County Public Library card for books, movies, magazines, subscription websites and more.

Check out Sequoyah Regional Library System ‘s digital resources, if you hold a library card and are in good standing.

Cobb County Public Library System offers access to ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, newspapers and more. Library card account holders whose memberships recently expired or were set to expire in the next 30 days have been renewed until May 1.

Forsyth County Public Library ‘s eLibrary is open 24/7, and you can get a 21-day temporary library card.

Check out Henry County Library System’s e-resources.

The Conyers Rockdale Library System has digital resources, and they are sharing Women’s History Month facts on their Facebook page.

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15 Fun Virtual Zoo Field Trip Options

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Fun field trips to the zoo are awesome, but sometimes it just isn’t possible to go. That is okay though!  As long as you have access to the internet, you can take your kids on a virtual zoo field trip at any time. 

Maybe the zoo you want to visit is too far away. Or maybe one of your kids is sick.  Sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate. Perhaps zoo admission tickets are just not in your budget right now. 

Whatever the reason, a virtual zoo tour for kids can be a great alternative to a traditional field trip.

A virtual field trip has lots of advantages:

• It is free – some zoos offer a virtual field trip rate, but every zoo listed here offers free online options
• You can visit multiple zoos in one day, regardless of location
• See just the animals you are interested in
• No need to pack a bag full of snacks, bottled water, and sunscreen
• You can ‘visit’ every day
• You are not limited to zoos just in your area
• It is quicker – there is no traveling, walking around, or time spent dealing with crowds
• See wild animals from the comfort of your own home

Taking a virtual zoo field trip can be a great motivator for kids.  I admit that sometimes I offer this ‘reward’ for finishing schoolwork. They finish their lesson and then go on a virtual zoo field trip to visit their favorite animals.

Virtual zoo field trips can include webcams, live cameras, and live streams on their Facebook page.

Take a Virtual Zoo Field Trip

I listed the animals that are featured on webcams at each zoo because, if your kids are anything like mine, they want to see a specific animal. It is also handy for times when kids love different zoo animals.

Updated 9/23

1. Smithsonian National Zoo

(Planning an in-person visit to the National Zoo?  We went all the time when we lived in Northern VA!  Check out my post full of tips to make the most of the National Zoo .)

Check out these animals on the National Zoo webcam:

• Naked Mole Rats
• Cheetah cub
• Giant Pandas

The zoo offers printable zoo webcam bingo cards to encourage kids to watch the wild animals for a while.

2. Greenville Zoo

3. milwaukee county zoo.

• Humbolt Penguins
• Lake Wisconsin

4. Chattanooga Zoo

• Snow leopard

5. Houston Zoo

• Giraffe (This is my favorite live zoom cam for giraffes!)
• Elephant (most visible between 10:30am and 3:00pm CDT)
• Leafcutter Ant
• Giant River Otter

6. San Diego Zoo

• Panda (the pandas have recently returned to China, however, there is a prerecorded video available)
• African Penguins
• Burrowing Owl

Related Post: Great And Tango Makes Three Penguin Book Activities

7. Oakland Zoo

• Grizzly Bear
• Mountain Lion

The Oakland Zoo offers a variety of free lesson plans for multiple grade levels.

8. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

9. kansas city zoo.

• Bornean Orangutan (currently on the critically endangered species list )

10. Woodland Park Zoo

(We visited the Woodland Park Zoo when we lived in Washington.  Don’t let the small number of webcams fool you.  It is a huge zoo!  Check out my tips for a successful visit to the Woodland Park Zoo if you live in the Seattle area.)

• Grizzly Bears

Woodland Park Zoo offers downloadable educator resources to help students of all ages learn about these amazing animals.

11. Alaska Zoo

An educational polar bear activity packet is available to download.

12. Detroit Zoo

• Snow Monkeys

13. Zoo Atlanta

14. bronx zoo.

The Bronx Zoo offers a few great digital resources. My favorite are the Quests. Kids click an interactive map to learn about a region of the world and the animals who live there.

15. Edinburgh Zoo

Many zoos also offer virtual programs for small groups hosted by zoo educators, but they can come with a steep price. I suggest taking advantage of all the free educational resources first. Find all of the activity ideas by visiting the education department section of the web page.

If you decide to book an official program, get together with a few other families to make the expense more reasonable.

Do you know of any other zoos with webcams?  Leave it in the comments and I will add it to the list so more families can enjoy the animals.

Visit a zoo today!

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Welcome! My name is Jennifer. I am a teacher at heart. Before my children were born I was a public school teacher. Now, I am a homeschooling mom of two.

As i was looking though the zoos i was thinking i have never heard or seen them and i thought ” those are so cool” and i just really was paying attention to the animals and i saw a few that i new,And i thought is was cool and interesting to find more zoos to go and explore.

I like the San Diego because they have some animals I like!Like: Panda, Kola Bear, Penguins & Tigers! Maybe in Woodland Park Zoo should have more animals because it only has 3 types of animals and you could put more like the San Diego Zoo!But I really like this site.

Thank you. This is an excellent resource. I can have my students visit the zoo as part of their remote learning experience.

I am glad it helped 🙂

the cats are so cute

but of corse they can be deadly

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High Museum, other Atlanta attractions to offer free virtual field trips

Some of Atlanta’s most iconic touring destinations are closed to the public amid the coronavirus pandemic, but several of the city’s attractions have joined forces offering free, weekly virtual field trips.

Beginning 10 a.m. Friday, Atlanta's attractions will host "Field Trip Friday," which allows audience to take a "digital field trip around Atlanta,"  according to a website about the event. 

Virtual visitors will see interactive attractions from the Atlanta Botanical Garden, the Georgia Aquarium, the High Museum and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.

Leading up to the digital field trip, each of the 11 attractions posted interactive material on its social media pages and websites. The weeklong posts culminate Friday morning with their field trips, which visitors can find on the attractions' website and  https://atlmuseumsathome.org/ .

“It’s just a way to keep people — families — connected, and teachers and educators from going stir crazy,” Atlanta Botanical Garden spokesman Danny Flanders told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

For the Botanical Gardens’ annual spring bulb festival, Atlanta Blooms, virtual visitors will get a tour of colorful blooms such as tulips, hyacinths and other flowers that bloomed in late February and early March.

“It was a real disappointment we couldn’t share it with people,” Flanders said, but he hopes they can still enjoy the virtual tour of them.

Other attractions included on the virtual field trips are Fernbank Museum, Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame, Children’s Museum of Atlanta, Breman Museum, and Zoo Atlanta.

The weekly field trips are expected to run until the end of April, Flanders said.

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Stuck at home with kids and going kooky? This epic list of virtual zoo tours and aquariums from around the world will (hopefully) provide kids with a few hours of entertainment, and grownups with a smidge of regained sanity.

Things are completely berserk right now – not gonna lie. But, you have to admit that living through a global pandemic in the 21st century really ain’t all that bad. I mean, on the bright side, we have the Internet, liquor stores and an infinite online catalogue of hilarious memes to keep us entertained.

Fellow parents, this enlightening virtual zoo and aquariums post aims to create an ‘occupation’ for the kids so that us poor souls can quietly resume watching Tiger King or scrolling through funny quarantine videos on Tik Tok.

Psst.. You can find us on Tik Tok here for a daily dose of quarantine laughs.

Alright, folks. Whip out your VR goggles or get the TV ready for casting – we are about to embark on a whirlwind trip around the world to experience the best aquariums and virtual zoo tours on all four corners of the planet. Best of all.. You won’t even have to lift a finger. Okay, maybe just one finger for clicking.

Looking for more travel tips for families?

13 Tips for Keeping Healthy while Travelling

14 Ways to Help Toddlers Sleep on Planes

The Best Portable Baby Beds for Travel

But first, watch our video on 12 genius ideas to enjoy a pretend ‘holiday’ at home for days where you and the littles are experiencing a serious case of travel withdrawals.

18 Best Virtual Zoos & Aquariums in the World

Strap on your ‘seatbelts’ and virtual reality headset (if you own a pair), we’re about to take you on a wild ride through four continents to experience a string of virtual field trips to the zoo and aquariums like you’ve never experienced before.

North America: Virtual Zoo Tours & Aquariums

Home to world-class zoos and one of the most remarkable aquariums we’ve ever set foot inside *ahem* Georgia Aquarium, North America is one virtual trip you have to take to ogle at pandas, Beluga whales and even piranhas via 24-hour live cams.

San Diego Zoo

If there’s one virtual zoo trip to place on top of your online ‘travel’ bucket list – it’s San Diego Zoo.

Slide into their live cams to take a peek at the daily shenanigans of tigers, elephants, baboons and more adorable four-legged fur friends that will steal your hearts away.

But wait, guys. There’s more to your San Diego Zoo virtual tour and online experience. Way more. Ensure that you pop a visit to the dedicated kids’ section of the website for a myriad of animal-focused learning activities, art and crafts video tutorials, home experiment ideas and educational games.

Oh, and if you have a VR headset handy, now’s the time to pop them over your head and check into their YouTube channel to immerse yourselves in 360º videos, like this one of giant tortoises eating watermelon.

Atlanta Zoo

In need of a cute animal fix that’s not your own household pet? Atlanta Zoo has got you covered with their world-famous live PandaCam . Meet the ridiculously adorable panda twins, Ya Lun and Xi Lun, who are melting hearts across the globe with their playful antics and just all-round cuteness.

Don’t forget to swing by their Facebook page to experience what basically feels like virtual field trips to the zoo, featuring regular keeper talks and behind-the-scenes insight into animals and their diets and lifestyle.

The website also offers a host of fun activities and lessons that support ‘at home learning’, like animal arts and crafts, backyard bingo and a storybooks packed with hands-on activities.

TIP: Download the WILDEVERSE mobile game, which features real-life characters from Atlanta Zoo. Transform your home into a digital jungle and embark on research quests and missions to find endangered apes. 

Cincinnati Zoo

Hopping over a couple of states north to Ohio, we’re going to spring into Cincinnati Zoo to meet the world’s most famous hippopotamus, Fiona. Follow this immersive virtual zoo tour to get a feel of the space, exhibits and animals.

Swing by their Facebook page to tune into The Fiona Show where you can watch videos of her birth and follow her astonishing progress and growth. She’s the only hippo ever to survive an almost 2-month premature birth.

They also host daily virtual safari live streams, in which you can learn all about the zoo’s resident animals, including their diets, personalities and lifestyles.

Toronto Zoo

Slip into your down jackets because I’m about to beam you further up to the chillier regions of the northern hemisphere. Ready? Get set. Click away.

Explore Toronto Zoo’s YouTube channel to get up close and personal to mighty grizzly bears,  fluffy white Arctic foxes, lynxes, and even Masai giraffes.

If you’re keen to experience a virtual zoo trip to this beautiful destination, take a look at this complete walkthrough which lets viewers enjoy the zoo on a snowy winter day.

Georgia Aquarium

Yes. We’re parents and.. yes, we love to travel, so I can safely say that we’ve been to a crapload of aquariums around the world. If there isn’t an aquarium on our city itinerary, then something has gone horribly wrong in the planning process.

Of all the aquariums we have visited, none have, so far, compared to Georgia Aquarium. Not even close. If you’re an aquarium nut like we are – you need to put a  physical visit to this spectacular place on your travel bucket list.

For now, you can, of course, experience this epic aquarium virtually via their virtual aquarium tour and live cam feed where you can soothe your soul gazing at dancing jellyfish or stare in awe at the Beluga whale. 

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Attention, please. It’s time to choose your snack, sink into the couch and get cozy; your self-guided Monterey Bay Aquarium virtual tour is about to begin.

Step one. Cast this 360° aquarium walkthrough to your TV or don your virtual reality headset ’cause things are about to go down in underwater town.

Virtually meet and learn about Monterey Bay Aquarium’s resident marine animals on their interactive website, or stalk your favourite sea animal’s live cam . 

You can even enrol in free online courses comprising guided activities to support learning at home or engage the kiddos in free virtual zoo games that both educate and entertain.

Want more insider tips for surviving the stay-at-home life with kids?

Join thousands of subscribers and get fun and creative tips and ideas delivered straight to your inbox.

Asia: Virtual Zoos & Aquariums

Exotic rainforest virtual zoo tours and thrilling night safaris – discover Asia’s most enchanting zoos and aquariums without having to peel yourself off the couch. 

Singapore Zoo

Okay, so Asia is off-limits right now. I mean, pretty much every continent is out of reach at this moment, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take a virtual field trip to this incredible zoo in South East Asia that everyone raves about.

Get a feel of Singapore Zoo and what animals you can expect to encounter in our very own walkthrough guide that we filmed on one of our visits or read up on the zoo’s resident animals.

Hold up a second though. Your journey doesn’t end at the Singapore Zoo. Drop into the Singapore River Safari for a virtual walkthrough tour and meet weird and wonderful creatures that inhabit rivers around the world.

Your adventure continues onwards to the Singapore Night Safari where you can view a hypnotising fire show , witness an impressive animal show , and hop on a tram car to discover nocturnal animals in their open exhibits.

Check out our Singapore virtual zoo guide to see the highlights of this open zoo concept.

Jurong Bird Park

While we’re in Singapore, let’s take a hot moment to visit one of the biggest bird parks in the world where you can make a feeble attempt at identifying up to 3,500 birds across 400 species from all over the world.

Discover the diverse zones inhabited by bird species from all corners of the Earth, meet the winged residents of Jurong Bird Park or take a virtual stroll through the lush, green space that will give you all the jungle vibes 

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Aquaria KLCC

Swing into Aquaria KLCC in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on one of your free virtual field trips to zoos and aquariums around the world and tune into marine animal feedings and educational talks on their 24-hour live streaming cam .

Don’t forget to check their Facebook for the schedule.

Meet the spine-chilling Sand Tiger Shark and his stingray buddies, or chill out with laid-back Green Sea Turtles that all dwell inside the Living Ocean tank.

Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo

Set off on a virtual aquarium tour at the magnificent Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo located in the glittering capital of the United Arab Emirates.

The tour isn’t just an ordinary virtual field trip of your average aquarium; this epic space also doubles as a zoo. Be prepared to encounter fruit bats, desert hedgehogs, cobras, chameleons.

Pop over to their Facebook page to learn fun animal facts and binge on videos of iguanas, hedgehogs and racoons freely roaming the empty aquarium.

Australia: Virtual Zoos & Aquariums

Kangaroos? Check. Koalas? No doubt. Tasmanian Devil? Yeah, baby. It’s time for a trip downunder to meet friendly Aussie animals and not-so-friendly creatures and crawlies that either bite or kill.

Taronga Zoo 

To experience one of the southern hemisphere’s best virtual zoos, you can’t go past Sydney’s newly launched Taronga TV . Tune into the live cams to view animal exhibits, shows, keeper chats, and even take a peek inside the Wildlife Hospital.

Hit up Taronga’s YouTube channel to witness funny animal antics and catch up on missed shows and performances. This video of a lemur baking in the sun is basically all of us right now when the sun touches our windows in quarantine.

Sea Life & Wild Life Sydney

Sea Life and Wild Life Sydney have recently launched their fun and super educational online virtual zoo and aquarium experiences. Prepare yourselves for hours worth of fun family activities and homeschooling content.

Dive into the virtual aquarium experience and meet dugongs and King penguins in live streams, or gape at aquarists throwing themselves into the shark tank to feed hungry sea predators.

If you’re running low on learning activities for the kiddos, you’ll also find a bunch of marine animal-themed craft activities and free downloadable homeschooling resources and activity sheets .

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tina ft. 2 boys & 1 man child (@hangrybynature) on May 8, 2019 at 4:37am PDT

A virtual visit to Sea Life wouldn’t be complete without popping into Wild Life Sydney to learn all about Australian animals that are slightly more.. grounded.

Peek into live streams to see what Rocky the croc is up to or join in on storytime events run by the zoo staff on the virtual zoo tours page. You’ll also find printable animal-themed colouring pages, plus fact and activity sheets.

Before you leave, don’t forget to drop by  Merlin’s Education Toolbox for even more activities and workbooks, especially helpful for parents seeking homeschooling resources or teachers looking for lesson content. 

READ MORE: 21 Romantic Date Ideas in Sydney

Europe: Virtual Zoos & Aquariums

The last continent we’ll be virtually teleporting you to on this worldwide virtual safari, zoo and aquarium tour is, of course, good ole Europe. Home to the world’s oldest zoo and the first zoo in the world to house and breed penguins – your roundtrip will end with a little history and class.

Germany’s capital can proudly claim to have the most popular zoo in all of Europe. Berlin Zoo houses a whopping collection of over 20,000 animals across 1,500 different species – more than any zoo on the planet.

Considering none of us can currently visit in person, we can thank the Internet once again for this high-resolution walkthrough , making it possible to meet some of the friendly furry residents of the zoo, virtually.

Oh, and I’m just gonna casually mention that they have PANDA CUBS, guys. *Hyperventilating*. Jump onto their Facebook to meet the twinning cuties, Pit and Paule. Right now. It’ll be the most adorable thing you’ll see all week.

You can stalk them trying to catch some snoozy time below…

Speaking of stalking animals (cos that’s socially acceptable, right?), Prague Zoo houses a baby elephant that online visitors can attempt to spot on their live Elephant Valley cam . Pop by their YouTube channel for more adorable moments and to follow its journey from birth.

Watch this 4k  walkthrough of the zoo and try to spot mighty Western Lowland gorillas, polar bears, hippos, Asian elephants, red pandas and many more cute and intimidating animals.

RELATED: 13 Ways to Stay Healthy While Travelling

Edinburgh Zoo

This was the first zoo in the world to house and breed penguins – in fact, Edinburgh Zoo is popularly known for its Penguin Parade, where waddling little penguins are let free their enclosure for a stroll around the space.

Observe the antics of King and Rockhopper penguins on live cams , as well as koalas, tigers and pandas.

They’ve made their learning portal readily accessible – the online hub is packed with free activities, games, quizzes and fact files for kids of all ages.

Hang tight – just gonna beam you over to our final leg of virtual zoo tours around the world in Vienna. The city is home to the world’s oldest zoo, Tiergarten Schönbrunn, which opened its doors in 1752.

Soak in this gorgeous space in this virtual zoo stroll and meet animals from all around the world and, of course, explore the picturesque landscape that surrounds the zoo. 

Keep an eye out for the zoo’s newest sensation, Finja – a polar bear cub. Watch her birth and everyday life on Vienna Zoo’s YouTube channel .

Have you got more ideas to add to the list?

Hit me up in the comments and let me know what virtual little gems you’ve found in isolation, so that together, we may survive being confined inside four walls with perpetually bored kids.

Explore more Virtual Travel Guides

• Take a look at the new JetKids Travel Backpack for kids
• Find the best portable baby & toddlers beds for under $100
• Discover 28 essentials for a family beach vacation to pack for your trip

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Get more out of your Family Trip

Take a look at our Travel Resources to find the best deals on flights, accommodation and attractions. Find mistake fares, the cheapest date to fly each month, hotel and apartment savings, plus where to buy the cheapest tickets for attractions.

Looking for some sweet travel deals? You’re in for a treat.

•  Get $40 USD / $50 AUD OFF your first Airbnb booking

•  Book discounted attraction tickets on Klook .

Come say “HEY!” on Instagram or Facey . I like to think I’m a self-proclaimed comedian, all the while providing some lit AF travel tips. You be the judge.

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20 Virtual Field Trips to Take with Your Kids

Virtual field trips are a great way to expose kids to new places all from the comfort of home. In this age of technology, so many museums, zoos and aquariums have set up virtual tours and webcams of their facilities. Now more than ever, is it easier to visit destinations around the world from the comfort of your couch.

The last couple of years has shown us how much we take being able to visit places for granted. Even something as ordinary as a school field trip became rare. So, we came up with a list of places you could visit using technology for those times when you can’t be there in person. Virtual field trips are a fun and educational way to visit places virtually and and “travel” without leaving home or school.

I’ve rounded up 20 virtual field trips that you can take with your kids. There are also lesson ideas, activities and book suggestions to extend the learning for each type of destination.

Art Museums

Visit some of the best art galleries in the world virtually. From Paris to New York to Amsterdam, kids can see priceless works of art from the world’s most famous artists.

• Louvre Museum, Paris https://www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne
• National Gallery of Art, Washington DC https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/national-gallery-of-art-washington-dc?hl=en
• Metropolitan Museum of Art https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/the-metropolitan-museum-of-art
• Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/van-gogh-museum?hl=en
• Uffizi Gallery, Florence Italy https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/uffizi-gallery?hl=en

Activities and Resources

• Choose a favorite painting or sculpture and create a copycat piece of art.
• Research an artist. This is a great book about some amazing artists kids should know about https://amzn.to/38QWQGf (affiliate link).
• Choose a piece of art to focus on. Describe it, tell why you chose it and how it makes you feel.
• Choose 2 works of art to compare.

Zoo webcams have allowed visitors to drop in on the habitats of some of the zoo’s favorite animal exhibits. Here are some highlights. Want more? Here is our complete list of virtual zoo field trips .

• San Diego Zoo https://kids.sandiegozoo.org/videos
• Zoo Atlanta Panda Cam https://youtu.be/_6wbfVWVk8Q
• Smithsonian’s National Zoo https://nationalzoo.si.edu/webcams
• Reid Park Zoo Lion Cam in Tuscon, AZ http://reidparkzoo.org/cameras/lion-cam/
• Ouwehand Park Polar Bear Cubs Rhenen, Netherland https://explore.org/livecams/polar-bears/polar-bear-ouwehand-twin-cubs-cam-2
• Take a Virtual Field Trip Lesson Plan
• Zoo Field Trip Worksheet Freebie
• Do more research on your favorite animal and make a guide.
• Research the habitat of your favorite animal. Use at home materials to create a miniature habitat.

Just like with zoos, aquariums have used webcams to let you visit their exhibits virtually. In addition, some aquariums have set up virtual tours led by their staff to give visitors a more in depth look at their facility.

• Monterey Bay Aquarium https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals-and-exhibits/live-web-cams
• Georgia Aquarium https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/webcam/ocean-voyager/
• National Aquarium Virtual Tour http://samuraivirtualtours.com/example/nadc/index.html
• Virtual Tour of the Seattle Aquarium
• Aquarium Field Trip Worksheet Freebie
• Research your favorite sea animal and make a presentation.
• Watch Finding Nemo or Finding Dory. Identify the types of sea creatures in the movie.
• Watch Disneynature’s Oceans

Travel the World

In this day and age, it is easier than ever to travel the world without leaving home.

• Google Maps street view will allow you to visit almost any destination around the world. Check out this view from Pompei .
• Visit the Great Wall of China https://www.thechinaguide.com/destination/great-wall-of-china
• Virtually discover Yellowstone National Park. https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/photosmultimedia/virtualtours.htm
• Tour England through this 360 video .
• Take a live look at Colonial Williamsburg .
• Go on a virtual field trip to Ellis Island .
• Plan a trip to a new destination. What would you do, see, eat?
• Make a travel brochure for the destination you visited.
• Write a postcard from that destination. Include details about the place and what you can see there.

More Stuff to Do at Home:

• Virtual Field Trips: Zoos, Aquariums, Farms, and Safaris
• Virtual Visit to Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom
• Educational Shows on Disney+
• Imagineering in a Box
• 150 Educational Shows on Netflix
• Boredom Busting Bingo
• 1000 Free Disney Coloring Pages

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Homeschooling During The Pandemic – Live Love Mom

Wednesday 12th of July 2023

[…] 20 Virtual Field Trips to Take with Your Kids […]

Jess Lyn May

Wednesday 10th of November 2021

Virtual field trips has been helpful for the past year. It helps children to still learn even at home. Thanks for this cool resources. - Jen

Thursday 2nd of September 2021

Keep thiѕ going please, great job!

Caryn Smith

Thursday 22nd of April 2021

Thanks for sharing the great post

Thursday 7th of January 2021

30 Best Zoo and Safari Virtual Field Trips

by Sara Ipatenco

The coronavirus has thrown teachers across the country for a loop. Teaching from home is like nothing educators ever imagined, and being at home makes hands-on educational activities like field trips nearly impossible. Fortunately, many zoos and animal parks around the world offer virtual field trips. Though not as entertaining as the real thing, virtual visits to zoos can enrich your curriculum and give students a break from the virtual classroom.

Here are 30 of the best zoo and safari field trips out there. No permission slip required!

1. San Diego Zoo, San Diego, CA

Students can watch live cams of all their favorite animals, including koalas, hippos, elephants, tigers, and more. The Kid’s Corner also offers a wide variety of educational videos hosted by zookeepers. Each video gives facts about different types of animals, so if your students are interested in ocean invertebrates, baby animals, or animal helpers, the San Diego virtual experience is the place for them.

2. Denver Zoo, Denver, CO

Not only is the Denver Zoo the first zoo to use natural enclosures for their animals instead of metal cages, but it also offers a virtual classroom so students can learn about animals in an up close, educational way. In addition to watching animals and zookeepers, students can also participate in the Animal Academy. As part of the Animal Academy, students can earn a virtual Spots and Stripes badge with correct trivia answers!

3. Monterey Bay Aquarium

If you have some future marine biologists in your classroom, the Monterey Bay Aquarium offers a wide variety of live cams. Your students can watch otters, penguins, and jellyfish in action, or they can take a trip through a kelp forest, the open sea, or a shark habitat. For any bird lovers, the aviary cam offers and up close and personal look at many kinds of beautiful birds. You might also consider one of the 45-minute guided virtual tours the aquarium offers specifically to educators.

4. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, IL

The Sea Curious online program at the Shedd Aquarium is designed to answer kids’ questions about underwater animals in a fun and engaging way. Each episode answers a question through an adventure around the aquarium. Students might learn what powers different animals have, what animals do at night, why some animals are slimy, or why animals lose their teeth.

5. Houston Zoo, Houston, TX

Students can see a huge variety of animals interacting with their habitats via a web cam field trip through the Houston Zoo. The live web cams offer an up-close glimpse of many types of animals including playful elephants, busy insects, curious monkeys, and majestic pink flamingoes. Your students will enjoy seeing the animals play, sleep, take baths, and eat their meals.

6. National Zoo, Washington, D.C.

At the National Zoo, students can view many web cams to see animals in action. Students can learn about big cats, elephants and naked mole rats. The National Zoo also has one of four panda enclosures in the United States and students will be able to see several giant pandas, including the baby panda that was born in August 2020! Students also have access to webinars and self-guided learning experiences to enhance their virtual trip to the National Zoo.

7. Philadelphia Zoo, Philadelphia, PA

The Philadelphia Zoo offers a Philly Zoo at Two live presentation. The program showcases different animals and lets students ask questions about what they are learning. The zookeepers provide interesting facts about each animal to pique your students’ curiosity about different species. If you can’t login in at 2:00, the website keeps an archive, so your students have access to these virtual experiences at any time. If you have some penguin-lovers in your group, the Philadelphia Zoo also offers a Penguin Point cam so students can see these playful creatures in action.

8. The London Zoo, London, England

From watching animal antics to seeing zookeeper videos to tuning in to web cams, students can learn a lot about animals with virtual programs offered through the London Zoo. Students can watch the lemurs eat a snack, hear squirrel monkeys talk, see a baby penguin, or watch the giraffes’ afternoon tea being prepared. The London Zoo also offers Zoo School, which provides a large variety of age-appropriate and printable resources to further enhance your virtual trip to the zoo.

9. Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Los Angeles, CA

Get to know the animals at the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens through their virtual field trip videos. Watch something exciting like a baby gorilla riding on his mom’s head or a colony of busy bees! Calm yourself down as you view as a koala munching on leaves or hippos lazily floating in the water. For a more formal field trip experience, students can take a choose-your-own adventure virtual tour of the entire zoo.

10. Zoos Victoria, Australia

Encompassing three different zoos, Zoos Victoria offers virtual tours of all their locations. A virtual trip through the Healesville Sanctuary will show students animals from the woodlands to the wetlands, including kangaroos, dingoes, koalas, and platypuses. At the Melbourne Zoo, students can see lions, elephants, gorillas, and underwater creatures. A virtual visit to the Werribee Open Range Zoo will get students up close with monkeys, hippos, and cheetahs. Zookeeper talks and virtual animal encounters will round out any online field trip.

11. Zoo Atlanta, Atlanta, GA

Zoo Atlanta offers many at-home resources to keep children learning. After taking an exciting virtual tour of the zoo, students can also view Zoo2You videos to discover more about different animals. Online virtual Facebook events, storybook readings with the animals, and a free mobile game allow children to explore animals even more.

12. Milwaukee County Zoo, Milwaukee, WI

The Milwaukee County Zoo offers a self-paced virtual experience through several live web cams. Students can watch polar bears, jaguars, lions, tigers, and other animals in a variety of habitats. Another camera shows students what’s happening in Lake Wisconsin. Students can drop in any time to see what their favorite animals are up to.

13. Edinburgh Zoo, Edinburgh, Scotland

The Edinburgh Zoo is the first zoo in the world to house penguins, and students can have a virtual experience with these magical creatures via live webcams. The zoo also features pandas, tigers, koalas, and lions. This zoo also offers guided virtual tours and online learning experiences.

14. Dublin Zoo, Dublin, Ireland

A virtual field trip to the Dublin Zoo allows students to visit elephants, penguins, and animals from the African Savanna via webcams. Along with the webcams, students can also access the online animal encyclopedia, which provides kid-friendly information about the hundreds of species living at the zoo.

15. Indianapolis Zoo, Indianapolis, IN

The Indianapolis Zoo brings the zoo to you with a variety of webcams. Students can watch live streams of walruses, penguins, macaws, and tigers. Digital field trips are also available through the Indianapolis Zoo. Your students will get to see many of the most popular exhibits and gain a wealth of knowledge about the animal kingdom along the way.

16. The Alaska Zoo, Anchorage, AK

In addition to a live polar bear webcam, students can also view a variety of YouTube videos showing animals in their homes and interacting with zookeepers. Visit the Learning Yurt to see videos and learn more about central Asian animals, including snow leopards, Bactrian camels, Tibetan yaks, and golden eagles. The Learning Yurt offers crafts and games to go along with a virtual visit.

17. Bronx Zoo, New York, NY

Live from the Bronx Zoo, students can virtually interact with lemurs, langurs, and penguins. Visit the sea lion pool to watch these playful creatures in action! Make a virtual stop by Ocean Wonders and see the sharks sliding gracefully through the water! Jungleworld and the Seabird Aviary are additional virtual exhibits students can enjoy. Students can also book private Zoom sessions to get the chance to come face to face with many of the animals who make the Bronx Zoo home.

18. National Aquarium, Baltimore, MD

Visit an underwater zoo with a virtual field trip to the National Aquarium. Enjoy the Pacific Coral Reef or head over to Shark Alley. Additionally, see a diverse variety of species in the Tropical Rain Forest and Amazon River exhibits. All virtual exhibits at the National Aquarium encourage students to watch animals in action and learn about their natural habitats.

19. Reid Park Zoo, Tucson, AZ

Tune in to live webcams of elephants, giraffes, grizzly bears, lemurs, and lions. As students watch these animals in action, they can also click on the links to learn more about each animal to complete their virtual field trip.

20. Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta, GA

Take a virtual dive into the beautiful underwater world of the Georgia Aquarium. Live webcams allow students to watch graceful fish, playful sea otters, silly beluga whales, fierce little piranhas, and more. Convenient links to animal facts on their website create instant learning opportunities!

21. Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach, CA

The Aquarium of the Pacific boasts the largest tropical reef habitat exhibit and is modeled after the natural reef in Palau. Students will get to see a wide variety of colorful tropical fish, jellyfish, sharks, sea otters, and sea lions.

22. WildEarth, Africa

Give your students the ultimate safari experience with WildEarth. Through daily live safaris, students can see leopards, lions, cheetahs, and hyenas in their natural habitat. These experiences include guided walks with experts, drones, cameras, and balloons to help students escape to the wild African savanna. There is also a section dedicated to safaris geared toward children ages 4-18.

23. African Animals Watering Hole, Central Kenya

Located in the highlands of Kenya, the Mpala Research Centre watering hole reveals animals socializing while getting a drink or taking a bath. A virtual trip to the watering hole allows students to see elephants, crocodiles, hippos, giraffes, and other native animals playing in the water!

24. Balule Nature Reserve, South Africa

Enjoy the view from a hidden safari camera at the Bulule Nature Reserve in South Africa. The solar powered camera gives students a glimpse into the natural habitat of some of Africa’s most majestic animals, including lions, rhinos, giraffes, and elephants. Students might also catch a glimpse of more exotic African animals like the antelopes, genets, and warthogs.

25. Asilia, Capetown, Africa

Take a safari from the comfort of home or school with short video clips of African animals in their natural surroundings. Students can view popular and well-known African animals like lions, hyenas, and elephants. Additionally, they may join a walking safari, a boating safari, or see if they can catch a glimpse of any animals as they watch the sunset.

26. Olifants River, Emangusi, South Africa

A camera set on the banks of the Olifants River in Emangusi, South Africa, enables students to watch crocodiles and hippos in action. Students might also see elephants and giraffes grazing along the river. Baboons, impalas, waterbuck, and owls have also been known to make an appearance here.

27. Tembe Elephant Park, South Africa

Home to some of the world’s largest elephants, this virtual field trip allows students to watch the elephants and enjoy the sounds of the wild. Students may also see lions, rhinos, buffalos, and leopards. A night visit will reveal what these animals do when the sun goes down.

28. GRACE Forest Corridor, Democratic Republic of Congo

For students interested in gorillas, this is the safari for them. Students will get to watch gorillas in their natural habitat. A virtual trip here will give students the chance to see gorillas interacting with each other, finding food, playing, and relaxing with long afternoon naps. An evening visit might even give students the opportunity to see the gorillas building themselves night nests.  

29. Winged Creatures in 360 Degrees, Detroit, MI

This field trip takes visitors to three different locations to learn about animals with wings. Students will get to see penguins, raptors, and bats. Throughout the trip, students can view animal habitats and learn how human behaviors impact animals, their homes, and the climate where they live.

30. Channel Islands Kelp Forest, Ventura, CA

Take a peaceful virtual field trip through the kelp forest off the Channel Islands in California. Hundreds of marine species live in the kelp forest, so students are sure to see many exciting and interesting creatures swim by. Watching the kelp sway gently through the water can also be quite soothing.

Children can learn so much from visiting zoos and animal parks. Fortunately, there are many virtual ways to experience these educational locations without leaving the comfort of the classroom or desk chair at home!

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Virtual Travel for Kids: Virtual Field Trips, Zoos, Museum Tours

A resource list of online museum tours, virtual field trips, zoo live feeds, & ways to travel at home for kids

Looking for ways to keep young minds busy? Travel the world virtually, no passport necessary! I’ve got tons of links for online museums, virtual field trips for kids, wildlife live feeds, kid-friendly travel documentaries, game ideas, and links for travel-related learning and play at home.

This is a great resource list for parents, grandparents, teachers and anyone who wants to help kids learn about the world and keep exploring in-between trips. Be sure to pin it for later and share with friends or family!

Ready for some armchair travel and virtual field trips for kids? Let’s go!

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Pin these virtual field trips for later!

Google arts and culture project and virtual reality tours.

Some of the sites in my list below participate in the Google Arts and Culture project , which is content from over 2,000 organizations that have partnered with Google to bring their collections and galleries online.

For some online experiences, a virtual reality viewer can be used to immerse yourself in the tour. The simplest virtual reality headsets use a smartphone for this, with an inexpensive viewer like Google Cardboard which you can order from Amazon .  You can use a viewer with a smart phone and the Google Arts & Culture app (downloadable from the Apple Store or Google Play ) or other websites with virtual reality tours.

Virtual Field Trips for Kids: Global Exploration & Cultures

Check out all of these virtual field trip resources for learning about new cultures and places around the globe. Click on the blue text throughout this article for links.

National Geographic Explorer Classroom

Explorer Classroom is a free live YouTube show that connects students with explorers around the world! All events are open to the public and are accompanied by a downloadable event guide with additional information, resources, and discussion questions. During registration, parents and teachers can even choose the option of their group being featured on-screen to interact in real-time with the presenter. Check out upcoming and past sessions on their website. Also don’t miss the National Geographic Education resource Library online .

Global Trek

Travel virtually around the globe with this website! Select a country and learn about the people, wildlife and history there.

Colorful Communities around the World

Check out this Google Earth virtual tour of some of the most colorful cities around the globe. Explore neighborhoods in Semarang, Indonesia; Capetown South Africa; Chefchaouen, Morocco and more. Click the arrows in the bottom right of the page to jump to the next city.

PBS Learning Media: Virtual Field Trip to Africa

This virtual field trip to Africa explores the balance of humans and nature in the countries of Kenya and Burkina Faso. Students will learn the importance of grasslands and how ecotourism has benefited both the people and Kenya’s majestic wildlife. Get the accompanying teacher’s guide here.

Interactive Virtual Field Trips

Airbnb Experiences is now offering paid virtual field trips for kids! Check out all their interactive global adventures with kid-friendly hosts here . Check out options like a tour of a baby goat farm in New Mexico , learning about space from an astronomer in Norway , uncovering Pompeii with an archaeologist , and so many more!

National Geographic Kids

Tons of virtual field trip and learning resources including games, science, animals, trivia and more.

Virtual Day of the Dead | Dia de los Muertos

Learn about how the holiday of Day of the Dead is celebrated in different regions of Mexico and the United States with my virtual Day of the Dead feature!

Kids Web Japan: Virtual Culture

Learn about Japanese culture: sports, games, food, origami and more.

The Wonderment

The Wonderment is a non-profit organization that helps kids, teachers and community leaders share ideas, help communities and connect with others. Check out all the ideas, stories and resources here.

Dances Around the World

This (paid) downloadable lets kids learn 18 different traditional and cultural dances from Italy, Russia, Africa, India, China, and Mexico. Includes links to see the dances being performed.

U.S. and World Population Clock

Learn about U.S. and world population statistics from the U.S. Census website.

Homes by Tinybop

Kids can explore homes around the world with this app. Make meals, decorate, and play games. Play with pets and farm animals, listen to the radio, or play music. Download it on Google Play or the Apple Store .

Discovering Egypt

This site is run by an artist and researcher who has been fascinated by Ancient Egypt since he was a kid. Find information on hieroglyphs, pyramids, pharaohs, mummification, games and more. Also check out the episode of Nat Geo Kids’ “Are We There Yet: Egypt Pyramids” and all of their Egypt resources .

Virtual Costa Rica

Is Costa Rica on your family travel wish list? Check out this two-part Costa Rica virtual field trip from the family blog Two Weeks in Costa Rica. It includes wildlife cameras, volcanoes, storybooks and even how to plant a pineapple! Also check out the episode “Are We There Yet: Costa Rica Animal Rescue” from Nat Geo Kids.

Gift Ideas & Activity Kits for Little Global Citizens

Looking for unique gift ideas for kids? For Purpose Kids is a social good brand inspiring the next generation of global citizens by teaching kindness and doing good as a way of life. Check out all of their fun and interactive activity kits and gifts centered around helping people, animals, and the environment!

Virtual Museum Tours for Kids

Explore some of the world’s best kid-friendly museums and collections on a virtual field trip from home.

Smithsonian Natural History Museum

Virtual tours of the Natural History Museum in Washington, DC. Start in the iconic rotunda and see past and current exhibits like the Egypt Exhibit, Ocean Hall, Fossil Lab, Hall of Mammals and so much more!

Fun Stuff For Kids and Teens from the Smithsonian

Check out the Smithsonian Institution’s roundup of “Fun Stuff for Kids and Teens” from all of their museums online.

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Take a tour of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, which maintains the world’s largest collection of aviation and space artifacts. It’s part of the Google Arts and Culture App that makes museum collections available online.

National Museum of African American History and Culture

The newest addition to the Smithsonians, the African American History and Culture Museum explores the richness and diversity of the African American experience and how it helped shape the nation. Get access to all the NMAAHC digital resources here , including their excellent guides on talking about race with kids with targeted resources for educators and parents or caregivers .

The British Museum

The British Museum’s “Young Explorers” site lets you explore facts, museum objects, games and more.

British Museum Archaeology Virtual Field Trip

Budding archaeologists can feel like Indiana Jones with this free virtual field trip lesson plan for grades 1-4.

The Hirshhorn Museum

The Hirshhorn Museum, a Washington DC Smithsonian museum that focuses on modern and contemporary art, has brought their HirshhornKids program online! They’re sharing ways to explore art and make hands-on projects at home inspired by Hirshhorn artworks. Check out this fun project for transforming rocks into Picasso art !

National Gallery of Art

The National Gallery in Washington, DC has introduced an app with interactive activities inspired by works in their collection. It also includes a virtual sketchbook and gallery space where users can save their art. Additionally, don’t miss their online resource “An Eye for Art,” which introduces children to more than 50 great artists and their work. it includes activities and explorations that inspire artistic development, focused looking, and creative writing.

Lesson Plan: “A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words”

This free lesson plan for grades 6-8 has activities for using artwork as an inspiration for creative writing.

Smithsonian American History Museum

The National Museum of American History has home resources designed to help kids explore American history. Don’t miss the online multimedia version of their Star Spangled Banner exhibit .

Love Washington, DC museums? Don’t miss my virtual Washington DC field trip for kids of all ages, with over 150 ways to explore DC’s museums, galleries and sights from home!

Boston Children’s Museum

Designed for children and families, the exhibits of the Boston Children’s Museum focus on science, culture, environmental awareness, health & fitness, and the arts. Take a virtual tour or find resources for parents and educators here.

The Field Museum

Located in Chicago, the Field Museum grew out of items on display in the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition to nearly 40 million artifacts. You can view their collections online, but for kids their best resource is the museum’s YouTube channel The Brain Scoop .

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met in New York City has in its collection more than 5,000 years of global art through its three sites in New York City. View its collections and exhibits online. Also check out the episode from National Geographic Kids “Are We There Yet: Met Museum.”

Gift Ideas For Little Artists

Looking for gift ideas that inspire a love of art and culture? Check out The Met Museum’s gift guide for kids of all ages including books, games, puzzles, playsets, art kits, and toys! Top picks: musical Mozart Magic Cube , magnetic world map puzzle , pop-up Victorian dollhouse , and a Fun with Hieroglyphs kit.

The Louvre is the world’s largest art museum and a central landmark of Paris, France. Visit online through their virtual tours of some of their most famous collections.

MMCA Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea

The MMCA in Seoul, South Korea is filled with collections of modern and contemporary art, whose bright colors, unique materials and bold shapes may capture kids’ attention better online than traditional art. (I visited when I was in Seoul and loved it too!)

Check out more museums online with Google Arts and Culture and my virtual Washington DC field trip .

Virtual Zoo Field Trips & Wildlife Webcams

See wildlife around the globe with these zoo livefeeds and wildlife webcams for your own zoo virtual field trip!

Smithsonian’s National Zoo

No zoo virtual field trip would be complete with a stop at the National Zoo! It’s part of the Smithsonian Institution museums in Washington DC.  Founded in 1889, the National Zoo was one of the first to establish a scientific research program.  Don’t miss the National Zoo webcams including the famous DC panda cam and cheetah cub cam. You can download an activities guide on the webcam page, and find their at-home educational activities here .  Be sure to follow along on Facebook for updates on panda Mei Xiang’s adorable new cub named Xiao Qi Ji (pronounced Shiau-chi-ji) which means “little miracle” in Mandarin.

Atlanta Zoo

The Atlanta Zoo’s online offering is solely-focused on pandas. Don’t forget to press play (pandas are lazy but not THAT lazy – it took me a minute to realize the first time I watched!).

Houston Zoo

The Houston Zoo’s live webcams include giraffes, gorillas, elephants and flamingos.

Cincinnati Zoo

As a native Cincinnatian, I was lucky to grow up with the Cincinnati Zoo! You might know their most famous resident, Fiona the preemie hippo . If you’re not familiar, the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden is the second-oldest zoo in the United States, and has tons of conservation and wildlife education programs. Check out their Facebook page for “Live Safaris.”

Catch up on past days’ safaris with their list of Home Safari Resources which includes a little project to go along with each.

Tembe Elephant Park, South Africa

This park’s location is very remote, and is renowned for having the largest elephants on the planet. You can also spot lions, leopards, rhinos and buffalos, which along with elephants, make up the “Big 5” ( the top animals to see in Africa on safari). Viewing hours: day and night.  Be sure to turn on your sound to hear the birds and animals!

Love safaris and animals? Be sure to check out my full wildlife field trip s guide including how to see a live guided safari for FREE twice a day!

Rosie’s Pan: Balule Nature Reserve, South Africa

This hidden camera at a secluded watering hole often catches lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, giraffes and more. The first time I watched it, I saw a leopard! Viewing hours: day and night.

GRACE Center, Democratic Republic of Congo

This corridor connects the gorillas’ forest habitat with their night quarters at the The Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center (GRACE). It’s so exciting to see gorillas relaxing here!

Gift Ideas For Kids

Looking for gift ideas for kids who love animals and science? Check out We Craft Box , which offers both one-time ship craft boxes as well as monthly subscriptions. Each subscription box comes with a themed story,  photo directions, and all materials needed that can be shared between two children. Recommended for kids ages 3-9.

Wolfpack Webcam

The International Wolf Center advances the survival of wolf populations by teaching about wolves, their relationship to wildlands and the human role in their future. View their live webcams online day and night.

Orangutan Jungle School

The Smithsonian is offering episodes of its show Orangutan Jungle School for free. Watch young orangutans at a rehabilitation center learn the skills they’ll need to be released back into the wild! (You can also get a free 7-day trial to the channel to watch other shows.)

Virtual Aquarium Field Trips & Ocean Webcams

The georgia aquarium.

The Georgia Aquarium has so many great livefeeds for an aquarium virtual field trip! Some favorites: Jellyfish , Beluga Whales , Southern Sea Otters and Ocean Voyagers – sharks, rays, turtles and more!

The National Aquarium

Located in Baltimore, Maryland, the U.S. National Aquarium is home to more than 20,000 fish, birds, amphibians, reptiles and marine mammals living in award-winning habitats.

Calling future scientists!

Budding marine biologists can help Zooniverse with their “Beluga Bits” project. They need home scientists to examine underwater photos of wild beluga whales and help them catalog the data. More info here!

Ocean lovers of all ages: don’t miss my guide to many more aquarium field trips with my feature on ocean live feeds and aquatic webcams .

Space & Science Virtual Field Trips

Space center houston virtual camp out.

The Space Center Houston is hosting virtual camp outs on a “pay what you can” basis. The next event is December 12 – register at the link above at least 24 hours ahead of time.

Nickelodeon Slime in Space

Take a virtual field trip into space with Nickelodeon and a group of NASA astronauts as they figure out what happens when you send slime into space! Includes “Slime in Space Resources” for teachers and parents.

Best Slime Recipes

To go along with this field trip, get the 4 best slime recipes from Home Science Tools.com .

Access Mars

Explore the surface of Mars with footage collected by the NASA’s Curiosity Rover.

National Air and Space Administration

NASA has a crazy amount of content available on its NASA At Home site! Future astronauts should be sure to “Imagine You’re An Astronaut” for fun info, video, history and learning projects. Nat Geo Kids has an episode “Are We There Yet: NASA. ” And don’t miss this interactive exhibit of Neil Armstrong’s Space Suit from the National Air and Space Museum.

International Space Station

Got a pair of old 3D glasses laying around? Check out this cool 3-D virtual tour of the Space Station!

Google Moon

You’ve probably heard of Google Earth, but did you know there’s also Google Moon? Explore tours of lunar landing sites narrated by Apollo astronauts and learn about the moon and space missions there.

Weather School

The Capital Weather Gang, as the meteorologists at the Washington Post are known, hosted two weeks of “Weather School” videos this spring on their Facebook page.

Science Gift Ideas For Kids

Looking for gift ideas for kids who love science? Check out Creation Crate , which delivers hands-on technology projects and online curriculum right to your door. Club SciKids sends engaging and fun career-related science kits each month. Groovy Lab in a Box ships boxes full of hands-on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) experiments for ages 8+. And kids’ toys retailer Maisonette has lots of creative STEM gift ideas.

Virtual Field Trips for Kids

Explore national parks and tourism sites and get links to tons of virtual field trips around the globe!

U.S. National Parks – Virtual Tours via Google Earth 

Take virtual tours of more than 30 U.S. National Parks, including Bryce Canyon, Death Valley, Dry Tortugas , Sequoia and more.

Become a Junior Park Ranger!

Get ready for your next vacation by learning how kids can take part in the National Parks Junior Ranger Program .

Google Earth: UNESCO World Heritage Sites

You can also explore UNESCO World heritage sites via Google Earth These are sites for having cultural, historical, scientific or other form of significance by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Check out Google’s suggestion for their top 8 culture sights here . Also, you can explore a wide variety of landmarks through Google Street view, including Stonehenge , Machu Picchu , the Roman Colosseum and the Egyptian Pyramids . The platform also recently launched the Heritage on the Edge initiative, which features five Unesco World Heritage sites under threat from climate change. The project includes 3D maps, augmented reality features, and expert opinions on how we can protect these treasured landmarks.

Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots

The Roots & Shoots Foundation, founded by English primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall, has the goal of inspiring and empowering kids to affect change in their communities and the world. Now established in 110 countries around the globe, Roots & Shoots has both a YouTube channel and website with resources for kids and distance learning toolkits and lesson plans for educators.

Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon was the plantation of George Washington, the first President of the United States, and his wife Martha Washington. Explore and learn about the site with a very cool and immersive virtual tour.

Jamestown Settlement & American Revolution Museum

This site has a wealth of American history resources and interactive experiences online. They’re hosting live learning sessions on Wednesdays and even share colonial recipes you can make at home.

Machu Picchu

Experience the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru with this interactive virtual tour in 360 degrees. Explore further with this Machu Picchu resource from Nat Geo Kids and Peru country fact file .

The World’s Largest Cave

National Geographic has a really cool virtual tour of the world’s largest cave, Son Doong in Vietnam. Use the map to navigate. Be sure to turn your sound on to hear the sounds of the rainforest and traditional singing!

Virtual Chichen Itza

Take a virtual field trip to one of Mexico’s most-visited landmarks, the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza. These ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and pre-Columbian city built around 600AD. Also check out this National Geographic Kids video about Chichen Itza and explore the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian’s online exhibit Living Maya Time .

Discovery Education 

Join Discovery Education live for new virtual field trips for kids, or watch on demand. All are free and have a companion guide that includes learning activities.

The Nature Conservancy

This global environmental nonprofit offers a wealth of virtual field trips and downloadable teacher guides. Designed for grades 5-8 but customizable for all ages, their Nature Lab virtual field trips let you travel to the rainforest of Borneo, the coral reefs of Palau, an ecosystem in Colombia and more! Also check out their guide to creating an at-home nature lab summer camp .

Great Wall of China 

Explore the Great Wall of China virtually and see amazing 360-degree views of the surrounding countryside. To go along with it, National Geographic Kids has a Great Wall “Are We There Yet” episode and 30 cool facts about China .

The largest collection of 360-degree images and videos online, this site allows kids to explore cities across the globe for a virtual field trip.

Ellis Island

This Scholastic teacher’s activity guide for Ellis Island lets you explore Ellis Island from home.

Great Lakes Now

Explore the coastal wetlands of the Great Lakes region with these virtual field trips.  

Virtual Field Trip: Winged Creatures in 360-Degrees

Using 360-degree videos and images, these field trips from Detroit Public Television let students explore a penguin conservation center, raptor habitat, and bat habitat.

Bradshaw Foundation

The Bradshaw Foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on archaeology, anthropology and genetic research. It works to discover, document and preserve ancient rock art around the world, and promote the study of early humankind’s artistic achievements. Check out their photos and information on cave painting around the globe, then this kids art project with tips for creating your own cave paintings .

Travel Books for Kids

Storytime from space.

Check out these videos of astronauts reading stories for kids from space!

Recommended Travel Books

And here are some great travel books for kids available from Amazon.

Travel-Related Craft Projects & Games

Hop over to my Pinterest board of global crafts for kids, including a printable “passport,” crafts for celebrations around the world, paper plate carnival masks and more!

Hands-On Activity Ideas for Families

We Are Teachers has a great guide for hands-on home learning activities that could go along with many of these field trips.

And don’t miss these travel and geography-themed games available on Amazon.

Crafty Gift Ideas For Kids

Need gift ideas for crafty kids? Kid Made Modern offers a smorgasbord of craft options for kids, including subscription boxes, craft kits, stocking stuffer ideas and even online craft classes! Top picks: a create a comic book kit , a shrink art jewelry kit , a my first painting collection , and an arts and crafts supply library to let imaginations run wild!

Music for Kids + Fun Stuff

The kennedy center.

The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC is home to the National Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Opera, the Washington Ballet among other performance groups. They have a wealth of digital arts learning resources online, including a playable Top 10 List of Classical Music that kids will enjoy, an instrument-spotting guide , and a musical tour of Europe .

Dr. Seuss Raps

Have you discovered Wes Tank’s story raps? Head over to YouTube and check out videos of him rapping Dr. Seuss favorites over hip hop beats by Dr. Dre and others. (Dr. Seuss and Dr. Dre – get it?!) It’s super catchy and fun for both kids and adults, and kids can read/rap along at home. Find more of his original story raps at Kidoodle.tv , a free “Safe Streaming” platform for kids entertainment.

Birthplaces of Music Virtual Field Trip

Take an interactive virtual field trip through the birthplaces of 4 types of music: classical, jazz, rock n’ roll, and country. It’s geared toward high school students, but music lovers of all ages will find it interesting.

Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?

Find out and test your geography knowledge with this revamp of the classic game from Google Earth.

Virtual Disney World

This YouTube Account helps you virtually experience the best of Walt Disney World’s attractions, shows, hotels and more. 

The blog Practical Wanderlust also has their own tips from a former cast member on a how to have a virtual Disney tour .

Additional Learning Resources

Here’s a roundup of other travel, geography and other global learning resources I came across in my virtual field trip and ‘travel from home” research. Be sure to check out my other guides to aquarium virtual field trips and zoo and safari field trips for additional related resources for teachers and parents.

• Maryland Public Television & PBS Learning Media Free standards-aligned videos, interactives, lesson plans, and more for teachers.
• Nat Geo Kids: Are We There Yet? Global adventures for kids video series hosted by brother-and-sister duos.
• Smithsonian Learning Lab: Discover, Create, Share
• Smithsonian Science Education Center: Distance Learning
• Aquarium of the Pacific Online Learning Academy 
• Smithsonian: 7 Ways to Learn about Natural History From Home
• Smithsonian: 8 Digital Education Resources from the Smithsonian
• Boston Children’s Museum: Play and Learning Resources
• U.S. National Parks Learn and Explore
• National Geographic Family: Fun Ideas to Help Your Kids Explore the World
• CIA World Factbook
• The Spy Museum: Lesson Plans Online
• KidsNuz: 5-Minute Daily Newscasts for Kids
• Curiosity Stream   Access to a huge library of documentaries and non-fiction television shows. (paid subscription)

Looking for more virtual travel resources to keep traveling and learning from home?

Check out my all of my virtual travel content here ! Includes a Washington DC field trip , safari and zoo virtual field trips and aquarium live feeds (for kids of all ages!) and my virtual travel and things to do in-between trips (mostly for grown-ups).

Pin these virtual field trips for kids or share with friends or family!

The Haphazard Traveler is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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I was a travel hot mess, but I got better! I kept the name and now blog my best tips for culture + adventure travel from around the globe. Follow along for travel advice, destination guides, and photography from faraway lands and at home in Washington, DC.

Travel Writer | Photographer | Licensed Drone Pilot Member, Society of American Travel Writers (SATW)

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FREE Virtual Field Trips To Zoos -No Permission Slips Needed

o Now you can take free virtual field trips to zoos right from the comfort of your own home. Think you can’t go anywhere over Spring Break, well think again. Thanks to technology, it’s now possible for you and your family to visit.

all kinds of places from the comfort of your living room. When I was teaching Kindergarten, one of my student’s favorite things to do was to tune in to the live cams from everywhere from the Monterey Bay Aquarium to the  National Zoo in Washinton D.C., and beyond.  It was a great way to open the door to learning about life around us in a fun and unique way without ever leaving the classroom. With so many families turning to online learning activities, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite free virtual field trips to zoos and aquariums for you, so enjoy your “visit”! The best part, for these field trips, there are no permission slips needed Here are some of our favorite virtual field trips to zoos:

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened its doors to guests thus introducing to the world a place where the magic of nature with rare animals and world-class entertainment came together but this year Disney’s Animal Kingdom marked its anniversary on Earth Day, April 22, with more wild adventures than ever before and reconfirmed their commitment to the Disney Conservation Fund and preserving wildlife and protecting the planet for future generations by inspiring action. From creatures wild and whimsical to Broadway-caliber shows, from unparalleled experiences toward-winning conservation efforts, from exotic lands to cuisine that celebrates a global park, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park is a world of adventures from day to night, with exotic animals, prehistoric giants, and beloved Disney characters

Kilimanjaro Safari : full ride experience of Kilimanjaro Safari. It’s a guided tour with fun facts about many of the animals found at Animal Kingdom

San Diego Zoo

PANDA MEMORIES

In honoring the terms of their conservation loan agreement with the People’s Republic of China, 27-year-old Bai Yun and her son, 6-year-old Xiao Liwu, have been repatriated to their ancestral homeland.

But luckily you can still enjoy the archived footage of Bai Yun and Xiao Liwu at the San Diego Zoo recorded from January through April 2019.

Smithsonian’s National Zoo

While you are watching pandas chomp on bamboo, play in trees and tumble in the grass, specially trained volunteers with Friends of the National Zoo are hard at work using these cameras to collect behavioral data on the giant pandas. Be sure to toggle back and forth between Panda Cam 1 and Panda Cam 2 using the tabs at the top of the video player to get the full Panda Cam experience.

Houston Zoo

LIVE ON CAMERA AT THE HOUSTON ZOO

Giraffe Cam

Gorilla Habitat Cam

Elephant Yard Cam

Rhino Yard Cam

Chimp Window Cam

Chimpanzee Cam

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Gayle is an educator, storyteller and lifelong learner with a passion for spontaneous travel. Here you’ll find practical tips and creative hacks with the hope of helping you to create your own extraordinary life experiences - without breaking the bank.

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Zoo Atlanta will close early Saturday, Aug. 17 for Members Only Night. Gates will close at 4 p.m. and grounds will close at 5:30 p.m. 

CityPass, Penguins, Checker Cab, Library Pass, Rides Combo, Mother’s Day Offer

Virtual Zoo Challenge

Students will take a live virtual tour of Zoo Atlanta with a focus on multiple on- grounds animal ambassadors, videos of animals exhibiting specific behaviors, and up-close animal encounters all hosted by Zoo Educators. This virtual option is an alternative to the in-person Zoo Challenge programs .     

This program will be hosted on Zoom – an easy, cloud platform for video and audio interaction.

Register Now

LENGTH: 60 minutes

• Students will take a live virtual tour of Zoo Atlanta with a focus on multiple on-grounds animal ambassadors, videos of animals exhibiting specific behaviors, and up-close animal encounters all hosted by a Zoo Educator. 
• Experiences may also include explorations of specific biofacts and/or pre-recorded footage of Zoo Atlanta’s behind-the-scenes areas and/or animal training sessions. 
• Engaging pre-activities aligned with GSE, as well as post-activities to further explore the topic.
• Choose from custom themes for PreK-12 th Grade.

Available daily year-round

Select a start time from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Pre-K: Fur, Feathers and Scales

Come explore how animals are perfectly dressed for the weather as we visit a few animal ambassadors to examine their body coverings.

GSE:  CD-SC3  

NGSS : K-LS1-1, K-ESS3-1  

K - 1st Grade: The Needs to Succeed

  All living creatures need food, water, shelter, and air to survive. But they don’t all meet their needs in the same way. Explore how different animals meet their basic needs in order to survive and thrive in their environments.

GSE: SKP1, S1L1  

NGSS: LS1.A, K-LS1-1, LS1-1  

2nd Grade: Hope for Habitats

What happens when weather, animals and humans change the environment? Meet a few of our animal ambassadors as we discover how changes to the environment can be both positive and negative, as well as the roles that humans have in the process.

GSE:  S2E3  

NGSS : 2-LS4-1  

3rd - 4th Grade: Feel the Heat

Bird feathers, elephant ears, reptile scales and mammal fur all play a vital role in the transfer and retention of heat. Explore how plants and animals capture and utilize the sun’s energy within an ecosystem.

GSE:  S3P1, S4L1  

NGSS : 4-LS1-2, 4-LS1-1  

5th - 6th Grade: Sorting Species

What makes a mammal different from a reptile? Or a bird different from an amphibian? Meet some ambassador animals to observe their similarities and differences and determine how they are classified.

NGSS : MS-LS1-5

7th Grade: Scientifically Speaking

Animals come in all shapes and sizes and there are multiple ways in which they can be classified. Explore species to investigate the diversity of living organisms and the ways they can be compared scientifically.

GSE:  S7L1  

NGSS : MS-LS4-2  

8th Grade: Forces of Nature

F orces can be found everywhere, and animals use them both consciously and unconsciously. Discover different forces and simple machines that animals use in their daily life to survive.

NGSS : MS-PS2-2  

9th - 12th Grade: Putting the Bio in Biodiversity

Ecosystems are made of complex biotic and abiotic interactions. Discover and discuss species biodiversity as it relates to interdependent relationships for species’ survival.

GSE: SEC3, SB5

NGSS : HS-LS2-8, HS—LS2-6

RESERVATIONS         

• Every group is required to complete a Virtual Program Waiver and adhere to our Virtual Programming Code of Conduct .
• Educational Group Reservations must be made at least 5 WEEKS prior to program date.
• Non-refundable deposit of $50 is due at the time of reservation.
• Membership discounts do not apply to Wild Walks.
• Payment is due at least 4 WEEKS prior to the date of your visit. Unpaid reservations will be cancelled if payment is not received.
• Collection of funds and payment of all attendees is the responsibility of the group. Payment must be made to the Education Reservations Team.

CANCELLATIONS & RESCHEDULES

• All cancellations forfeit the $50 deposit.
• Cancellations received less than 2 WEEKS prior to the program date must pay 50% of the total cost of the program.
• Reschedules must be made at least 2 WEEKS prior to your scheduled program date to avoid fees.
• Reschedules made less than 2 WEEKS before original date will result in the loss of original deposit. Another deposit is required.

Connect With Your Wild Side #onlyzooatl

How to register:

• Select your program type on the left hand side of the page.
• Select your date and time slot.
• You will need to select a 30-minute time window. These are not your entry and exit times, this is the time window of your entry.
• The 30-minute time window will highlight in blue after you select your first time.
• Click the highlighted time and then the small, red box that says RESERVE.
• Click checkout to move on to the next page.

Fridays in the spring are extremely busy. We encourage guests to schedule their trips on a different day of the week if possible.