Point Defiance Zoo, Northwest Trek offer online learning, scavenger hunts for kids

TACOMA, Wash. -- Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium and Northwest Trek Wildlife Park are now offering online explorations for toddlers and elementary school students to use at home while schools are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

02-11-2020 (Photo/Katie Cotterill) Northwest Trek Wildlife Park.

Both parks are bringing wildlife and nature to families at home.

“We have heard from many people who are missing our animals,” said Conservation Engagement manager, Karen Povey. “So we’re launching Nature at Home to give our community a way to connect with some of their favorite animals and keepers.”

Children can become a wildlife detective with 12 different scavenger hunts to discover nature in some new ways, inspired by animals at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium and Northwest Trek Wildlife Park.

They are a fun and informative way to learn everything from which animal can do handstands to which items in your kitchen a zookeeper could use. The hunts are designed for both indoors and outdoors.

In addition to scavenger hunts, children can download coloring sheets of polar bears and aquarium animals, read facts about the animals at Point Defiance Zoo and Northwest Trek, and watch behind the scenes videos on the zoo’s YouTube channels of what keepers see and do every day.

All of the activities can be found for free online here and here.