New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
Visitors venturing out to the Buttonwood Park Zoo can expect to see how animals native to North America including bison, river otters, beavers, cougars, and Canada lynx interact in the colder weather. This winter, the Zoo has a variety of activities to keep young children connected with nature. Indoor programming geared toward younger children allow a balance between indoor and outdoor activities for families.
The Zoo is encouraging families to get out of the house, connect with the animals, and spend a few hours having a little winter fun. One new program featured is Winter Fun Fridays. This program will run Fridays, January 31 and February 7, from 9:00am-11:00am, and features a different focus each Friday. The cost for each Winter Fun Friday program is $5/family plus zoo admission. Themes for each week include Big Box Bonanza and Building Block Blast.
Lynda Jacobvitz, of Kids Polka Dot Yoga, returns for Yoga at the Zoo. Children will explore creative movement through games, songs and simple yoga in a fun and nurturing environment. They will move like frogs, roar like lions and wag their downward dog tails using a variety of multi-sensory experiences. The February session of Yoga at the Zoo runs Wednesdays, February 5, 12 & 26 at 1pm. The three week session costs $30 per adult/child pair for zoo members and $45 per adult/child pair plus zoo admission for non-members. There will be limited space available for walk ins for each class and costs $15 per adult/child pair for zoo members and $20 per adult/child pair plus zoo admission for non-members.
The Zoo offers families with pre-school aged children two weekly programs: the Toe Jam Puppet Band on Mondays, and Toddler Tales, on Thursdays. The Toe Jam Puppet Band has been performing Mondays at the Zoo for the past decade. The Band’s show times are 10:00am and 11:30am and cost $5 per family plus zoo admission. Toddler Tales is a weekly story hour offered each Thursday at 10:30am and includes children’s stories, a snack as well as a themed craft.
For more information about these winter programs at the Buttonwood Park Zoo, please visit www.bpzoo.org. The Zoo is open daily from 9:00am-4:00pm with the last admission at 3:15pm. Zoo admission for New Bedford residents cost $6 per adult, $4.50 per senior/student, and $3 per child (ages 3-12). Non-residents cost $8 per adult, $6 per senior/student, and $4 per child (ages 3-12). All children under 3 are free.
