Parents: Bring Your Child to the Zoo

JBZ's Education programs are available to your children. Please read through the following options to decide which might be best for you.

Summer Discovery Classes

John Ball Zoo’s Summer Discovery Program is a unique, fun, hands-on learning experience for children, ages 3 years to those entering 8th grade! Each class follows its particular theme and uses a variety of methods to stimulate the learning process (role-playing, behind the scenes tours, games, stories, songs, and more).

Registration begins soon - here all the details...

Connecting Families with Nature Passport Program

Nature is all around us in Kent County and getting out to enjoy it as a family has been made even easier with the new Connecting Families with Nature Passport Program. Made possible by a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. This passport program is designed to get families outside experiencing nature. Learn more about how you can get a FREE passport to the outdoors and fill your passport throughout the upcoming year. Connecting Families

Family Wildlife Programs (Traveling Zoo Program)

John Ball Zoo is hosting a series of Family Wildlife Education programs this winter and spring at the sites of two of our partners: the Wittenbach/Wege Environmental and Agriscience Center (in Lowell) and the Howard Christensen Nature (in Kent City).
These programs will give families the opportunity to learn more about local wildlife, the amazing lives they live and how we can show our respect for them in our daily lives. These programs will include hands-on activities and the presentation of at least 3 animals that you can see up-close and possibly touch.

Programs at the Wittenbach/Wege Environmental and Agriscience Center will be presented from 6:30-7:30 pm on the following Thursdays: January 21, February 18, March 18, and April 15. Check the event calendar for the topics that will be presented on these dates and how to register.

Programs at the Howard Christensen Nature Center will be presented from 2:30-3:30 pm on the followings Saturdays: January 30, February 27, and March 27. Check the event calendar for the topics that will be presented on these dates and how to register.

Interested in bringing wildlife programs to your community? Give us a call at 616-336-4310 to learn more.

Twilight Tours

Experience the zoo in a new 'light'. Bring your family, flashlight and a sense of adventure for this guided tour of the zoo as the sun goes down. Learn how to use your senses at night and how animals are adapted to life in the dark. Program includes animal encounters, hands-on activities for all ages and guided tour. Twilight Tours

Z's Zoofari Classes (Spring, Fall, and Winter Educational Classes)

Join the John Ball Zoo Society for a fun-filled encounter at the Zoo. Each encounter is designed to provide children, ages 3 to 10, with a unique look at the animals and part of the Zoo. We have added new classes for this coming season. Z's page

Overnight Adventures

Don't miss our special Halloween "Zoo Goes Boo" family overnight. Sign up today for the Family Overnight Adventure program and see the zoo in a new light! Spend the night at the zoo with your family and enjoy a fun filled learning adventure. Program includes live animal demonstration, zoo tours, evening snack (s'mores), continental breakfast, and a souvenir. Overnight Adventures

Self-Guided Tours and Scavenger Hunts

Click here to create a fun, interactive experience for you and your children by utilizing our self-guided tours and scavenger hunts.

Teen Volunteer Program

Have a WILD summer at John Ball Zoo... become a teen volunteer! We look for teens ages 14-17 years old who have a passion for carrying out the education and conservation mission of the Zoo. Through their experiences, our teen volunteers gain knowledge and skills in a unique and rewarding environment. Volunteering starts mid-June and continues through the summer until mid-August with teens working one weekday each week and one weekend day each month.

Information and the application for the Summer 2010 Teen Volunteer Program will be available here in March.