Zoo Summer Camp

2025 Zoo Summer Camp

If your child has a disability, please contact the Baton Rouge Zoo for accommodations.

 Session 1: May 26-30

• Creature Features / Ages: 5-7
  We’ll look deep into a tiger’s eyes, hear stories about an owl’s ears, and sniff out the facts about how ferrets smell. Campers may find out they have a lot in common with our furry, feathered, and scaly friends!
• Stranger Things / Ages: 8-10
  Nature is just weird! Discover kooky creatures, weird wildlife, and bizarre beasts. And find out the reasons behind their odd adaptations and unusual behaviors.

Session 2: June 2-6

• Animal Outlaws / Ages: 5-7
  Are snakes slimy? Do vultures really circle over an animal waiting for it to die? We’ll explore the origins of bad reputations and uncover the truth about misunderstood creatures.
• Communication Breakdown / Ages: 8-10
  What if humans didn’t have phones, computers, or even voices to rely on to communicate with each other? Animals use many tools to communicate such as visual displays, scent marking, and even tactile signals. Campers will learn to turn the volume down a notch and explore creative methods of communication. 

Session 3: June 9-13

• Now You See Me / Ages: 5-7
  Are you a master of disguise? Wild animals depend on their ability to blend-in in order to survive. We’ll learn about the signs that animals leave behind and how to find creatures hidden in plain sight.
• Legends, Myths, and Monsters / Ages: 11-13
  What do dragons, unicorns, big foot, and sea serpents have in common with real animals? This week we will learn about mythical beasts, folklore, and legends that have inspired the imagination for thousands of years, and we will create our very own mythological creature with a natural history all its own!

Session 4: June 16-20

• That’s a Wrap / Ages: 5-7
  Snuggled up in a warm fur coat or hidden inside a rock-hard shell, we’ll explore the wild world of wildlife wraps in this exciting week of camp!
• Brought to You By / Ages: 8-10
  Have you ever stopped to think about why we eat cereal endorsed by tigers and toucans, or why we cheer for a football team with a loveable tiger mascot? Animals are a huge source of inspiration for human stories, inventions, logos and more. Campers will spend some time considering the symbolic representation and cultural importance of various iconic animals in our everyday lives.

Session 5: June 23-27

• Amazing Animal Adaptations / Ages: 5-7
  What if you were able to fly? Could you use a prehensile tail? Animals have some amazing abilities, and we’ll find out why by exploring their wonderfully unique adaptations in this week-long adventure.
• Continental Drift / Ages: 8-10
  Everybody needs a place to call home, but what makes each continent unique? We’ll take a historical tour through the 7 continents, learning about continental differences (and similarities) between all of the flora and fauna on the planet!

Session 6: July 1-4

• Going off the Deep End / Ages: 5-7
  Campers will dive into the deep, dark, mysterious depths of the underwater world. We will discover all that aquatic life has to offer as we delve through the oceans, rivers, lakes, and swamps. No landlubbers allowed here!
• This is How We Zoo It / Ages: 8-10
  The three purposes of Zoos are conservation, education, and recreation. It takes a lot more than shovels and hoses to keep our Zoo up and running daily. In this week, campers will take a deeper look at all aspects of zoo keeping structure, conservation efforts, enrichment, and the general day-to-day life of our Zoo family.

Session 7: July 7-11

• Guess Zoo’s Coming to Dinner / Ages: 5-7
  Do you know how much a rhino eats in a single day? Ever wondered what’s on the menu for our tigers or tapirs? This session will teach campers about animal consumer groups. Whether it’s an herbivore, omnivore, or carnivore, campers will learn the different adaptations that make animals predators or prey.
• Oh, Behave! / Ages: 11-13
  Campers will jump into the fun, fantastic and sometimes confusing world of animal behaviors. Using our own zoo animals as examples we will get a better understanding of how smells, tastes, sounds, and visual aids help animals on their quests for life.

Session 8: July 14-18

• Fact or Fiction / Ages: 5-7
  Do ostriches really bury their heads in the sand? If you touch a toad, will it give you warts? Are bats blind? There’s a lot of “facts” about animals that just aren’t true! Campers will learn how to separate fact from fiction when it comes to our animal friends.
• Feed Your Face / Ages: 8-10
  It’s a protein/fat/carbohydrate buffet—for our Zoo animals! We’ll serve up some educational appetizers and find out who eats what (or who) when it’s dinner-o’clock!

Session 9: July 21-25

• Movin’ and Groovin’ / Ages: 5-7
  There’s more than one way to get around in the animal kingdom. We’ll explore all the weird and wonderful ways that animals move and learn how to move and groove with them.
• Nature at Work / Ages: 8-10
  Did you know a cheetah can run faster than a car, an alligator has the bite strength of over 2000 pounds per square inch, and an otter can hold its breath for up to six minutes? What makes it possible for these amazing animals to display spectacular feats of strength, speed, and senses? Campers will take a deeper look into the underlying mechanisms of our most sensational animals.

Session 10: July 28-Aug. 1 

• Eat or Be Eaten / Ages: 5-7
  Some animals are predators and some animals are prey. But a lot of them are both at the same time. We will examine the characteristics of predators and prey and try on a few of them for size.
• Words with Friends / Ages: 8-10
  What would be the animal equivalent of a text message? We’ll discover all the ways animals communicate with each other, including over very long distances.