Epic Playdates at the Woodland Park Zoo

This summer we've been hitting the zoo almost every two weeks. My annual pass gets myself and two adults in, and kids under age 2 free! We've taken advantage of this deal several times with friends and family who have kids of similar age to Penny.

Why is the zoo an epic playdate for toddlers and little kids?

In Seattle, with the likelihood of rain so high (as a torrential downpour occurs outside), the Woodland Park Zoo is set up to be a great playdate idea even if it's drizzly. Many of the exhibits feature indoor structures that give you a closer peek into the exhibit.

Zoos are getting better about being accommodating to patrons of all sizes and abilities, especially toddlers. Our zoo features windows and activities at eye level for toddlers.

For older kids, many zoos offer day camps and themed days (such as treasure hunts) that get them involved with animal and habitat activism.

One of the greatest benefits of zoos (and you know I'm a mom when I say this) is that the variety of animals, excitement of climbing over different structures, and general running around is that kids are tired by the end of the day! That makes this mama feel good when a day of play with Penny's friends is both a highly physical and educational experience.

As Penny gets older, our playdates will evolve to her abilities (though will always include trips to the zoo!). As a pretty outdoorsy family, we've talked about taking the "all American family road trip"for several years and have been holding off until our kids will be old enough to appreciate it. Gosh, I feel so old saying that. When we do get there, I'm keeping Dooce's trip to Moab in mind because A) geology is awesome and B)...geology is awesome! It's funny seeing the family walk around these normally very hot parks in their winter gear, because this Washington girl pulls out the shorts and a t-shirt when it hits 55 degrees.

What is your epic playdate plan for this summer? Will you be taking trips to the zoo, fun camping trips, signing the kids up for cooking classes, or zip lining in Costa Rica? Ps, if you are, please don't let me know, because I'll start whining about how I wanna go zip lining in Costa Rica!!)

See what zoos The Pierogie Mama has written about

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own. Follow along on Facebook and Twitter with #EpicPlaydate #CGC hashtags.