Our First Trip to the Zoo

I have always wanted my daughter to be able to experience things I enjoyed as a child. Going to aquariums, museums, carnivals, fairs, the zoo, and so much more. With a peanut allergy we have found that we need to be extra cautious of how we go about attending these and other activities.

Do Your Homework

I always look up where we are planning to go online first. Look up directions, hours, entry fees, and if they offer food. We usually pack our own lunches, but I do like to know what the options are should we choose to purchase something or if you want to know what others might be eating around you. I know you can't control what others pack and eat, and as much as you may want to wipe down someone else's kid with a Wet Wipe, you just can't do that sort of thing.

Visit in the Morning

We like to arrive just as the park/attractions are opening for the day. For the most part we only catch the other early birds who do the same. First thing in the morning things are clean! Bathrooms, tables, floors, have all been cleaned from the previous day and have yet to be touched by lots of people. It cuts down on germs and possible food proteins that could be left on a touchable surface. As we all know our little ones touch everything.

Visit in the Off Season

We choose to make our first visit to the Zoo in the fall. The weather was very comfortable, the crowds were nonexistent, and the majority of the kids were in school. It made for very easy and comfortable viewing of the animals. We had our choice of rides and attractions.

Some things to consider about the off season. They may have shorter hours, instead of opening at 9 AM as they did all summer they now opened at 10 AM, so we had more time to pack lunches. They may be open fewer days, we found out that they were closed on Mondays for the fall so we changed our week and went on Tuesday. In the off season you just might get a discounted admission price, we were given free admission to the zoo, and only had to purchase tickets for the rides. There is always the possibility that all of the exhibits may not be open, we had a few that were being renovated, but we still enjoyed everything else we got to do and see.

Pack Your Safety Items

Along with our safe lunch and snacks, we had my daughters backpack, with all its allergy tags and her first-aid bag. I also carried hand sanitizer and Wet Wipe, to keep everyone clean and safe. You know "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

Worst Case Scenario

I know no allergy parent wants to think about it, but its always there in the back of our minds. "What do we do if something should happen?" In our house we always plan for the worst and hope for the best. When traveling to a destination we make sure to know where the nearest hospital is, there are now apps for that too.
When we arrive at the zoo, aquarium, museum we ask or check on the map for the first-aid station(s). If you happen to be out in the park and have an incident, grab the first person with a radio you see. Many public venues have drills and procedure's for medical emergencies and they will best know where to meet an ambulance for immediate evacuation.

Just Have Fun

Sometime we get so worries about what could happen, we forget to have fun and be in the moment with our children. Try not to have a heart attack over the kid with chocolate all over his face and make sure your little one is enjoying the giraffe eating his breakfast.