Watching Wildlife with Kids

Viewing wildlife in its natural habitat is a great way to nurture a child's love for nature and create a knowledge of wild animals that goes beyond videos, books and trips to the zoo. While taking children to attractions such as Kilimanjaro Safari - a 20-minute 'ride' at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Florida complete with real gazelles, white rhino, crocodiles and hippos – is a start, their image is likely to be incomplete. Yet you need not travel halfway round the world to watch animals roam, observing wildlife in nearby park can be just as rewarding. What's more, a wildlife watching experience need not break the bank.

Watching Wildlife with Kids Photo Gallery

Maps

Maps are a great way to get the kids involved in family vacation planning and gain insight to wildlife conservation and endangered species. Ask the kids to research the best locations to spot the wildlife you plan to see and have them plot your itinerary before you depart on a wildlife viewing tour. Use online maps to locate national parks in the United States, plot the current and historic range for grizzly bears and grouse, and discover where endangered species live.

Map U.S. National Parks
National Park Service
Plot Current and Historic Animal Range
Sightline Institute
Map Endangered Species
Switch Zoo
UNESCO

Books

A wildlife adventure provides a great opportunity to introduce the kids to conservation and evolution. And while Darwin may be of interest to a parent or two, the meaning won't be lost on the kids if you start with The Lorax by Dr. Seuss and How an Elephant Got its Trunk by Rudyard Kipling.

Recommended Reading Lists
Smithsonian's National Zoological Park
University of Houston-Clear Lake

Music & Sound

Explore wildlife through sound. Listen to a daintree whistling frog in Australia, a harp seal in Canada, a field cricket in France and a colobus monkey in Kenya. Learn to identify birdcalls before you depart on a bird watching tour. Find out why the sounds made by animals are considered song.

Wildlife Sounds
The British Library
The Nature of Song
BBC

Kids' stuff

Did you know that bears were early ancestors of your pet dog? Get fun about wildlife, test your knowledge, and play wildlife games online before you depart on a wildlife watching or birding tour. Track wildlife sightings during the North American spring and fall migrations.

Wildlife Facts and Games
BBC
Kid's planet
Wildlife Sightings
Learner.org

Organizations

Associations and non-profit organizations can be a valuable resource as well as a means to get involved. Find out more about a few of the global organizations involved in wildlife conservation and the environment.

Wildlife Conservation and the Environment
WWF