Oregon Zoo's 'Critter Club' camps begin in February

Preschoolers can take part in fun pollinator- and safari-themed programs

Beginning Feb. 9, 2019, kids ages 3 to 5 (and parents in some cases) can enjoy the Oregon Zoo's newest camp offering: Critter Club.

"Preschoolers are natural explorers," said Alison Heimowitz, the zoo's school and teacher liaison. "And Critter Club taps into that proclivity in order to help cultivate the skills and passion that will shape tomorrow's conservation leaders."

Each three-day class — developed specifically for little ones and led by education professionals — features imaginative play, movement, storytelling and live animal interactions.

"What's the Buzz?" focuses on bees, butterflies and other important pollinators. Kids explore the inside of a beehive (safely), build a "bee hotel," dress up like bats, tour the zoo's butterfly conservation lab, and plant native flowers for their own backyard or neighborhood.

For "Safari Adventure," kids ride a magic Jeep to the savanna in search of African wildlife big and small. Campers can feed a giraffe, solve an animal mystery, touch a lion pelt, cast animal tracks and meet some African arthropods.