Many farms and zoos are adapting to restrictions placed upon us by Coronavirus and offering gorgeous little glimpses into the animals’ worlds via the internet.
My kids adore animals, and will really enjoy working some of these into their homeschooling day, so we’ve listed some of the best options – both local to Calderdale and further afield.
Cannon Hall Farm’s Online Videos
The farm might be closed (and Easter event cancelled) but 450 lambs will still be born there and Cannon Hall Farm wants to share that with you.
You’ll be able to find regular videos online, but for £3.49 per month (cancel at any time) you can become a farm supporter, and get early access to the new arrivals videos. You’ll see behind the scenes footage, edited glimpses of what the animals get up to on CCTV, extra live broadcasts, photos and much more. Find out more here.
Visit the Yorkshire Wildlife Park Facebook Page for daily updates on how the rangers are looking after the animals whilst the park is closed and LIVE sessions looking inside the park at the different animals.
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s Home Safari
While the zoo is closed, it’s treating children to a daily Home Safari Facebook Live at 3pm EDT (7pm GMT). So far, viewers have been able to see Fiona the hippo, hang with the sloths, watch what the penguins get up to and much more. There’s a daily home activity to try too. If you can’t watch it live, all videos will be posted to the website and the zoo’s YouTube channel afterwards.
Temple Newsam Facebook Page
Have you seen the video of the sweet little piglets born at Temple Newsam? You can find it on the Facebook Page. They’re planning to post other updates to the page during the closures too.
Thornton Hall Country Park’s Facebook Page
Spring has certainly sprung and there is a lovely photo of the lambs enjoying the sunshine on Thornton Hall Country Park’s Facebook Page. There’s a gorgeous goat on there too, and expect more cuteness over the coming weeks.
Starting from Monday 30th March, every MONDAY MORNING at 9am, they will be posting some of their Deep themed resources for you to enjoy. From colouring sheets, to puzzles and informative quiz sheets! First up, is the Big Fish campaign! Learn all about some of the animals sold in pet shops all over the UK and how big they can grow! Make sure to check back next week for more fun – when we will be investigating who filled the rock-pool with chemicals in CSI Seashore. We need your help to find out who dunnit?! Find out more on The Deep Facebook Page.
There are loads of online resources and virtual tours, videos etc aimed at getting kids up close to different animals. Here are a couple of ideas:
San Diago Zoo has a website dedicated to kids where they can learn all about their favourite animals. as well as watching Live Cams and videos of them. There’s also games and activities (including crafts) to keep them entertained including making animal Glove Puppets and Pet Piñatas.
Monterey Bay Aquarium offers a fantastic insight into the antics of the sea life they house through their ten webcams. Check out what the sea otters are getting up to, marvel at the jelly fish and even catch a glimpse of a shark.
Edinburgh Zoo Panda, penguin, tiger and koala webcams are all available to watch.
Houston Zoo (USA) There’s Giraffe Cam, Gorilla Habitat Cam, Elephant Yard Cam, Leafcutter Ant Cam, Rhino Yard Cam and Chimp Window Cam.
Google 3D Animals on your smartphone
See 3d life sized animals LIVE in your home (be warned they do make noise!) Just search in google for an animal, and if the option is available for that animal you should be able to see a 3d image of them where is says “Meet a life size (insert animal) close up” to click “View in 3D”. You can choose to view the animal in your own room, adjust the size of the animal and take screenshots for later. We then did a bit of learning about each animal. We saw a tiger, horse, shark, pug, cat, Octopus, wolf and a Giant Panda.
For more ideas on Virtual Day Trips to museums, theme parks and more visit virtual-day-trips-for-kids-you-can-visit-some-of-the-worlds-best-museums-from-the-comfort-of-your-own-home/
