Review: ZSL London Zoo for half-term vet activities for kids

Visiting a London attraction over a school holiday can be extra special for families, as many have themed weeks and additional activities. This half-term, one to look out for is ZSL London Zoo and their role play Vets in Action sessions, which we were invited to review this weekend.

Until 23 February, Vets in Action is running at ZSL London Zoo, giving children an opportunity to help injured toy animals in three animal clinics set up around the zoo and get an insight into life as a vet.

We first went to the Land of Lions where there’s a Rapid Response Unit activity. In a dimmed room, we were faced with a full-sized breathing lion, which appeared very real to children (and adults!). The vet informed us that the young male lion had been hurt in a fight with his dad and was currently sedated. We learnt that there was a towel over his eyes in case he woke up, as we wouldn’t want him to get scared by bright lights.

Children then got to help the vet clean the pretend wounds, take a pretend DNA sample and go through the steps a real vet would have done in a similar scenario. We also learnt about the differences between Asiatic and African lions, and how vet teams are also helping lions in the wild.

Later, we went to the Bugs area in the zoo to find our next stop. The children were kitted out in face masks, hair nets and frocks to get ready to perform a health check on meerkats that were new to the zoo. They filled in a flip board and used torches to look over the cuddly meerkats.

Our last stop was the Reptile House where we found the half-term activity X-Ray Room. After getting into frocks, the children headed in with a group to hear about a turtle that had been washed up in Wales and had been sedated so we could find out why it wasn’t eating properly. Looking at a huge X-ray picture the vet pointed out a shaded area and pretended to do an incision, which resulted in the discovery of plastic in the turtle’s belly.

Each of these sessions were brilliant for hands-on learning about animals, the role of the vet and the environment. The way the activities were organised with a session lasting for around 5 to 10 minutes and a group going in together reminded me of London’s KidZania where children can learn about different occupations. With children aged 4 and 7, the three vet activities in ZSL London Zoo made for a splendid morning out and I’ve recommended it to friends as a unique half-term outing.

Tags: Event, Half term, Role play, Zoo, ZSL London Zoo