Has your camper dreamed of encountering the Houston Zoo animals and staff up-close and personal? In this immersive camp, your camper will visit a behind-the-scenes animal section every day. Campers will also get a tour of the Houston Zoo operations employee-only areas and visit the departments that make the Zoo run. Animal experiences will vary based on animal and staff availability, but could include visiting Hoofed Mammals, Reptiles, Ambassador Animals, Sea Lions, Aquarium and more. Operations areas may include animal nutrition, horticulture, theming workshop, recycling center and more. Not every encounter involves touching or feeding.

Look, in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s… animal superheroes, as you have never seen them before! Investigate which superhero traits mirror their wild counterparts as you take steps to become a superhero to animals everywhere!

The Zoo is home to over 6,000 animals, all looking for a meal. Join us as we dive in to all aspects of animal nutrition, from food prep and harvesting to enrichment, training, and more!

The Houston Zoo is under construction! Explore the Zoo through its architecture in this unique camp. We will look zoo design from historic exhibits, through modern zoos and explore the Houston Zoo’s master plan.

No passports required as we travel around the globe and encounter animals from every habitat. Along our journey, we will play games from around the world, learn what the animals are called in other languages and track down the animals that call these far flung destinations home.

Zoo keepers have a unique connection to the animals they care for. Through this activity driven week, forge your own connections with our animal residents as you explore what it takes to build a bond between a zoo keeper and their charges. This camp includes observing and participating in animal training experiences front-of-scenes each day.

Stories aren’t just for kids, storytelling plays an exciting and important role in our relationship with wildlife. Your camper will explore a day in the life of many types of wildlife storytellers including conservation photographers, field journalists, mythmakers, and more!

Does your camper dream of working at a Zoo? In “When I Grow Up…”, campers will meet and role play activities with Zoo team members in a variety of positions from animal departments, to horticulture, nutritionists, safety rangers and more.

Before jungle gyms and monkey bars existed, nature was the ultimate playground. Animals still use the outdoors to romp and play. In the animal kingdom, playing isn’t just for fun, it’s a learning tool. Join us as we get active and practice the skill of playing!

Has your camper dreamed of producing a video blog? Here is their chance to practice and hone their skills. Campers will use Houston Zoo equipment to creat their own video blog (vlog) as they explore the Zoo in this technology-driven camp.