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A woman in a navy NC Zoo uniform stands with a long table, covered with a teal NC Zoo tablecloth and various animal artifacts. In front of her is a group of children seated on colorful floor tiles, and a woman with a long blonde ponytail and red collared shirt sitting in a green chair to the right. The setting appears to be an elementary school  classroom.

Zoo to You Preschool Programs

To Schedule a Program:

Registration Link!

Let us provide a fun and engaging program for you and your preschoolers. Zoo to You Preschool programs are offered subject to availability. The Zoo requires at least two weeks notice for any Zoo to You Preschool program.

Topics Offered:

Animal Wrappers: Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing by Judi and Ron Barrett. Biofacts include, porcupine quills, snakeskin, giraffe tail hair, moose fur and turtle shells.

Three Bears: Alaska’s Three Bears by Shelley Gill. Can also be adapted to arctic animal presentation. Biofacts include, bear skulls, skins, and claws.

Investigating Insects: How to Build an Insect by Roberta Gibson. Biofacts include, insects such as stick bug, own wing butterfly, dragonfly, honeybee and more!

Pollinators: Senorita Mariposa by Ben Gundersheimer. Learn about our native pollinators, what they do for us, and what we can do for them. Find out if a Pollination Station is right for your center. (Can be combined with the Investigating Insects program.) 

African Safari: We All Went on Safari, a Counting Journey through Tanzania by Laurie Krebs and Julia Cairns. Biofacts from amazing African animals such as elephants, rhinos, ostrich, giraffe, and vultures.

The Tortoise and the Hare. Hear a familiar story and meet a tortoise and a very big rabbit. 

All the Water in the World by George Ella Lyon and Katherine Tillotson presents a lovely illustration of the water cycle. 

Animals in the Sky by Sara Gillingham. Discover some of the animal constellations in the sky above. We'll also learn about the animals on the ground below!

Pricing: Offsite programs cost $75 for the initial program and $37.50 for each subsequent program at the same location on the same date. Each program can be presented to a class of 25 or less students. Programs last 30-45 minutes. The Zoo requires a minimum of two weeks advance notice for any Zoo to You program and can only travel to schools located up to 90 miles from the Zoo.

Virtual versions of all these programs are also available via Zoom at the same pricing and same two weeks advance notice. Virtual programs can be viewed by multiple classrooms at the same time.

Please let us know where the program will be presented: classroom, auditorium, outdoors, etc. and of any special conditions that may exist. The North Carolina Zoo requires a minimum of two weeks advance notice for any Zoo to You Preschool program.

For any questions or issues with making a reservation, contact 336.879.7777 or toll free 800.488.0444, ext. 7777, or email Kathy.osborne@nczoo.org 

A woman with a long, blonde braid, wearing a blue collared shirt is standing in the woods. She is smiling at the camera and holding a small brown turtle that she is holding in her hands..