By allowing children to engage in deep play and messy play, we set the stage for important brain development and healthy interactions with others

By allowing children to engage in deep play and messy play, we set the stage for important brain development and healthy interactions with others

Try your hand at a Japanese school children’s traditional pastime molding earth and water to form a basic mud ball (dorodango). Continue the process by polis...

A tale of two beetles! Visit with the Neighborhood Naturalist as we compare the native Green June Beetle (June Bugs) and the non-native Japanese beetle.

Nature happens at home. Observe regular feeder visitors to discover which birds are year-round residents and which are migratory species, here for only part of each year.

Join the Zoo's Neighborhood Naturalist digging into some soil in search of amazing and beneficial Earthworms!

The North Carolina Zoo's Neighborhood Naturalist demonstrates how to keep ourselves safe, while protecting habitats for native wildlife.

What happens when an insect is unintentionally brought into the country, has plenty to eat and very few predators? The Neighborhood Naturalist takes a look at Japanese Beetles.

Naturalists often need "tools" to assist in our learning. Binoculars help us see birds, Field Guides aid in identification. Join the Neighborhood Naturalist as he demonstrates how to make a tool that will help learn about animals that live in the water.

Can Non-Native Plants and Animals that become established in a new place become vitally important?

Using the Minnow Trap we made several weeks ago, let us take a look below the surface to see who is living in the North Carolina Zoo Wetland Pond!

You ride past them every day, but how often do you get out to appreciate the Wildflowers growing right along the side of the road? Join Mr. Bob, the Zoo's Neighborhood Naturalist as we take a walk along the shoulder of the road!

Join the Zoo's Neighborhood Naturalist as we look at ways to make your yard "Hummingbird Friendly"-- mixing your own nectar and selecting feeders that will help avoid unwanted insects, while getting up close with some of these amazing little birds.

You mean there is some science regarding how I cut the grass? Join the neighborhood naturalist as we look at the advantages of leaving your clippings on the lawn!

Does your dog eat their dinner quickly? In this episode of Pet Detectives, learn about some new techniques for feeding your dog, similar to strategies we use for animals at the zoo, that might change the time your dog spends eating. Changing up the feeding routine can be a great way to improve your dog’s well-being and keep your dog engaged. Let us know which of the three techniques worked best for your dog.

We have created a helpful clip if you're unable to watch the full video:
1.L.1 Foraging enrichment/feeding strategies (30 sec): https://youtu.be/p1aRQQr96xE?t=27

Is your dog ready for telecommuting? Join us in our second episode of Pet Detectives to test how your dog perceives the virtual world. Try communicating with your dog remotely and share your results in the comments – did your dog recognize you on the small screen?

We have created a helpful clip if you're unable to watch the full video:
1.L.1 How dogs perceive the world around them (1.5 min): https://youtu.be/EvYyKk-DjLc?t=18

Afraid of the dark? Hopefully, after these fun experiments in our series Science in the Dark, you will have a greater appreciation for the nighttime. Using our sense of touch, we will get “hands-on” with our first set of experiments!

We have created helpful clips if you're unable to watch the full video:
K.P.2 Using your sense of touch to ID things (2 min 20 sec): https://youtu.be/ffDhiYY_r78?t=134
4.L.1 Humans have poor eyesight at night, sense of touch heightened (2.5 min): https://youtu.be/ffDhiYY_r78?t=153

We often recycle plastic bottles but did you know you can also reuse/repurpose them? Join Bruce as the UNITE team shows you how to repurpose plastic bottles into a trash can or recycling bin giving these bottles another purpose.

This is additional curriculum for the Untamed Science video series created in a partnership between the North Carolina Zoo and videographer Rob Nelson. You are meant to watch the original video and then open the PDF resource below to learn how to create your very own sustainable butterfly garden!

This is additional curriculum for the Untamed Science video series created in a partnership between the North Carolina Zoo and videographer Rob Nelson. You are meant to watch the original video and then open the PDF resource below to put your skills to the test and find out what it takes to be a zoo veterinarian! The answer key is in a separate PDF.

This is additional curriculum for the Untamed Science video series created in a partnership between the North Carolina Zoo and videographer Rob Nelson. You are meant to watch the original video and then open the PDF resource below for an activity involving wildlife conservation!

This is additional curriculum for the Untamed Science video series created in a partnership between the North Carolina Zoo and videographer Rob Nelson. You are meant to watch the original video and then open the PDF resource below to learn what it takes to be a SMART Ranger! SMART (Spatial Monitoring And Reporting Tool) is an app that was created in partnership with the North Carolina Zoo. Click the link above to learn more!

This is additional curriculum for the Untamed Science video series created in a partnership between the North Carolina Zoo and videographer Rob Nelson. You are meant to watch the original video and then open the PDF resource below to become a scientist and track your own vulture!

Who chews my barn? They are North America's largest native Bee, and some folks find them scary, but Carpenter Bees are really valuable and gentle giants!

Experimenting with the textures, colors and smells of Nature is a fun way to explore nearby nature. Stir up your own gritty, colorful, smelly concoctions by mixing together your own creative combinations.

Experimenting with the textures, colors and smells of Nature is a fun way to explore nearby nature. Stir up your own gritty, colorful, smelly concoctions by ...

Learn what a pollinator is, and why they are important. Look at some pollinator examples and some pollinator plants, then try to create your own pollinator u...

Learn what a pollinator is, and why they are important. Look at some pollinator examples and some pollinator plants, then try to create your own pollinator using common household supplies.

Design and create sculptures and land art using sticks, stones, leaves, flowers – any natural elements that can be found in your own backyard!

Design and create sculptures and land art using sticks, stones, leaves, flowers – any natural elements that can be found in your own backyard!

Playing with Dirt, Water, and Nature’s Treasures: Create a fantastical creature using soil and discovered natural treasures from your own back yard. Mix in ...

Playing with Dirt, Water, and Nature’s Treasures: Create a fantastical creature using soil and discovered natural treasures from your own back yard. Mix in a little water, and voila! Let the creating begin!

Scavenger Hunt--help children to learn how to look for and notice little things in nature by having a fairy/gnome scavenger hunt. Children can use their imagination and look for things they can use for fairy/gnome play.

Scavenger Hunt--help children to learn how to look for and notice little things in nature by having a fairy/gnome scavenger hunt. Children can use their imag...

Home Building: Children can engage in imaginative play while manipulating natural and found objects. By describing and sorting through these items, children ...

Home Building: Children can engage in imaginative play while manipulating natural and found objects. By describing and sorting through these items, children are building early learning skills.

Children can make their own nature crowns and enter the world of make believe. Dress up and pretend worlds are important early emotional coping skills that c...