When schools out, Zoo Camp is IN!  Nowhere else on the First Coast can your child spend all day or all week nose-to-nose with an elephant, toe-to-toe with a flamingo, neck-to-neck with a giraffe, eye-to-eye with an anaconda or shoulder-to-shoulder with a gorilla!  All of our programs include behind the scenes tours, activities & games, crafts and hands-on encounters with animals everyday.

Summer Camp

Week-long day camps are designed to be the most rewarding camp experience of a child’s summer vacation.  Meet zookeepers and their animals, learn about wildlife and conservation through up-close and hands-on encounters, and enjoy a wide variety of games, activities and crafts that revolve around the theme for the day!  Camps meet Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with before and after care available for working parents and guardians.  Children are divided into age groups: KinderZoo (completed Kindergarten), Primary (completed 1st & 2nd Grades), Middler (completed 3rd, 4th & 5th Grades), and Zookeeper (completed 6th, 7th & 8th Grades).  Some age groups are offered every week, while others are only available part of the summer.

Register Online Now!

2008 Camp Schedule:
June 9 – 13
June 16 – 22
June 23 – 27
July 7 – 11
July 14 – 18
July 21 – 25
July 28 – August 1
August 4 – 8

For more information, call (904) 757-4463 ext. 122.

Fees:
Members
    $150 per week per student (does not include lunch & snacks)
Non-members
    $175 per week per student (does not include lunch & snacks)
Before & After Care    
    $4 per day per child for Before Care
    $8 per day per child After Care
    $10 per day per child for Before & After Care
    $50 per week per child for Before & After Care

Children may be enrolled for more than one week of camp.  However, the program, animals and activities do not change from week to week.  The same registration form may be used when registering for two or more weeks of camp.

Thursday Night Sleepover for 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th & 8th Graders Registered for Camps

Fees:
Members  
    $30 per student
Non-members  
    $35 per student

Overnight fee includes dinner, evening snacks & Continental breakfast; must bring own sleeping materials, toothbrush & tooth paste, washcloth & towel, sleepwear, and a change of clothes and lunch for the next day. 

Independence Week Workshops

Not everyone goes away for the 4th of July.  Send your child to one or all of our Independence Week Workshops.  No two days are alike.  Workshops meet from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with before and after care available to accommodate working parent schedules.

Please call (904) 757-4463 ext. 122 for registration information.

Workshop Schedule:
Monday, June 30
Fur, Feathers, Scales and Slime
Scientists group animals by common characteristics. Join us to explore the Animal Kingdom of mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and amphibians

Tuesday, July 1
Animal Senses
The world is made even more fascinating if you experience it with all your senses.  For animals, having keen senses is essential for survival.  Discover the variety of animal senses and how animals use them to avoid predators and find food.

Wednesday, July 2
Built to Survive
Every species is built to survive.  Join as we explore the fascinating adaptations of animals that make them so versatile and well suited to their habitats.

Thursday, July 3
Acting Up
Animal Behavior –Ever wonder why animals act the way they do? Uncover some of the “secret” meanings behind animal behavior, the way animals “talk” without “saying a word!”

Friday, July 4
HAPPY FOURTH! NO WORKSHOP THIS DAY!

For more information, please call (904) 757-4463 ext. 122.

Fees:
Members
    $35 per day per child for 1 or 2 days (does not include lunch & snacks)
    $30 per day per child for 3 or 4 days (does not include lunch & snacks)
Non-members
    $40 per day per child for 1 or 2 days (does not include lunch & snacks)
    $35 per day per child for 3 or 4 days (does not include lunch & snacks)
Before & After Care
    $4 per day per child for Before Care
    $8 per day per child After Care
    $10 per day per child for Before & After Care
    $40 per week per child for Before & After Care

Member Discounts!

Members of the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens receive discounts on Education Programs and FREE admission every time they visit. 

Click here to become a Member of the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.

Please call (904) 757-4463 ext. 122 for more information.

Registration: Registration for all camps and workshops will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.  Click on the link above.  If you are registering two or more children for the same camp, please register all of them at the same time to ensure that they will be able to attend the same camp.

Payment: Full payment is required at the time of registration.  Electronic checks, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover cards are accepted online.

If you do not have computer access: Call the Education Department at 904-757-4463 ext. 122 to request registration information.  PLEASE NOTE: class space is limited and registering students on-line is the fastest way to ensure your child gets registered for the week you need.  We do not take registrations over the phone and we cannot hold spaces.

If you are mailing in your Registration Form, send to:
            Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
            Education Department
            370 Zoo Parkway
            Jacksonville, FL   32218

You may also hand deliver the Registration Form to the PepsiCo Foundation Education Campus at the south end of the zoo’s main parking lot Monday – Sunday 9 am – 5 pm.  If you have more than one child wanting to attend the same program, please deliver all registrations together.

Or, FAX the Registration Form to 904-757-2444 24-hours a day.  Do not forget to complete all the requested credit card information and sign the registration form.  If you have more than one child wanting to attend the same program, please fax all registrations together.

Confirmation: When registering on-line, you will receive a confirmation the same day via the e-mail address you provide.  If you register by mail, hand deliver or FAX your registration form, you will receive mailed confirmation within 10 to 14 business days of receiving the registration form either via regular mail or e-mail (if an e-mail address is provided).  Please do not call to check on your registration before that time.  If there is a problem with your registration, e.g., the camp is already full, you will be notified immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Staff: All staff educators are screened for excellence in children’s programming.  All have had previous experience with children and have cleared nationwide, state and FBI Level 2 background checks as prescribed by the State of Florida’s Jessica Lunsford Act.

Supervision and Safety: At no time is any child left unsupervised.  The number of staff and volunteers ensures thorough supervision and monitoring.  The zoo’s full time security staff responds immediately to any emergency situation.  Security staff is first aid, CPR and automatic emergency defibrillator trained.  The Jacksonville Fire Department will also respond within minutes of being contacted.

May parents stay with their children? Our programs are designed for children who are able to be successful in group oriented programs without parent involvement.

Where is Camp? All camps are held at the PepsiCo Foundation Education Campus located at the south end of the zoo’s main parking lot. Paying Zoo admission is not necessary to participating in class.  In your confirmation materials, you will receive a map showing the location of the campus.

My child has a younger friend.  Can they attend the same class? We have been conducting Zoo Camps for over ten years.  Our camps are designed for the ages specified after experimenting with a variety of age combinations.  We would rather an older child feel like he or she is at the top of the class than a younger child made to feel at the bottom of the class.  If they must attend together, we strongly advise that you register the older child for the younger class to make the experience a positive one.

Policies

Behavior: To ensure an enjoyable and safe experience for all children, the zoo’s staff manages child behavior.  All children are expected to behave appropriately, and in the event of disruptive behavior, a child may be timed-out and removed from the group.  If the disruptive behavior continues, the child-care provider (parent, guardian or chaperone) will be called to help find a solution.  If improvement is not realized immediately, the child-care provider may be asked to pick up the child early from camp and the child may be asked not to return.  In this situation, there will be no refunds for any days missed.

Behind the Scenes: The unique and special part of zoo camp is the opportunity to go behind the scenes, meet keepers, get up-close and learn more about the exotic animals in the collection.  To be able to offer this experience, it is imperative that children comply with all safety directions when behind the scenes and wear the prescribed footwear – shoes must completely cover the feet; sandals, heelies, crocs and all other shoes that expose the bare skin of feet to the environment or interfere with walking are never permitted during behind the scene tours.  Children who do not follow the behavior policies and safety directions or wear the prescribed shoes will not be permitted in behind the scene areas.

Lost & Found: Items left behind are placed in a box in the lobby of the Administration Building at the PepsiCo Foundation Education Campus.  To check on lost items after your child’s week of camp, please contact the Education department at 904-757-4463 ext. 122.  Two weeks after the close of camp, all remaining items will be donated to charity.

Medication: Staff cannot administer or dispense medication to children.  Campers must be able to take their own medication.  Staff can carry medications and help children to remember to take their medication.  Every camp is staffed with educators trained in basic first aid and CPR and the zoo’s Security staff is first aid, CPR and automatic emergency defibrillator trained.

Special Needs: Please indicate on the registration form any special needs our staff must be made aware of prior to your first day.  Special needs such as physical, academic, social and/or dietary will be accommodated to the best of our ability.  Please note that the zoo does not employ specific individuals certified and trained to handle special needs.

Children Attending Together: If your child wants to attend a specific camp with a friend, please fax both registrations together, put both registrations in the same envelope when mailing, register both children at the same time on-line, or hand deliver both registrations to the PepsiCo Foundation Education Campus.  This is the only way to ensure that they will be in the same program.  Due to the popularity of our programs, we cannot save spaces.

Waiting Lists: Due to the overwhelming popularity of our Zoo Camps, we do compile waiting lists if preferred programs fill.  If an opening becomes available, we will contact you by telephone.  Please make sure the registration form includes daytime, evening and cell contact numbers.

REFUNDS & CANCELLATION: Cancellations received 10 business days or more prior to the first scheduled day of a program/camp will receive a full refund less a 10% administrative fee.  Cancellations made 9 to 5 business days prior to the first day of a program/camp will receive a 75% refund of fees.  No partial refunds will be given for missed days of camp or workshops except in extraordinary circumstances.  Exceptions to the refund policy will be made on a case by case basis and at the sole discretion of the Director of Education.