Every fortnight, and sometimes every week I take my three kids to the
Rotterdam zoo (Blijdorp). I started this habit when Leanne, my eldest, became 2 years old (march 2007). Maarten, my eldest son was only 8 months old at that time. Believe me or not, but even an eight month old baby enjoys a zoo. Especially the aquariums with fish. You could see him looking at the fish and the water and marveling at it. My youngest son, Jesse, is eight months, and I see the same marvel in his eyes when he looks at the large sea-turtles or sharks swimming in Blijdorp's big "oceanium".
Leanne always walked the entire zoo. As soon as Maarten could walk, I encouraged him to leave the trolley and walk. He was only 15 months old, when I decided to leave the trolley at home because he walked most of the time. He would walk 3 or 4 consecutive hours without any problems.
Every time I visit the zoo, I see 3, 4 or even 5 year old kids sitting in trolleys pushed by their parents or grandparents. Why on earth do they do that? Don't they realize that walking is good for kids?
I find the zoo the ultimate place to educate my kids according to the principles of
philosophy for children. While walking the zoo with them I find many leads to stimulate their reasoning abilities, inquiry, critical and caring thinking (the creative thinking part is more up my wife's alley).
