Going to the zoo, AS style

[Eva]

Hi,

 

I am curious about how other children visit the zoo.

 

Joe has a set route which he doesn't vary from, and he runs virtually the whole way, (it's about 1 k, so a pretty good workout). He stops to look at the animals on his route for a few seconds but he won't linger unless the animal is doing something really active. By the time we reach the Big Cats I'm usually begging him to slow down and last time he told me I can rest at home and this is exercise!

 

I'm always amazed at families who are strolling round the zoo or are standing in front of the enclosures discussing the animals in detail!

 

Anyone else have a similar experience?

 

Eva

[forbsay]

When my asd son goes to the zoo, he goes on a mission to find as many water features as possible.......... i don't think he even notices the animals!

[Bagpuss]

We've not been to zoo yet. If we visit something similar to a farm, which has farm animals and park etc she refuses point plank to look at animals and wants to stay in park. We went to a place recently which had everything ie fair ground rides, adventure play parks, zoo, farm animals, etc.....she was quite happy so long as she didn't have to look at the animals. So I took our eldest two to the animals parts and dh stayed with our youngest in the park etc.

[Lucas]

I go to the zoo and read the signs.

[MindsI]

I went to the zoo to look at the animals same now same as a kid.

[mum22boys]

When we visit the zoo we have to do it in M's order. We have to practically run past the camels as his sense of smell is very good. he hates the smell at the zoo.

Animal feeding times are a disaster as he hates lots of people around him and believes everyone is touching him.

Why I bother taking him I don't know!

 

mum22boys

[dooday24]

when we goto the zoo they always hav a park so reece would spend the whole time there if he could

[stressedmumto2]

My son was the same as your's the last time we went to the zoo much to my friends annoyance at my son saying hurry up every time he wanted to spend some time admiring the animals, lol.

 

The times when my son did stop and look where when two big horse type things, can't remember the name of them were fighting and one had some blood on it he had to tell the zoo keeper who said they are always like that. He wanted to go back and look at them several times. The other was to look at the monkeys playing with each other in a manner I didn't want him to watch, hehe.

 

The rest of the day was spent with him running to catch up with the train so we could go on it, this happened a couple of times and we had to call my friend at one time who we accidently left behind because my son was so far ahead of him.

 

That was the first time I realised how hard it can be when other people don't realise just what your child is like.

 

It was an enjoyable day overall

 

We tried to keep my son's interest by allowing him to take photographs

[LizK]

Sounds similar to when we've taken our four year old to the zoo. he has only a fleeting interest in the animals whereas his younger brother is transfixed. He's more interested in trying to work out how the cage doors work , watching the water features or playing with the gravel or asking incessantly when he can go on the slides!

 

Lx

[Eva]

Thanks for your replies!

 

The last time we went to the zoo, Joe promised me he'd visit the Australian Native animal section, (we were discussing this inclusion a few days prior to going), however when we got there he lost his nerve and refused to go in, as it just wasn't part of his route. I didn't make a fuss, (was relieved actually), but now he's talking about seeing the native animal section AND the penguins again. I'm sure it's just a ruse to get us to the zoo again!

 

We can never go to the zoo with other people - they can't keep up

 

Eva

[poppy]

We gave up trying to go to the zoo-he prefers cute and cuddlies at home(soft toys!!!!)

[Bullet]

It's Tom's birthday today (he's three ). We took him to Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire and this is copied from another forum I go on, where I wrote in his words (if he could talk) what he thought of it:

 

"Mummy and Daddy took me somewhere really good today. We got in the car and we drove for ages and ages and ages. Then we arrived. To be honest I was a bit disappointed at first, there was all this noise going on and I didn't know where we were. Mummy and Daddy kept trying to point out some things to me, I think they kept calling them "monkeys" but I'm not sure. Anyway, they were behind fences and glass and I couldn't touch them and there were too many people crowding round. So I ignored them, though I did let daddy take me over to look at one and I said "hallo monkey" like daddy said, but I got bored after five seconds. Well, I was beginning to wonder what was the point of coming to this place and then I realised that the paths had gravel on them. Lovely crunchy, dusty, yellowish gravel. It was great! I could spin round and round in it, I could draw swirly lines in it and I could pour it through my fingers. I can see why people pay to come in to this place when there is all this lovely gravel to play with. Mummy and daddy kept moving me on which upset me sometimes but I soon found more gravel to play with.

My brother was more interested in these monkey type things. But when he's bigger I shall show him the wonders of the gravel.

[rainbow queen]

i remember taking my boys when eldest was 2 and i had real bad time -but saying that he was alot younger -hed maybe cope better now,remember going in bat cave and my son screaming blue murder -and all hell breaking loose .