Toddler activities at the Zoo

Toddler days out at London Zoo 

Let the Zoo spark the imagination of your little ones! With thousands of animals and a range of activities specifically designed to help inspire a love of wildlife, we've got everything you need to keep the kids entertained. 

• Download our app in advance to discover what's happening on the day of your visit, and find our facilities (including toilets and baby change areas, as well as a dedicated feeding room). We also have an online map. 
   
• Pushchairs are available to hire from the gift shop. Our single buggies cost £10 and double buggies cost £15 to hire. Both require a £15 refundable deposit (card only).
   
• We also have lockers to hire, which might come in handy with everything you need to bring with you for a toddler!

Book ahead for ZooTown 

Our indoor role play adventure, ZooTown*, is an immersive, miniature town in the heart of London Zoo. Aimed at kids aged up to 8, they can step into the shoes of zookeepers, conservationists, scientists, vets, posties, presenters and more. Some of their favourite activities include:

• Donning hard hats and hi-vis jackets to build a habitat for one of our animals.
• Putting scrubs on to perform an ultrasound on a life-size African wild dog in our vet hospital.
• Mucking out time! Getting stuck in and clearing up all of the zebra poo balls in their wheelbarrow.

ZooTown is bookable online in advance, up to three days ahead of your visit, so you can guarantee your slot and plan your day - snacks, naps, more snacks - around it. Also, there's a sheltered buggy park just outside, and toilets and baby change inside the building.  

Book now for ZooTown

ZooTown reviews - what parents really think

*ZooTown will be closed for cleaning and maintenance on selected dates. Gold members, Fellows and Patrons enter free into ZooTown, but you still need to book online in advance. Silver members and non-members pay £1 per child.

Exciting seasonal events 

We organise a variety of family-friendly events and activities throughout the year, and your little ones can be part of something truly special this May half term (23-31 May) - join in the biggest paint-by-numbers ever and help us smash an official GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS® title!

Later in the year, there'll be summer holiday activities, Halloween fun, and Santa will be paying us a visit in December, so there's lots to look forward to.

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Be mesmerised by our penguins 

Penguin Beach is a visitor-favourite, and toddlers will be truly captivated by our Humboldt penguins. With a Penguin Bubble, and glass viewing areas right down to the floor, little ones will giggle in amazement as they watch penguins diving underwater and darting around their pool. 

The penguin breeding season will be starting soon! So in the summer, look out for our penguin chicks finding their flippers and learning to swim in their custom-built nursery pool. 

Bring your toddlers to see our 'toddlers'

You'll struggle to tear yourself away from our two infant gorillas, and your little ones will love watching them playing too. 

Born just 3 and a half weeks apart from each other in early 2024, half sisters, Venus and Juno, are still very much into everything – just like your typical two-year-old. The duo are great playmates and can be seen swinging in their indoor jungle gym, bounding around in the grass outside, and clambering all over their mothers. We're sure you'll be able to relate!

Western lowland gorillas are listed as Critically Endangered in the wild on the IUCN Red List, and the infants were born as part of a European breeding programme for the species, making them even more special. 

And we have plenty more babies to look out for too. 

Have an Animal Adventure 

Animal Adventure is our dedicated play area and children's farm, complete with owls, alpacas, ferrets, and pigs. Here, you'll also find our touch paddock where little ones (and big kids!) can pet our pygmy goats - our adorable little herd love to be stroked and it's surprisingly therapeutic for adults too. 

Wander further through Animal Adventure to visit meerkats, porcupines and a coati. Plus, you'll find our outdoor play area where the kids can let off steam. Children can follow in Charles Darwin’s daring footsteps - navigating swinging bridges, slides and ladders aboard HMS Beagle. And if they're old enough to explore by themselves, you can enjoy enjoy a coffee and a well earned rest while watching them play. 

In the warmer months, our Splash Zone is the perfect place to cool off on a summer's day. Kids squeal with excitement while running through the sprinklers. Just make sure you bring a spare set of clothes! (There are toilets just next door). 

See super species in action

Sit on the grassy bank on our display lawn and enjoy Super Species Live, where you can get up close and personal with astonishing animals from around the world and watch them in action.

We have a varied programme of daily talks throughout the day where you can learn more about our animals and find out how their natural behaviours help them thrive in wild.

Download our app to stay in the loop with our talks and receive handy reminders so you don't miss them. 

Gaze in wonder in our walkthroughs 

There's something so special about watching young children interact with animals they might have read about in stories but not seen before. And our walkthroughs allow them to be closer than ever. Two of our toddler favourites include: 

• Rainforest Life - there's something to see at every turn, and cheeky monkeys and snuggly sloths can climb across branches, often right above your head!
• Butterfly Paradise - colourful free-flying butterflies fly through the tropical garden all around you. Use our spotters guide and see who you can find. 

Marvel at our giant fish tank

Our Tiny Giants building is a vibrant indoor area filled with miniature marvels for them to discover. Our coral reef aquarium is a particular favourite, home to colourful corals and schools of fish. Kids will marvel at this magical underwater world and will love trying to find Nemo and Dory (our clownfish and blue tangs). 

Play hide and seek with reptiles and amphibians 

Slither into the Secret Life of Reptiles and Amphibians, an indoor habit full of hidden creatures to spot. Kids love to be the first to find the snakes and frogs, many of which are masters of camouflage. Plus, there are crawling projections on the floor that toddlers love to engage with. 

Get up close to big cats

Did you know that lions can sleep for up to 20 hours a day? You'll often find our Asiatic lions lounging around on their heated rocks, which happen to be right up against the viewing windows. 

We're drawn to big cats from a very young age, and it's a magical experience when little ones have the chance to get so close to our huge lions. 

The themed area of the Land of the Lions habitat is an experience in itself. You'll be transported to India’s vibrant Sasan Gir, where there's so much to explore, including bicycles, sacks of spices, rangers’ huts, and even a life-size truck.

Capture the memories

There are picture-perfect photo spots dotted around the Zoo that your little ones will love to pose with, from macaw wings and a hot air balloon, to a meerkat cutout board. 

If you find yourself taking too many photos and your battery's running low, we have charging stations to give your phone a boost - find them on our Zoo map. 

Get even better value with ZSL membership

Join our family and become a Zoo member to enjoy free entry to both London and Whipsnade Zoos for a whole year!

Our toddler parents tell us that with a membership, you have the peace of mind that you can visit whenever you want, and you don't feel under pressure to have to stay for a full day and fit everything in to get value for money. You have much more flexibility to go at your own pace and work around your child's schedule, knowing that you can come back again whenever you want to. 

Plus, with a Gold membership, you benefit from extra discounts and early opening opportunities throughout the year. 

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