In 1938, the Philadelphia Zoo was the first in North America to open a special zoo just for children. Today's Children's Zoo introduces kids of all ages to animals in a stimulating and safe setting. Kids can pet our friendly sheep and goats, feed our ducks year round and visit the rabbits in their super sized Bunny Village. In the farm area, kids can climb on a life-sized tractor and learn how to groom our goats and sheep while they learn about the important connection between farm animals and people. Chickens of many breeds, including rare and endangered breeds, display their many colors proudly!

Things really come alive in the spring through the fall! When the weather warms up, kids can watch chicks that just pecked their way out of eggs in the hatchery, or catch a presentation featuring our program animals that visit area schools when they aren’t starring in Children’s Zoo presentations. You'll find much more than just farm animals in this part of the Zoo. We know that kids really like bugs, so we've made them a big feature of the Children's Zoo. At Backyard Bugs, you can get close to lots of creepy creatures like hairy tarantulas, giant roaches and bugs that look like sticks! Here, you can learn all about the interesting things bugs do and why they come in so many shapes and sizes.

During the summer months, some of the animals in the Zoo's teaching collection will stretch their legs and wings in two animal exercise yards. Get an up-close look at macaws, porcupines, hedgehogs, owls and other fascinating creatures, and discover which animals make good pets - and which don't!