Virtual Zoo Field Trips
Embedded Files
National Wildlife Federation Lesson Plans and Webinars – broken up by topic and specifies appropriate grade level.
Free Digital Versions of Ranger Rick Magazines – Through June 2020.
Animal Books you can read or have read to you online
Teacher Guides and Saving a Species Video Series + teacher toolkit from SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment.
One of the most famous zoos in the world offers live webcams of baboons, penguins, apes, tigers, koalas, burrowing owls, elephants, polar bears, giraffes, and condors.
There is also archived webcam footage of pandas.
The Houston Zoo has webcams that let you look in on the giraffe feeding platform, the gorilla habitat, the elephant yard, the rhino yard, the chimp window, and even leafcutter ants!
The folks at the Houston Zoo have also been bringing the Zoo to You on their facebook page every weekday at 11am Central Time.
The Kansas City Zoo has live webcams showing two types of penguins, giraffes, and polar bears. The penguin cams are listed as separate cameras, but both show the same view. At the time of this post, the polar bear cam was not working.
We were fortunate to get to visit Zoo Atlanta a few years ago and we loved seeing the pandas! It’s so nice to know we can drop in and see Ya Lun and Xi Lun from home.
In addition to the webcam, Zoo Atlanta has three at-home learning guides for pre-k to 4th grade, as well as some animal games and crafts.
Visiting the Philadelphia Zoo is unique because the animals are literally all around you as they have paths they can use to go over the walkways. When you can’t visit in person, you can view the penguin point webcam.
In addition, the Philadelphia Zoo has started doing Facebook Live sessions called “Philly Zoo at 2” at 2pm EDT daily.
On Zoo View TV, you can drop in on the Milwaukee County Zoo’s residents such as Polar Bear, Jaguar, Lions, Hyenas, Tigers, and Penguins… and even fish.
The Elmwood Park Zoo in Pennsylvania has a giraffe live camera from 10am-5pm EDT. They have also been going live on their facebook page with Zoo School from 11am-11:30am on weekdays.
The Reid Park Zoo in Arizona lists zoo cams for grizzly bears, lemurs, lions, elephants, and giraffes. Their zoo site also has a few zoo activity packets that were designed to be completed after a visit to the zoo, but could be done from home, as well.
The Detroit Zoo in Michigan has live cams and videos they call “Virtual Vitamin Z” to help you get your daily supplement of zoo fun at home. Their live cams show you penguins, snow monkeys, falcons, and otters.
They also have past videos available on their site here.
The National Zoo has live webcams for you to virtually visit their giant pandas, lions, elephants, and naked mole-rats! And you can get updates on what’s going on at the zoo on the National Zoo Facebook page.
The site also has resources such as educational activities you can do at home and downloadable zoo activities.
The Chattanooga Zoo in Tennessee has four live webcams on their zoo’s site. You can drop by and check out meerkats, snow leopards, tamarin, and the spotted genet.
The Greenville Zoo has two cams set up to watch their giraffes. One gives you a look inside the barn. The other is a view of the paddock.
As you might expect, the Alaska Zoo has a polar bear, and you can virtually visit it through its webcam. In addition, the zoo has started doing free live sessions via the Zoom app. Spots are limited and the schedule and links are being posted on the Alaska Zoo Facebook page.
Did you know that the Edinburgh Zoo was the first zoo in the world to house and breed penguins? In addition to penguin cams, they also have live streams of pandas, tigers, and koalas.
In addition, the Wildlife Conservation Charity has some interactive learning from home courses for all ages.
The zoo is also home to a scimitar-horned oryx, which is a species of antelope you can no longer find in the wild.
Ireland’s Dublin Zoo offers webcams of penguins and elephants, as well as their African Savanna where you might see giraffes, ostriches, zebras, or rhinos.
The Marwell Zoo has a live video stream of their flamingos. They also have a photo streams (photos update every 30 seconds or so) of penguins, giraffes and lemurs.
The Paignton Zoo has webcams set up looking at meerkats and sulawesi crested macaque. Their Flamingo webcam is currently unavailable. They also have a series of YouTube Videos about animals and working with them.
Starting Monday, March 23rd, the Paignton Zoo will be adding downloadable resources to their “Wild at Home” program for parents and teachers.
Zoos Victoria is an association of three zoos in Australia: Healesville Sanctuary, Melbourne Zoo, and Werribee Open Range Zoo. Their site features webcams where you can see snow leopards (indoor and outdoor), penguins, giraffes, lions, and zebras.
More Zoos for Virtual Field Trips
More Zoos for Virtual Field Trips
Baton Rouge Zoo (USA)
Live Tiger Cam
Virtual Adventures on Facebook @brecsbrzoo
Bronx Zoo (USA)
Live Webcams: Aquatic Bird Cam, Sea lion Pups (not working)
Videos on Social Media @BronxZoo
Chester Zoo (UK)
Virtual tour (Series of Short Videos)
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (USA)
Live Giraffe Cam (9:30am – 4:45pm MT)
“Abnormally Normal” Video Series (Facebook)
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (USA)
Home Safaris daily at 3pm ET on Facebook
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (USA)
Daily Virtual Classrooms on Facebook at 11am ET @ClevelandMetroparksZoo.
Columbus Zoo (USA)
Live Webcams – Discovery Reef, Bonobos
Cotswold Wildlife Park (UK)
Live Webcams – Meerkats, Penguins
Animal Update Videos (Facebook)
Denver Zoo (USA)
“Zoo to You” Facebook Lives weekdays at 3pm ET @DenverZoo
More Videos on Denver Zoo Youtube channel
El Paso Zoo (USA)
Live Webcams: Giraffes, Sea Lions, Meerkats, Siamangs, and Orangutans
Animal Videos on Facebook @ElPasoZoo
Fort Worth Zoo (USA)
“Keeper Chats” on Facebook Live @FortWorthZoo
Gatorland Zoo (USA)
“School of Croc” lives at 10am ET on Facebook
Indianapolis Zoo (USA)
Live Webcams: Macaque, Macaw, Penguin, Tiger, Walrus
Videos on the Indianapolis Zoo Facebook page
Maryland Zoo (USA)
Live Webcams: Penguin, Lion, Giraffe, Flamingo, Goat
Behind the Scenes on Your Screen – learn about Zoo Jobs
“Zoo to You” Facebook Lives Weekdays 11am ET
Minnesota Zoo (USA)
Updates on Facebook @MNZoo
Learning Corner – Activities and downloadable curriculum for grades 1-12.
North American Bear Center (USA)
Omaha Zoo (USA)
Facebook updates and videos @OmahaZoo
St. Louis Zoo (USA)
Live Penguin Cam (9am – 5pm daily)
#BringtheStlZootoYou Videos on Facebook
Tallinn Zoo (Estonia)
Live Webcams: Snow Leopards, Elephants, Amur Leopards (must have Flash Player enabled)
Toledo Zoo (USA)
#ZooOpenOnline with Facebook Lives and YouTube Videos.
Tulsa Zoo (USA)
“Zoo School” Facebook Lives (Mondays 11am ET) + random story times and craft videos.
Archived Live Videos + themed activities for kids that go with each video.
Virginia Zoo (USA)
“Virtual Voyage” daily at 2pm on Facebook
Videos bringing the Zoo to you on YouTube
Augmented Reality Zoo Tour (via Zappar App)
Woodland Park Zoo (USA)
Live Webcams: Bears, Bats, and Tigers
Updates on the Woodland Park Facebook page
Zoo Montana (USA)
Updates on Facebook @ZooMontana
Learning Resources: Activities and Printables
ZooAmerica (USA)
Facebook Live Q&As – Weekdays 11am ET @ZooAmerica
Aquarium Virtual Field Trips
Aquarium Virtual Field Trips
Aquariums focus mainly on ocean life, though many have animals that live out of the water, but live in or near the water.
One Big Ocean Online Curriculum
“One Big Ocean” is an online curriculum from Ocean.org. They have three different programs customized for the level of school. These can be used by themselves, or paired with a real or virtual visit to any aquarium.
Online Ocean School
You can also learn about the various creatures and habitats of the Gulf of St. Lawrence at “Ocean School“, with three weeks of lessons online and more being added.
The National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland has cameras placed in three exhibits: Blacktip Reef featuring blacktip sharks, rays, and colorful fish; “Jellies Invasion” which you can guess features jellyfish; and “Pacific Coral Reef”. You can also take a virtual tour of the National Aquarium with 360 degree images.
The Georgia Aquarium is ranked as the best aquarium for families in the United States. We’ve been there, and it is AMAZING! And they have some great, high quality live feeds from their exhibits, too!
You can watch the Ocean Voyager cam where you can see sharks, rays, fish, sea turtles and even huge whale sharks! There’s also the Indo-Pacific Barrier Reef, Southern Sea Otters, Jelly Cam, California Sea Lions, African Penguins, Piranhas, and Beluga Whales.
And while they haven’t been going live, they have been posting videos to the Georgia Aquarium Facebook page.
You might have seen the video going around of the Shedd Aquarium’s penguins taking their very own personal tour of the aquarium’s exhibits. If you haven’t, you should check it out.
In addition to the one live stream we found on their site so far, the Shedd Aquarium also has a great series of videos just for kids called “Sea Curious”. They also have some really cool 360 degree videos of sharks!
The Aquarium of the Pacific is located in Long Beach, California. They have several webcams that allow you to visit virtually. You can see penguins both above and below the water, a shark lagoon, sea jellies, a tropical reef, blue cavern, and colorful anthias and wrasse exhibit.
The Clearwater Marine Aquarium located on the Gulf Coast in Clearwater, Florida is home to Winter and Hope, the rescued dolphins whose stories were the basis for the movies “Dolphin Tale” and “Dolphin Tale 2”.
You can virtually visit Winter and Hope, along with Nicholas and PJ. The aquarium also has views of its otters, pelicans, and sea turtles.
The Clearwater Aquarium even has downloadable lessons in language, math, and science to go along with a real or even virtual visit to the aquarium. There is also an online Kid Zone with games, activities, and experiments.
As the name suggests, the California Academy of Sciences is not just an aquarium. The San Francisco facility is also a natural history museum with a rainforest exhibit and planetarium.
There are a few webcams that allow you to visit right from home. You can look in on penguins, stingrays, a coral reef, and even take control of a camera at the top of a lighthouse on the nearby Farallon Islands.
The site also has lesson plans and materials for kids from preschool through high school.
Live webcams of the secret reef, penguin, and sea otter exhibits. And on their facebook page, they are live streaming Aquarium at Home sessions.
Canada’s Vancouver Aquarium is home to more than 50,000 animals and features 30 exhibits to explore. When you can’t visit in person, you can still drop in on the sea otters, jellyfish, and penguins via the webcams on their homepage.
Facebook Lives weekdays at 10am @AtlanticWhiteShark. Resources on the website.
Farm Virtual Field Trips
Farm Virtual Field Trips
While farms are different than zoos, they can be just as educational and rewarding in connecting us to nature, whether we visit in person or virtually.
The Hen Cam comes from a backyard outside Boston, Massachussetts. The feed switches automatically between 3 cameras showing the hens outside and inside. You might also see goats and a bunny named Phoebe.
You can see a live stream of the cows, and maybe even some baby calves, at Peter’s Farm in Holland. The stream is only during operating hours, but there is also some YouTube footage for when it isn’t live.
Folly Farm has a cute webcam that gives you a peek at its farm animals like sheep, goats and donkeys. The website also lists penguin, giraffe, and lion webcams from the zoo, but they were not working when we visited.
This sheep barn camera is at the Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen , New York. They also have a recorded virtual tour of the farm showing you some of their other animals.
Not sure where it is coming from, but this camera is pointed at some goats and streams 24 hours a day.
Farm Food 360 has virtual tours of all different kinds of farms. There are milk & cheese, dairy cow, sheep, pig, mink, grain, egg, and oat farms, feed mills, and an apple orchard.
Chatsworth Farm is an over 2,000 acre family-run farm in Canada where they grow grain and legume crops, alfalfa, and raise beef cattle, sheep, turkeys, ducks, and chickens for eggs and meat. They have a few video tours on their webpage and they’ve also been live streaming recently on the Chatsworth Farm Facebook page.
This camera pans back and forth showing the outdoor pens of the Horse Shoe farm in Hendersonville, North Carolina. The horses are not always outside, though.
Virtual Farm Field Trips on YouTube
Virtual Farm Field Trips on YouTube
We found a whole bunch of Farm tours and Q&As on YouTube. Here are links to those. Some are individual, but others are whole playlists with multiple videos.
American Dairy Association Indiana (4 videos)
Ohio Pig Farms (50+ videos, several very recent)
Grow Next Gen (discusses various topics)
Ohio Beef Council (18 videos)
New York Beef Council (4 videos)
American Dairy Association Northeast (12 videos)
Pennsylvania Beef (no playlist, but at least 3 tours among their many videos)
Milk Means More (4 tours to a Michigan Dairy farm)
Safari Virtual Field Trips
Safari Virtual Field Trips
Live Streamed safaris from the African wilderness. You never know what you are going to see, and your tours are guided by knowledgeable guides who sometimes answer questions from viewers.
SUNRISE SAFARI (Monday to Sunday)
Central African Time (CAT): 06:00am – 09:00am
East African Time (EAT): 07:00am – 10:00am
Eastern Standard Time (EDT): 00:00pm – 03:00am
SUNSET SAFARI (Monday to Sunday)
Central African Time (CAT): 15:30pm – 18:30pm
East African Time (EAT): 16:30pm – 19:30pm
Eastern Daylight Savings Time (EDT): 09:30am – 12:30pm
Over on the Cumbria Wildlife Trust webpage, you can drop in on webcams of a few different animals from across the United Kingdom. There is a camera pointed at the bird feeders at Plumgarths Wildlife Garden, Grey Seals at the South Walney Nature Preserve (archive footage when cam is not working), a Badger cam from Rydel, Ambleside, and an Osprey cam from Foulshaw Moss Nature Preserve (says cam will be available late March 2020).
Explore.org has countless live streams from all over the world that you can choose from, including several locations already mentioned in this post. But our favorites are the ones you can view outside of a zoo, aquarium, or farm setting.
Some of these also have great audio, so you can make it full screen, turn up the volume, and have a window to the world. Great for background or meditation.
Tembe Elephant Park (Africa)
Honeybees going in and out of a hive
Flying Foxes (bats)
Hear Orcas (and occasionally see them) underwater
Sea Lions hauled out onto rocks
The Wolf Conservation Center in New York is dedicated to protecting and preserving wolves in North America. They have several live feeds of various species of wolves. And if you want to learn a little about wolves, you can do that, too.
Despite being the national symbol of the United States, we don’t get to see Bald Eagles all that much. But with the camera set up at Duke Farms in New Jersey, we can look right into a Bald Eagle’s nest! They even have a scavenger hunt you can print out for the kids to watch the nest and see if they spot any of those things.
In addition to their bird-watching tips and guides, All About Birds has a lot of live cams from all over North America for virtual bird-watching from the comfort of your home.
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