Our Zoo adventure

Our Zoo adventure immerses children in a unique child-centred environment designed to foster early connections to nature and an appreciation for the living world

Melbourne Zoo's new early childhood precinct, Growing Wild, has been created for children aged three to eight years. Parallel-play, exploration and discovery feature in outdoor play spaces, while an indoor learning space allows for closer encounters, observation and interaction.

Melbourne Zoo's pedagogy for Early Childhood education has a strong focus on play based learning. Our Zoo adventure integrates child-directed play and learning, guided play and learning, and adult led learning approaches throughout the session.

The program has been developed in conjunction with early childhood specialists. For further information on ways these outcomes will be supported through the program, refer to the curriculum outcome summary.

The Our Zoo Adventure learning program addresses Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework outcomes: Birth to 8 years and AusVELS levels F-2 standards.  It supports the cross-curriculum priorities of Sustainability and addresses achievements in the domains of Science, Interpersonal Development, English, Humanities and Thinking Processes.