Book A Group Session
Group educational sessions are designed for Guides, Scouts, and other similar groups. If you are a school, visit our school sessions page (click here).
Click on a session for more details including how each session meets requirements to help participants earn badges. All sessions are 90 minutes long and can be booked for a maximum of 30 children at a time at a cost of £1.50 per person.
Our sessions are limited in availability and very popular.
Please book as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
If you have any questions about these sessions or wish to check availability on a specific date, please email our education department directly at education@colchesterzoo.org
Topics available include:
Looking After Animals (Ages 5-10)
Children will learn how to meet the needs of animals and how to look after them. Then get the chance to make your very own enrichment toys for the zoo animals to play with!
For Rainbows, Brownies, Beavers, and Cubs
This session meets requirements to help participants earn the following badges:
Rainbows: Roundabout Global Adventure
Brownies: Friends of the Animals, Science Investigator
Beavers: Animal Friend
Cubs: Animal Carer
Seasonal Nature (Ages 5- 10)
Discover how animals are adapted to hot and cold climates and how animals change throughout the seasons. Investigate the importance of camouflage and how it helps animals survive. Then take part in a nature exploration activity such as making bird feeders, pond dipping, creating a wormery, or identifying wild birds (the specific activity is seasonally dependant).
For Rainbows, Brownies, Beavers, and Cubs.
This session meets requirements to help participants earn the following badges:
Rainbows: Roundabout Seasons, Roundabout Global Adventure.
Brownies: Science Investigator, Wildlife Explorer
Beaver: Explore
Saving Endangered Animals (Ages 7-14)
Discover what endangered means, and why animals are endangered. Get hands-on with confiscated furs, ivory, and reptile skins to see up close the threats these animals face. Then learn about what the zoo is doing to save endangered animals, and what you can do to help save them!
For Brownies, Guides, Cubs, and Scouts
This session meets requirements to help participants earn the following badges:
Brownies: Friend of the Animals, Environment
Guides: Animal Active
Cubs: Global Conservation
Scouts: Global Conservation, Naturalist
Wildlife Forensics (Age 10+)
Explore the issues of illegal wildlife crime, and learn about the problems of hunting, poaching, pet trade, medicinal trade and bushmeat. Examine seized artefacts (furs, feathers, etc.) and learn how organisations are helping stop these crimes. While fingerprint analysis may seem familiar, participants also get the chance to try more unique science including feather analysis and skull identification. Participants leave with new science skills, and an appreciation of the threat caused by wildlife crime.
For Guides, Seniors, Scouts, and Explorers.
This session meets requirements to help participants earn the following badges:
Guides: Science
Scouts: Global Conservation, Naturalist
Explorers: Naturalist, Science and Technology
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