If you’re looking for a weekly activity that goes beyond a standard zoo visit and truly immerses toddlers in nature play, Perth Zoo’s Wild Explorers program is a standout choice. Designed especially for curious 2 to 3 year olds, this term-based program blends hands-on activities, animal encounters and outdoor exploration into a joyful mini “wildlife school” for little ones and their grown-ups. After completing a term with my two-year-old Kai, we signed up again without hesitation – it quickly became the highlight of our week.
Wild Explorers runs as an eight-week term program, with each term built around a different animal-focused theme. It’s carefully designed for toddlers, combining interactive, sensory-rich play with simple conservation messages and lots of movement. Rather than feeling like a structured class, the whole morning is play-based and child-led, with a lovely rhythm that toddlers quickly settle into. Each session is 45 minutes long, with a maximum of 18 children per group, keeping things calm and manageable for little people and allowing plenty of time for questions and exploration from both children and adults. The minimum age is 2 years and the cost is currently $95 per child for the term, plus regular zoo entry for accompanying adults and children aged 4 and over.
From the moment you arrive at the Homestead Barn, you can see the thought that has gone into the program. Check-in is friendly and relaxed, and there’s a welcoming play space set up with animal books, puzzles and blocks to help children settle in and warm up. My son makes a beeline for his name badge every week – a small touch that really helps them feel part of the group. Once everyone is ready, the group gathers on the mat for a simple welcome song to the tune of “Happy Birthday”, which quickly becomes a familiar anchor for the children. The day’s focus animal is introduced using age-appropriate language, large colourful visuals, gorgeous soft toys and a discovery board, instantly capturing little imaginations.
The heart of Wild Explorers is the series of themed activity stations set up around the space each week. Children are free to move between these at their own pace, choosing what interests them most. During the Sun Bear session, for example, my son rotated between a sniffing station (complete with honey scent to highlight the Sun Bear’s incredible sense of smell), digging through soil to find hidden toy insects like a foraging bear, using sticks as “bear claws” to scratch patterns into playdough, and building cosy nests using natural materials in a large sensory tray. There’s always a mix of fine motor, gross motor and sensory experiences – digging, pouring, climbing, sorting, building, smelling and creating.
Another favourite element for us has been the nature-based treasure hunts. Children are encouraged to head outside and search the surrounding gardens for textures, colours and shapes that connect to the week’s animal. On our Sun Bear week, the challenge was to find golden leaves, flowers or other natural treasures to match the bear’s golden crest. It’s a simple idea but incredibly engaging, and you can see the language and observational skills developing as the kids excitedly compare their “finds”.
Each term, the activities are built around a specific theme, which keeps the content fresh and gives families a reason to return. Recent and upcoming themes listed on Perth Zoo’s program page include “Move like an Animal”, “Look like an Animal”, “Live like an Animal” and “Hide like an Animal”. Across a term, children might explore how animals move (flying, climbing, swimming), how their features help them survive (snouts for sniffing, claws for digging, beaks for pecking), the different types of homes they build (trees, burrows, nests and rock dens), and how camouflage helps them hide in their habitats.
Each week focuses on a different animal within that theme, so you could be slithering like a snake one week, flapping like a bird the next, then searching for burrows or pretend tree hollows another week. My son loved mimicking movements – stomping like an elephant, hopping like a kangaroo and creeping like a big cat – and I really appreciated seeing the clear links to early learning skills around body awareness, language and imaginative play.
One of the most magical parts of each Wild Explorers session is the time spent out in the zoo visiting the focus animal. After plenty of indoor sensory play, the group heads off on a short walk to meet the real-life version of the creature they’ve just been learning about. Sometimes this simply means a well-planned visit to an exhibit; other times, there’s extra behind-the-scenes access that feels very special. Watching my son’s face as he recognised “his” animal in front of him, connecting the playdough claw marks and soil digging to the behaviour of a real Sun Bear, was honestly unforgettable. This link between play and reality is where the magic – and the learning – really comes alive.
The program is led by passionate zoo educators who clearly understand toddlers, animals and how to make learning fun. Our session leader Jackie brought just the right mix of warmth, structure and flexibility. She kept the group engaged without ever feeling rushed, offered simple explanations that even the youngest children could understand, and checked in with each child individually. You can tell the program has been created by experts across education, animal care and conservation; it never feels tokenistic or like an add-on to the zoo, but rather a thoughtfully designed experience in its own right.
From a practical point of view, it’s worth knowing a few key details before you book. Wild Explorers is strictly for 2–3 year olds, and Perth Zoo doesn’t allow bookings outside the recommended age range for their Kids and Youth Programs. This is to keep activities appropriate, safe and enjoyable for both the children and the animals. Only one adult can accompany each child in the session and siblings aren’t able to join, so you may need to juggle care for other children. The group size is capped at 18, which keeps the environment calmer and allows the educators to support everyone.
Tickets to Wild Explorers currently cost $95 per child, which covers the full term of sessions, but does not include zoo entry. Adults and children aged 4 years and over will need to pay normal entry or use their membership, so a Perth Zoo membership quickly becomes a cost-effective option if you plan to attend regularly or make a day of it before or after your session. Sessions run for around 45 minutes and take place during term time. If your Monday booking falls on a public holiday, Perth Zoo will ask you to reschedule to another day that week (Tuesday to Thursday), which is worth factoring into your calendar. Tickets are non-refundable and there’s no waitlist for sold-out terms, so it’s important to choose your dates carefully and book early; if there are cancellations, spots are re-released on the website.
You’ll also want to come prepared. Enclosed shoes are recommended, and clothing should suit the season – sunhats and light layers in warmer months, jackets and raincoats in winter. A water bottle is a must and, while the session itself is fairly short, packing a snack or planning lunch at the zoo café afterwards works well, especially if you decide to stay and explore. We usually arrive 5–10 minutes early to allow time for parking, walking to the Homestead Barn and giving Kai a chance to settle in before the welcome song starts.
Beyond Wild Explorers, Perth Zoo offers a whole suite of Kids and Youth Programs for older children, so families can continue their zoo learning journey as their kids grow. These include Bio Buddies for 4–5 year olds, school holiday programs like Keeper Kids, Warriors for Wildlife and Wild Vets, as well as Homeschool at the Zoo sessions for ages 5–12, all of which are detailed under the Kids and Youth Programs section on the Perth Zoo website. It’s lovely to know that if your child falls in love with Wild Explorers, there are natural next steps waiting for them in future years.
For our family, the biggest endorsement is that Wild Explorers has become part of our weekly rhythm, and we’re already talking about which theme we’ll try next. As a teacher and a mum, I love that it ticks all the boxes: child-led, highly sensory, rooted in nature, rich in language and full of playful, meaningful learning. For my toddler, it’s pure joy – from hunting for his name badge to clutching his end-of-term certificate and re-enacting animal movements at home for days afterwards. If you have a nature-loving toddler and you’re keen to nurture that curiosity, Wild Explorers at Perth Zoo is a beautiful way to do it.
Wild Explorers – Perth Zoo
Address: Perth Zoo, 20 Labouchere Road, South Perth WA 6151
Opening hours: Program sessions run during Perth school terms; zoo open daily 9am–5pm (check current session days and times when booking)
Official website: https://perthzoo.wa.gov.au/whats-on/kids-programs/wild-explorers
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Adriana Turk is a Melbourne-born mum raising her adventurous two-year-old in Perth, her new home. A teacher with a passion for play-based learning, Adriana shares her journey through Perth Toddler Adventures, an Instagram account dedicated to budget-friendly outings, natural playgrounds, and hands-on activities for little ones. With a focus on creating magical everyday moments and connecting with Perth parents, Adriana blends her teaching expertise and love for adventure to inspire families to embrace learning through play and discovery.
