My 3-year-old daughter has only gone trick-or-treating twice in her entire life. The first time she went dressed as a Dalmatian and last year she was a giraffe. If you are anything like me disappoint sets in quickly about an hour after your child returns from gathering his/her goodies. What a shame that the costume you dropped $50 on (or spent 30 hours sewing) only gets to be used for a few hours on Halloween night. (Sure, there’s always the chance to show them off at various Halloween parties and you could leave them out for your child to play dress up, but my child was never interested in wearing her costume around the house post-Halloween.)
(My daughter’s very first Halloween costume—the “102 Dalmatian.”)
If you are looking for another place where your little zombies and princesses can model their fantastic Halloween finery I may have just the ticket. It’s a seasonal right of passage in many parts of the country and provides the perfect alternative to Haunted Houses and other non-kid friendly fright fests—the ZOO BOO!
These days hundreds of zoos across the country sponsor family-friendly trick-or-treat events, minus the bloody carnage and ear-piercing screams found at your typical House of Horrors. ZOO BOOS are ideal for the under-10 set.
If you have a little pumpkin who loves animals… and chocolate you might consider heading out to the following zoo sponsored events:
NEW YORK
“Boo at the Zoo.” This annual event takes place at the world-famous Bronx Zoo during the last weekends in October. Your kids will love taking part in the costume parades, trying out the pumpkin painting, navigating the hay mazes, and of course, walking away with a ton of free candy.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Each year the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. undergoes a dramatic makeover just in time for Halloween. Animal exhibits are filled with festive decorations and each child that arrives in costume gets a goodie bag that can be filled at more than 40 treat stations throughout the zoo.
CHICAGO
Boo! At the Zoo is one of the most popular events at Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo. It takes place during the last two weekends in October and gives your little monkey a chance to show off her costume and get up close to owls, snakes, and other Halloween-y creepy critters. At the end of their visit children gets a bag filled with candy to take home.
SAN DIEGO
“Spooky Sleepover” at the San Diego Zoo is a one-of-a-kind event offered during three Saturdays in October. It includes a private bus tour to a campsite for dinner where families learn which animals adapt best to the dark. Later, there’s a visit from animal ambassadors who let kids handle animals they wouldn’t have a chance to meet anywhere else. There’s also trick-or-treating in the Children’s Zoo, an arts-and-crafts workshop, and a morning-after scavenger hunt. Note to parents: Reservations are required and space is limited.
INDIANA
The Fort Wayne Zoo in Indiana has the ideal Halloween event for toddlers. The “Great Zoo Halloween” features dozens of outstanding “merry-not-scary” displays. Hundreds of jack-o’-lanterns line zoo paths leading to nine treat stations. There’s even a mini-carnival, which provides every child a prize (win or lose). There’s also a train ride through the “Haunted Woods.”
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