Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in San Diego, CA

I'm tellin' you, this zoo we live near is beyond awesome. It's truly the best and for our kiddos to live so close and have access to the wonders that it holds-wow, we are blessed. And, as if the zoo weren't already awesome enough, they have San Diego Zoo specific books.

Here's an idea. You want to teach your kiddo the ABC's and 123's, so why not teach and reinforce them at the zoo? Before your next visit, go ahead and read Animal ABC's followed by Count to 10 and Back Again, you and your babe just might recognize some of these adorable, and not so adorable, creatures from our very own zoo. These books are created by the San Diego Zoo Animal Library. They are fantastic.

While at the zoo, do an ABC scavenger hunt of zoo animals. How fun would that be to cruise the zoo in search of letters and cool animals?! While at the exhibits, challenge your kiddo to count the busy Bonobos or slow moving elephants. Heck, bring the books along with you so when your kiddo is taking a break in the stroller, they can not only look through their books but literally be in them. Very cool.

Then there is the Baby series the zoo created. Oh. My. These baby animals are so stinkin' cute you want to bring them home with you...in the form of a stuffed animal. The books are perfect for our babies too with their bold pictures and sweet animal faces. Of course our favorite is Baby Panda because, if you are in the right place at the right time, you just might get to see Zhen Zhen who just celebrated her first birthday.

Connect books to the zoo and enhance early literacy. The ever amazing SD zoo has helped us out...as if they weren't already awesome enough.

And now, my San Diego friends, I sign off. This is my last and final post here at Savvy Source. Thank you for reading me, it has been a pleasure writing for you.

Happy trails to you, until we meet again...

[photo credit: SXC]