School's Out Safari

Ages & dates vary, see details below
Time: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Cost: $75, members save 20%

School’s Out Safari Camps are single day camps scheduled on certain days when metro area schools are out for holidays or teacher professional development. During these camps, campers will explore the Zoo, meet some animals and participate in hands-on STEM learning.

Theme: Why are some animals so weird? We are going to explore the reasons why animals look, act, function in ways that are different from us as humans. Together, we will solve some mysteries about animals like why chameleons change color, hedgehogs roll in stinky smells, and giraffes have long necks.

Dates & Ages:
•    October 16 – Grades 1 & 2
•    November 7 – Grades 3-5
•    January 15 – Grades 6-8

Registration and prepayment are required.

Click here to register

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Participation Guidelines

School’s Out Safari Day Camps are drop-off programs. Activities and curriculum is specifically designed for the designated age groups. It is important to us that your child receives the best experience. As such, we hope that you will help us by honoring the age guidelines.

Please dress children in comfortable, weather appropriate clothing. We will spend portions of each day outside exploring the zoo.

Be respectful, responsible and safe. These are the values we uphold for all camp participants. Similar to many schools, we use a PBIS reward system at camp that encourages these values in all camp activities. Blank Park Zoo is also proud to have Inclusion Specialists to aid our ability to include individuals that may need specialized support. We aim to be a camp for all.

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Drop-off/Pick-up

Both drop-off and pick-up take place curbside. Please view our drop-off map located in our Safari Camp Parent Guide for drop-off/pick-up location instructions.
Drop-off: 8:45 - 9:00 a.m.
Pick-up: 4:00 - 4:15 p.m.

Please note, Zoo admission hours are 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. If you need to drop-off/pick-up your child outside of our designated drop-off/pick-up times and before/after Zoo admission hours, please call 515-974-2550 as Zoo admissions will be locked.

For the safety of your children, we will only release your child to the person/s you list on their authorized pick-up list.

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Medications at Camp

If you are bringing any medication to camp with your child (including rescue inhalers and EpiPens), you must adhere to the following guidelines:

• Morning/evening dose of medications should be given before or after your child attends camp. Only medications with a dosage schedule that cannot be adjusted for camp hours should be administered during the day.
• ALL medications must be given to a Camp Supervisor by an adult. Prescription medications must be in the child’s name and in its original bottle.
• A medication authorization form must be filled out completely for each medication to be administered at camp. We will NOT administer medication without a completed form until we are able to reach a parent by phone.
• All medications must be in their original packaging and labeled with appropriate prescription, dosing and/or pharmaceutical information. Liquid medication must be accompanied with an appropriate measuring cup/syringe.
• We must have the child’s first and last name and exact time medication is to be given.
• We are unable to accept damaged/expired medications or loose medicine in unmarked packaging or give medication on an “as needed” basis.

Click here to download a medication authorization form.

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Registration, Confirmation and Cancellation

Preregistration is required for all camps. After your registration is processed, a confirmation email will be sent. Call 515-974-2550 if a confirmation email is not received within 24 hours.

Cancellation requests received more than 2 weeks prior to the start date of camp will receive a full refund minus a cancellation fee ($12). Cancellations requested within 2 weeks of the start date of camp will not receive a refund.

If you have any questions regarding camps or registration, please email camps@blankparkzoo.net or call 515-974-2550

Click here to purchase a Blank Park Zoo membership to save money on Safari Camps.

Please be prepared to provide your member ID during registration. Please note that your registration will be reviewed and your charges may be modified if you choose, but do not qualify, for this discount. If you do not know your member ID, please call 515-974-2600 or email membership@blankparkzoo.net.

Grandparent & Grandparent Plus Memberships - If your camper is included on a grandparent or grandparent plus membership, please still register the camper under the parents' name and provide the membership ID for the grandparent or grandparent plus membership.

Click here to register

Click here to download our Safari Camp Parent Guide