Winter Safari

Ages: 5 - 9 years
Days: December 30 - 31, 2024 & January 2, 2025 (must register for each day separately)
Time: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Cost: $75 per day, Zoo members save 20%

Winter Safari Camps are daily, drop-off camps for campers ages 5 - 9 years. During camp, campers will participate in hands-on learning activities, enjoy the outdoors and explore the Zoo. **Campers must be registered for each day separately.**

Theme: Cretaceous Park

Are you fascinated by dinosaurs? Join us as we journey through time, discovering unique features of the creatures that roamed the earth millions of years ago. This week campers will compare zoo animals to some of their amazing prehistoric counterparts and imagine a world that included these unique animals!

Registration and pre-payment are required

Click here to register! 

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Participation Guidelines

Winter Safari Camp is a drop-off program for campers ages 5-9 years of age. Campers will be divided in groups based on age (5-6 years old and 7-9 years old).

Please dress campers in comfortable, weather appropriate clothing including: coats, hats, close-toed shoes or boots and gloves/mittens. We will spend portions of each day outside exploring the zoo. 

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Drop-off/Pick-up

Both drop-off and pick-up take place curbside.

Drop-off is from 8:45 - 9 a.m.
Please follow our signs for drop-off or see the drop-off/pick-up map located in the Safari Camp Parent Guide.

Pick-up is from 3:45 - 4:15 p.m.
If you know in advance that you will be late to pick up your camper, please let us know by calling the camp office at 515-974-2550. If you arrive after 4:15 p.m. you will be charged a fee of $5 for every 15 minutes after 4:15 p.m. For the safety of your campers, we will only release your camper to the person/s you list on your household’s authorized pickup list.

Before and after care are not available during Winter Safari Camps.

Please note, Zoo admission hours are 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. If you need to drop-off/pick-up your camper 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.

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Lunch/ Snack

Lunch is not provided. All children enrolled in camp will need to bring a sack lunch.

Campers will receive a morning and an afternoon snack each day that is included as a part of camp registration. Snacks might include items such as: Veggie Straws, pretzels, fruit snacks, or frozen treats. Snack items are tentative and subject to change from day to day.

Campers may bring a snack from home in place of, or addition to, provided snacks. These snacks, however, may only be consumed during designated snack times unless there is a health concern discussed with camp staff prior to the start of camp or during morning drop-off.

***Camp items are nut free (eg. snacks, craft materials, substrates). We cannot guarantee a nut-free environment. Camp kids often bring their own lunch items containing nuts, and nuts are a regular part of our animal diets. Please disclose all participant food allergies during registration. To discuss concerns or request special accommodations, please contact camps@blankparkzoo.org or call 515.974.2550.

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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 camper’s name and in its original bottle. Adults should advise whether the medication should be returned at the end of each day or stay at the Zoo for the duration of camp.
• 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

Pre-registration 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. The week before camp, you will receive a pre-camp email with instructions for drop-off and pick-up.

Cancellation requests received more than 2 weeks prior to the start date of camp will receive a full refund minus a cancellation fee ($15/day). 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 number 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 number, 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