Zoo New England + the Nature's Neighborhood

Hey guys, it's Amanda here... the Amanda that is always looking for things to do with an energetic three year old lover of all things outdoors and running loose and wild, much like an animal. When I heard about the new Nature's Neighborhood Children's Zoo at Franklin Park Zoo (a part of Zoo New England) I knew that it would be the ultimate in what the kid is interested in these days and to boot, I love visiting the zoo dating back to when I was young. I met up with my friend Jessica and her little peanut on the first warm and sunny day we could get our hands on to check out the new Children's zoo as well as some of their tried and true exhibits as well (I see you gorgeous gorillas!)

Some things to be excited about at the new Children's Zoo:

• *Bamboo Climber, incorporating live bamboo plantings and an array of vertical, tilted, crossed and intersecting “bamboo” poles
• *Eagle’s Nest, a giant eagle’s nest built around an oak tree offering an “eagle’s-eye” view of the Zoo
• *Grass Maze: perennial grasses make for a perfect maze in which children explore looking for sculpted elements representing animals that live in the grasslands.
• *Prairie Dog Pop Up: The new prairie dog town provides a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with these adorable little critters
• *Safe environment! Well, this is for the Moms and Dads to be excited about 😉
• *Beautiful landscaping... also something more for the Moms and Dads!
• *Different neighborhoods/ecosystems to explore (the Zootopia fans in us LOVE this)
• *The Blanding's Turtle Project + more!

The sheer amount of children enjoying the zoo on our visit was amazing. I guess it had been awhile since I had visited a zoo and had the opportunity to see it through a child's eyes. I mostly see things on the run with a three year old and a 5 month old in tow but the beauty of the Franklin Park Zoo is that there is plenty to see, room to roam and it's a great environment to just let them be kids/stare down camels.

I can't wait to bring my pygmy hippopotamus back to experience the nooks and crannies that we didn't get to explore this time around. I think that's the beauty of visiting the zoo: each trip can be a different and special and memorable... also, my kid just loves to play hard and have fun which is encouraged at the Franklin Park Zoo- and car naps afterwards are almost guaranteed.

Do you want to win a 4 pack of passes to visit the Nature's Neighborhood Children's Zoo this Summer? Just comment below with your favorite thing about visiting the zoo- A winner will be picked at random on Friday June 9th!

*I received a membership in partnership with Zoo New England. All opinions are 100% mine.