Bronx Zoo Family Activities

Now that school’s out, kids have plenty of free time to check out all that the Bronx Zoo has to offer. Don’t miss the newly renovated Children’s Zoo, say hi to the new animals in the petting zoo area and see the new baby gorilla and sea lion. But hold up! There’s a ton of exciting and big events taking place at the Bronx Zoo this summer, so read on:

I am a WCS Ambassador and this is part of a sponsored post series. I receive a complimentary family premium membership and exclusive opportunities for my participation. 

FEATURED SUMMER PERFORMERS at The Bronx Zoo

Dan Zanes at the Bronx Zoo!

July 25, 2015 DAN ZANES AND FRIENDS Concert: Join Grammy Award winner Dan Zanes and Friends at the Bronx Zoo for an outdoor, fun-filled dance-party, hootenanny for the 21st century! Called the “crown prince of contemporary kid’s music,” by People Magazine, don’t miss his uncompromising vocal and instrumental artistry and muscular pop beat.  Zane’s globe-trotting music ranges from elements of Tunisian Sufi, the Louisiana bayou, Appalachia, the Caribbean and South Africa to making a CD completely in Spanish. He likes to call what he does “21st-century, all-ages, handmade social music.”

Date: July 25th. Times: 11:30am and 2:00pm. Location: Astor Court.

Danny Weinkauf and His Red Pants Band

August 22- 23 DANNY WEINKAUF AND HIS RED PANTS BAND: Grammy-winning artist and longtime bassist for They Might Be Giants, Danny Weinkauf is the man behind the wildly successful TMBG mega-hit “I am a Paleontologist.”  He’s just released his first solo album for kids, No School Today on TMBG’s own label, Idlywild Recordings.  The “shimmery, shiny pop” tunes include catchy gems about marsupials, archaeology, voting rights, and even a song about Ben Folds!  New hit “Champion of the Spelling Bee” reached #1 on Sirius XM’s Kids Place Live and was featured in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Date: August 22-23. Times: 12:30pm, 2:00pm & 3:30pm.

Take a peek at what else is going in this July and August at the Bronx Zoo:

July 11-12 Super Sprowtz Show: Super Hero Training Camp: Children of all ages will love watching Roger and the Super Sprowtz lead the audience through a high-energy super hero training camp featuring 4 levels of songs, dancing and games. Children will be led through an action-packed curriculum of health and wellness broken down into four easy-to-remember stages: Mind, Heart, Body, and Tummy! Their catchy music will have kids yelling “I want more broccoli!”, and their built-in games will teach the super-heroes in training which super powers come from which veggies! It’s all about learning to stay healthy and making smart choices.

Date: July 11-12. Times: 12:30pm, 2:00pm & 3:30pm. Location: The Tent at Grizzly Corners.

Play Date

July 19 PLAY DATE Concert: Husband and wife duo Greg Attonito (The Bouncing Souls) and singer/songwriter Shanti Wintergate are the heart of the kindie music group Play Date. The goal of their music is to inspire children to use their imaginations — and their dance moves — to explore the world around them. Play Date’s aptly-named album Imagination won Creative Child’s 2014 Seal of Excellence Award. Called a “breath of fresh air” (swingwhistlezing.com), they’ll be bringing their guitars and infectious energy with popular songs “Dance Like a Monster,” “Anyone Can Sing,” and more! Play Date’s song “XYZ” was recently featured in a Nordstrom’s Back to School video called “The A to Z Life.”

Date: July 19th, 2015. Times: 12:30pm, 2:00pm &3:30pm

August 2- 3 NATIONAL PARKS WEEKEND: Explore nature and the sights and sounds of New York City’s Great Outdoors and the fun recreational activities visitors can participate in. Join Park Rangers and become a bird detective and even do some bird-watching. Learn how to pitch a tent, make a campfire and paddle on a real kayak. Then, experience what it was like to immigrant to our New York shores coming across the sea to Ellis Island.

Times: 11-4:00. Location:Dancing Crane Pavilion.

August 2- 3 JUNGLE GYM Concert: A Live Rock-n-Roll Experience for the Whole Family! A Go “off the grid” with family rock act Jason Didner and the Jungle Gym Jam as we celebrate the joy and energy of being outdoors among nature and give electronic gadgets a little break. With a Jersey rock vibe like Bruce Springsteen, they’ll sing about wonders in nature like ladybugs, sea lions, the beach and the moon. They’ll also take a very funny look at the wildest exhibit at the zoo– the people who visit!

Times: 12:30pm, 2:00pm & 3:30pm.

Hot Peas N Butter

August 29-30 HOT PEAS ‘N BUTTER: Winners of the 2006, 2008, 2009 AND the 2012,”Parent’s Choice Awards”, Hot Peas ‘N Butter is a unique children’s musical group that incorporates elements of traditional Latin music, Afro-Caribbean rhythms, jazz, folk, and rock. By combining an interactive, invigorating approach to performance with mature, multicultural music, Hot Peas ‘N Butter has developed a distinct way of inspiring care and creativity in kids and adults alike. These Bronx Zoo performances will be part of Hot Peas ’N Butter’s newest album video release party for “Amistad”!

Times: 12:30pm, 2:00pm & 3:30pm.

Don’t miss Re-Usable the Musical, a one-of-a-kind puppet show, where a young girl named Kazumi takes a musical journey to learn about protecting our animals in the wild with actions we take at home. This show teaches kids how to protect the planet using the five Rs: Refuse, Reuse, Reduce, Recycle, and a very special and important R: Remember.

This show occurs in the Asia Theater at 12:30, 1:15, 2:00, 2:45, & 3:30pm. 

How To Make Your Garden Grow: Come to our recycled garden and experience a pollinator garden, digging garden and vegetable garden. Every day there are games, activities and crafts to help your kids learn more about the importance of sustainable gardening and healthy eating for humans and wildlife.

Open all summer, Daily 1pm-4pm.

So when your kids are saying, “I’m bored!”, just pack them in the car and head on at to the Bronx Zoo where there’s so much to offer while encouraging outdoor exploration, connection to wildlife, nature and learning!

Be sure to check out the Bronx Zoo website for more events and information!

I am a WCS Ambassador and this is part of a sponsored post series. I receive a complimentary family premium membership and exclusive opportunities for my participation. 

When was the last time you were at the zoo? What special memories did you have? And what are you looking forward to when checking out at the zoo with your family? Share your comments below!