Last Saturday, the kiddos and I woke up bright and early, packed a bag and headed up to the Los Angeles Zoo for a special event.  Searching Safari is a special annual scavenger hunt  that is hosted by the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association for Safari Club members.

We started the day with a yummy breakfast, followed by some very fun face painting and a special owl interaction. Then it was time for a great scavenger hunt. There were two trails set up. One for the  older children/teens and another one for preschool aged children. We were given a clue card with a photo and off we went. The kiddos had a great time trying to figure out the clues.  Our first animal/pit stop on our hunt was a flamingo. The kids loved  trying to figure out the clues and were ecstatic every time we found one.  At each animal stations the kiddies received a zoo themed prize.

The Searching Safari ended at the Elephant Plaza, which is home to the Elephants of Asia new habitat. Saturday was the Los Angeles Zoo Snow Day and we were able to enjoy  watching the Elephants and other animals discover snow.

We loved every minute of this very special experience. Exploring the Zoo before it opened to the public was pretty spectacular. It almost seemed like we had the zoo to ourselves.  I learned that members of the Los Angeles Zoo are able to experience events like this by supporting the zoo. This event was exclusive to members of the Safari Club (those donating $1500) or more. There are various level of memberships and different special events for each level. The best part is that the memberships are tax deductible!

To learn more about memberships to the Los Angeles Zoo  head here.