DIY Fun: Animal Study

***They are hippos! Andrew saw this picture and said, “That’s creepy. They look like serial killers.” Hippos.***

Today’s DIY Fun is pretty easy, and that’s how we like it these days! We are lucky enough to live 5 minutes from the St. Louis Zoo, which we visit twice a week during the spring and summer months when the boys are not in preschool. And so we decided to do an animal study. This involves learning all you can about one animal. Our animal of choice? The hippo!

We made masks: 

Milo stuck to traditional hippo colors: mostly gray with hints of pink on the cheeks…

… while Oliver opted for a more colorful hippo!

Bed-head adds to the wildness, right?

We had spent the previous afternoon researching hippos at the library, watching National Geographic videos of hippos in the wild, and talking about hippo facts that were surprises to us (we found out that hippos aren’t even afraid of crocodiles, for instance!). With our newfound knowledge of hippos, we set out to leave early the next morning at the zoo to “surprise” our local hippopotami with masks and gray clothes and lots of practice slowly stomping through forests!

These are either rhino or hippo tracks… close enough?

We were the first to arrive at the hippo exhibit, so we took our time reading more facts about the animals. Though Milo claimed to know all of it already.

But when we reached the hippo tank, all we saw were fish!

It was really early. And already hot enough to produce enough sweat to run down the space between my shoulder blades and soak the part of my shirt where I had carried Oliver in the ErgoCarrier. Yeah. He might be getting a little old for that, but it sure beats pulling him along by his arm.

Anyway, we played hippo games and made hippo noises and told hippo poop jokes while we waited for the actual hippos to appear.

But still, 20 minutes later, no hippos.

Someone was looking a little disappointed.

… but still looking, nonetheless!

You know? We never did see the hippos that day. But no matter. We learned quite a bit for next time!

If you want to do your own animal study, let your child choose his/her favorite animal, and research the heck out of it! You might be surprised by what you learn!

P.s.- Our nanny Elisa who comes to help a few days a week is in Belgium for 3 weeks! And… Andrew is going out of town next week for 5 days. Let me tell you, I’m already just a teensy bit nervous! Elisa, we miss you but hope you have a wonderful time!