Visiting the Santa Fe College teaching zoo

So now that the weather in Florida has finally cooled off enough that it's bearable to be outside, I have been looking for activities to do with my boys outside.  It had been awhile since we had been to the Santa Fe College teaching zoo, so I decided to take them over for a tour.

Squirrel monkey

First of all, while it's a zoo, it's not a zoo in the traditional sense.  It's a place for Santa Fe College students to learn zoo keeper skills.  You don't go walk through it like you might other zoos.  Instead, you go with a tour guide, who is one of the students.  The zoo really isn't set up with walkways and such to allow people to just go willy nilly wherever they want. 

Galapogos tortoise enjoying his lunch of leaves

The zoo has a nice collection of small animals:  monkeys, birds, snakes, alligators, bald eagles, waterfowl.  There are also some rheas, llamas and a few deer.  The tour lasts about 1 1/4 hours, which was just right for a few boys all under the age of four.  A word of caution though for moms, it's also not a stroller friendly zoo.  If you're not prepared to walk, I would tell you not to go, or in my case, be prepared to carry somebody.

The admission is very reasonable and my boys were asking to go back.  Certainly a welcome outdoor activity now that fall has finally arrived in Florida.  If you think you might want to go, there is a list of Santa Fe College Zoo frequently asked questions that should give you the answers you need.

A fun day with my peeps

For anyone in the Gainesville or Alachua County Florida area needing something fun to do with their kids, I have a suggestion.  I took my kids the other day to the water/spray park in Alachua, Florida.  It's a part of their park complex just a couple of blocks from downtown.  My kids had a great time!  (All of mine are under age five.)  That's two of them in the picture here.  You can see there are fountains, sprinklers, and overhead water buckets that will dump on you.  (Pretty entertaining for little kids.)

As a mom, there was a few things I really liked.  It's completely fenced in with the entry gate something that only adults can reach to open and close.  It was very clean and the water was definitely chlorinated.  A park employee was there maintaining a few things (notice the barricades) and he was also quite nice.  There are some picnic benches close by so the adults can sit under trees and supervise.  It was during the week, so it wasn't crowded, but I hear it can get a bit busy on the weekends.  We will be going back!