Bring Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium to you! Our summer library programs are created to tie into the 2023 reading themes of “All Together Now” and “Find your Voice.” Our 60-minute assembly style program is designed to promote a love of literacy, conservation, as well as fun animal education.
Program Cost and Booking: Book either an in-person or virtual library program with Zoo2You! For program price information and booking contact Zoo2You@OmahaZoo.com or (402)738-6905. Programs require scheduling 3 weeks in advance to include an animal ambassador. A travel fee is applied for programs over 20 miles from Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium.
2023 Library Programs
From polar bears to penguins, from elephants to arachnids, every animal has a role to play in the world. Join Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium to discover how we all need each other and how the future of the world’s animals are in our hands! Learn amazing facts about animals and meet regular people who’ve found their voice for animals and habitats in danger. Participants will discover what they can do to help their favorite animals at home and far away. Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium will bring hands-on experiences with amazing biofacts and animal ambassador visitors to help inspire a love of animals and a respect for the greater world around us!
Bring Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium to you! Our dynamic assemblies bring interactive and hands-on learning to large groups from school-age to adult-learners. Presented by our Zoo Outreach educators, these programs will take the audience on an entertaining journey with animal ambassadors, Zoo biofacts, and fun activities. Each assembly is designed to inspire, educate and engage participants so they can serve as lifelong stewards for animals, their habitats, and their conservation.
Program Cost and Booking: Book either an in-person or virtual assembly with Zoo2You! For program price information and booking contact Zoo2You@OmahaZoo.com or (402)738-6905. Programs require scheduling 3 weeks in advance to include an animal ambassador. A travel fee is applied for programs over 20 miles from Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium.
Assembly Programs
NEW! Oceans of Possibility
The Ocean - one of the last great wonders on the amazing blue marble called Earth.
Join educators from Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium as we explore the majesty and mysteries of the world's oceans and discover some of the threats the oceans face. Using video, artifacts, and animal ambassadors, we will learn about this amazing habitat, the creatures that make it their home, and some of the people working to save it.
Zoolympics!
Match your leaping skills against a tiger or your balance against a flamingo. Zoo educators will challenge participants to run, jump, race, and more as they learn all about the amazing animal athletes in our world! From the opening torch relay to the medal ceremonies, this program redefines “active learning” as kids test themselves against the abilities of animals from different habitats around the world. Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium will bring hands on experiences with amazing biofacts and animal ambassador visitors to help inspire a love of animals and a respect for the greater world around us!
I 💓 Animals
From polar bears in the Arctic to turtles in Nebraska, the future of the world’s animals is in our hands! Learn amazing facts about animals and discover what you can do to help your favorite animals at home and far away. Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium will bring hands-on experiences with amazing biofacts and animal ambassador visitors to help inspire a love of animals and a respect for the greater world around us!
Grossology
Poop, vomit, slime, and even more amazing disgusting topics will be explored as we learn about the science behind some of the grossest (and coolest) animal traits. We’ll learn about mammal digestion and discover why scientists use poop to track animal migration patterns. We’ll discover why some animals throw-up their lunch, only to eat it a second time! We’ll all see just how gross (and amazing) animals can be. Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium will bring hands on experiences with amazing biofacts and animal ambassador visitors to help inspire a love of animals and a respect for the greater world around us!
Build-Your-Own Assembly
Does your school participate in the “One Book, One School” program? Do you have an idea for a program with a specific animal or conservation theme? Reach out to the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium Outreach team and let us help you create a custom assembly. We can tie in conservation education, animal information, animal ambassadors, and more for your school or group.
Our STEM experts are coming soon to a classroom near you. We provide hands-on educational experiences that make science come alive and foster a lifelong love for conservation. These programs are correlated to state (NE and IA) standards as well as NGSS.
Classroom Experiences contain science projects, sensory experiences, and live animal ambassadors. Programs for first grade and up last 45-60 minutes.
Program Cost and Booking: For program price information and booking contact Zoo2You@OmahaZoo.com or (402)738-6905. Programs require scheduling 3 weeks in advance to include an animal ambassador. Short notice programs are presented without an animal ambassador. Cost is per program, not based on time or number of students. Maximum class size is 30 students.
General Classroom Experiences
- Bugs: Not So Creepy Crawlies
- World Habitats
- Ocean Life and Conservation
- Nebraska Native Species
- Animal Movement
Elementary Classroom Experiences
- Kindergarten: Turtles and the Environment NCCRS‐S: K.7.2.A, K.7.2.B, K.7.2.C, K.7.2.D
- 1st Grade: Animal Coverings NCCRS‐S: 1.6.2.A, 1.6.2.C, 1.6.2.D
- 2nd Grade: Habitat Exploration NCCRS‐S: 2.7.2.C
- 3rd Grade: Life Cycles of Bugs NCCRS‐S: 3.7.2.A, 3.7.2.C, 3.7.2.D, 3.9.3.A
- 4th Grade: Clues in the Bones NCCRS‐S: 4.6.3.B
- 5th Grade: Food Webs NCCRS‐S: 5.8.2.A, 5.8.2.B, 5.8.2.C
Middle and High School Classrooom Experiences
- Zoo Careers
- Albatross Bolus Investigation
- Endangered Species: The Extinction Crisis and the Best Path Forward
- Ocean Life & Conservation
We love early childhood learning! Each early childhood experience is specifically designed for classroom audiences from 3 years – kindergarten, with developmentally appropriate stories, activities, and animal encounters. Our experiences use a “circle time” format with our zoo educators leading the group in a welcome activity, a story, large-motor and fine motor activities, and hands-on opportunities with our biofacts and Animal Ambassadors. Early childhood programs last between 30-45 minutes.
Program Cost and Booking: For program price information and booking contact Zoo2You@OmahaZoo.com or (402)738-6905. Programs require scheduling 3 weeks in advance to include an animal ambassador. Short notice programs are presented without an animal ambassador. Cost is per program, not based on time or number of students. Maximum class size is 30 students.
Early Childhood Classroom Experiences
Animal Movement
From jumping, swimming, flying, and slithering, we will explore the different ways animals move in the world. We will explore the different body structures that affect movement and get to mimic some of our favorite movement types.
Zoo Babies
One of our favorite things at the zoo is when a new baby is born! In this program, we'll meet some of our zoo babies and learn how animals care for their young in habitats all over the world.
Can You See Me? Animal Camouflage
Why do some animals have fur and others have feathers? How do their different coverings help them survive in the wild? In this program we will look at different animal coverings, from scales to skin, and learn how the different types of coverings protect the animals from predators and from their environment.
Animal Math
How many fish does it take to feed 100 penguins? How tall is a giraffe? In this program, we will learn the answers to those questions and more as we look at numbers, patterns, and early math-concepts we use at the zoo!
To learn more about our virtual field trips click below!
Virtual Field Trips
Whether you have the zoo as a long term provider, or for just a few visits, the Zoo is the perfect mix of education and fun for your afterschool program. Regular visits allow your students to develop a positive personal relationship with the Zoo and build a deeper understanding of STEM concepts. These programs inspire wonder, appreciation and awareness of the natural world and encourage environmental stewardship. Students learn through games, interactive activities, STEM-based projects, and close encounters with Zoo artifacts.
- Each visit is 60 minutes.
- Cost is $100 per visit, with a minimum of four visits to each group of students.
- Regular visits from our Animal Ambassadors included with
- Maximum of 25 students per class grades 3-6; 20 students per class grades K-2.
Book your program today by contacting Zoo2You@OmahaZoo.com or (402)738-6905.
Afterschool programs are SOLD OUT for fall 2022!
Learning is for all ages! Using a mix of videos, photographs, storytelling, zoo artifacts, and even live animals, our programs provide exciting and fun ways to learn about new developments at the Zoo, or rekindle memories of past trips to the Zoo and Riverview Park. This lifelong learning opportunity is sure to be a hit with your residents.
Topics include:
- What’s New at the Zoo
- History & Tour of the Zoo
- Endangered Species
Program Details:
- Presentation is roughly one hour.
- For program price information and booking contact Zoo2You@OmahaZoo.com or (402)738-6905.
- Three weeks’ notice is required for an animal visit. We can often accommodate short notice requests without animals
If your group is looking for a guest speaker, call us to see if a zoo expert is available. For program price information and booking contact Zoo2You@OmahaZoo.com or (402)738-6905. Speaker fees vary based on topic, location, and who the requested speaker is. Speaker availability varies so please contact the Zoo2You team early for best options.
Contact the Education Department at (402) 738-2092 or Zoo2You@OmahaZoo.com to reserve your Zoo-To-You trunk.
Includes the following:
- Interactive activities
- Hands-on lessons
- Animal artifacts (examples: sea shells, replica shark jaw, or penguin egg replicas)
- Life-size animal prints (example: sea turtles or penguins)
- Videos and books
Topics Available:
- Penguins
- Oceans
- Sea Lions
- Madagascar
- Amphibians
What You Need To Know
- Trunks are available for pick-up only.
- Can be used up to one week in the classroom. Please call for extended time periods.
Lessons and downloadable materials
Please click here for the free downloadable materials.
View Samples