1. Time out your day - Our child is a routine baby, we have always had Lucas on a manageable schedule, and to be honest this really helps schedule other aspects of our day, and contributes to Lucas adjusting to hiccups that sometimes arise. We planned to be at the zoo for 10 which is usually Lucas' first nap, however we knew that sometime in the 45 minute drive he would take a catnap, and it would be extremely necessary if he was going to enjoy the day. So if your child does not or will not nap in the car I would say plan to start your day after his morning nap (if he or she is still on a two nap schedule); my niece naps only once already so this was a perfect morning start for her too.
2. Dress Appropriately - I'm not going to lie we are a family of sweaters, so I made sure that we all wore cool and light coloured shirts, and very comfortable shoes, including the little guy. Since Lucas loves to walk, but hates to wear shoes, I made sure to put sturdy running shoes on him, since I knew he would have a harder time to pull them off, and then he was so entertained he never tried to do so anyway.
4. Bring Plenty of Snack and Drinks - When all else failed and it was necessary to keep the little ones in their strollers, placing a cracker and drink in front of them really helped!
5. Pack a Picnic - So we didn't bring lunch with us because we were under the assumption that we were not allowed to do so (several other amusement establishments in Toronto don't allow outside food in the premises), and I was a little bummed when we discovered that we were only too welcomed to do so. Next time I plan on bringing our own food, since there are tons of picnic locations available, and lets face it the food provided is quite expensive. Having a cooler would have been nice too so that we weren't forced to drink warm water all day.
6. More the Merrier - Spending the day with my sister and her family was great, because we both had the same view on how the day should pan out, we were all very easy going. Also this was a huge help with the children, since both my niece and Lucas are equally in love with their aunts and uncles it made helping each other out with the kids that much easier. When my niece was walking around there was always a hand that she was willing to hold, and 8 eyes watching the children is always an advantage.
7. Rent the Available Strollers - Both kids really loved getting out and stretching out their legs and running around, and it can get a little tedious constantly putting them in and taking them out of the strollers. The Zoo provides stroller wagons for 2 kids that is not only roomy but would have probably kept them more content "cooped| in a contraption; so this probably something to look into for our next trip.
8. Let Kids be Kids - Lucas has an obsession with dirt and rocks, and at home and anywhere we really go he's drawn to them. Usually I'm a bit of an anal mom not wanting him to touch it (especially since I know its going to end up in his mouth), but on a fun day like this I just let the little things slide and let him roam around in the dirt as much as he wanted. Also slushies are by no means the most nutritional snack, but if the adult are going to indulge, its only fair to the let the kids have their fun as well, and deal with the sugar high later.
10. Let the kids walk - Obviously it would be so much easier if the darn kids would just stay strapped in their strollers, but then where's the fun in that. As long as we were watchful, and when we in less trafficked areas we let the kids roam around as much as possible, letting them explore the zoo at their own eye level. This was a great way to avoid stroller tantrums, and kept them overall a lot happier throughout the day.
Most importantly...don't forget to have fun!
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