Riverbanks Zoo’s Backyard Buds Class & Spring Break Zoo Camps

Gather up the little ones and make your way to Riverbanks Zoo for two exciting events scheduled for the month of March. On both Thursday, March 5 and 7, from 10 to 10:45 a.m., Riverbanks Zoo will host its Backyard Buds: Messy Mud Pies class for children 2 to 5 years of age. Kids will have fun creating unique art with natural materials, making different kinds of mud pies, exploring soil types and creating a mud-splatter painting. The use of natural materials will encourage creativity and understanding of their environment. Dress for a mess!

Riverbanks Zoo will host two Spring Break Zoo Camp sessions for children 5 to 9 years of age. Running each day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., session one is scheduled from March 31 through April 2; Session two will run from Tuesday, April 7, through Thursday, April 9. Titled Nocturnal Adventures, the camps will feature hands-on activities, animal encounters, behind-the-scenes tours, games, arts and crafts, and much more. From bats to owls to opossums, kids will meet some incredible animals, whose eyes glow in the dark and who love to party after the sun goes down. Each child will receive one complimentary T-shirt the first day of camp.

Backyard Buds: Messy Mud Pies – Cost: $6, plus general admission for general public. Spring Break Zoo Camp (both sessions) - Cost: $110, members; $150, general public. Location for both events: Riverbanks Zoo: 500 Wildlife Pkwy., Columbia. For more information on both events, call 803-779-8717 or visit Riverbanks.org.