The Aquarium’s Largest Renovation EVER Encourages Kids to Connect with Nature by Getting Hands-On!
Adventure Aquarium is unveiling a new exhibit to the public on March 31st and JUST in time for Spring Break. The brand new KidZone, in which the Aquarium’s invested $1 million, encourages children 6 and under to connect with nature by getting hands-on!
Adventure Aquarium created KidZone, an exhibit specifically designed to appeal to a child’s natural curiosity to explore. The newly renovated space, located on the second floor of the Aquarium in Zone C, features vibrant and colorful décor, kids’ characters, cool animals and touch species, and a series of interactive activities intended to promote learning through play.
The journey through KidZone begins with an introduction to the AquaPals: Gill, a curious shark and the Aquarium’s official mascot; Lizzie, a music-loving hippo; Shelldon, a quirky sea turtle; and Bobbi, a lovable penguin. Much like Adventure Aquarium’s youngest guests, the AquaPals are wildly curious about the world around them and guests can follow along with the AquaPals as they learn interesting “biomimicry” animal fun facts, like how the skin of sharks encouraged engineers to design swimsuits for Olympic racers, or how Cuttlefish inspired scientists to make TV screens that use 100 times less power!
Lizzie’s Lagoon is the first play area featured in KidZone, home to Lizzie the hippo and her “best feathered friend” (BFF) Birdie. Here, kids can slither and slide their way through a massive Banyan tree with suspended foam “roots,” or climb aboard to captain an interactive river boat. And, it certainly wouldn’t be Lizzie’s Lagoon without Lizzie’s favorite thing - music! Watch kids create musical scales on colorful whale drums, acoustic “whomp” tubes and magical chime walls. Speaking of “scales,” don’t forget to check out the Caiman - a master of disguise.
The voyage continues at Bobbi’s Beach, where kids can scale rocky shores and pose for photos with Bobbi the Penguin or her favorite surfboards, take a stab at the “tumbler” penguin puzzle, or crawl through Bobbi’s winding beach mini-maze, which features an open-top design so adults can keep an eye on little ones at play. In fact, every exhibit within KidZone is designed with children in mind, from vibrant colors and bright lights to lower exhibit heights for easy viewing of the animals.
As luck would have it, the opening of KidZone is happening during a Leap Year, the perfect time to check out a striking array of new and returning frog species. Discover Amazon Milk Frogs, Vietnamese Mossy Frogs, Tomato Frogs, Argentine Horned Frogs, Poison Dart Frogs and the newest amphibious species at Adventure Aquarium, Waxy Monkey Frogs.
In fact, KidZone features a beautiful and bizarre collection of new and returning animal species, including Axolotl Salamanders, bright and colorful Discus, literally hundreds of Cardinal Tetra fish, remarkable Upside Down Jellyfish and weird and wonderful Cuttlefish - mysterious creatures that have no backbones, three hearts, a ring-shaped brain and can rapidly change the color and texture of their skin!
Shelldon Shores is the next stop on the journey through KidZone, a magical play area with a centerpiece exhibit called the “Coral Cluster.” This uniquely designed exhibit features three “pop-up” windows that allow children and kneeling adults to crawl underneath for an insider’s view. Enjoy a brilliant display of color in motion from inside the exhibit, or pop up inside the darkened exhibit for a special treat – a “light’s out” view of yet another new species, Flashlight Fish! Catch a glimpse these magical creatures, which resemble dancing lights in a night sky thanks to bioluminescent bacteria stored below the eyes that glows a bluish green color.
In addition to new animals and pop-up exhibits, KidZone showcases beautiful, living, growing coral reef exhibits. Enjoy colorful displays of live coral, along with beloved reef residents, including Shrimp Fish, Clownfish and a dazzling Ribbon Eel. Before leaving, be sure to stop by and meet Gill’s best friend, Shelldon the sea turtle and climb inside a larger-than-life turtle shell.
Last but not least, enter “Gill’s Grotto,” the featured touch area within KidZone, where guests can touch a colorful array of warm water invertebrates, including a vibrant display of sea stars, strangely wonderful shrimp species like Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp, Fire Shrimp, Coral Banded Shrimp, and Red Leg Hermit Crabs, bizarre looking Sea Apples and more. Kids can also learn more about Lionfish, Tangs, and Seahorses and can touch lobsters, horseshoe crabs and more.
Finally, a space just for kids, who will surely want to jump, climb, crawl and play their way through Adventure Aquarium’s all new KidZone, opening to the public on March 31, 2012!
For more information: www.AdventureAquarium.com
Location: 1 Riverside Drive Camden, NJ 08103
This event is appropriate for: the whole family
Cost: Adventure Aquarium admission is $23.95 for adults and $17.95 for children ages 2-12.
