Education Resources

After visiting the National Zoo, reflect on your experience using the 3-2-1 method. You'll identify three takeaways, two new areas of interest, and one question based on your visit. 

Learn how to make a human-friendly popsicle modeled after the ice treats that we give our pandas!

Help the National Zoo design a new North American river otter habitat! Use your research about the natural history of river otters to design a habitat that fulfills all of their basic needs: food, water, shelter, and space. 

Learn about the places animals call home by observing them up close at the Zoo and challenging yourself to a game of habitat bingo. 

Explore the wide variety of careers involved with conservation at Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute in our Career Connections and Conexión de Carreras video series.

Put your classification skills to the test. Help the animals get sorted into their groups and determine which of them belong to the reptile and amphibian groups.

Have you ever wondered where the Zoo keeps the food for its animals? It's called the commissary, and it's a large grocery store just for Zoo animals! First, join keeper Antar and Pinky Jackalope as they chat about what food the animals eat. Follow along in this video as they prepare a special birthday meal for Zahra, the gorilla. Then, create your own gorilla birthday cake using the downloadable lesson below!

Let's have a real teddy bear picnic! Gather your stuffed animals and make them a meal, just like the Zoo keepers in the commissary. Use the downloadable template to create a Zoo Commissary Cookbook, with simple actions to engage even our youngest friends. Watch Pinky try it out at the National Zoo!

Celebrations are a time to share tasty meals with family and friends.&nbsp, Do you have a favorite sweet treat for the holidays?&nbsp, Join the National Museum of Asian Art to discover one of Japan’s special treats for the New Year celebration.&nbsp, Look closely and explore a work of art to discover this special treat and how it is made.