Animal Enrichment – Salem Happenings

Celebrating a Lion’s Birthday

Today is actually my mother’s birthday, and while it is a special day for my family, it’s certainly not the only birthday this weekend. In fact, as you have probably guessed, there are a number of people both famous and not-so-famous who are celebrating their birthdays this weekend as well. However, if you don’t happen to know any of these people, you may be looking for a way to join in on the celebratory fun. Fortunately, if this is indeed the case and you are looking for a way to join in on all of the birthday fun even though it’s not your birthday, it just so happens that there are a pair of lions at the Franklin Park Zoo who are celebrating their birthdays tomorrow.

Dinari and Kamaia, who are actually brothers, are both celebrating their seventh birthday from 10:15 AM to 2:00 P.M. tomorrow (Saturday, March 12, 2016). This celebration will allow you to see the lions playing with special birthday enrichment items, learn interesting facts about the lions, and sign a giant birthday card. Best of all, you will actually be able to enjoy a slice of birthday cake if you are one of the first 200 people to join in on the festivities. For more information on the Lion Birthday Celebration at the Franklin Park Zoo, which is included in the zoo’s normal admission price, please visit Zoo New England’s Special Events page.

Photo credit: Corey Leopold via Visualhunt.com / CC BY

A Sunny End to April Vacation

If you’re the parent of a school-aged child living somewhere in the Boston area, April Vacation can be tough. In fact, since we had typical April weather (rain, rain, and more rain) on Patriot’s Day (which may have been the only day you had off this week), there’s a pretty good chance that your kids have been cooped up in your house for the duration of their April vacation. And, if they’re like most kids, they’re probably driving you just a little bit insane by this point. Fortunately, if you’re looking for a way to get your kids out of the house so they can enjoy the end of their vacation, you’re in luck because there are a number of kid-friendly activities scheduled for this weekend.

First, if your kid is a big fan of animals and/or fairy tale princesses, you may want to head over to the Stone Zoo this weekend. This is because the Stone Zoo is hosting a Princess and Frog Day from 11:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. tomorrow (April 25, 2015.) This event will not only allow your kids to meet a number of different princesses from well-known fairy tales and Disney films but will also give your kids a chance to make some arts and crafts and learn about all the animals that the zoo has with a special focus on frogs. For more information on the Princess and Frog Day at the Stone Zoo, please visit the Zoo New England Events page.

If, on the other hand, your kids are big fans of the zoo but not such big fans of princesses, the Franklin Park Zoo may make more sense for your family this weekend. This is because the Franklin Park Zoo is hosting their annual Party for the Planet from 10:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. today (April 24, 2015.) This celebration will feature special eco-friendly exhibits, scavenger hunts, and a number of other Earth Day-related activities in addition to everything the zoo typically has to offer. For more information on the Party for the Planet at the Franklin Park Zoo, please visit the Zoo New England Events page.

Finally, if your kids are into all things science (or you would really like them to be), you may want to check out the Cambridge Science Festival this weekend. The Cambridge Science Festival, which is sponsored by MIT but takes place throughout Cambridge and the surrounding area, features a series of activities, demonstrations, workshops, and tours that are designed to teach children and adults of all ages about a wide range of scientific and technological discoveries. Topics that will be covered at the festival this weekend include fashion technology, martial arts, math, optics, the science of sound and music, sky and space flight, web development, and a whole lot more. For more information on the Cambridge Science Festival, which ends on Sunday, please visit the Cambridge Science Festival website.

Photo credit: B.Riordan. / Foter / CC BY

Finding the Luck of the Irish

There’s really no doubt that it’s been a tough winter, and if you’re like most people, you probably would like spring to get here a little faster and put an end to all of this frozen water. In fact, if you fell on the ice skating rink that was once your driveway, you lost all four of your car’s tires in the world’s largest pothole, lost all ten of your fingers to frostbite while you were shoveling snow with a wind chill of 30 below, or your roof just caved in from the weight of the melting ice and snow, you may be in need of some luck. Fortunately, Saint Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, and all of the festivities and hopefully some of that luck that you’re looking for, can actually be found this weekend.

First, if you’ve always loved a good parade and/or you’re looking for a way to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day with a huge crowd of people, there’s no better place to be than South Boston this weekend. This is because the South Boston Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, which starts on West Broadway Street near the Broadway T stop and ends on East Broadway Street near Farragut Road, is scheduled to begin at 1:00 P.M. on Sunday (March 15, 2015.) This parade will allow you and family, friends, and/or acquaintances to listen to Irish music and marching bands, see everything from professional athletes to stormtroopers, and maybe even get some cool Saint Patrick’s Day swag. For more information on the South Boston Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, please visit the Official South Boston Parade website.

Secondly, if you’re not really a big fan of parades or you just prefer animals to humans, you may want to check out the Franklin Park Zoo or the Stone Zoo this weekend. This is because the Franklin Park Zoo and the Stone Zoo are hosting their annual Saint Patrick’s Day Animal Enrichment Celebration from 10:00 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. at the Franklin the Park Zoo and 11:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. at the Stone Zoo on Sunday (March 15, 2015.) This celebration will let you see a bunch of the animals playing with special green-themed toys and/or eating special green food in honor of Saint Patrick’s Day. For more information on the Saint Patrick’s Day Celebration at the Franklin Park Zoo and the Stone Zoo, please visit the Zoo New England website.

Photo credit: bongo vongo / Foter / CC BY-SA