Zoo Scavenger Hunt
Are you going to the zoo this summer? Try this neat scavenger hunt. When you go to the zoo, look at the animals to see if you can find out what character quality they show the best and why. Below are just a few. Happy hunting!
Zebra – Compassion vs. Indifference: Investing whatever is necessary to heal the hurts of others. A herd of zebras will slow their pace when one member is injured so they can stay together while the wounded member recovers. If one of the herd ever goes astray and is lost, the rest of the group will spend many days looking for it.
Sea Lion – Joyfulness vs. Self-Pity: Maintaining a good attitude, even when faced with unpleasant conditions. The sea lion makes even mundane chores a delight. Everything from conquering the fear of water to opening difficult mussel shells is turned into a playful pursuit.
Lion – Truthfulness vs. Deception: Earning future trust by accurately reporting past facts. Lions don’t lie. They clearly reveal their intentions with the positions of their ears, the postures of their tails, the shapes of their mouths, and the sounds of their roars. A lion’s roar is louder than that of any other large cat and can be heard up to 5 miles away.
Elephant – Justice vs. Fairness: Taking personal responsibility to uphold what is pure, right, and true. A mature bull elephant keeps the peace on the plains of Africa by preventing unruly “teenagers” from disrupting the social order. He establishes a clear chain of command so that each individual has a safe and secure niche in the herd.
Kangaroo – Security vs. Anxiety: Structuring my life around that which cannot be destroyed or taken away. Kangaroos give birth after only a one-month gestation period. The helpless young kangaroo, called a joey, is the size of a lima bean. It finds security in its mother’s pouch, where it receives protection, food, and warmth from up to a year.
Giraffe – Availability vs. Self-Centeredness: Making my schedule and priorities secondary to the wishes of those I serve. A mature giraffe stands 14 to 17 feet tall. Giraffes travel in herds and are available to serve by standing guard, providing defense, or watching the young. Thus, a giraffe fulfills the requirement for greatness, which is seeing further down the road than those around me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Character Definitions taken from: Character First!Animal facts taken from: Institute for Basic Life Principles
Hanna Sims, Teen Blogger
Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium
6800 Zoo Dr., Kansas City, Missouri 64132
Weekdays: 9:30 am - 4:00 pm. Weekends: 9:30 am - 5:00 pm.