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A kid’s perfect day in Madison

Let the kids plan a day of fun-filled activities.

Henry-Vilas-Zoo-608today.jpg

The Children’s Zoo inside Henry Vilas Zoo features a friendly goats, a carousel, and a train. | Photo by 608today

Table of Contents

Sorry, but — NO ADULTS ALLOWED — this one is for the kids. Grown-up, please hand this over to your little one. Got it, kiddo? Let’s plan a family day together. Here’s a fun schedule for you to try.

Morning

Be a chef and cook breakfast for the adults at home. The night before, ask your family to choose from one of these recipes. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if any of the instructions seem confusing.

While you eat, talk about your plan for the day. Ask your family to help you prepare a backpack with things you’ll need. We suggest bringing:

🍫 Plenty of snacks like granola bars
💧 A water bottle
🧢 A hat

If you have time before heading to lunch, head to Urban Air Adventure Park to practice your jumps and flips.

Henry Vilas Zoo

Henry Vilas Zoo has been open to the public since 1911. | Photo by 608today

Afternoon

For lunch, head to ZuZu Café and try the grilled cheese sandwich. After you’ve filled your belly, walk across the street and spend the afternoon exploring the Henry Vilas Zoo. We love seeing the tigers and grizzly bears.

Evening

Wrap up the day with a family dinner. Head to one of our local farmers’ markets to pick out foods you can make together. Over dinner, talk about everything you did today. Ask questions like:

🧠 What was something new you learned?
🤡 What was something funny that happened?
👀 What would we do differently if we did that again?
👍 What do you definitely want to do again? (And again and again…)

Grown-ups — take pictures along the way and share them with us. Also, send us more family friendly recommendations and we may just feature them in an upcoming newsletter.

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