Zoo Trip Tomorrow in 100 Degree Heat?

If I was you I would skip it. I always hated the thought of my kids at the zoo with their daycare. There are way too many kids and not enough teachers to M. for that big of an area. But that's J. my opinion. We took my boys and oldest girlfriend and there was a bunch of day cares there and they were going nuts. If you have a choice to skip this one I would!!!

I'd skip it too. I spent the day at the pool in 100 degree heat and still suffered. I can't imagine a bus and the zoo. Can they reschedule the trip?

Lmao at one and done!! The best answer ever :)
Anyhoo, its disgusting hot in Texas and there's no way my 5 yr old lil lady would go. Some other time lil one"

Have you checked with the camp director to see if the trip might be cancelled or postponed? You can't be the only parent thinking about this.

It's crazy hot.
Sure she could go--or she could chew her own arm off and beat herself with it.
No brainer to M.--no zoo!

Besides the temperature being uncomfortable for you it will be even worse for all the animals wearing "fur" coats. They aren't going to be out if they have a way to get inside and be cool.

100 degrees is even too hot for reptiles. They will be hiding in the shade or under rocks or in burrows if they possible can.

She will see far more animals in the spring or fall when its comfortable for the animals to be out and moving around.

Good luck to you and yours.

That would be a hard call, but we're looking at 3 hours in no air conditioning and then walking around? I think this could end badly. If the kids need to drink a lot of water (those buses get hot) will there be extra potty breaks?

If it were M., I might say no. We have a car with no A/C and even trips for 40 minutes or so are not a treat, to say the least.

That's rough, even for an adult, I'd pass if it was my child. An 1.5 drive both ways (so 3 hours total) plus being outside in 100 degree heat could cause heat exhaustion in a tiny body quickly. Take her to the zoo yourself this fall when the weather cools off.

Here in Texas we get up in the 100 degree range for a couple months. When it is that hot, the animals don't come out or J. sleep in the shade. Big let down for the kids. I was going to take ours and people said it was a waste of money and the kids wouldn't enjoy it. I am going to wait until we have cooler weather, probably October or November. : )

Honestly, I would skip it. It was brutal out there today and I'm out in the suburbs of Philly, not even in the city. Yeah, the zoo's got some indoor stuff, but *I* wouldn't go to the zoo in 100 degree heat, much less make my kids go. And that 1 1/2hr unairconditioned bus ride? Sounds hellish to M..

I'd say no, don't let her go. My daughter (5 yo) was in tennis on an evening where the day temperatures were like that, after spending the day in the A/C. She drank all her water during the 50 minute class and in the last couple minutes, she threw up on the court because she was so hot. I had to bring her home and put her in a cool bath eventhough the AC was on to cool her off and give her tons to drink. She rebounded quickly, we skipped the next day of tennis (same temps) and all was well.

I think those temperatures are dangerous. Imagine if I couldn't put her in an AC car and bring her home immediately to cool off??

With the current heat wave you guys are having ( I saw it on the news ) I'd skip it, seems like it would be more like torture for the kids than anything else.
You wouldnt go to the zoo yourself in your air conditioned car most likely, knowing it's this hot, so why put kids on a bus and send them there? The animals will be all lethargic and it J. wouldnt be a good zoo experience in my opinion.

I'd skip. Last week we took my kids to the zoo on an 86' day. I thought my oldest was going to melt. We hadn't even been there an hour when we decided it was too hot to stay. It is so sunny at the zoo, and the kids were all miserable, and the animals aren't very active when it gets too hot.

1) Buses, have windows? That can be put down half way?
2) Sunscreen. Put it on her beforehand.
3) a hat
4) bottled water. I am SURE they are allowing kids to bring bottled water???
5) Per the age of the kids and the length of the field trip and that it is hot... ASK THE camp Leaders... IF the children, will be "allowed" to have breaks, and will they be directed to go in the shade???? To M., this is a must. There needs to be breaks and/or times that they are allowed to go in the shade etc. and to rest, at least for lunch break. And so that, the kids do NOT get, over heated or dehydrated...

6) ASK the Leaders of the camp, how they handle the day, the sun, the length of the activities, and per the age of the kids? Ask, them. Beforehand.
Then you will not have to wonder.
It is COMMON for parents to ask these things.

7) ALSO tell your daughter to speak up... if/when she is tired, or too hot, or needs a drink of water, and if/when she has to use the bathroom.

AND being the heat is SO high... yes, you may opt to keep her home.
Even adults, can suffer under these conditions.
And especially if someone has health issues.

walking around the zoo is not fun in that heat. I dont think she will have fun.. and she will be a hot tired cranky child by the end of the day.

one year we had a nice cool summer and we went to the zoo alot.. one year we had a hot summer and we skipped the zoo and went to the beach.

The time at the zoo would be fine, I am more worried about the 1 1/2 hour ride in the tin can. I think that is too long, even with windows open that bus is going to get really hot.

Hour and half on an air-conditioned bus is long for a 5 year old. I don't know about Philly but the Cleveland Zoo is one of the hottest places on a hot day. My sister and I were J. having a conversation about how we survived sleeping in our childhood homes 2nd story in the summer with no A.C. None of our friends had it, we didn't know what we were missing, and we survived. I think we slept in the basement when it was hot. It's 100 here today. Still,I don't believe in pampering, but I also don't believe in torture. I'd let her stay at Grandmas'.

What are the summers normally like there?

I ask, because 100+ degrees are totally the norm here. I have done many things since birth until now in the heat. My son is 3, and we do things like this all the time. It's J. the weather here. I make sure we drink plenty of water, eat fruit, wear sunscreen, and find shade when needed. No one has had anything happen, yet! People couldn't survive here, if we never did anything in the heat!! (Again, I don't know what you are used to heat-wise.)

I agree that I would skip the trip. My son J. had his first one today, they went to Monkey Joes (a bounce house style facility) and I think for the summer it was a VERY appropriate choice. Our age group is 4-5 and they all came home plesantly exhausted :) I think that sending her tomorrow is BEGGING for a bad day.

Ex: Yesterday our A/C was on the fritz the house was HOT even with windows/doors open fans going etc - my son got into the worst trouble he has ever been and I think a lot of it was due to the heat. It was unescapable because we had people at the house trying to fix it all day and I was not going to leave them in the house alone. It was the landloard and he left and came back with new/different tools every few hours - today he finaly fixed it and WOW good day.

It's horrid here near Philly with the heat. Tomorrow we are expecting showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. At age 5, I'm not sure I'd be wanting my child to go. Been to Philly Zoo and any zoo is hotter than the rest of the area. Zoos are full of pavements and little shade. Even some of the inside exhibits can be pretty warm if it's full of people and the doors keep opening to let the heat in. If the bus was air conditioned I think I'd sacrifce and let my child go. But the bus ride alone will be sweltering with all the hot bodies next to each other. And if it rains in the afternoon they'll have to put the windows up and that won't be a fun ride. If she were older I'd probably feel ok with it as older kids can suck it up better and keep drinking water. I'd let her grandparents watch her and take her out to the mall play area and some ice cream, or to the pool.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

Honestly? No. 100* heat is classified as "unsafe temperatures" and tends to have low air quality. It's not fun to walk around in that sort of heat, and there will be a much higher likelihood for heat exhaustion and dehydration. It's dangerous for children and the elderly especially to be outside in those temperatures.

Being on a bus that's not air conditioned for that long each way? Oh no.... that's going to be the greenhouse effect up close and personal.

Have her skip it and let her spend the day with Gramma and Grandpa. They'll probably let her have popsicles.

I'd skip. It would be one think if your family went, but another with strangers and multiple kids. Besides, the animals will all be drowsy and hiding. Hopefully she wont be too disappointed and you could make it up.

I would be more worried about the walk around the zoo than the ride there and back. We are in South Florida where the heat gets brutal and our school buses aren't air conditioned but the windows open and everyone survives. But, walking in that heat is J. asking for a chance to get dehydrated and for everyone to get fussy..including the adults! Besides, you know the animals aren't going to be much to look at because the heat will have beat them too. I'd let her get a grandparent day.

I'm in DC and the heat is oppressive! Personally, I'd skip the trip. I have one daughter who would probably wilt away on the bus and never make it walking around the zoo. The other one would probably be OK but would definitely be uncomfortable. 8kidsdad is right, the animals will be hiding! Best time I ever went to the zoo it was 60 degrees and raining. The only reason I went was b/c it was a school field trip (otherwise I probably would've bailed!). ALL the animals were out frolicking - we had a blast. Tomorrow? Nope. Those animals will be as miserable as everyone else. Anyway, you know your daughter best. What does SHE want to do? I'm ready for this heat wave to end (supposedly this weekend - yay!)

What does she want to do?

I'd skip it, the bus will be hot and uncomfortable.

Can you send her with a water bottle? I'd maybe go that route so you know she's got some water. I'm sure the bus at least has fans, although I know that's not the same as AC! The drive out there probably won't be as bad as the drive back and maybe she (and some other kids) will be so exhausted and hot that she'll take a short nap on the way back to town.

I do understand your concerns, but I think I'd probably let her go. I'm sure the camp does this every year and they have a system down so no one gets overheated.