The weather was finally improving and so we figured it was a good time to take the twins to the zoo for the first time. When Scarlett was around the same age she didn’t care for the animals as much. She was much more interested in the kids around her. So we weren’t sure if the kids would enjoy it. The National Zoo seemed like a wise choice since it was free to enter.

We started at the petting zoo area as that’s near where we parked. The kids enjoyed seeing the cows and other animals they usually only see as toys. I think it was also good acclimatizing for the birthday party they’d attend the following month. (They’d been to a petting zoo around Halloween, but they were nowhere near as enthusiastic as they were this time around)

We got pretty lucky with the animals. Usually around lunch time they’re all sleeping. But we were able to see the pandas frolicking (which Sam went crazy over) and the elephants lumbering around. I was surprised at how long the elephants held their attention. We were there for a good 15-20 minutes while they pointed at the elephants.

If only we didn’t go from winter temperatures straight into summer. We went from highs in the 50s to highs in the 70s and 80s with only a week of transition in between. It can be pretty unbearable in the summer in DC, so we’ll have to see if we get to the zoo again this spring or wait until the fall.