The Houston Zoo’s Winter Camp Zoofari for children ages 4 to 12 starts Dec. 29 with five single-day camps filled with hands-on activities.

Zoo representatives added that Winter Camp Zoofari makes a unique holiday gift and provides a fun and educational activity for curious youngsters over the holiday school break.

The camp sessions include:

Zoo Gourmet

Monday, Dec. 29

Is your grocery list as long as ours? How about 240 pounds of produce and 20 bales of hay each day? Explore what, why, and how much our Zoo animals eat.

Monkeying Around

Tuesday, Dec. 30

Is that orangutan actually finger-painting? Does an elephant enjoy kicking a soccer ball? Find out which animals paint, play and snack – for fun!

Class Act

Wednesday, Dec. 31

How do you teach a sea lion to dance? Investigate animal training, see some in action and take home a few ‘moves’ to try with your pet!

One Big Family

Friday, Jan. 2

Did you ever wonder how all the animals came to the Zoo? Follow the family trees of our animals to find out where they came from, who’s related to who, and meet some of the Zoo’s newest additions.

Home Sweet Zoo

Monday, Jan. 5

Explore animal habitats, exhibit design, and how the Zoo creates perfect places for each resident. You’ll even create your own excellent exhibit!

Each Winter Camp Zoofari begins at 9 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. All camps are for ages 4 to 12; participants will be grouped according to the following age categories: 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-12.

Winter Camp Zoofari provides two sections of 4-5 and 6-7 year-old camps each day. The cost is $55 per child per day.

Camp registrations are accepted on-line only. To register or for more information, visit the Houston Zoo on the Web at http://www.houstonzoo.org/wintercamp/.