Romp, Romp Reindeer

This post is sponsored by the LA Zoo. Thanks, LA Zoo! 

The first week of Annabel’s break from school was jammed with holiday-related activities, but I wanted to use the second half of her break to do some fun stuff around town. When I took Annabel to see the lights at the LA Zoo a few weeks ago, we saw a ton of signs for the Reindeer Romp. Annabel, being a Santa-loving kid, thought seeing reindeer sounded “Like so amazing and awesome!” so I promised her we’d come back to see them in the daylight. I took her and her best friend from school, M, to the LA Zoo on Sunday.

Listening to the discussion between the two Kindergarteners in my backseat was such a trip. They are so funny and man, do they listen and take in everything around them. They were really excited – M had never been to the LA Zoo, and they both couldn’t wait to see real reindeer. “I bet one of them will be named Sven!”

Just outside of where the Reindeer were rompin’, we came across a puppet show. The girls begged me to let them sit down and watch it.

It was very cute – it turns out on the weekends, there are a lot of added live activities. On Sundays, there are puppet shows in the mornings, and USO-style singing and dancing performances in the afternoon. On Saturdays, there are ice carving demonstrations and holiday song singalongs.

After the puppet show, the girls decorated their own reindeer antlers, which was a big hit with these two craft-obsessed kids.

Then we walked over to where the LA Zoo’s four reindeer – Noel, Belle, Velvet and Jingle – were hanging out.

There were Zoo employees standing with the crowd, offering reindeer facts and answering questions. Annabel and M only had one question – “Can they fly?” The Zoo employees wouldn’t confirm or deny the reindeer’s flying abilities, leaving the girls’ imaginations running wild.

The Reindeer Romp area also has other photo ops, like a giant sleigh and a big wooden train. My girls were more concerned with getting churros and hot chocolate than posing for photos.

“It’s Reindeer food!” they told me.

After we had our fill of reindeer, we explored the rest of the zoo. The girls especially wanted to see the giraffes:

And they especially loved the LAIR, the building that houses Living Amphibians, Invertebrates, and Reptiles (and spiders).

I was glad they were so into it, but I personally was happy when we went back to looking at the other animals!

We were there for the entire day, and the girls had a total blast. I had so much fun seeing them together, and seeing how my daughter acts with her friends. I felt like a got a special window into her personality.

The Reindeer Romp is at the LA Zoo through this weekend, so locals, be sure to check it out before the Reindeer head back to the North Pole! It’s included with the cost of Zoo admission ($20 for adults, $15 for kids).

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of LA Zoo. The opinions and text are all mine.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of LA Zoo. The opinions and text are all mine.