When I reflect upon memories of visiting Edmonton as I child, I immediately remember one thing: The Valley Zoo. My parents didn't really bother taking us downtown when my sister and I were younger as there wasn't much there to hold a kids interest for any substantial amount of time. Trips to the Valley Zoo, however, were all day summer excursions which contained no boredom.
As a child, the world seems huge. The block you reside on and the parks you play in are a world in themselves, so trying to be the tour guide for an entire city while in the mindset of someone so young isn't really feasible in my eyes. Kids are known for having wild imaginations and being able to notice the smallest details, like the ant crawling up the tree in your backyard and then remaining to watch it make its journey. The world is magnified. So if they were to be responsible for creating such a guide it would be far too long to share here. However, a guide of one place, like the zoo, is completely doable.
Starting off with humpty dumpty and all the other cartoon statues (which apparently have now been removed? Shame.) which make for excellent climbing excursions. But this game is short lived at the sight of the pond containing what looks like 100 ducks and the occasional swan. If you're lucky, Mom and Dad will take you out in a paddle boat for a while to motor around with the ducks in the cold dark water. It's also a good idea to beg for 25 cents from Moms change purse to purchase some duck feed so a flock of birds and maybe even some swans can surround you. Be sure to also check out the petting zoo section, which is beyond the castle gate. Be weary of the goats because they like to chew and tug on loose clothing.
Some other hi-lights of the Zoo include the monkey enclosures, which offer a great time spent coaxing the monkeys over to you and watching them chase one another. The otters, when not sleeping in their little house, are also highly entertaining. I always want to join them on their slide and swimming in their pool. If you're into freaking out mom and your little sister be sure to explore the reptile house! Certainly not as exciting as the monkeys or otters, but the snakes are cool to look at for a bit.
Make sure on your way out of the zoo to wander into the gift shop to purchase some of the cool animal toys, games, and pictures. If you beg long enough Dad will cave. Though I've never managed to convince him to let me go on a camel ride...
Neat post Leah.
ReplyDeleteI like how you decided to focus on a specific area and then try to picture how a child would interact with it.
"Kids are known for having wild imaginations and being able to notice the smallest details"
This is one of the things that struck me as well. Looking back to when I was a child, I find that I tended to know things on a much more intimate level; there was no layer of--I want to say ideological--abstraction over everything--it was just there, waiting to be interacted with.
I think as we grow older we become divorced from the psychicalness (?) of the places we occupy. In that regard, I feel as if viewing places like a child is a great when to get back in touch with the world around us. And it offers a great creative writing exercise!