Lincoln Park Zoo Launches New “Reading to the Animals” Program for Early Readers

Chicago (July 8, 2025) – Young bookworms are getting a bales of hay-lp with their reading skills at Lincoln Park Zoo this summer. “Reading to the Animals” is a new weekly program hosted at Farm-in-the-Zoo. During the program, kids and their caregivers can practice their early reading skills by reading to each other and the animals at the farm.

The new program will start July 7 and take place Monday mornings in July from 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. There will be picnic blankets and books available for early readers, but guests are also welcome to bring their own books. Kids and their caregivers can spread out across the Farm and choose which animal they’d like to read to that day including chickens, cows, pigs, ponies, and goats. Nature Buds will also be at each program to lead story times and provide words of encouragement to readers. Nature Buds is a new zoo program in partnership with After School Matters which supports paid high school interns working at the zoo this summer.

Research shows that reading to animals can help improve children’s reading fluency and confidence by providing a nonjudgemental audience that kids feel more comfortable with. While corrections in the classroom are necessary, being able to work through hard words or stumble through sections is less nerve-wracking when the listener is a goat or chicken. The more docile nature of the domesticated animals at the farm makes them the perfect reading companions.

“Farm-in-the-Zoo has long been a favorite spot for our youngest visitors, and we’re always looking for thoughtful ways to expand our program offerings to help families continue making special memories at the zoo,” said Emma Martell, Director of Child, Teen, and Family Engagement. “We’re excited to introduce kids to a new way of connecting with the animals here, while also helping them practice their reading skills.”

Reading with the Animals builds upon the success of Play! at Farm-in-the-Zoo, a free drop-in nature play program on Wednesday mornings throughout the summer. From sorting pinecones to digging in smooth seeds, children ages 1–5 can explore the sights, smells, and textures that nature has to offer during this open-ended experience.

Farm-in-the-Zoo incorporates domestic farm animals and play-based learning stations to create a welcome space for first encounters with and exploration within the natural world. This space features a Main Barn geared toward open-ended play for toddlers and young children, as well as a Livestock Barn and Dairy Barn with outdoor yards. Currently, the farm is home to domestic cattle, domestic chickens, domestic goats, domestic pigs, domestic rabbits, and ponies.

About Lincoln Park Zoo

Lincoln Park Zoo inspires communities to create environments where wildlife will thrive in our urbanizing world. The zoo is a leader in local and global conservation, animal care and welfare, learning, and science. A historic Chicago landmark founded in 1868, the not-for-profit Lincoln Park Zoo is a privately-managed, member-supported organization and is free and open 365 days a year. Visit us at lpzoo.org.