JacksonvilleFamilyGuide

Early Childhood Education: Childcare Beyond Daycare   The Goddard School encourages a child's lifelong love of learning. Whether gently holding an infant, encouraging toddlers to share or providing preschoolers with enriching activities, caring teachers support the healthy development of children from six-weeks to six-years-old, year round. Developmental Guidelines form the basis of unique lesson plans that are brought to life in fun and imaginative ways in learning centers including music, dramatic play, creative art, science, computers, blocks and puzzles. Daily Activity Reports, a corporate Quality Assurance program and accredited continuing education for teachers are just a few of the reasons Goddard is setting the standard in childcare. (less) ... (more)

More To See And More To Do   Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, a top attraction in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia, is the region's only walking safari encompassing 120 picturesque acres with more than 1,500 animals and 1,000 exotic plants. The newest attractions include Stingray Bay, where guests can feed and pet the Stingrays (open February 27 to October 15, 2009) and the Asian Bamboo Gardens and Komodo Dragon exhibit opening in March. The new gardens will be the portal to Monsoon Asia (in planning stages) and will mark the entry into the fifth continent represented at the Zoo. The Zoo's 2.5 acre Range of the Jaguar has won two national awards for best South American Exhibit. It's home to seven jaguars -- the largest collection in North America; the Palm Plaza restaurant; rare giant otters and exotic birds in the Emerald Forest Aviary; and pygmy marmosets, bats, reptiles - including the anaconda - and more in The Lost Temple. In the Giraffe Overlook and Savanna Blooms Gardens visitors can get eye-to-eye and feed the giraffes in a beautiful African garden setting. African elephants, white rhinos, and other hoof stock can also be viewed from an elevated boardwalk in the Plains of East Africa. A rare breeding group of bonobos highlight The Great Apes area that also includes gorillas, siamangs, mandrills and lemurs. Play Park is a 2.5 acre kid's area that features a 4,000 square foot Splash Ground - its most popular feature. That's followed closely by the Animal Care Yard for petting and grooming the pygmy goats; the squirrel monkey and otter exhibits; the Forest Play area, with its three tree houses, rock climbing wall and mountain slides; and the Discovery Center. True to the Zoo's slogan -- there is "more to see and more to do" at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. For more information, visit the Zoo's Web site. (less) ... (more)

Enjoyed by All of Any Age   In addition to our fun, interactive exhibits, we offer exciting science & planetarium shows daily.