Imperial Valley News

San Diego, California - Excited children and weary parents now have a place in common at the San Diego Zoo. Opened Wednesday, the Children’s Zoo is home to the new Discovery Playground presented by Fisher-Price. It offers a stimulating experience for children of all abilities ages 5 - 12.

The Zoo partnered with Fisher-Price to bring this new addition to life. Fisher-Price provided colorful picnic tables so families can enjoy lunch from the Children’s Zoo Cupboard across a bridge from the ADA-compliant playground. The thatched roof, red mask details and whimsical palm trees help create the theme of adventure.

The Discovery Playground takes up almost 1,300 square feet and features a net tunnel, pendulum bridge, climbing wall, periscopes, labyrinth game, picture puzzle, scramble net, talk tubes, alphabet game and a gnarly looking tube slide.

The two-story jungle gym gives children a place to bring out their inner animal. “Kids will have the opportunity to slide like otters, climb like koalas, balance like leopards and solve puzzles like primates” according to Victoria Garrison, director of education at the Zoo. “I’m excited that the Zoo can partner with Fisher-Price to provide a fun and safe place for kids to play.”

Fisher-Price, Inc., a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. (NYSE:MAT) located in East Aurora, N.Y., is the leading brand of infant and preschool toys in the world. The Company has a 78-year legacy of high quality toys that enhance early childhood development. Its often-emulated Play Laboratory was the first child research center of its kind in the toy industry, allowing researchers to observe the way children play and how play benefits their development. Some of the Company's best-known "classic" brands include Little People(R), Power Wheels(R) and View-Master(R). Fisher-Price is also a leading developer of baby gear products (infant swings, bouncers, high chairs, nursery monitors), as well as a wide array of character-based toys inspired by high quality children's programming such as Sesame Street(R), Dora the Explorer(TM) and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. The Company's web site, www.fisher-price.com  provides valuable information and resources to parents.

The 100-acre San Diego Zoo is dedicated to the conservation of endangered species and their habitats. The organization focuses on conservation and research work around the globe, educates millions of individuals a year about wildlife and maintains accredited horticultural, animal, library and photo collections. The Zoo also manages the 1,800-acre San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park, which includes a 900-acre native species reserve, and the San Diego Zoo’s Institute for Conservation Research. The important conservation and science work of these entities is supported in part by The Foundation of the Zoological Society of San Diego.