Children, Animals, and Leisure Settings

Abstract

Abstract Forty-eight children were interviewed on topics including the behavior of wild and captive animals. Half of the children toured a series of North American exhibits at a natural history museum and half toured a comparable series of exhibits at a zoo. Children demonstrated a high degree of recall about their visits and retained specific memories of the animals that interested them. Zoo children's remarks contained more references to behavior and were more positive in their assessment of what animals could do. Museum children made more references to environmental elements and issues such as human impact.