We had them come to our daycare and they were great! Our kids and parents loved the experience. It was clean and organized. We also loved the clear communication. read more

Little Explorers Mobile Petting Zoo - Kiddos - Party & Event Planning Near Me

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Such an amazing experience! The staff was on time, super friendly, and great with the kids. The children loved seeing and being able to experience these animals in a comfortable and familiar environment. If you're thinking of hiring them for a birthday party or other event I definitely suggest Little Explorers! The alpaca (Rosie) and bunny (hot chocolate) were our personal favorites from the crew! Thank you for making it such a memorable day for the children read more

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I cannot say enough what a truly amazing experience this was. The staff was so professional and sweet. And there were so many animals, we were all just so happy. Thank you! There was an alpaca, sheep, tortoise, goat, pig, so many bunnies, chickens and ducks. Amazing. read more

Little Explorers Mobile Petting Zoo - Party & Event Planning Near Me

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I was really excited for this farm set up. It was my daughters 6th birthday. First they did not get the animals they committed to bring and gave some reason which was never even communicated in any way. They just decided to replace the Tortoise with baby goat and dint find it important enough to communicate that to us. The people were so rude. The animals should just be kept as pet instead of making money out of the animals if they are so concerned about the bunnies getting scared, if just picked for a picture. They are not professional at all. read more

Great & fun experience! Would recommend and definitely will use them again in the future !

My son and I went to the Newark library event with the Little Explorer's Petting Zoo as the main reason we came. There was a huge variety of animals you don't think would be at a petting zoo like ducks, chickens and tortoises, bit they were all there and approachable. My 18 month old and I had a great time. I would highly likely book them for a party. read more

Little Explorers Mobile Petting Zoo - One of the cute bunnies - Party & Event Planning Near Me

They were visiting my child's school today and, like other reviewers have stated, the sheep, pigs, chickens, alpacas, and bunnies were all shoved into a small work van. The alpaca of course had to be made to sit crammed in between cages because these people put profit over the animals that they claim to care so much about on their website. Absolutely disgusting. I've added photos so they can't deny it. read more

Little Explorers Mobile Petting Zoo - These people need to be put out of business. - Party & Event Planning Near Me

On fourth of July last year at the Orinda parade,I was very upset to see the petting zoo unload 28 animals of all sizes, Lama, pigs, sheep, etc out of an old ford extended blue van. I was upset by the the staff, of the zoo, that did not care about the amount of animals in this small space, when I told them of my concerns. This is abuse in my mind. Other people made similar comments, and felt sorry for the animals. For all you people with kids, that go on and on about the petting zoo coming to your kids Birthday party, was so great for my kid, why don't you teach them about compassion for animals. Pay attention. Little Explorers company, take half of the animals and care for them. You can do better. read more

I used little explorers for my son's birthday party, and it's a party that no one will ever forget! They were very professional, timely and easy to work with. I booked them a couple months in advance, and they contacted me a few days close to the party date to make sure we're still on. I was concerned about the size of my back yard as it's pretty small, so I sent them pictures and they said it would be fine, and it was! They came early before the party and set up tarps and fences for the animals. It was great because my son along with immediate family got to watch the action as the animals unloaded from our driveway and get set up. The handlers were there during the party as well to make sure things didn't get too wild. All the guests (From ages 1-75) all loved the animals and it made it such a unique party. read more

They did great for my daughter's third birthday! They came a little late. They told me that they were going to be here at 10:30, but they arrived around 1045. I paid for the hours from 11 to 1. The alpaca was a big hit! read more

Little Explorers Mobile Petting Zoo - For my daughter's third birthday! All the kids loved it - Party & Event Planning Near Me

Great experience! Hired them for my daughters 7th birthday party and it was a hit with the kids and parents. No hidden costs, they were very professional in the booking and planning. Set-up and the management of the animals during the party was awesome. Communication was a little bare bones (something I note in other reviews). If they just did a little more proactive communication I think this would be a perfect service (e.g. call a few days before and confirm all of the details, a quick contact day of to confirm arrival time). read more

We had a farm themed birthday party for our sons 2nd birthday this past weekend, and I had wanted to have animals at the party. Once again, Yelp helped me achieve that dream. I found the Little Explorers Mobile Petting Zoo on Yelp several months back. I immediately sent an email inquiry and heard back from Cecily very quickly. She helped me book the petting zoo for the party and was always available to answer my emails. The zoo was a huge hit with all the kids (and adults too!). I honestly wasn't sure how excited the kids would be, but once the petting zoo pulled out front the house we had to literally lock to door to keep the kids inside during setup. They brought so many animals, and the kids loved getting to brush them. They even had hand sanitizer outside the animal pen, and I heard them remind ding kids to use it several times. I wouldn't want to repeat a party theme, so I'll have to find another occasion to have the petting zoo return. They were awesome! read more

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We found little explorers on Yelp and booked them for my daughter's 4th birthday. We were a little unsure because this was our the first time and what's going on with covid. But it turned out great! The process was easy and smooth from booking to event setup and clean up. The whole crew (Kris and Megan) was so sweet. Their animals were the cutest! And they DO love and care about their animals. Some people seemed to concern about how they transport the animals in the van, but I personally think the animals are fine. They were happy/friendly and looked very well care for. Not only the kids had a great time, but the grownups learned a lot about their animals (they answered all the questions about each individual animal, we don't get to learn about animals at a lot of petting zoos we've been to) . Highly recommended! read more

We had Kris over for my daughter's 10th birthday and she was fabulous! My daughter was in reptile heaven. We had about 20 kids, in a smaller indoor space (b/c it was way too hot outside) and Kris was so nice, patient and entertaining for the kids. She taught them little fun facts about each animal and the kids were so excited to be able to hold and touch them. I would definitely use her again for future parties. read more

I hired Little Explorers as the entertainment at my son's 3rd birthday party. The venue was a backyard of a house in half moon bay and it was PERFECT PERFECT! The booking process was a little bit of a stumble as I tried to book via email. When I called, the owner was EXTREMELY sweet and helped me book right away. She explained that they would be coming from an event in the morning and could be a little later than planned. They were very accommodating and easy to work with. When they arrived, they quickly setup and had everything needed from hand sanitizer to food pellets! The two handlers were very nice and helped my guests get accustomed to the animals as well as explained different things about them and their histories. When the event was done, they cleaned everything up and there was no trace that they were ever there! My guests LOVED the event! The animals are clearly very well cared for and were sooooo sweet - from the goats to the alpaca to the tortoise to the chickens! I plan to use them every year for the next few years for my son's birthday. Thank you Little Explorers! read more

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Thank you again, Little Explorers Mobile Petting Zoo for yet another AMAZING party! This is the 3rd petting zoo we have hosted at our house with this business and each one has been absolutely wonderful! The first two were the Cute & Cuddly petting zoo (which is not currently being offered but similar to their Farm Animals zoo) and it was a hit with both the kids and kids at heart! For our son's 6th birthday this year, he chose the Creepy & Crawly (reptiles & insects) zoo and it was so awesome! He happened to want a Godzilla-themed party, which worked out perfectly! Once again, the kids and us big kids all had a blast and learned so much! Kris was the main educator/handler and she is so knowledgeable and beyond friendly! She made the whole experience incredibly special. We are so grateful to her for taking extra time to meet our sassy Bearded Dragon, Dezi and for giving us pointers on how best to handle her unique personality. We can't wait for the next excuse to book another petting zoo at our house! This business, all of the staff, and their adorably sweet animals are the very best! I cannot recommend them enough!!! read more

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I called this company to inquire about their availability for my daughter's birthday party in June. No one answered so I left a detailed message and I completed their online inquiry form. It has been over a week and I still haven't received a response. I consider it a poor business practice to not follow up with potential patrons. A simple reply if unavailable is simple. Even an auto response that says if you don't hear from us within x days... is better than nothing. I'm happy to share I also contacted Little Reds Barnyard Friends by email on the same day and received a response and booked within 20 minutes. I will add a review of my experience after the party but so far I appreciate their timely response and professionalism. read more

Had a great experience with little explorers mobile petting zoo. They came to my my daughters 1st bday and had it was hit!. Everyone was amazed and it kept everyone one young and old entertained. The Alpaka was dope! Never seen one in my life!. Anywho to keep it short and sweet, you should def book them, they were easy to work with and would def recommend them read more

Little Explorers Mobile Petting Zoo - Party & Event Planning Near Me

I sponsored/coordinated the rainforest petting zoo educational package for my son's first grade class (as his birthday present). The staff were absolutely amazing and patient working with the school district to make sure all the paperwork was in place, while keeping me in the loop. The show itself was so awesome. The zoo keeper was so great with the kids and very knowledgeable of all animals. She made the experience so fascinating and understandable that for sure this will be one of those lasting memories for the children. I'm so glad my son was able to celebrate his birthday by sharing this experience with all the kids in the class. Memories over materials! read more

We were so impressed with Little Explorers petting zoo. Booking with Vanessa was easy; she was very professional and quick to respond. The zoo showed up on time, set up efficiently, and also cleaned up well and promptly at the end. Most importantly, the animals appeared healthy and happy. The animal handlers were polite and clearly loved the animals, petting and cuddling with them and telling us stories about them (when asked) etc. They knew each of their names and the animals were all very friendly and good with the kids. I was so delighted and truly could not have been happier with the entire experience. Worth every penny. read more

Tortoises, geckos, and scorpions, oh my! I booked the Reptile & Exotic Zoo for the pre-schoolers and the little ones had a blast! Little Explorers is an amazing concept and I'm jealous I didn't come up with this idea myself. Ms. Tracy brought several bearded dragons, geckos, hissing cockroaches, scorpions, hermit crabs, toads, snakes, frogs, lizards, and my favorite a 35 year old tortoise named Martha. All the creatures were well behaved and unbelievably docile, even with the hyperactive children. Love'em! read more

I'm torn between 3 and 4 stars. I used them for my son's 2nd bday. The party was AWESOME! All the kids AND adults loved the animals, especially the alpaca. Tracy was sooooo sweet! I could tell she was a mom. She took care of the kids like only a mother can. She was so patient with all the kids. Her helper Michelle was very easy going. I was happy with them both. The only reason I'm torn between 3 and 4 stars is the fact that everytime I called to confirm my reservation, I was told that I'd receive confirmation in writing, explaining all I needed to know and how to pay my deposit. I never received this confirmation. I called several times and only spoke to Kris. She told me everytime that she was going to email me confirmation, then postal mail me confirmation. I never got anything. The first excuse was the she went out of town with her husband to celebrate their anniversary. The second excuse was the email kept giving her a msg that my address wasnt correct. I stopped listening to excuses after that. I explained to her that I was concerned because I didnt want to tell people there was a party and not have the animals show up, especially since I hadnt paid a deposit and had no confirmation, except her word. I noticed other yelpers complained about this issue too. I'd even gone as far as to look for other mobile zoos to do my son's party After all the worrying about whether they were going to show up, Tracy shows up like an angel and calmed all my fears. I was very pleased with Tracy and Michelle, but Kris needs to get it together with the office work. All these stars go to Tracy and Michelle for their amazing work with the kids! LOVE THEM! read more

Wow best birthday ever! 25 super sweet animals in my front yard for 2 hours just for me and a few friends. Fantastic. Worth turning 40 for. Yes thats not a typo, not a 4yr olds birthday, a 40 year olds! read more

Little Explorers Mobile Petting Zoo - Party & Event Planning Near Me

Used them for my son's birthday party. Prompt and courteous. We communicated via email. Kris answered all my questions in plenty of time. Easy to work with. On day of party, they showed up on time and set up. Everyone had a blast and the best part, I didn't have to clean up! They took care of everything!! Will use again! read more

We (my fellow event planning coworker and I) have used Little Explorers three times now and each time we have a reliably great experience. We have annual Spring and Winter parties for all the children of our company's employees and Little Explorers has definitely raised the bar. The kids literally go crazy for their animals and the best part is that the animals know how to deal with the children in this hyped up state of mind. You can tell that these animals are well loved and well taken care of - not to mention fabulously socialized. The wonderful owners of Little Explorers literally set-up and break-down all by themselves and take the trash with them. So, there really isn't a single downside of hiring them. Not to mention that for what they do, they're rates are more than reasonable and affordable. My only complaint is their level of responsiveness. I hire them to do parties in the Transamerica Pyramid - there is a mountain of security and insurance forms I need to have cleared before anyone - let alone people with farm animals - can get in the building as a guest. I have found it difficult to get a hold of them, get a call or email returned, and get forms in a timely manner. In the end it's really annoying but it never keeps me from using them again because they are truly great women with a great family business. I just really wish it was easier to get insurance forms from them :) There is no doubt in my mind we will use them again and again and I would recommend them to anyone. They also made history in the TransAmerica Building as the first animals -ever- to be let in, that's how great they are. Just stellar. read more

Just attended an event with little explorers mobile petting zoo at the library in Tracy and it was the best petting zoo experience my daughter has ever had. There was a variety of animals all of which were very friendly. You could tell that all of the animals were loved and well taken care of. Besides being able to pet the animals the kids were allowed to brush them which my daughter absolutely loved. Even one of the ducks let her brush him. Seems like a great company and would love to attend another event or hire them for a birthday party in the future. Thanks little explorers today was a great day. read more

Little Explorers Mobile Petting Zoo - Party & Event Planning Near Me

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We loved the petting zoo and their customer service was phenomenal! Cecily was very quick to respond to my quote request and answered all of my questions via email within a day. It's a $75 deposit to reserve your date and they offer multiple options of petting zoos. We went with the Farm Animals one. On the day of the party, they arrive promptly and set up quickly. The fenced in area was great and they put up an umbrella for the animals. Their cleaning station included multiple bottles of hand sanitizer. The two animal handlers were extremely professional and pleasant to work with. The 25 animals (including an alpaca, rabbits, tortoise, pig, ducks, chickens, goats, sheep) were perfect and super gentle, even with the toddlers. Clean up was amazing!!! They spent at least 45 minutes cleaning up the hay and the poop that the little piggy left while they were carrying her to the van. And it's true - every poop that the animals left was cleaned up immediately during the party!! All of our guests LOVED the petting zoo and the parents were raving about how great zoo and animals were! Would definitely book with Little Explorers again! read more

I guess we can add one more 5 starts review. My wife and I booked the Mobile Petting Zoo for our 4 years twins. We made them come to our sons' pre school and it was great as they could also enjoy it with their friends. Cecily was very professional and follow up when needed. The service was great and there was plenty of animals. All the kids loved it especially our kids. They were on time and left a clean place after leaving. I already recommended them to all our friends. Their price are also very reasonable read more

We hired the little explorers mobile petting zoo for my daughters first birthday. It was a total hit and the best part of the party. Not only did the kids have a good time but the parents loved it too. A few details - -They showed up a bit late due to getting lost but they stayed about 30 min past the scheduled tome to make up for it. -Like other reviews mentioned, they can be hard to get in touch with. I had to call them and email a few times before I got a call back. Also when I sent the deposit and contract they said it didn't arrive but later found it. The front office leaves much to be desired BUT the end result was totally worth the initial frustration. - All of the animals were super friendly and pint size. The kids loved it. - We had just redone our backyard and I was a little worried that the animals would ruin the grass and new seating area we installed. I expressed this to them so they brought tarps and hay to lay down so our new grass would be protected. It worked out great and they cleaned up wonderfully before leaving. If you want to see photos of the set up and type of animals check out my blog http://sweetansley.blogspot.com/2010/11/ansleys-1st-birthday.html read more

Little Explorers Petting Zoo was fabulous! They were a little hard to get a hold of when I was trying to book the date and time but once they arrived at the party they were amazing! They defiantly have the best prices of all the petting zoos in the area ans they were so helpful. They brought lots of animals, set everything up before the 2 hours started, and were great with the kids! They helped kids in and out of the pen, giving them hand sanitizer as when they left. All the animals were so friendly, some of the bunnies came and jumped on your lap when you were petting other animals! Overall I would defiantly use them again! read more

We just had Little Explorers Petting Zoo for our (you guessed it) "2x2 Noah's Ark" birthday party. While we did experience a little back and forth with scheduling (I had to follow up a couple times) once we booked the date, it was smooth sailing from there. The animals were friendly and adorable and the handlers were exceptionally patient and calm, in spite of all the over-excited toddlers. Everyone was really impressed with the number and variety of animals that attended the party. They cleaned up extremely well - I walked the grass after they left and couldn't find much more than a stray piece of straw. I was also impressed that they suggested a shorter visit than the three hours I originally requested. Chris mentioned that 2 hours would be about the amount of time that the kids would be interested in visiting the animals and she was exactly right. By the time they were ready to pack up, all the kids had had their fill and had moved on to other party activities. Finally, the reviews about the dirty animals crack me up - these are FARM animals people, not dogs and cats. Yes, they are a little smelly and yes they have a little dirt on their fur, but they do roll in the mud as animals should. The animals seemed well treated and looked healthy and happy. All in all, a great choice. read more

Hands down the best idea I've had yet for a kid's party! Waaayy better than a bouncy house. I booked Little Explorers for my son's 3rd birthday party and I echo the other yelper's sentiments - it's a HUGE hit for both kiddies and parents alike. The best part is that it's great for kids of multiple ranges - our guests ranged from 2-9 years old and everyone was engaged and had a great time. The folks at Little Explorers were easy to work with and despite having another party scheduled before mine, they were punctual and had everything set up in no time flat. Once they cleaned up at the end of the party you never would have known there were 20 animals there! So many guests asked for their info and I can't recommend them enough. If you're even considering it, just DO IT, you won't regret it! read more

My daughter was invited to a birthday party where these animals and their caretakers were the special guests, and I didn't want to leave :-). If your child is an animal lover I would highly recommend. My new BFF is a goat named Molly. SO sweet! read more

Little Explorers Mobile Petting Zoo - Alpaca, sheep, goats, bunnies, turtles, ducks, geese, chickens, oh my! - Party & Event Planning Near Me

Amazing reptile show. Booked them for my granddaughter's birthday at her preschool. It was fabulous.

They showed up right on time, got set up quickly, the animals seemed happy and well cared for and they had everything they needed. They were friendly and patient with all our guests and did a great job of helping manage animals that were needing a little down time or bickering with each other. When it was over, they cleaned up quickly and left basically no trace which was impressive given that we had just had 25 barnyard animals on our drive way! They were not SUPER fast to respond when I first was communicating about the party, but everything was handled very smoothly and there were no glitches. I'd HIGHLY recommend this. It costs about as much as a Pump It Up party and it was a way bigger hit. read more

Very impressed with this petting zoo, made my daughter's 5th birthday amazing!!! Called them with about 1-2 weeks notice on a whim. They did not have my spot available but were going to double check & call me back. I booked another company for a pony in the meantime. However, Courtney called me back & made my day! They were able to come to my daughter's party afterall!!! I was nervous since nothing was signed & time was short so I couldn't get them the normal deposit ahead of time. BUT, they came just as promised, loaded the animals into the yard, were professional & personable! We got a turtle, alpaca (her fav), pot belly pigs & MORE! Wanted variety & they filled the bill. My daughter talked about it for months to come! It's not cheap, but you get what you pay for & made my daughter's year! Highly recommend them! Thank you so much!!! read more

Kris and her team were absolutely wonderful! We booked them for a school event and saying that the kids LOVED the entire experience would be an understatement. Her team members were professional, friendly, knowledgeable, and clearly loved their job. Despite our rowdy 500+ kids, they managed to maintain composure, keep traffic flow in and out of the cages, and make sure the kids enjoyed it all. I commend you all. PLUS the entire family of animals were so cute! Best, Chafik Z. Granada Islamic School read more

Wow wow wow!!! Little Explorers came to our house for our son's 2nd birthday party today, and we were blown away by their professionalism, promptness, and quality. First, their booking process was extremely professional, especially compared to the other companies out there. I contacted about seven petting zoo companies. Many never called me back or didn't service my area. One company didn't call me back for several days, then said they could come, then didn't respond for several days. Kris with Little Explorers was on the ball and did her best to get my date in. She sent me information about the process in advance and took a deposit. This gave me so much peace of mind. (Reviews for another company I contacted said that that company failed to show up on the schedule day without any notice. I did NOT want a bunch of disappointed kids and adults and my son's birthday party!) I didn't need to worry with Little Explorers. They came to set up half an hour before our party was supposed to start and stayed the full two hours, maybe even a bit longer. They brought a ton of animals (bunnies, adult and baby goats, ducks, a little pig, chickens, a tortoise, an alpaca, and sheep). All of the animals were healthy, clean, well-cared for, and totally friendly and calm even with both toddlers and adults in the petting zoo area. There were two handlers supervising the animals at all times, and they were very patient and kind. They did a great job cleaning up (which was a lot of work since they had to lay hay down on the concrete). Everyone--adults and kids--had a great time. I'm not sure how I'm going to top this for next year's party. Might have to hire Little Explorers again! read more

We had Little Explorers over for our kid's birthday party and it was so amazing. They very much care for the animals and the animals wee solo sweet and loved the petting. The area was kept clean and they provided hand sanitizer which is important with kids. I used another petting zoo after Little Explorers because the other zoo had a pony and it was a mess in many ways. No one pet the animals because hey were cranky and dirty. LE zoo was clean and the animals were sweet and calm. I'm always going to use LE for my kids' parties. i'm looking forward to the next one! read more

We had a reptile party for my 6 year old and Little Explorers knocked it out of the park. They were good with the kids and the animals were great. Some really good stuff. There were kids that were more shy and they were great with that. Really, it was a great, great party and the service was great. Wonderful. read more