Saturdays 10 a.m. to Noon

Fee: $40 per family group (Up to 5 members, adult or child, per family group. Children under 2 years are free). Additional family members will require another registration. All children must attend with an adult.

Stay-&-Play handstamps are available after the program for the balance of the day, if the Park & Zoo are open.

November

Family Fun: Gifts for the Animals – Saturday, Nov. 16 

As part of our daily animal care, we provide our critters with games, toys puzzles & treats. This enrichment enhances their lives at the zoo and you can create these items too!

January

Family Fun: Recycling Challenge – Saturday, Jan. 18

Families are challenged to bring in paper-based items to reuse & recycle into enrichment toys for the critters. Extra supplies will be provided in order to create our interactive masterpieces for animal fun.

February

Family Fun: Animal Love – Saturday, Feb. 15

Come vote for your most loved animal at the zoo. Families will create Appreciation Posters as a gift for their favorite Animal Ambassadors.

March

Family Fun: Family Paint – Saturday, March 15

An “Animal Art” class for the whole family. Food, music, live animal encounter & instruction while everyone creates a portrait of the star animal of the day. Snacks & beverages will be included.

Fridays 10 – 11 a.m.

Fee per class: Fee: $27 members / $30 non-members per class*
*Pricing includes 1 child & 1 adult attendant

This class is designed to help you and your little one learn together in a zoo atmosphere.  We cover animal related topics as well as teach the basics, like ABC’s, counting, and general motor skills.  Through this experience, with you as a participating parent, your child will learn important classroom behaviors like sharing, listening, and following instructions. This is an adult & child combo class. 

This class has a new theme each week. Activities are designed to target 1 to 3 year-olds only.

Happy Hollow members receive a 10% discount on all classes with their membership number and coupon code: HHMEM

November

Spiders, Snakes & Slithery Things, Nov. 15 

Explore how snakes and spiders use their senses to explore the world around them. Some have 8 legs and some have none. What do they do?

Tales for Tots classes occur on most Friday mornings. Each class has a new theme and activities. Programs may include games, crafts, activities, stories, songs and animal encounters.

Puddle Jumpers, Nov. 22 

When rain falls down, we bring out the rubber boots, hats & gloves. What happens to the world of wildlife when the wet weather comes?

Tales for Tots classes occur on most Friday mornings. Each class has a new theme and activities. Programs may include games, crafts, activities, stories, songs and animal encounters.

January

Fish Swim Swiftly – Friday, Jan. 10

Fish use their sparkles to catch attention and they have caught ours. Since Happy Hollow doesn’t have any fish on-site, we are going to take a close look together at fish doing what they do.

Birds Flutter & Fly – Friday, Jan. 17 

Birds & feathers, let’s flock together as we discover the magic of how feathers warm, cool, fly & even float!

Frolickling Fun Frogs – Friday, Jan. 24 

These amphibians enjoy the best of both worlds as they wade through water and lumber across land. Come hop with us through their life cycle.

February

Mammals Move! – Friday, Feb. 7

Our furry friends, the mammals, leap, slink, climb & swim through the forests, desert, arctic and oceans. What helps them survive and thrive in so many different habitats?

Bugs Bounce! – Friday, Feb. 14

Whether they are climbing or flying, bugs seem to bounce along their way. What makes a bug and what are they doing as they meander along their merry way?

Animal Clothes – Friday, Feb. 28

Animals are born with their clothes on. Whether it’s fur, feathers, skin or scales, we’ll look at why animals’ clothes already fit just right.

March

What is a Sea Cow? – Friday, March 7

Weren’t not talking about a milk cow standing in the ocean waves. We’re talking about a slow-swimming manatee that can grow to weigh as much as a small elephant!

Cool Chameleons – Friday, March 14

Chameleons can climb, camouflage & eat from a distance. Learn about these unique critters who like themselves just the way they are.

Saturdays 10 a.m. – Noon

Fee: $31.50 members / $35 non-members per class*
*Pricing includes 1 child & optional adult attendant

Join us for a class full of discovery and play! This is a children’s drop-off program; however, parents are welcome to participate. We “go wild” with our early-learning scientists as we explore different parts of zoo life. Each class includes interactive discussions, inquiry-based activities, a visit from one of our animal ambassadors, and more!

Happy Hollow members receive a 10% discount on all classes with their membership number and coupon code: HHMEM

December

Wild Science: Leaping Lemurs – Saturday, Dec.14

Do you like to bounce when you play? Lemurs do and hop on their hind feet as part of their games. Today we are going to parallel play like lemurs do.

January

Wild Science: Daytime Climbers – Saturday, Jan. 11

We are learning about the critters that climb their way through the world. Whether they use their fingers, toes, tails or nose, we want to discover where they go.

February

Wild Science: Nighttime Creepers – Saturday, Feb. 8

We will discover those who creep through the night and will surprise ourselves with the ways they see in the dark.

March

Wild Science: Looking @ Life Cycles – Saturday, March 8

From hatching & birth to decomposition (with all the stops along the way), we will take a wild ride & travel down the living highway with different critters.

Junior Keepers is now called Creature Club!

Saturdays 2-4 p.m.

Fee per class: $31.50 Members | $35 Non-members*
*Pricing includes 1 child

Drop off program

Welcome to the Creature Club where, together, we explore wildlife conservation at the zoo and around the world.

Happy Hollow members receive a 10% discount on all classes with their membership number and coupon code: HHMEM

Mysteries of Migration – Saturday, Nov. 16

What motivates the movement of animals each season? They travel great distances with a purpose in mind. Come discover the reason behind these migrations.

Extinction Exploration

Ice Age – Saturday, Jan. 11

You think it is cold now? What happened to the wildlife when they all lived on an ice cube? We will explore why some animals did not make it and what body features are best in the extreme cold.

Dinos – Saturday, Feb. 8

Where did all of the dinosaurs go? Whether it was meteorites, an earthquake or an ice age, what could have been powerful enough the destroy these creatures we crave to know.

Rocks – Saturday, Mar. 8

Volcanoes and meteorites caused such earthquakes and dirt clouds that the planet changed. See how the animals adapted and who survived best.

Saturdays 2-4 p.m.

Fee per class: $31.50 members | $35 Non-members*
*Pricing includes 1 child

Drop-off program

Zookeepers do much more than feed, water and scoop scat. Join us as we use our scientific skills of problem solving, emergency engineering, critical thinking, experimentation & enrichment design while solving zoo mysteries.

Happy Hollow members receive a 10% discount on all classes with their membership number and coupon code: HHMEM

Thursday | 9 to 10:30 a.m.

Per class fee: $10.80 Members | $12 Non-members

If you like Senior Safari, you are going to love being a “Sensational Senior”. This monthly class includes mini walking tours, animal encounters, crafts, activities, and a light breakfast. This is a seniors-only program (50 years & up). This class meets on one Thursday a month from November to March.

*Continental breakfast is included
*The Stay-and-Play perk to remain in the park after class is available only if the park and zoo are open to the public.

Happy Hollow members receive a 10% discount on all classes with their membership number and coupon code: HHMEM

November

Sensational Seniors: Local Wildlife – Thursday, Nov. 14

Squirrels, skunks, butterflies and raccoons; we see them at the zoo, but they are not part of the official collection. Happy Hollow becomes a haven for other animals too. Come learn who else you might meet while walking a Happy Hollow pathway.

December

Sensational Seniors: Happy Hollow History – Thursday, Dec. 12

Rich in history since 1961, Happy Hollow acquired many tales as it acquired its tails and rides for the people of San Jose to enjoy. We will share with you some of those behind-the-scenes moments that have helped make our space so magical and full of dragons.

January

Sensational Seniors: Why Zoos Matter – Thursday, Jan. 9

Conservation, education and population management are the focus of modern zoos. Let’s discuss the important roles that modern zoos play.

February

Sensational Seniors: Mating Habits – Thursday, Feb. 13

Everyone always wants to know about animal pregnancies and gestational periods, so let’s tell their secrets.

Sensational Seniors: Animal Stories – Thursday, March 13

It’s the stories that make them care, so we are going to travel through storyland learning about our animals’ tales.

Paint Night (Ages 18+)

Fridays 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Per class fee: $34 Members | $38 Non-members*
*Pricing includes 1 adult (18+ years) & all supplies are included

This Friday night, after hours, animal art class is for adults only! Food, mock-tails, music & instruction while you sketch & paint a portrait of the star animal of the night.

Happy Hollow members receive a 10% discount on all classes with their membership number and coupon code: HHMEM

A paying adult must accompany all children. There must be 1 adult chaperone for every 8 children. Please contact the Zoo Education Department if you have any questions regarding registration for this event.

Fee $75.00 per person (5 years-old & up)

There are no sleepovers currently open for registration. Please check back in the Summer!