Honolulu Zoo & Waikiki Beach!

Gabby, Corina, Jamal and Tyler get friendly with the giraffe!

Staysia, Amber, Victoria and Miss Bri pose for a picture before they begin to explore the zoo.

On Wednesday we headed into town to explore the Honolulu Zoo with a photography scavenger hunt. The members took turns with digital cameras, taking photos of their friends, the animals and also other interesting parts of the zoo that few people see. For example, we encouraged youth to take photos of textures, sources of water, their favorite color, and more abstract unique items. The photos will be used at our end of the year media festival.

Ashley concentrates hard to compose her photograph.

Arnold, Jewel, Zeren and Ashley take a break for some refreshing shave ice!

Of course, the youth also had fun exploring the entire zoo. Some of the kids got a great show with the tigers, watching the young tigers play with a hanging ball and jumping all through their cage. The younger groups had a chance to go to the petting zoo. A greedy goat ate Jeremy's scavenger hunt list! And the kids had a great time petting the rooster and learning that when it fluffs its feathers up, it's getting angry. They also got to walk through an aquarium tank and climb through a tunnel in the center of it with huge fish swimming all around them!

After the zoo, we enjoyed a picnic lunch on the lawn outside the zoo before we crossed Kalakaua Avenue to cool off at Waikiki Beach. At the beach, the children took turns with underwater cameras and a fish eye camera. Check out this shot of the kids playing in the sand!

It was really great for everyone to just relax together and play around in the gentler waters (compared to Monday). By mid-week, lots of new friendships were being forged and it was great to see youth of all ages playing games together and having fun. To check out the complete photo album, click here!