When we arrived at the Bronx Zoo, the first thing my six-year-old son and I did was grab a Zoofari Passport so we could start our Great Summer Zoofari: A Lego Wildlife Expedition. We followed the map around the zoo, searching for a flock of Chilean flamingos, a stalking tiger, a brown bear, a giraffe, tiny Kihansi spray toads, a mommy gorilla clutching her young and a group of penguins, all made from Lego bricks. The statues aren't always in plain sight; they're sometimes hidden in the animals' habitat, making the expedition challenging and super-fun.

Once we finished marveling at the Lego Master Builders' handiwork, we returned to the passport station to learn about the great work the Wildlife Conservation Society is doing to help animals around the world. Then we got our passports stamped—the zoo uses an embossing machine to make it look extra-official!

The Great Summer Zoofari moves you through the entire zoo without you even realizing it. If you visit every statue (and you should—they are all fantastic), you travel through all of the zoo's popular exhibits, including my personal favorite, the Congo Gorilla Forest, as well as some that are less well known, like the Pheasant Aviary.

The Lego sculptures are on view through September 30. If possible, plan your trip to coincide with one of these special activities.

• On Thursdays and Fridays, kids can build at Lego Activity Stations.

• On Saturdays and Sundays, visitors can add a brick to the cool Lego Mystery Mural.

• Lego Master Builders will be on hand to help kids with their creations the weekends of August 20–21 and September 24–25. Mommy Poppins is giving away 15 sets of family four-packs for Saturday, August 20. Keep reading for additional info.

• The Disney Vacation Club® Adventure Zone hosts storytelling, arts and crafts, and Zoofari photo ops daily from 10am-4pm.

• The Museum for African Art is offering arts and crafts, and music workshops on selected dates.

• The Wildlife Theater is presenting three family shows—Journey to the Pond, Passport to Conservation, or Butterfly Trek—that teach kids about conservation and nature through puppetry and songs. Here's the full schedule.

Enter to Win a Family Four-Pack to the Great Summer Zoofari Master Builder Event

Fifteen lucky Mommy Poppins families will get to go on the Great Summer Zoofari for FREE. Enter to win a family four-pack to the Bronx Zoo, which includes the Zoofari and an exclusive Lego Master Builder breakfast on Saturday, August 20 at 9:30am. Just click here to enter!

The Bronx Zoo is open Monday–Friday 10am–5pm; Saturday–Sunday 10am–5:30pm. $16 for adults $12 for children ages 3–12, $14 for seniors.

This post is sponsored by the Bronx Zoo’s Great Summer Zoofari: A Lego Wildlife Expedition running through September 30, 2011.