School’s out! … now what? Get summer started with a wacky photo gallery of awesome animal dads, then get tips for a science-y summer staycation. And finally—baby brown bears. 🐻

PHOTO GALLERY: AWESOME ANIMAL DADS

Father’s Day hits different in the animal kingdom. Meet eight awesome animal dads in this photo gallery. First up: The jawfish (above) who keeps his mate’s eggs warm by holding them in his mouth. (When he needs to eat, he spits them out for a few seconds before quickly sucking them back in!) Then, get quizzical with a pop pop quiz

QUIZ: What will rhea dads do when an unrelated female bird approaches his chicks?  

A. wink at her 
B. chase her away 
C. give her a worm 
D. nothing 

EXPLORE THE BACKYARD

This summer, you don’t have to travel to exotic locals to have a wild experience. Use these four tips to make your backyard wildlife friendly (hello, raccoons!), then keep an eye out for your state bird. Want to get science-y? Help your kids bring out their inner naturalist with this Hula-Hoop observation activity.

CREEKING OUT  

If you want to go only slightly further afield, visit your local waterway. Creeks and streams support an amazing amount of plant and animal life, thanks to the combo of aquatic life and nearshore habitats. Here’s how to make the most of your visit. Hot tip: Your kids can inspect water quality just by ID’ing some insects! Peek beneath the creek’s surface with this DIY underwater scope. Then exercise some competitive energy with a paper boat race.

Meet Bao Li. Late last year, this giant panda journeyed from China to the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Washington, D.C.—and Nat Geo Kids writers and photographers got the behind-the-scenes scoop!