The sea lion was the major hit. He stared and laughed in delight for ages at their flippered antics. Of course, we could not convince him it was a sea lion and not a seal like the many he's seen on our trips to the coast (and once on the River Forth near our house). But, being right has little meaning in the face of such love and adoration.
Of course, the other major hit of the day was running and climbing. Why walk when you can run, especially down hills and in crowded areas? And why go around an object when you can climb it? The zoo has an amazing range of play parks dotted around its full length and breadth...and Ellis had a play on each one.
And so with my baggage put aside at the entrance gate, I too was able to be captivated for a few moments.
** Green Twins Mummy recently wrote a beautiful post about the joys of seeing things anew through children's eyes here