'Paddington' Visits the Los Angeles Zoo

Will and I meet Paddington Bear at the Los Angeles Zoo.

Paddington Bear made a special appearance at the Los Angeles Zoo this weekend in honor of the digital, Blu-ray and DVD release of the film.

In addition to the marmalade-loving bear himself, there were bear-shaped sandwiches for the kids, as well as activities and a photo booth. Will even got to make his very own red hat.

While the movie, starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Bonneville ("Downton Abbey"), is already available for digital viewing as of April 17, the Blu-ray and DVD editions of the film (released by Anchor Bay Entertainment and TWC-Dimension) will arrive in stores on April 28.

Based on the books by Michael Bond -- which CC loves, by the way -- "Paddington" tells the story of a Peruvian bear (voiced by Ben Whishaw) who arrives in London with a label around his neck that reads, "Please look after this bear. Thank you." In his search for a home, he befriends the Brown family, who give him a temporary place to stay. But it's when he comes into contact with a museum taxidermist (Kidman) that things take an even wilder turn.

Will was excited to meet Paddington in the, well, fur, and gave him high-fives and a couple of hugs, but he definitely wanted to experience the red-hatted bear from the safety of my arms. Will was definitely a fan, though. He kept calling for "Padd-ton."

Will folds red construction paper to make a Paddington hat.

Will also loved making the red hat out of construction paper and touring the LA Zoo to see the baby animals.

And speaking of baby animals, now is a great time to visit the zoo. The baby animals now in residence include a chimpanzee, a koala bear, a hippo and a kangaroo, which you can actually enter to name. Just be sure to use the hashtag #NameOurRoo.

My suggestion? Roo LA LA.

Will asked to ride the "fishie" on the LA Zoo carousel.

Click below to download "Paddington" activity sheets for the kiddos.