BLOOMINGTON - Erin Collins, 3, of Normal, grabbed a handful of Cheerios to feed the five meerkats scrambling in their enclosure at Miller Park Zoo.

The smiling red-head tyke had fun during a zoo outing for several dozen children that also served as a lesson in healthy eating, exercise and hygiene.

Zookeeper Tiffany Villwock said Zoo CAFE (Children, Animals, Food, Enrichment) has a purpose. "We want the kids to see that our animals eat healthy and live longer and we hope that they (the children) adopt their own good eating habits," Villwock said.

To that end, children packed Cheerios, figs and pieces of watermelon into recycled toilet paper spools, which were squeezed shut at the ends and put into the meerkat exhibit. The animals clawed and chewed on the spools to retrieve the food.

Caden Vines, 5, of Normal, watched. "It's very cool," he said.

By concealing food in the paper spools, the animals were forced to figure out the most efficient way to get it out, an exercise that keeps them mentally and physically fit.

"Some tear at it with their teeth and others use their claws," Villwock said.

The program, sponsored by The Pantagraph and Cub Foods, is expected to continue at least for the remainder of the year. The Zoo CAFÉ, where children can make pretend treats for zoo animals, is open daily during regular zoo hours of 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On Thursdays at 11 a.m., a zookeeper supervises the making of actual treats for zoo animals.

"It seems to be pretty popular," Villwock said.

Children taking part in the program get a bag of healthy treats such as raisins, pretzels and granola bars - but only after they sanitize their hands, another life lesson.

Both Erin and Caden ate their raisins while watching the meerkats. The active mammals scurried around their enclosure, sometimes competing with each other for snacks, and regularly standing on their hind legs to survey the scene.

"I think this was educational," said Jennifer Collins, Erin's mother.

As for Erin, she might have learned a bit about nutrition and animal behavior, but she knew this for certain: "They're cute."