Children's Garden & Education

Young Buds for Pre-school Groups

Explore the wonders of Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in every season. This extraordinary garden is a botanically-rich, exploratory environment where children experience the wonders of the natural world. Young Buds programs for ages 3, 4, and 5 include storytelling, hands-on activities, exploration, and creative play. Young Buds programs incorporate Virginia's Foundation Blocks for Early Learning Standards in Literacy, Science, and Math.

Class size is limited to 20. Programs are available Monday - Friday. Check dates below for class times. To reserve programs, please contact a registrar at 804-262-9887 x 322.

Program Times

January 1 - June 15: Monday -Friday at 10:00 or 11:00 a.m.

June 15 - September 14: Monday-Friday 9:00, 10:15, or 11:30

September 17 - December 28:  Monday-Friday 10:00 or 11:00 a.m.

2012 Young Buds Programs

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Winter Adaptations | January - February 2012 

How do plants and animals survive chilly Virginia winters without warm coats and jackets? After a fireside story and interactive song, students bundle up and head out to explore characteristics of plants and animals in the winter garden. Children collect natural materials such as nuts, leaves and twigs to create a cozy animal home to take back to the classroom.  

Sprouts in Spring | March - April 2012 

As buds emerge from bare branches and colorful flowers burst from the beds, students discover the sights and smells of the early spring garden. Since spring showers bring summer flowers, we will create the sounds of a rainstorm and water the plants with a gentle ‘rain’. Participants will transform a plain twig into a colorful spring flower bud branch to take home.

 

Bees and Blooms | May 2012

Using a ‘bee’s eye view’, children buzz from flower to flower to explore pollination and discover the important role bees play in the development of fruits and seeds. Participants learn the “bee dance”, taste local honey, and use beeswax and petals to make a fragrant sun catcher for the classroom.

Caterpillar to Butterfly June 1 - October 11th (in conjunction with Butterflies LIVE!)

Children flutter and fly through the Garden searching for examples of the butterfly life cycle! Students peer under leaves looking for eggs, examine foliage for caterpillars and observe colorful butterflies pollinating the flowers. After exploring, students squish, squeeze, and roll recycled paper pulp and seeds into a plantable seed ball to start their own butterfly garden at home.

Feast for the Senses | July - August

Students smell, taste, touch, see and listen as we hop from bed to bed to explore the variety of fruits, vegetables, flowers and trees in the Children’s Garden. Participants harvest fragrant herbs for exploration in the classroom and create an individual botanical collage to take home.

 

Flowers to Fruit | September - October

Did you know that flowers turn into fruit? Children buzz from plant to plant to discover the important pollinator insects that make this transformation possible. Along the way, participants harvest fruits, collect seeds, and create a color collage from flower petals to display at school or home.

Tree Traffic | November - December 2012

Animal tracks, empty nut shells, and lost birds feathers are among the clues to winter tree travelers. After making binoculars, children search the Garden for signs of the animals visiting and living among the trees. Children engage their senses as we listen for sounds, investigate smells, and collect natural materials to take back to the classroom for ongoing discovery.

Children's Garden Group Information Guide

Our Children's Garden Group Information Guide is REQUIRED reading for any group that wants to book a trip to the garden. It can be accessed here. Below are links to individual sections, but make sure to familiarize yourself with the entire document before booking your class.