View the Calendar for more dates and events

Event Sponsors:

Families After 5

Tuesday evenings in June, July and August

Photos:

• Previous
• IMAGE
• Next

Details:

All activities are free with Garden admission. Free admission for Garden Members! Learn more about the benefits of Membership. 

On Tuesday evenings, June, July and August, families gather in the Children's Garden to experience the joys of summer! Enjoy different activities each week. 

WaterPlay open til 8:30 p.m.; Garden Cafe open 5 - 7 p.m. There are picnic tables in the Children's Garden so you can bring your Cafe food down to the Children's Garden and enjoy. Please see the Garden's picnic policy. 

FAMILY ADVENTURE PACKS -- NEW!
Every Tuesday night during Families After 5
5 - 8 p.m.
Family adventure packs are designed for families with children ages 4 – 10. Each pack contains nature books, field guides and tools that help teach basic observation and identification skills. Packs are available to borrow on a first-come, first-serve basis at the Garden Cart from 5 – 8 p.m. during Families After Five. A membership card or valid drivers license is required to enjoy our fun-filled family packed adventure.

FIRST TUESDAYS:  GOIN' ON A BUG HUNT -- NEW!
June 1, July 6, August 3; 5 - 8 p.m
Join us as we grab our gear and go on a bug hunt. One of our “bug specialists” will share knowledge about the insect world as we take inventory of the predators and pollinators that inhabit the Children’s Garden and surrounding areas. .
June 1: Anne Wright, Professor, Dept. of Biology and Coord. of Life Sciences Outreach Education, VCU
July 6: Jay Forehand, LGBG former Butterflies LIVE! technician, undergraduate student, Dept. of Biology, VCU
August 3: Dr. Karen Kester, Associate Professor, Dept. of Biology, VCU

SECOND TUESDAYS:  JAMMIN' WITH STEPHEN CHRISTOFF
June 8, July 13, August 10
Enjoy a special “vibe” in the Children’s Garden. The Garden rocks and rolls with the special energy that comes from listening, dancing, clapping and stomping feet to the music. 

THIRD TUESDAYS: DROP IN AND DIG!
June 15, July 20, August 17
Families with children are invited to drop-in and participate in simple, easy to learn gardening tasks under the guidance of Children’s Garden staff and volunteers. These family-oriented gardening experiences can easily be enjoyed at home. Join us to learn how much fun gardening with children can be!

FOURTH TUESDAYS: GREEN HOUR (with stick puppet performances)
June 22, July 27, August 24
The Children’s Garden participates in the Green Hour, a National Wildlife Federation program that encourages families to spend one hour per week outdoors to help cultivate a love of nature and wildlife in young people. Families with children of all ages are invited to spend a Green Hour in the Children’s Garden reading, listening to story books and making connections with the natural world. Featured books will be selected using the Children’s Garden monthly seasonal theme.

FIFTH TUESDAYS: GARDEN ART -- NEW!
June 29 & August 31
Families can drop and experience the thrill of crafting continuous, collaborative art using tumbled glass. This activity is in conjunction with the Glorious Glass in the Garden exhibit.

Presented by:  MARTIN'S 

 If you like afterhours visits, also consider Flowers After 5 on Thursday nights. While WaterPlay is not on and there are no scheduled children's activities during Flowers After 5, it is another opportunity to enjoy the Children's Garden afterhours.