YOUNG BUDS PROGRAMS

We are actively scheduling outdoor-based winter (Dec. ’25 – Feb. ’26) programs. Spring (Mar. ’26 – May ’26) program availability is extremely limited. We, unfortunately, do not have availability for groups of more than 1 class of 25 students max. Thank you!

Please note the Garden will not have Butterflies LIVE! in 2025. This is due to the Garden’s THRIVE: Growing the Garden’s Future expansion of the Conservatory and grounds. Construction is expected to be completed in the Spring of 2026.

Pricing

  • The cost is $12 per student; the minimum group charge is $120.
  • One adult per five students is admitted free to ensure adequate supervision during the program. Exceptions will be made for students who require additional support.
  • The cost for additional adult chaperones is $15 per person. The limit of adult chaperones that can accompany each guided program is five, including teachers. Additional adults can accompany their child before and after the guided program time.

Program Details

  • Programs are designed for students aged 4-5 years old.
  • Programs take place outdoors. There are no indoor classrooms available. Please have everyone dress for the weather. We reserve the right to cancel programming when weather conditions prove unsafe or detrimental to a positive experience for your students (such as in the event of heavy rains or poor air quality). While we do everything possible to reschedule visits canceled due to inclement weather, nature is unpredictable and we cannot make any guarantees.

Availability

PROGRAM OFFERINGS

Garden Birds
September – November

Fall is the perfect time of year to observe birds and make discoveries about where they live, what they eat, and how they travel. Students sing like the birds, search for bird habitats, and use fine motor skills to create their own binoculars to search the skies!

Winter at the Garden
December – February

What happens when the days get colder and the nights get longer? Where did the flowers go? Why do some trees have leaves when others do not? Come find out what happens at the Garden when Winter takes over. Students will collect branches from the Garden and use their fine motor skills to weave their own tree.

Bees and Blooms
March –May

Using a “bee’s eye view,” students 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, search for pollen, and make their very own ‘bee’ to help pollinate!

Registration

Programs for the 2025-26 school year will run Tuesdays through Fridays from September 16, 2025 through May 29, 2026.


To register, contact our Youth Program Logistics Coordinator, Laura Lee Folman, at [email protected] with the following:

  • Your name, email address, and phone number, contact person’s information (if it is someone other than yourself) .
  • Your organization’s name and mailing address.
  • Which program topic you would like.
  • The number of classes you would like to bring, with the number of students per class.
  • The total number of students who will attend.
  • Your top three choices of program dates, in order of preference, and program times. (Please check your counties/cities school calendar, as it will be difficult to reschedule as we book up, and ensure you are able to arrive no earlier than 15 minutes before your scheduled program time.)

    • Please have patience as we accept reservations on a first-come, first-serve basis. Allow at least a week to receive a response. If all of the above information is not received, response time will be delayed.

    Alert Message