For Children & Families

Click on Plant Play on our Events calendar to see the dates of selected Saturdays on which we offer an hour of nature-inspired stories, songs, and crafts at Garden in the Woods.

Stories are geared for children ages three to eight years old. Afterward, children are invited to explore the local flora and fauna in the Garden, play in the Family Activity Area, or pick up a scavenger hunt sheet at the Visitor Center and take a walk through the woods.

The Basics

The main trail (about one mile long) is wide enough for strollers and carriages. Secondary trails pass over some more-challenging, hilly terrain. Bathrooms in the Education Center have changing stations and are accessible. More bathrooms are located in the Visitor Center.

Like all other visitors, children must stay on the paths and out of the garden beds, pond, and stream. Our native plant collections contain rare and endangered species that cannot be replaced.

Some Things to Do

Follow the main path over hills, through deep woods, and along the edges of bogs, a brook, and a pond, where you can spot turtles, frogs, and other water creatures.

Embark on a scavenger hunt, challenging everyone in the family to use all five senses to explore the Garden: Pick up lists for kids of different ages at the Visitor Center, which also sells snacks and drinks, plus eco-friendly games, toys, and clothing.

Go wild in our Family Activity Area, where children can unleash their energy and imaginations. Kids can enter through the magic cottage door and create their own critter cottage under the pines, build a fort with branches, climb through our giant hollow log, and fill up a habitat box with a variety of natural materials. You never know who might move in . . . .