Summer Garden Adventures for Kids

Gardens provide ideal settings for safe, active summer fun for kids, and the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is no exception. Garden Adventure Camp begins June 21st, offering half-day, week-long sessions through July 30th. The camps are designed to provide engaging, hands-on activities that will foster a love of plants, gardening, and the environment for children ages 4-12.

What will they do? Register your child for Garden Adventure Camp, and they'll spend their time at the Garden:

1. Digging, planting, and watering plants in the Garden.
2. Exploring the Woodland Trail.
3. Catching insects in the meadow.
4. Playing in the Willow Maze.
5. Eating great snacks (that come from plants!) each day.
6. Building a bamboo teepee or other fun garden projects.
7. Solving a mystery in Nature Detective camp.
8. Creating their own planters to take home.
9. Discovering their favorite flower in a hike through the Garden, and then...
10. Cooling off at the Tunnel Fountain.
11. Riding the Garden Tram.
12. Finding beneficial dragonflies and ladybugs in Critter Cavaliers Camp.
13. Planting a plant of their own, and then checking and watering it each day.
14. Creating nature art projects in Artists in the Garden camp.
15. Tasting products made from tropical plants in the Orchid Conservatory.
16. Discovering the tracks of Garden critters that enjoy the Garden at night.
17. Observing garden life in action as pollinators go about their work.
18. Experiencing the wonder of nature through plant-based adventures.
19. Making new friends at the Garden.
20. Cultivating a love of plants, gardening, and nature that will last a lifetime!

The list could go on, but you get the idea-- Garden Adventure Camp is a whole lot of fun! Specific activities in each session will vary depending on the theme, but all sessions are designed to include time outdoors exploring the Garden balanced with indoor projects, hands-on time to dig and plant and water, planters that kids create and take home, and healthy plant-based snacks. Garden Adventure Camp is ideal for parents looking to provide some structure for their child's (or grandchild's) summer and ensure that it's exciting and special. In addition to the regular sessions for ages 4-7 and 8-12, special one-day mini-camps are also available for younger 3-year-old campers who will attend with a parent or other caregiver. Your child will be so busy having fun that they won't even realize they're learning, thus keeping their minds engaged through informal science experiences that will resonate long after camp is over.

For more information about Garden Adventure Camp sessions, dates, and registration information, go to the Garden's website at www.dsbg.org. Discounts are offered for Garden members and for multiple session registrations. Questions? Call 704-829-1252 for more information or to register your child today. We'll see you-- and your child-- at Camp this summer.

Happy Gardening!

Cindy