Education

Weekend Family Classes

Together, adults and children can explore cool things about how plants connect to science, art, history, and culture. Each program includes a variety of hands-on activities and projects, as well as opportunities to bring the Garden home. Programs run from November through April on Saturdays.

Become a Garden Plus member today and enjoy a special discount.

registration

Download registration form

For more information, call (847) 835-6801.

Ages
Children ages 4 to 10 accompanied by adults. Limit of three children per adult, please. An adult MUST accompany children.

times
9:30 – 11 a.m. or 1 – 2:30 p.m.

Fees
$22 Nonmember per child
Garden Plus members receive
20% off

Registration Policies

class information

Attire
Dress for the weather. Wear clothes that are comfortable for outdoor and indoor activities, and hands-on, sometimes messy, fun.

Location/parking
Fruit & Vegetable Learning Center, Park in Lots 1 or 2 and allow 5-7 minutes to walk to your class.

Rave reviews

"Great class! It was very balanced, with lots of stimulating visuals. My 6-year-old said seeing the bugs under the magiscopes was the coolest!"

"We loved Pizza Gardens so much, we came back again this year."

"The hands-on discovery is more than any book could offer."

"We were 110% satisfied."

"This was informative, well-paced, and fun. Our family loved it!"

2013 Class Schedule:

PAINTING WITH PLANTS
Sunday, October 21

Plants come in a rainbow of colors! Create beautiful art using the natural designs and pigments of the garden. Concoct paints made from eggs, herbs, and spices.

NEW! THREE SISTERS
Saturday, November 3

Hear the story of the Three Sisters (corn, bean, & squash), create a delicious dried bean soup jar to enjoy at home and investigate why popcorn pops and taste the results!

BEAUTIFUL BIRDS
Sunday, November 11

Birds and plants help each other survive—plants provide food and shelter for the birds, and birds help new plants grow! Discover where different birds live, learn what they eat, and create different kinds of bird feeders using plants.

JOYFUL GINGERBREAD
Saturday, December 1, and Sunday, December 16

Plants help make delicious holiday treats—like gingerbread! Explore all the different plants and plant parts needed to make gingerbread. Take home a future ginger plant, decorate cookies, and mix up a batch of gingerbread to bake at home.

PAPERMAKING WITH PLANTS
Saturday, January 19

Plants help make products we use everyday—like paper. Learn the process of turning plants and old paper scraps into paper. Make sheets of textured, scented and colored handmade paper.

GUMBALLS & SUPERBALLS
Sunday, January 27

Find out how people use parts of rainforest trees to make chewing gum and rubber. Create your own bouncing ball and flavorful gum to take home.

HOT CHOCOLATE
Saturday, February 9

Examine the cacao tree, learn how bitter beans make delicious desserts, mix up an ancient Aztec chocolate, and take home chocolate mint and chocolate pepper plants.

NEW! RAINBOW GARDEN
Sunday, February 17

Rainbow gardens inspire artwork and attract colorful friends. Dissect a seed, create colorful seed art and create two brightly hued pollinators to remind you that spring is just around the corner!

Homemade Ice Cream
Sunday, March 3, and Saturday, March 23

Get an up close look at one of the world's tiniest seeds from the vanilla orchid, make a batch of ice cream, and pot up a plant that can flavor ice cream.

INSECT INVESTIGATION
Saturday, April 6, and Sunday, April 14

Explore tiny critters like bees, crickets, and butterflies. Find out about the ways bugs help the plants in a garden. Create a scientific tool to help you study insects at home, experience how bugs see the world, and plant some flowers that butterflies love.