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enjoy your visit — for families

Free Drop-in Programs for Families

Early positive experiences in nature can foster a lifelong appreciation of and respect for the outdoors. These experiences provide the groundwork for future botanists, naturalists, horticulturists, and environmentalists. Chicago Botanic Garden family programs integrate science, art, and language in programs that encourage families to learn together in an open-ended, enjoyable and discovery-based environment.

Monday morning story time
January 11 – April 26
10 – 11 a.m.
Stop by for nature-themed stories and activities! Join us Monday mornings in January and February in the Garden Shop, and in March and April in the Lenhardt Library. Afterwards, pick up a Bingo activity card at the Information Desk and take a walk through the Garden and in the Greenhouses. Stories are geared for children ages 5 and under accompanied by a caregiver.

TV Tune Out: Family Drop-In Activities
Wednesday, March 10 and Friday, March 12
9 – 11 a.m.
Stop by for hands-on fun with plants and nature in the Greenhouses — try a scavenger hunt, practice watering plants, and more! Activities are geared toward 2-to-5-year-olds with a caregiver. No registration is required, and parking is free all week for those with a TV Tune Out button or wristband. Offered in collaboration with the Winnetka Alliance for Early Childhood’s TV Tune Out Week, March 7 to 13. For information about TV Tune Out activities at other locations, visit www.winnetkaalliance.org.

Japanese Garden Spring Weekend
Saturday, March 27 & Sunday, March 28
11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Celebrate spring by writing a seasonal haiku and making a cherry blossom hanging scroll, plus try other hands-on activities like a suminagashi demonstration. Enjoy storytelling and musical performances, and take a walk in the Japanese Garden.

Japanese Garden Children’s Festival
Saturday, May 15 & Sunday, May 16
10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Learn about children’s celebrations in Japan during this special weekend of activities. Listen to koto harp and shakuhachi flute music, enjoy traditional folktales, observe a karate demonstration, and watch a tea ceremony. Kids of all ages can make projects to celebrate Girls Day and Boys Day — design a kimono paper doll, create a miniature carp kite, construct an origami samurai helmet, and more at family-friendly hands-on stations.

Also this weekend, stop by the Lenhardt Library to see the new exhibition, Japonica: The Artistry of Japanese Rare Books. Japan's record of publishing delicate and artistic books can be seen in works with floral themes such as peonies and irises. The exhibition extends from May 14 through August 15 and features the Library's best Japanese pieces.

Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden plant giveaways
May 12 – October 3
Wednesdays – Fridays, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Saturdays & Sundays, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Volunteers in the Fruit and Vegetable Garden share information about each month's featured plant and encourage visitors to plant seeds or seedlings (while supplies last) to take home to their own gardens. A flyer with care information and a recipe is available.

Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden
Family Drop-in Activities
Saturdays & Sundays, May 22 – October 3
11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Get close to nature and discover where food comes from with fun, free activities each weekend! Pollinate flowers, dissect seeds, see roots growing, compost with worms, create a rainbow for healthy eating, and more. Activities vary from week to week and are subject to change.

Dancin' Sprouts
Wednesdays, June 2 & 16, July 7 & 21, & August 4 & 18
5:30 and 6:30 p.m.
Bring a picnic dinner and enjoy free, fun musical entertainment specially geared toward the Garden’s youngest visitors.

 

Malott Japanese Garden Family Sundays
June 6 & 20, July 4 & 18, August 1 & 15, September 5 & 19, and October 3
11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Drop by the Elizabeth Hubert Malott Japanese Garden for hands-on activities related to Japanese arts and culture. Practice using chopsticks, rake miniature dry gardens, make Japanese kites, and more. The free activities vary each time, and are subject to change.

While you and your family are at the Garden, visit the Lenhardt Library's exhibition, Japonica: The Artistry of Japanese Rare Books. Japan's record of publishing delicate and artistic books can be seen in works with floral themes such as peonies and irises. The exhibition extends from May 14 through August 15 and features the Library's best Japanese pieces.

Malott Japanese Garden Summer Festival
Saturday, August 21 & Sunday, August 22
10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Learn about the summer festivals (matsura) celebrated in Japan during this special weekend of activities at the McGinley Pavilion. Listen to musical performances, enjoy traditional folktales, and watch a tea ceremony demonstration.

Hands-on activities such as writing haiku, raking miniature dry gardens, trying chopsticks, and practicing calligraphy will be available. Kids of all ages can make projects to celebrate summer — create a paper fan, make a kite, and more — at family-friendly craft stations.