Chicago Botanic Garden

education

Boy/Cub Scout Programs

Tiger, Wolf, Bear and Webelos are welcome to register for custom badge workshops at the Chicago Botanic Garden. All participants will earn a Chicago Botanic Garden patch!

registration

Call (847) 835-8239 to register or for more information.

group size
Minimum group size of ten, maximum of 25 children.
One actively involved chaperone for every five children is required.

Days/Times
Monday through Friday after school, and select Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Please call for availability on days off from school.

Fees
Tiger Cubs, Bear Cubs,
Wolf Cubs
$10 per Scout
Program runs for 90 minutes.
Required deposit: $100

Webelos
$15 per Scout
Program runs for two hours.
Required deposit: $150

Registration Policies

program information

Attire
Dress for the weather. Wear clothes that are comfortable for outdoor and indoor activities, and hands-on, sometimes messy, fun.
Most programs have an outdoor component and participants should have ample clothing and appropriate footwear.

Location/parking
Park in the Learning Center parking lot and meet your leader inside. Bring your confirmation letter with you to receive free parking and duplicate for additional drivers.

TIGER CUBS

Let's Go Outdoors

Go on a nature hike and explore the great outdoors at Chicago Botanic Garden! Activities may include planting seeds, making a birdfeeder, and discovering leaves and trees.

Feed the Birds

Birds and other animals need to eat food every day just like you do. Activities may include making bird feeders, bird watching, and creating a bird identification worksheet. This program is peanut-free.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Learn about what you can recycle in your community and how you can recycle at home. Activities may include separating recycling and making a project from reused materials.

WOLF CUBS

Birds

Discover some of the wildlife that inhabits the skies at the Garden. Activities may include creating a bird identification list, making a bird feeder, and observing birds in their natural habitats. This is a peanut-free program.

Grow Something

Learn how scientists at the Garden make plants grow year-round and discover what surprises the greenhouses hold. Activities may include dissecting seeds, planting a tropical plant of your own, and visiting the greenhouses.

BEAR CUBS

Water and Soil Conservation

Perform scientific experiments to learn what soil is made of and why it is so important. Activities may include experiments on soil composition, nutrients and permeability.

Junior Naturalist

Naturalists are scientists who study plants, animals and their relationships to their environments. Activities may include making tree identification cards, a local track guide, and seed dissection.

Sharing Your World with Wildlife

Learn what types of animals are common in the Midwest and how you can help protect their habitats. Activities may include bird watching, a discussion on extinction, and making a bird feeder. This is a peanut-free program.

WEBELOS

Forester (FALL ONLY)

Webelos will complete all the requirements for the Forester badge during this two-hour workshop. Activities will include a discussion of the layers of the forest and learning to identify common trees.

Naturalist

Webelos will complete all the requirements for the Naturalist badge during this two-hour workshop. Activities will include making a terrarium, identifying common poisonous plants, and discovering some of the members of the wetland food chain.