For your “seedlings” we have a variety of activities that correlate with classroom curriculum!  Each option will require approximately 25 minutes to complete.  Please select 3 activities for your program from the following choices.  Keep in mind that large groups (<60) or groups with more time available may be asked to select an additional activity. 

The cost is $3 per student for 3 activities; additional activities are $1 each.  For large groups with a limited budget, we can also provide a teacher-led activity at no additional cost.  We allow one free adult for every five children; additional adults are $3 each.

1.  Garden Tour: (choose one)

Sensory Safari [Available year round]

Student groups will explore the collection of tropical plants in the Sun Garden and learn about plant features using their five senses.  Tour highlights may include the plants that give us Vanilla, Bananas, Coconut, Chocolate, and Chewing Gum.  Dried fruits and chocolate may be given to students to sample.  Through the sensory tour, students experience the value of plants in our everyday lives and make the connection between our Midwestern lives and the tropics as they learn fascinating facts.

OR

Outdoor Garden Exploration [seasonal and/or weather permitting]

This option is available for teachers who want to learn about seeds in the fall, plant adaptations/textures in the winter, the life cycle of plants in the spring, or plant/insect interactions in the summer.  If this option is chosen and the weather does not cooperate, the Sensory Safari may be substituted on the day of your visit.

2.  Greenhouse Discovery:

Get ready to get your hands dirty!  Students will enjoy an age-appropriate exploration of various aspects of our living world.  Depending on time, students may plant a seedling to take home, explore the parts of a plant & plant functions, learn about worms, and/or discover plants from around the world. 

[Teachers can choose to substitute a Supplemental Hands-on Activity for Greenhouse Discovery; see options below.]

3.  Supplemental Activities: (choose one or more depending on your group size and/or educational goals)

These projects are intended to supplement learning objectives and allow for smaller activity groups. 

Butterfly Life Cycle:  All ages will learn about the life cycle of these important pollinators.   

Frog Life Cycle:  Students will learn about the life cycle of this amphibian.

Carnivorous Plants: Students will be introduced to the fascinating world of meat-eating plants. Water Cycle Game: Water is essential to all living things.  Students will learn how important this limited resource is as they become a water molecule and travel through the cycles. 

Food Web Game:  All living things are connected and this interactive game will give students a first-hand perspective of life in a rainforest food web. 

We are always developing new program ideas, so these offerings may change or be added to.  Please check in with us again for updates!