Discovery Backpacks
Families visiting the Garden can borrow Discovery Backpacks from the Information Desk in the Visitor Center. Backpacks include two magnifiers, two binoculars, field guides, and journals and golf pencils to record discoveries. Discovery Backpacks offer a highly interactive experience for individual families. Backpacks may be picked up in exchange for a driver’s license; they are available during Garden hours year-round, and will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis.
Story Time in the Lenhardt Library
Mondays, January 9 – May 21
No Story Time on April 23
10 – 11 a.m.
Stop by for nature-themed stories and activities Monday mornings 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 and activities are geared for children two to five accompanied by a caregiver.
Saturday, May 19 & Sunday, May 20
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, 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.
Saturdays & Sundays, June 2 – September 30
11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Grunsfeld Growing Garden
Get close to nature and discover where food comes from and how plants grow at the new Grunsfeld Growing Garden. Pollinate flowers, dissect seeds, see roots growing, compost with worms, create a rainbow for healthy eating, and more. Activities vary from week to week.
June 3 & 17, July 15, August 5, September 2 & 16
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.
Saturday, August 18 & Sunday, August 19, 2012
10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Learn about the summer festivals (matsura) celebrated in Japan during this special weekend of activities. Listen to taiko drum and koto harp music, enjoy traditional folktales, and watch a tea ceremony. Kids of all ages can make projects to celebrate summer — fold origami, create a paper fan, make a kite, and more at family-friendly hands-on stations.
Sunday, October 7
11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Celebrate the Jewish harvest holiday Sukkot! Families are invited to help decorate the branch-covered sukkah, which will be on display from October 1 – 8 at the Regenstein Fruit and Vegetable Garden. These activities are provided by the National Council of Jewish Women, Chicago North Shore Section.
Click here for more information on the Sukkah Display.
SIGN UP FOR GARDEN E-UPDATES • RSS FEEDS • DAILY OPEN HOURS • GARDEN MAP
Chicago Botanic Garden • 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL 60022 • (847) 835-5440
The Garden is smoke-free. Admission is free, parking rates apply. Contact us.
© Copyright 1997-2012 Chicago Botanic Garden. All rights reserved. Credits | Privacy Policy
One of the treasures of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County.
