Children's Horticulture Education for Schools

Our programs assist educators in covering the content and performance standards found in the Wisconsin Model Academic Standards for Science. Teacher materials sent prior to the class will identify and highlight the standards covered by the program you have selected.

There are a wide variety of programs to choose from for both in-school education and on-site education in the Gardens.

Click here to view a copy of our

Plant Science Brochure

Winter In-School Programs

October – April

The Giving Tree
Kindergarten, 1 Hour

Why are trees so important to all of us? What do trees need to grow? Have fun learning about our largest plants through songs, stories and related activities.

Snackin' on Plants!
Kindergarten and Grade 1, 1 Hour

Why do all the foods in this tasty snack have something to do with plants? Discover together the parts of the plants that we eat and find out more about how plants grow. Be prepared to see the amazing baby plant hidden inside the seed!

Stir Fried Plants
Grades 1-2, 1-1/4 Hours

Would we be able to live without plants? Explore plant parts, their functions, food chains and plant needs. You'll even have the chance to taste and enjoy your delicious plant discoveries.

Plant Power
Grades 3-5, 1-1/2 Hours

How do plants adapt to meet their needs? Use hands-on experiments to discover the answer. Search for the secrets of how seeds are produced by dissecting flowers. Get a close view of a seed by using a hand lens to identify the parts that are hidden inside.

Spring Garden Programs
May – June

Spring Safari
Kindergarten and Grade 1, 1-1/2 Hours

Can you find a plant with "Jack" in its name? Which flower is composed of many "threes"? Go on safari in the Gardens while hunting with your senses to discover the wonders of spring. You'll plant seeds to care for at school or to take home.

I Spy Flowers in the Garden
Grades 2-3, 1-1/2 Hours

Become a flower spy and find out ways that flowers grow without seeds. Uncover the mystery of how bulbs produce spring flowers. Put on your magic spy glasses and search for pollinators and other wonders of nature. You'll plant a bulb to take home and observe.

Super Spring Sleuths
Grades 4-6, 1-1/2 Hours

Be a part of a special adventure to discover the fascinating ways that flowers develop and grow from a variety of bulbs. Journey into the Gardens for clues to the mysteries behind what makes the flowers begin their growth process and who helps them to continue in their life cycle. Challenge yourself to identify the difference between a corm, a rhizome, a bulb and a tuber. You'll take home a bulb planting.

The World in a Garden
Grades 2-5, 1-1/2 Hours

Do you know where that plant in the garden came from? Is it Africa, Asia or South America? Join our traveler on a voyage through the Gardens and learn the origin of some familiar plants. Take part in activities designed to explore how plants from different cultures contribute to global life.

Fall Garden Programs
September – October

Autumn Magician
Kindergarten through Grade 2, 1-1/2 Hours

Can you find a plant as soft as a lamb's ear? What do herbs smell like? Discover magical wonders happening at the Boerner Botanical Gardens by using all your senses to explore the smells, sights and sounds of nature. Make a potpourri item and carry your garden memories home with you.

Wild About Wisconsin
Grade 4, 1-1/2 Hours

Did you know that many Wisconsin plants and flowers have secret powers? Wisconsin's Native plants provided food, medicine and homes for the Native Americans as well as the early settlers. Explore our "living pharmacy" and discover the important role of plants in the history of our state.

Seed Dispersal
Grades 3-6, 1-1/2 Hours

Do seeds travel? Do animals plant seeds? Learn the answers to these and other questions about the fascinating ways many plants within the giant outdoor classroom of the Gardens disperse their seeds.

Trees for Me
Kindergarten through Grade 2, 1-1/2 Hours

What kinds of foods do trees make? Why do the leaves on trees change colors? How are trees alike and different? Join us as we explore a real forest to find out the answers! You'll also learn what is in each layer of the forest and identify all of the parts of a tree through fun, hands-on activities.

Trees for Me
Grades 3-5, 1-1/2 Hours

Do we need trees? How do they help us? Do they benefit other life forms? Investigate the habitat of the largest plant. Learn to identify specific species and find out how the age of a tree is determined. Discover more about this unique group of plants while enjoying their majestic presence at the Gardens.

Program Information and Fees for In-School and Garden Programs