Green Bean Family Garden Time

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Photo by Instructor Melinda Hooker

Date

Choose one session or multiple sessions!
Saturdays 9:30-11:30 a.m., June 3 and 17, July 8 and 22, Aug. 5 and 19, Sept. 9 and 23

Time(s) offered

Drop-in as your schedule allows for at-your-own-pace themed stations between 9:30-11:30 a.m..

Program location

Learning Center - Children's Garden Area

How to register
Each session is its own experience, choose one session or multiple sessions! Each participating child should be registered.

**Participating child(ren) must attend with accompanying adult(s)**: Arboretum gate admission tickets are required for all accompanying family members. Reserve Arboretum gate admission separately online or call 612-301-6775 (Free for adult member/$15 for adult non-member/Free for non-participating children under 16).

Age

Recommended ages 5-11 together with adult(s).

Instructor

Melinda Hooker, popular long-time Arboretum Youth Education Staff and Program Coordinator.

Description

Recommended ages 5-11 together with an adult(s). Green Bean Garden Time is designed for children together with one or more adults. Parents, grandparents and other caregivers are welcome!

Dig into nature as you spend time together in the garden this summer! Engaging themes, creative take-home activities, and you-pick (and keep) garden bounty will vary from week to week as you watch the Learning Center’s Children’s Garden grow and change. Sign up for the whole season or register for as many individual sessions as you’d like! Each weekly session theme includes activity choices:

Helping with the weekly garden tasks: watering, weeding, planting and harvesting
Exploration time and hunts in the garden
Garden-themed creative art projects
Science exploration and guided observation using microscopes, hand lenses and other tools

Arboretum family program instructor with a child in the gardens, photo by Jessica Barilla Thorsen

Each session has a theme!

June 3 Seed Party
June 17 Leaves Make Food!
July 8 Dirt Detectives and Insect Investigators
July 22 Pollinators & Friends
Aug. 5 Garden Art
Aug. 19 Flower Extravaganza
Sept. 9 All about Veggies
Sept. 23 Fall Garden Harvest

Supplies/equipment

All supplies are included.

Maximum participants

35 child participants per session

Arboretum entry instructions

You will receive a bar-code ticket for entry to the Arboretum in your email purchase confirmation. Your ticket is valid for entry on the day of your session. Present your ticket to the gate attendant as you enter the Arboretum. You may stay at the Arboretum after the program as long as you want during our operating hours.

Frequently Asked Questions about Green Bean Family Garden Time

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What is Green Bean Family Garden Time all about?

Each garden time session is designed for both the adult and the child/ren enrolled in the program to enjoy time outside together while exploring and learning more about what's happening in the garden.

What will the sessions be like?

Depending on the week, families may: plant seeds and transplants, dig, mulch, weed, water and harvest. Each session also includes activities that relate to what you will see and do in the garden such as scavenger hunts, creative activities and take-away planting projects.

Can I keep and take home what I make and harvest?

Yes! Select items will be available for harvest each week. Projects and plants harvested from the program's gardens are yours to keep. Depending on the season and the weather, take-home quantities and availability of the garden harvest may vary.

Can we bring a child outside of the recommended age range?

Yes, the program activities are designed specifically for ages 5-11 and their adult caregivers. Children younger than 5 or older than 11 are welcome to participate in the activities and should also be registered as a paying participant. Non-participating children who will not participate nor use any supplies may attend without paying the Green Bean Program registration fee as long as they are not a distraction to the group. Non-participating children still need gate admission to enter the Arboretum, register for admission at arb.umn.edu/Tickets

Can we bring more than one adult?

Yes, this program is designed for both adults and child/ren to participate in outdoor activities together! Gate admission is required for all accompanying family members: reserve Arboretum gate admission separately (Free adult member/$15 adult non-member/Free for non-participating children under 16) online or call 612-301-6775

Do I get tickets when I register?

Green Bean program participants will receive a confirmation email with their registration that includes a gate pass barcode for the registered child only. All accompanying family members will need to make a reservation for gate admission at arb.umn.edu/Tickets. You must show a ticket for each person to the gatehouse when you enter the Arboretum.

Can I walk up and get tickets without an advance registration?

Spots are limited and same-day availability is not guaranteed. If spots are still available on the day of a program, you may purchase them "at the door" online using your mobile phone. Show your phone receipt to the program attendant to be admitted into the program.

What happens if there is inclement weather during programming?

If there is severe weather we will modify programming and move it inside. Please plan ahead for sun, bugs, or light rain.

Green Bean participants in the garden, photo by Jason Boudreau Landis

child holding caterpillar, photo by SMBeagle/shutterstock

child holding carrot in the garden, photo by Jason Boudreau Landis

Green Bean participants, Photo by Maureen Johnson

PeaPods participants, Photo by Maureen Johnson

PeaPods participants, Photo by Instructor Melinda Hooker

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Frequently Asked Questions about Green Bean Family Garden Time