Arboretum School Programs

Now serving PreK-Grade 6 students!

Let nature be your classroom! The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum offers hands-on, science standards-based school programs that use plants and nature as inspiration. Reserve a coveted spot in a seasonal, experiential and memorable school program with the Arboretum!

Don't see what you need? Waitlist & Interest List

Indicate your interest in a program that has closed, does not have enough capacity or you may be interested in attending for a future date. Please join our waitlist/interest list and we will contact you as programming that matches your interest becomes available.

You may also Subscribe to the Teacher Resources email list to receive general updates and notifications about all Arboretum School Programs.

Students using microscopes for Plantmobile

(Grades 1-2) Zoom in on Plants Plantmobile

Nov. 14, 2024-March 13, 2025

$345-$990

(Grades K-2) Exploring the Desert Plantmobile

Jan. 21-March 18, 2025

$345-$990

boy at a table with other students classroom touching a cactus

(Ages 3-6) PreK Exploring the Desert Plantmobile

Available Feb. 17-March 14, 2025

$345-$1,130

New! Plantmobile now for PreK

Activities & Concepts

Become a desert detective! Using a bit of imagination and lots of live plants, preschoolers will explore the wonders of the desert, discovering how plants can survive in this sunny, sandy biome.

Go on a desert hunt and meet our cactus puppet who will share stories of how plants store water and adapt to survive in the heat.
Observe the difference in rainfall between Minnesota and the desert climate, then plant your own succulent to take home.
Dig into a sensory bin filled with sand, desert plants, and animal figures, sparking curiosity and imaginative ideas about what life is like in a desert environment.

Learning Standards

Plantmobile programs meets a wide variety of PreK learning standards including:

Science- inquiry, discovery, observation, description, five senses, life cycles
Language- vocabulary development, order of events, cause and effect
Math-classification, comparison, spatial relationships
Approaches to Learning- curiosity, sustained attention, making connections

maple field trip at the Arb, photo by Megan Goeke

(Grades 1-6) Maple Syrup Trail: Field Trip at the Arb

March 4-28, 2025 • 9:30 or 11 a.m.

$230/class

(Grades K-3) Pollinators & their Habitats Field Trip in-a-Box

Ships March 11 or Apr. 8, 2025

$195/Box. Each box contains (30) sets of supplies, 1 for each student and teacher.

Ships March 11 or April 8, 2025

Homeschool Day: Maple Syrup Trail (Grades 1-6)

Monday, March 24 • 1:30-3:30 p.m.

$15 member/$35 non-member

School group at Spring Peeper Meadow, photo by Vienna Volante

Self-Guided Visits for student groups

Mon-Fri • April 15-Oct.31

Free with accompanying school-year Field Trip/$35 all other bookings

Available Monday-Friday from April-Oct.

(Grades K-2) Sunflower Supreme Plantmobile

April 10-May 30, 2025

$345-$990

Boy pointing at seeds in sunflower picture while class and teacher look on

(Ages 3-6) PreK Sunflower Supreme Plantmobile

Available April 11-May 28, 2025

$345-$1,130

New! Plantmobile now for PreK

Activities & Concepts

Celebrate spring with hands-on plant science, exploring plant parts, pollination, and nature’s incredible diversity! Discover the life cycle of a sunflower through movement, stories, and interactive investigation.

Compare sunflower seeds up close, discovering their similarities and differences through sensory, sorting and tasting activities.
Use playful bee puppets to demonstrate pollination and understand how bees and sunflowers work together.
Plant a take-home dwarf sunflower and receive seeds to grow a giant sunflower as tall as a house!

Learning Standards

Plantmobile programs meets a wide variety of PreK learning standards including:

Science- inquiry, discovery, observation, description, five senses, life cycles
Language- vocabulary development, order of events, cause and effect
Math-classification, comparison, spatial relationships
Approaches to Learning- curiosity, sustained attention, making connections

Ready, Set, Grow Field Trip at the Arboretum, Photo by Ausf/Shutterstock

(Grades PreK-1) Ready, Set, Grow! Field Trip at the Arb

Apr. 15-May 30, 2025

$230/class.

Homeschool Day: Ready, Set, Grow! (Grades PreK-1)

Monday, April 21 • 9:30-10:45 a.m.

$15 member/$35 non-member

(Grades 2 - 6) Pollination Investigation Field Trip at the Arb

April 23-May 30, 2025

$230/class

Preschooler with bee costume wings and mask in classroom

(Ages 3-6) PreK Buzz About Apples Plantmobile

Fall dates coming soon.

$345-$1,130

New! Plantmobile now for PreK

Activities & Concepts

Students become busy little bees while following the journey of an apple from flower to fruit! Through movement and song, they’ll explore the life cycle and pollination story, discovering the wonder of this fascinating fruit.

Engage ALL the senses while learning about the bee’s amazing adaptations and the secret ingredient they collect for making honey.
Become a scientific apple tester, comparing traits and demonstrating how Arboretum scientists look for the ones that will create tasty new varieties.
Taste test honey and Arboretum-grown apples!

Learning Standards

Plantmobile programs meets a wide variety of PreK learning standards including:

Science- inquiry, discovery, observation, description, five senses, life cycles
Language- vocabulary development, order of events, cause and effect
Math-classification, comparison, spatial relationships
Approaches to Learning- curiosity, sustained attention, making connections

The Arboretum is committed to making its educational opportunities accessible for all school audiences. With the generous support of the foundations and donors, we are pleased to offer a menu of scholarship opportunities for our schools.

School Programs sponsored by

Support for the Arboretum's School Programs generously provided by
International Paper Foundation
Karen A. Nelson
Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation
Donald Weesner Foundation/Yellow Bus Fund

Arboretum School Programs

(Grades 1-2) Zoom in on Plants Plantmobile

(Grades K-2) Exploring the Desert Plantmobile

(Ages 3-6) PreK Exploring the Desert Plantmobile

(Grades 1-6) Maple Syrup Trail: Field Trip at the Arb

(Grades K-3) Pollinators & their Habitats Field Trip in-a-Box

Homeschool Day: Maple Syrup Trail (Grades 1-6)

Self-Guided Visits for student groups

(Grades K-2) Sunflower Supreme Plantmobile

(Ages 3-6) PreK Sunflower Supreme Plantmobile

(Grades PreK-1) Ready, Set, Grow! Field Trip at the Arb

Homeschool Day: Ready, Set, Grow! (Grades PreK-1)

(Grades 2 - 6) Pollination Investigation Field Trip at the Arb

(Ages 3-6) PreK Buzz About Apples Plantmobile

The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum serves as a research center and extension of the University of Minnesota's College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS).

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