One Stop | Directories | Search U of M

Summer Weekly Children's Garden 2020
Ages 5 - 11

Grow bushels of produce, kinship, and garden skills! Together with a garden partner, you will receive your very own kid-sized Arboretum garden plot to sow, tend, and harvest all summer long. Each week, creative activities, projects, and recipes change as your gardens come to life. Lessons from the classroom are integrated outside and observed in your garden filled with flowers, fruits, and vegetables. Make snacks together in the kitchen using produce and herbs picked from our gardens!

Summer 2020 News

Summer Day Camps, Children's Garden, PeaPods for Preschoolers, and Self-Guided Tours, and Summer Field Trips programs have been cancelled for June, July & August. Read a letter from our Day Camp Manager.

As guidelines change, new & different on-site programs may be annouced! Subscribe to Kids & Family emails to receive the latest Kids Program news, announcements and updates!

Children's Garden: Mighty Mites for 5 - 7 year olds

Select a series:
Tuesday Morning Series, 10-11:30 a.m.
Planting Sundays 10-11:30 a.m.: May 3 & June 7
Summer Tuesdays 10-11:30 a.m.: June 16, 23, July 7, 14, 21, 28, August 4, 11
OR
Tuesday Afternoon Series, 1-2:30 p.m.
Planting Sundays 1-2:30 p.m.: May 3 & June 7
Summer Tuesdays 1-2:30 p.m.: June 16, 23, July 7, 14, 21, 28, August 4, 11

Join us for an amazing introductory experience with a focus on fun! Mighty Mites is the perfect place for you to start growing a love of gardening.

Together with a garden partner, plant your own Arboretum garden filled with flowers, fruits and vegetables
Learn how to tend to our gardens from spring seed to autumn blossoms
Experience and appreciate the value of teamwork
Investigate and explore together as our gardens take on a life of their own
During harvest-time, bring home nutritious produce to share!

From snails and sowbugs to snakes and song birds, Mighty Mites is the place where you can enjoy the fruits of your labor with friends in the garden, classroom, and the harvest kitchen.
Helpful Notes

Parents and/or guardians are encouraged to attend the introductory weekend Planting Sessions with their child.
Register together with a friend and request them as your garden partner, or enjoy the excitement of making new friends with a garden partner we pair for you.
Attendance is not required at every session; it is normal to miss a session or two due to family vacations or schedule conflicts
Your garden remains yours even after the last session of Mighty Mites--you are welcome to come back and harvest from your garden all the way through autumn!

Limit 22, Learning Center

Tuesday Afternoon Series, 1-2:30 p.m.
$185 member/$210 non-member, includes Arboretum admission, planting and project supplies, weekly snack and recipe, fresh produce from the garden, reusable produce bag, Children's Garden t-shirt and Children's Garden Harvest Celebration

Children's Garden: Seed Sowers for 7 - 9 year olds

Planting Saturdays 1-3:30 p.m.: May 2 & June 6
Summer Mondays 1-3:30 p.m.: June 15, 22, July 6, 13, 20, 27, August 3, 10

Seed Sowers is the place for exploration and investigation! Whether you are new to the Children's Garden program or rising up in the ranks, you won't want to miss the excitement of learning and growing new skills!

Together with a garden partner, plant your own Arboretum garden filled with flowers, fruits and vegetables
Transform our gardens into a living laboratory for us to examine plant science up close
Explore concepts such as seed sprouting, photosynthesis, insects and pollination through a lens of creativity and curiosity
Experience a wide range of hands-on adventures in the garden, classroom, and harvest kitchen
During harvest-time, bring home nutritious produce to share!

What amazing discoveries will we make this year? Join the Seed Sowers to find out!
Helpful Notes

Parents and/or guardians are encouraged to attend the introductory weekend Planting Sessions with their child.
Register together with a friend and request them as your garden partner, or enjoy the excitement of making new friends with a garden partner we pair for you.
Attendance is not required at every session; it is normal to miss a session or two due to family vacations or schedule conflicts
Your garden remains yours even after the last session of Seed Sowers--you are welcome to come back and harvest from your garden all the way through autumn!

Limit 24, Learning Center

$225 member/$260 non-member, includes Arboretum admission, planting and project supplies, weekly snack and recipe, fresh produce from the garden, reusable produce bag, Children's Garden t-shirt, and Children's Garden Harvest Celebration

Children's Garden: Garden Chefs for 9 - 11 year olds

Planting Saturdays 9-11:30 a.m.: May 2 & June 6
Summer Mondays 9-11:30 a.m.: June 15, 22, July 6, 13, 20, 27, August 3, 10

Take garden-based learning to the next level! Whether you are new to the Children's Garden program or you've made it to the top, Garden Chefs will create your own learning opportunities guided by your respective interests and intuition.

Together with a garden partner, plant your own Arboretum garden filled with flowers, fruits and vegetables
Examine science concepts in the classroom, then integrate your knowledge outside into your gardens
Use your garden's produce and herbs to explore fun cooking techniques and recipes in the kitchen24
Practice your skills and abilities to cook up delicious meals that you can share with one another and your families
During harvest-time, bring home nutritious produce to share!

This is the place where summer comes alive, the ultimate garden-to-table experience awaits!
Helpful Notes

Register together with a friend and request them as your garden partner, or enjoy the excitement of making new friends with a garden partner we pair for you.
Attendance is not required at every session; it is normal to miss a session or two due to family vacations or schedule conflicts
Your garden remains yours even after the last session of Garden Chefs--you are welcome to come back and harvest from your garden all the way through autumn!

Limit 24, Learning Center

$225 member/$260 non-member, includes Arboretum admission, planting and project supplies, weekly snack and recipe, fresh produce from the garden, reusable produce bag, Children's Garden t-shirt and Children's Garden Harvest Celebration


watch the garden progression from planting day to harvest!

Summer Youth FAQ

Questions?
Arboretum Education Office
Mon - Fri, 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.*
arbedu@umn.edu
612-301-1210*
*We are temporarily working from home during Covid-19, we may return phone messages from a home phone

Cancellations & Exchanges
Cancellation policy
COVID-19 Class Updates

Waitlist
The best chance of being enrolled in a sold out class is to add your name to the waitlist. Click the orange "waitlist" button next to the class and complete the form. There is no obligation to register if a spot opens. If the waitlist shows enough demand, additional sessions may be added.

Email Subscriptions
Subscribe here to join Arboretum mailing lists that interest you, and be among the first to know about what's happening at the Arb!

Share your feedback
Use this feedback form to share anonymous feedback about educational programming with the Arboretum Education Team.

Browse Classes

Youth & Families

Summer 2020 Kids Programs Update

Youth
Summer Activity Kits To-Go
Kids Night Out

Youth+Adult Together
PeaPods for Preschoolers
Family Programs
Homeschool Days
Scouts

Drop-in
ONLINE! PlantMaker Studio@Home
ONLINE! StoryTime@Home