Explore the Gardens with us as we look closely for all sorts of signs of life under leaves and up in the trees, above-ground and below, and even in the pond. A scavenger hunt activity will help guide our search. Registration for this program includes admission for one child and one adult.
Monday, July 3; Saturday, July 29; Tuesday, August 15; Thursday, August 31
Discover all that you can see, smell, hear, feel, and even taste as we tour the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses together, experiencing the Gardens in new ways as you focus on each of your senses. This free program is intended for children ages 3-8 with an adult caregiver. Please register ONLY for the number of children in your group. Registration is strongly suggested, but walk-ins are welcome even if registration is full. To join the walk, please meet at the entrance of the Alfond Children’s Garden.
Thursday & Friday, July 13 & 14, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
The Gardens’ five resident trolls are fabulous sketching subjects! In this two-day workshop, young artists will develop an understanding of shape and form as they create their own sketches of these giants. Students will draw both on-site and in the studio and become familiar with a variety of drawing media, including various pencils and an introduction to watercolor. After capturing the trolls, participants will apply their new skills to other subjects at the Gardens such as butterflies, flowers, and frogs. All materials provided.
Hélène Farrar has taught and worked in the visual arts for twenty years while actively exhibiting in commercial, nonprofit, and university galleries in New England, New York City, Pennsylvania, Italy, and England. Farrar has a BA in studio art from the University of Maine and an MFA in interdisciplinary arts from Goddard College in Vermont. Hélène currently owns and operates her own private art school in Maine out of her “Farmhouse” studio, where she holds a variety of workshops and classes for children and adults.
Friday, July 14; Thursday, August 10
The Gardens is home to many plants and, in turn, those plants become home to many interesting creatures. Explore the Gardens with us as we look closely for all sorts of signs of life—under leaves and up in the trees, above-ground and below, and even in the pond! A scavenger hunt activity will help guide our search. This free program is intended for children ages 3-8 with an adult caregiver. Please register ONLY for the number of children in your group. Registration is strongly suggested, but walk-ins are welcome even if registration is full. To join the walk, please meet at the entrance of the Alfond Children’s Garden.
Monday-Friday, July 17-21 | Our summer nature camps provide fun and enriching opportunities for young people to learn about the natural world. Exploration-filled activities will take us on adventures throughout the Gardens and surrounding forests as we investigate bugs, birds, food chains, mammals, sun power, and much more. Through observations, games, stories, experiments, and nature-related projects, campers will be well on their way to becoming young naturalists by the end of the week! Plus, new for 2023, aftercare will be available for campers participating in this camp through our Extended Explorations.
Tuesdays July 18 & August 29; Friday, August 4
Join us as we search the flowers of the Gardens for the pollinators that make this place possible! Participants will learn about the process of pollination, who qualifies as a pollinator, the differences between them, and the kinds of flowers each loves best. Participants will discover reasons to appreciate pollinators and all they do to sustain the life cycles of so many plants. This free program is intended for children ages 3-8 with an adult caregiver. Please register ONLY for the number of children in your group. Registration is strongly suggested, but walk-ins are welcome even if registration is full. To join the walk, please meet at the entrance of the Alfond Children’s Garden.
Monday-Friday, July 24-28 | Our summer nature camps provide fun and enriching opportunities for young people to learn about the natural world. Exploration-filled activities will take us on adventures throughout the Gardens and surrounding forests as we investigate bugs, birds, food chains, mammals, sun power, and much more. Through observations, games, stories, experiments, and nature-related projects, campers will be well on their way to becoming young naturalists by the end of the week! Plus, new for 2023, aftercare will be available for campers participating in this camp through our Extended Explorations.
Thursdays, July 27 & August 24
Have you ever looked closely at a tree stump or wondered who might be living in the holes left by woodpeckers? Venture into the woods with us as we investigate the plants and animals that live there and discover how they are all connected. Together we will appreciate the ecology and natural history of the Maine woods. This free program is intended for children ages 3-8 with an adult caregiver. Please register ONLY for the number of children in your group. Registration is strongly suggested, but walk-ins are welcome even if registration is full. To join the walk, please meet at the entrance of the Alfond Children’s Garden.
Monday-Friday, July 31-August 4 | The Gardens is full of beauty and wonder thriving above ground, but there’s plenty to discover below the surface too! Our many ponds are teeming with life, and campers will spend the week exploring them, catching frogs, salamanders, and aquatic bugs while learning all about their life cycles in the process. Campers will also discover the unique adaptations of the plants and animals that depend on these diverse habitats for their survival. Plus, new for 2023, aftercare will be available for campers participating in this camp through our Extended Explorations.
Monday-Friday, August 7-11 | The Gardens is full of beauty and wonder thriving above ground, but there’s plenty to discover below the surface too! Our many ponds are teeming with life, and campers will spend the week exploring them, catching frogs, salamanders, and aquatic bugs while learning all about their life cycles in the process. Campers will also discover the unique adaptations of the plants and animals that depend on these diverse habitats for their survival. Plus, new for 2023, aftercare will be available for campers participating in this camp through our Extended Explorations.
Monday-Friday, August 14-18 | Budding gardeners will spend the week digging, planting, watering, and harvesting fruits and veggies in our Learning Garden. Campers will investigate the inner workings of the garden from the ground up and get the real “dirt” on plants, life cycles, composting, garden critters, and more! Join us for a week filled with games, explorations, snack making from the garden, and take-home garden projects. Plus, new for 2023, aftercare will be available for campers participating in this camp through our Extended Explorations.
Monday & Tuesday, August 21 & 22, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
The Gardens’ five resident trolls are fabulous sketching subjects! In this two-day workshop, young artists will develop an understanding of shape and form as they create their own sketches of these giants. Students will draw both on-site and in the studio and become familiar with a variety of drawing media, including various pencils and an introduction to watercolor. After capturing the trolls, participants will apply their new skills to other subjects at the Gardens such as butterflies, flowers, and frogs. All materials provided.
Hélène Farrar has taught and worked in the visual arts for twenty years while actively exhibiting in commercial, nonprofit, and university galleries in New England, New York City, Pennsylvania, Italy, and England. Farrar has a BA in studio art from the University of Maine and an MFA in interdisciplinary arts from Goddard College in Vermont. Hélène currently owns and operates her own private art school in Maine out of her “Farmhouse” studio, where she holds a variety of workshops and classes for children and adults.
The mission of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is to inspire meaningful connections among people, plants, and nature through horticulture, education, and research.
Copyright 2023 Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
