The Children’s Garden at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is a place where children and families can explore the natural world and play. But it’s not just for kids; adults enjoy the Children’s Garden, too! Visit and you and your family can experience many interesting things to see and lots of surprises.
There are lots of “drop-in” activities, as well as scheduled programs, in the Children’s Garden; see the summer schedule below or visit the Happening Now in the Children’s Garden web page. Some of the things that are going on are story time, art activities, and family “walk and talks.” Children also enjoy looking for “Stickman” – a figure made of sticks hidden in various areas around the Garden. This is part of the current Kid Quest, which is kind of like a scavenger hunt.
A cool spot is the CWDKids Tree House, which is wheelchair accessible – there’s a sloping ramp to take you 13 feet into the air. For all of the man-made features, however, perhaps the most popular attraction is a one-hundred year old mulberry that children love to climb.
WaterPlay is a very popular feature this time of year. It’s a splash pad with gentle sprays and soaks. Be sure to pack swimsuits, swim shoes, and towels for the kids; swim diapers are needed for those who are not potty-trained.
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden and the Children’s Garden are open daily, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Extended summer hours include Thursday nights till 9 p.m. during Flowers After 5. This includes special family activities in the Children’s Garden from 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. and WaterPlay till 8 p.m.
The fun is not isolated to the Children’s Garden. There’s much to see throughout the Garden, including Nature Connects®: Art with LEGO® Bricks (through Sept. 22) and M&T Bank Butterflies LIVE! (through Oct. 14). All exhibits are included with Garden admission.
Nature Connects features more than half-a-million LEGO bricks in 13 displays around the Garden, including a giant Praying Mantis made of 42,164 LEGO pieces and a larger-than-life American Bald Eagle made of 42,198 bricks. There’s even a place to play with LEGO bricks in the Garden’s Library, a great cooling off spot.
In the M&T Bank Butterflies LIVE! exhibit, guests can get up close and see hundreds of tropical butterflies. Some families like to visit the butterflies first and then cool off in the WaterPlay in the Children’s Garden. There’s also food available for purchase at the Garden in the Garden Café (open daily) and there are vending machines near the Children’s Garden for snacks and drinks.
But do you want to know the best part of all? Richmond Mom and Lewis Ginter have teamed up to give you a chance to win a FREE family four-pack of tickets!
Simply enter your information below and you’ll be eligible to win four free tickets to experience the Children’s Garden and all that Lewis Ginter has to offer.
CHILDREN’S GARDEN ACTIVITIES
Monday: Garden Art, 10-11 a.m., meet in the Children’s Garden
Tuesday: Family Walk and Talk, 10-11 a.m., departing at 10 a.m. from the Robins Visitor Center
Wednesday: Drop-in and Dig the Outdoors!, 10-11:30 a.m., meet in the Children’s Garden Farm Garden
Thursday: Good Green Fun, 5-6 p.m. during Flowers After 5., meet in the Children’s Garden
Friday: Storytime in the Garden, 10-11 a.m., meet in the Children’s Garden
Saturday: Drop-in and Dig the Outdoors!, 10-11 a.m., meet in the Children’s Garden Farm Garden
Sunday: Garden Art, 2-3 p.m., meet in the Children’s Garden
Regular admission is $13 adults and $8 children ages 3 – 12; free for children under age 3 and free for members. There are some discounts available; learn more at www.lewisginter.org. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is located at 1800 Lakeside Avenue in Richmond, VA; (804) 262-9887.
Content for this article was provided by Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.
