Garden Playtime at the Atlanta Botanical Garden offers a series of engaging activities designed to stimulate children’s interest in the natural world. Each month features a unique theme with activities that engage the senses and promote creativity, making it a valuable experience for families during the spring, summer, and fall.
Dates: Tuesdays, March – October.
Time: 10 a.m. – noon
Free with Garden admission
Suggested ages: 6 months – 5 years. Weather permitting. Outdoor programming will be canceled if rain or inclement weather makes it impractical. For updates, please check the status by contacting classes@atlantabg.org.
March: Joyful Movement
The program kicks off with music, movement, and interactive fun. Activities include dancing at a music party station, creating a colorful wind sock to take home, and exploring a variety of sounds at sensory bins. Families can also engage with instruments made from plants and experiment with sounds inspired by nature.
April: Patterns Everywhere!
In recognition of National Haiku Poetry Day, this month combines art and nature. Participants will learn how natural patterns create interesting textures and replicate those textures in art. Activities include exploring forest scenes in sensory bins, painting with natural items at a mural station, and creating recycled art mosaics to take home.
May: Mythical Creatures
Exploring Niki de Saint Phalle’s imaginative sculptures, children will venture into a fantastical world of mythical animals and creative forms. Activities will feature mermaids in sensory bins, searching for hidden dragon treasure in kinetic sand, and creating slithering snakes at the art station.
June: Pollinator Friends
Celebrating National Pollinator Week, this month focuses on diverse pollinator species and their roles in ecosystems. Activities include a bug tic-tac-toe game, “bees in a hive” sensory bins and homemade scented playdough, and decorating a “bug rock” to take home.
July: Animal Adventures
With inspiration from the lively animal sculptures in Niki de Saint Phalle’s work, families are invited to dress up as animals, create a shared animal print mural, and design unique animals to take home.
August: Wonderful Water
Highlighting the movement of water celebrated in Niki de Saint Phalle’s art, families can engage in water sensory bins, create water lily art, explore frog pond shaving cream, and participate in frog games on the Children’s Garden lawn. A visit to the Splash Pad is also encouraged before departure.
September: Golden Grows
Commemorating the Garden’s 50th Anniversary, September’s activities focus on the golden colors throughout the landscape. Families can create sunflower art, scoop and pour in sunflower rice sensory bins, and paint with corn cobs at the mural station.
October: Harvest Time
This month’s activities resonate with the harvest season’s sensory experiences, from food aromas to the sounds of crunching leaves. Families are invited to explore the nostalgic atmosphere of autumn and search for their favorite Scarecrows in the Garden.
