Garden Playtime at the Atlanta Botanical Garden offers children a chance to explore the joys of nature through engaging activities designed to stimulate interest in the natural world. Families are invited to participate in a variety of activities that engage the senses and encourage creativity, with a new theme introduced each month. This enriching program runs throughout 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. The event will be cancelled in the case of rain or inclement weather that makes outdoor programming impractical. To check the status, email classes@atlantabg.org.
March: Joyful Movement
The series begins with activities centered around music, movement, and hands-on fun. Participants can dance at a music party station, create colorful wind socks to take home, and explore various sounds through sensory bins. Families may also experiment with instruments made from plants and natural sound sources.
April: Patterns Everywhere!
In celebration of National Haiku Poetry Day, April’s theme combines art with nature. Families will explore natural patterns to create textures in art, investigate forest scenes in sensory bins, paint with natural items at a mural station, and create recycled art mosaics to take home.
May: Mythical Creatures
May invites children to discover magical creatures inspired by Niki de Saint Phalle’s sculptures. Activities include visiting mermaids in sensory bins, uncovering dragon treasure in kinetic sand, and crafting slithering snakes at the art station.
June: Pollinator Friends
June honors National Pollinator Week, focusing on the crucial roles of various pollinator species. Participants will engage with bug-themed activities, play bug tic-tac-toe, dig into sensory bins featuring “bees in a hive,” and decorate “bug rocks” to take home.
July: Animal Adventures
Inspired by Niki de Saint Phalle’s lively animal sculptures, July’s Garden Playtime encourages families to dress up as animals, create a shared animal print mural, and design unique animals to take home.
August: Wonderful Water
August’s theme highlights the movement of water as seen in Niki de Saint Phalle’s art. Families can enjoy water sensory bins, create water lily art, explore frog pond shaving cream activities, and participate in games related to frogs on the Children’s Garden lawn, concluding with time in the Splash Pad.
September: Golden Grows
In honor of the Garden’s 50th Anniversary, September’s activities celebrate the golden colors in the landscape. Families can create sunflower art, engage with sunflower rice sensory bins, and paint with corn cobs at the mural station.
October: Harvest Time
October’s theme focuses on the harvest season, inviting children to experience autumn’s aromas and sounds. Activities will include searching for scarecrows around the Garden as they conclude the Garden Playtime series for the year.
