Contact our Education Department
Contact our Education Department at 706-583-0894 or sbgeduc@uga.edu.
Grow the Children’s Garden
Grow the Children's Garden: Help us reach our $5 million goal!
The State Botanical Garden of Georgia at the University of Georgia is committed to providing a family-friendly setting where children and parents can enjoy and learn from extensive plant collections, natural areas, trails and more. Our programs and events provide visitors with unique experiences that educate and entertain while helping foster connections with nature.
The Alice H. Richards Children’s Garden
On March 23, 2019, the State Botanical Garden of Georgia opened the Alice H. Richards Children’s Garden—the ideal place for children to play and learn in an environment that will inspire their sense of adventure, wonder and love for nature.
The new 2.5-acre, accessible garden contains a variety of fun, immersive locations, including a chestnut tree house, fossil wall, giant water-misting mushrooms, vegetable garden, a replica of a North Georgia cave, and more — all designed to be learned from, crawled through and touched.
Not only does the children’s garden delight visitors of all ages, but it also provides the perfect outdoor classroom for teacher training and education research at the University of Georgia. As part of the university, the State Botanical Garden has the resources to continually improve the ways we engage children with the natural world, and develop programming to be shared statewide that emphasizes the importance of nature, healthy foods and healthy bodies.
Alice H. Richards Children’s Garden Performance Series
Enjoy a variety of engaging shows taking place on the Theatre-in-the-Woods stage in the Alice H. Richards Children’s Garden. Experience music, laughter and connection in nature as our artists bring excitement to your weekend.
Sweet Pea Club
Join the State Botanical Garden of Georgia education team as they bring you a new program to the Alice H. Richards Children’s Garden called Sweet Pea Club. Families will join one another for a morning of adventure in the garden through songs, puppets, stories, hikes, activities or games. Each week will highlight a new theme such as water, soil, foods we eat, pollination, plants or trees. The Sweet Pea Club program is an informal way to give young naturalists a better understanding of the importance of our shared earth. This program is geared towards ages 3-6.
Garden Gnomes Docent Program
The Garden Gnomes docent program is offered multiple times a week in the children’s garden. This is a free 5 to 10-minute activity led by the garden staff and volunteers that encourages kids of all ages to engage in different ways with the galleries in the garden. Look for tables set up throughout the garden during your visit to participate.
Children’s Garden Passport
Grab a Children’s Garden Passport in the garden or gift shop to adventure through the different galleries of the space. Once you have completed the activities, visit the gift shop in the Visitor Center to redeem a passport stamp and button that signifies becoming an official Garden Earth Explorer.
Family Festivals
The Garden is a great place to bring the whole family for a day of fun, especially if it’s a day that includes one of our annual family festivals! We work with a variety of organizations throughout the year to make each festival and family event a one-of-kind experience.
Georgia Questival
Join the State Botanical Garden of Georgia staff, students and volunteers for our spring festival in the Alice H. Richards Children’s Garden, Georgia Questival. Participants of all ages will journey through a series of adventurous activities showcasing Georgia’s natural history and resources.
Insectival
Discovery stations, roach and beetle races, an insect café, puppet shows, performances and, of course, lots of live insects will be at this event for bug lovers of all ages. Insect-ival is sponsored by the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, UGA Lund Club, UGA Department of Entomology and Georgia Museum of Natural History.
Fall Festival
The Fall Festival celebrates our horticultural and agricultural history with art, crafts, stories, music and hands-on education classes so that we can better remember the teachings of the past and relate them to the work we do today. Visit our vendors and demonstrations of natural dyes, seed saving, wood carving, lace making, heritage animals, beekeeping, herbal cider, herbal teas and more.
Summer Camps
The State Botanical Garden education department offers six different week-long summer camps for ages 5-10. Each week focuses on a different outdoor theme to encourage children to connect with and celebrate our natural surroundings. Some of this summer’s camp themes include Georgia’s Critters, Aquatic Adventurers and Bee Smart Eat Smart.
Children ages three and four can attend our Sweet Pea Club camp, which is a great way for young nature lovers and their adult helper to spend time together exploring the wonders of summer.
We also offer volunteer camp counselor positions to high school students. These positions provide teens with opportunities to build confidence, serve as a role model for younger children, learn new skills and earn volunteer hours for school.
For more information and to register for 2023 summer camps, click here.
For frequently asked questions about summer camps, click here.
Garden Birthday Parties
Treat your child and their guests to an exciting adventure at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia. Themes designed for ages 5-10 include Forest Treasure Hunt, Critter Catchin’, Wild Weaving and more. Each program includes one hour of educational and hands-on activities and the use of the garden’s Children’s Classroom for your birthday celebration. Select from available times Saturdays-Sundays.
For more information about birthday parties, click here.
Full Moon Hikes
Experience the garden at night! Each hike will focus on a different topic, such as the moon, constellations or nocturnal creatures. Bring family and friends of all ages to enjoy the mysterious world of nature in the dark. Be prepared to hike up to two miles on our wooded trails and in the garden. If you have young children or infants, a backpack carrier is suggested. Pre-registration is required.
Garden Earth Explorers
Get out in the garden for your own private adventure with the garden’s education staff. Groups of up to 15 participants can choose from one of four 90-minute programs that include games and activities that lead you through our gardens and trails, focusing on the natural world and the magic of the forest. Program themes include Stream Ecology, Georgia Discovery Quest, Forest Treasure Hunt and Remarkable Rainforest. Parents or chaperones must accompany all children for the duration of the program. Select from available times Saturdays-Sundays.