The Botanical Garden is a wonderful place for families and children. To enhance your visit, we offer a number of special programs designed for families with young children.

N.C. Botanical Garden, UNC-CH campus, 100 Old Mason Farm Rd., Chapel Hill  919-962-0522

Unless otherwise indicated, pre-registration is necessary for all programs.  Registration Form:
http://ncbg.unc.edu/uploads/files/Class&WorkshopRegistrationForm_Dec10.pdf

You may register in person at our Education Center OR call the Garden at 919-962-0522, weekdays 8 - 5, to verify space availability and then please fill out the registration form [PDF] and mail with your payment to: North Carolina Botanical Garden. Attn: Education Department, University of N. Carolina at Chapel Hill, Campus Box 3375, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3375

Signs of Spring Family Hike
Saturday, March 24; 1:00 - 2:30 pm
For ages 5+ with an adult: Who's singing in the vernal pools? What's blooming up from beneath the fallen leaves? Celebrate the Spring Equinox exploring the gardens and trails for signs that the natural world is waking from its winter slumber. We'll learn some spring facts and folklore and search for amphibians, bursting buds, early birds, and other spring surprises. Fee, per family up to 3 people: $15 ($10 NCBG members); $5 per additional child.

Blazing-Stars: Afterschool Nature Club
Thursdays, March 15 - April 26 (no class 4/5); 3:30 - 5:00 pm
For Kindergarten through 1st Grade: Join us for this afterschool series designed for kids interested in learning more about nature and science first-hand. Explore the natural cycles that turn the world around! We’ll develop our understanding of ecology as we investigate animal, plant, water, and rock cycles, trek the trails, and play games. This program offers an exciting complement to your child’s education and an opportunity to explore outdoors. Homeschoolers welcome! Fee: $75 ($70 NCBG members), for all 6 sessions.

Magic in the Garden: Sculpture-Making & Fairy House Building
Saturday, April 28; 10:00 am - 12:30 pm
For families! The young and the young-at-heart are invited to join us for an enchanting afternoon of family fun in the Garden! Create a magical woodland creature from concrete and recycled objects with local artist Forrest Greenslade (forrestgreenslade.com). Then listen to a reading from Tracy Kane's "Fairy Houses" book to inspire you to use natural materials to create magical homes for fairies, elves, and other wee folk that will transform the new children's Wonder Garden into a fairy village! Assorted materials will be provided, but your whimsical additions are encouraged: twigs, grasses, stones, pine cones, seedpods, shells, and more. Bring your imagination and love of ­nature . . . and come dressed in your most magical costume! Fee, per child: $10 ($8 NCBG members).

Bluets: Preschoolers Exploring Nature
March 20 - May 1 (no class on 4/3); 1:30 - 3:30 pm
For ages 4 - 5:Learning comes naturally for 4 and 5 year olds during this fun-filled series that encourages exploration and fosters a sense of wonder for the natural world through hands-on activities, outdoor exploration, stories, crafts, puppet shows, and group play. Preschoolers will "dig in" to our children's vegetable garden this spring, dip nets in the pond for tadpoles, observe birds up close from the new bird blind, and more. Healthy snack provided. Homeschoolers welcome.
And in case you are wondering . . . Bluets are small, dainty, but tough little wildflowers of the palest shades of blue that bloom with upturned faces in our yards and gardens every spring! Fee: $100 ($90 NCBG members) for all 6 sessions.

Nature Tales: Storytime in the Garden
May 3 thru August 16) 10:00 - 10:45 am
For 2 - 5 year olds with a parent/caregiver: Join us on Thursday mornings to listen to nature-themed books at the Storyteller's Chair; then enjoy hands-on explorations and activities in the gardens. Program is held rain or shine. Program is held rain or shine. Pre-registration is required. Fee: $5/family per date (no more than three children per adult, please!). Here is our line-up of themes for the first month of Nature Tales: 5/3 Frog Fun 5/10 - Terrific Trees; 5/17 Bird Bonanza; 5/24 Flower Power; 5/31 Things with Wings

Young Ecoscapers—a new opportunity for home schoolers!
Part I: Wednesdays, April 11 - May 16, 2012; 1:30 - 4:00 pm
Part II: Wednesdays, Oct 10 - Nov 14, 2012; 1:30 - 4:00 pm
Young Ecoscapers is an exciting new two-part program designed for home-educated 10 to 13 year olds. Students will learn about pollination and native pollinators, conduct soil studies, grow native plants, and design and install a pollinator garden in our new children’s Wonder Garden. This project will provide participants with a unique opportunity to create an eco-friendly landscape from beginning to end. Students will be leaders in every aspect of the creation of the garden, including the planning, planting, maintainenance, and interpretation of this space for the public. This course will teach basic tenets of ecology in an applied way, as well as the process of landscape design. Most importantly, students will produce a tangible product of their learning process that they feel a sense of pride and ownership in—a garden designed by kids and for kids. This course is taught for 6 weeks in spring 2012 and an additional 6 weeks in fall 2012. Classes will be held once a week on Wednesdays for 2.5 hours. The group will be limited to 15 students, and two of the Garden's own environmental educators will guide the project. Fee: $300 ($270 NCBG members) for 12 sessions of 2.5 hours, to be paid in two installments in winter and summer. The two parts can be booked separately.