Adkins Arboretum will again offer its popular programs for three- to five-year-olds this spring. Classes are offered as a series of six programs and are available in Monday or Tuesday sessions.
Pre-registration is required for preschool programs. The fee is $45 for members, $55 for the general public for all six classes in the series. Classes run from 10 to 11:15 a.m. and include a craft and a snack. Enrollment is limited, so early registration is recommended. Register online at www.adkinsarboretum.org, or call 410-634-2847, extension 0.
Sproutin’ Seeds
April 12 and 13
It’s time to start thinking about your summer garden! Learn how seeds grow by becoming a seed, and plant nifty plastic bag beans that you will be able to watch as they sprout. Then visit the Arboretum hoop house to enjoy a picnic snack.
Which Nest is Best?
April 19 and 20
Now that spring is here, many birds are busy building nests for their babies. Take a peek inside the Arboretum’s bluebird houses, hold a nest in your hands, and learn about the different ways birds build their homes. Children will share a bird’s nest snack and make a nest craft to take home.
Magic in the Funshine Garden
April 26 and 27
Explore the Funshine Garden with a spring scavenger hunt, and learn about the wonders of each garden bed. Peek in the bean tepee, nibble lettuce from the bunny patch, and plant the annual Arboretum sunflower house. Back in the classroom, children will make sticker gardens and munch crunchy veggie snacks.
May Day
May 3 and 4
Search for lady slipper flowers in the woods after a lesson on these lovely native orchids. Children will make a bouquet of paper flowers to take home and celebrate May Day by twirling around the maypole and sharing flower cookies.
Beautiful Butterflies
May 10 and 11
The butterflies are back! Explore the butterfly’s transformation from lowly caterpillar to winged beauty, and flutter your wings to the tune of the “Butterfly Ball.” We’ll look for butterflies and their larvae in the Funshine Garden and listen to Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar while eating a picnic snack.
Talkin’ About Tadpoles
May 17 and 18
No need to feel stuck in a bog! Spring is in full swing, and so are the Arboretum peepers! Learn about the lifecycle of our favorite amphibians, from tadpole to pollywog to frog. Stomp your feet to the “Pollywog Wiggle,” make a tadpole thumbprint craft, and get up close and personal with froggy friends on the wetland boardwalk.
Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden and preserve at the headwaters of the Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline County. Open year round, the Arboretum offers educational programs for all ages about nature and gardening. Through its Campaign to Build a Green Legacy, the Arboretum will build a new LEED-certified Arboretum Center and entranceway to broaden educational offerings and research initiatives promoting best practices in conservation and land stewardship. For additional information about Arboretum programs, visit www.adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847, ext. 0.