Atlanta Botanical Garden
Atlanta, Georgia
The gardens partnered with the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta to create the two-acre children's garden. Kids can visit Peter Rabbit's garden and see what McGregor is growing or learn about carnivorous plants like the Venus flytrap in the Soggy Bog–themed garden. The critter tour shows how tiny creatures make their homes among plants, and the Sheffield Botanical Library has garden-themed storybooks and puppet playtime.
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Brooklyn, New York
The children's garden was created in 1914 as a way to preserve nature during Brooklyn's transition to an industrial society, and kids were encouraged to plant on the plots themselves. Today the garden is the largest and oldest in the country, so make sure to tell your kid about the work has been done by more than 800 children. Don't miss the outdoor adventure garden and the Plant Discovery Carts, which are filled with natural objects, puzzles, and teaching tools.
Cleveland Botanical Garden
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland's Hershey Children's Garden encourages exploration through its cave, dwarf forests, worm bins, and herb garden. Other highlights are the fruit and berry garden, the butterfly shelters, and wheelchair-accessible treehouse.
Denver Botanic Gardens
Denver, Colorado
The Denver Botanic Garden has three different locations throughout the city. At the York Street garden, children can walk along the Secret Path, which is dotted with hidden passageways, musical instruments, a teepee, and pick-and-plant areas. Pick up a Family Guide for kid-friendly information and activities about the gardens and plans.
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
Richmond, Virginia
The International Village has kid-size models of houses (stocked with miniature home goods) from countries all over the world and is surrounded by plants native to each country. Other features include a birds and butterflies meadow, a water-play area, and a sand-activity area. There are also farm plots where kids can plant, cultivate, and harvest produce, which is then sent to a local food bank.
Longwood Gardens
Kennett Square, Pennsylvania
The newest addition to Longwood is an indoor garden with 30 different water features sited among the plants. They include a steam-generating pond, a rain pavilion, and an ebbing water curtain. At the Bee-aMazed Children's Garden, young guests can follow a path that mimics the flight of a honeybee, walk through a hexagon-shaped maze, and visit a fountain that teaches about the five basic parts of a flower. You'll also find three beautiful large-scale tree houses in the gardens.
McConnell Arboretum and Botanical Gardens
Redding, California
The children's garden at the McConnell Arboretum is linked to the Sacramento River trail and incorporates water features with a decorative mosaic, part play structure and part ornamental fountain. The garden also has a breathtaking sundial bridge and a picnic grove filled with art and plants.
Missouri Botanical Garden
St. Louis, Missouri
The Doris L. Schnuck Children's Garden has seven stations and 21 activities. Kids can grab a headlamp and explore the on-site cave or climb through a canopy to learn about trees. The garden also has a simulated wetland, which illustrates how this natural resource cleans water and absorbs runoff.
Quail Botanical Gardens
Encinitas, California
At the new one-acre Hamilton Children's Garden, kids can crawl through roots and climb up the 20-foot-tall Baynan tree to a tree house, meander through the mazes, and work the pottery wheels in the arts garden. Young athletes can jump around the rock-hoppers garden, and animal fans will love the birds and butterflies garden.
