Gardens’ children’s programs in full swing


Daily children’s activities begin this week at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay. Kids who visit the Bibby and Harold Alfond Children’s Garden can enjoy Storytime in the Garden at 10 a.m. and a puppet theater at 11 a.m. They can feed the chickens at 11:30 a.m. and take part in nature investigations at 2 p.m.
Starting in July, every Friday will be Fairy Friday, when storytime focuses on fairy stories, there’s Sugar Plum Fairy dancing on the maze, and the Great Bubble Machine will churn out oodles of bubbles. Other activities will make Fairy Fridays special, too. A treasure hunt will reveal fantastic fairy houses.
On July 19, the Celtic group Naia will perform fairy music on the Great Lawn. During the first weekend in August, face painting and fairy teas will be offered, in addition to the Fairy Friday activities. Costumes for little fairies, elves, gnomes, and wizards are, of course, always welcome; and there will be a dress-up box in the Keeper’s Cottage on Fairy Fridays for anyone who forgets to bring wings.
The Education Department is presenting “Little Diggers,” a series of gardening and nature programs for ages 3-5, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. every other Thursday, including June 27. Children can attend one or many of the programs in this series that continues through August 22.
Fun in the Garden youth classes include the following: “Green Thumbs,” for ages 6 and up (June 28, July 26, August 19); “Bug Safari” for ages 4-7 (July 2, August 5); “Fantastic Flowers” for ages 7 and up (July 13, August 6); and TREEmendous Trees for two ages groups, 4-6 and 7 and up (July 22, August 10).
For these, too, children may attend one or more of the sessions. Gardens Activity Passports are available and offer discounts on multiple programs or for multiple children.
The first camp of the season is Nature Explorers Camp for ages 9-11, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. each day from July 8-12. Then come several five-day camps offering programs for ages 4-5 from 9:30 a.m. to noon and ages 6-8 from 1 to 3:30 p.m. These are Nature Adventure Camp from July 15-19 or July 29-August 2 and Garden Explorers Camp from August 12-16.
The new twig tunnel in the Children’s Garden’s Traditional Arts Area is a big hit with kids. Families will also enjoy a July 6 field trip to the Viles Arboretum, a 224-acre preserve in Augusta that boasts an extensive botanical collection.
To sign up, or for more information about any of these programs, visit www.mainegardens.org or call 207-633-4333, ext. 101. Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is on Barters Island Road in Boothbay.
Event Date
Address
United States