Kids Programs
Queens Botanical Garden’s Kids Programs bring together youngsters from around New York City to enjoy seasonal, hands-on learning and gardening experiences year-round. Through exploration, nature study, and craft activities, we explore concepts of gardening and environmental stewardship at age-appropriate levels within each program. For information, contact [email protected] or 718.886.3800, ext. 218.
Know Before You Go:
Click the buttons below for more information for participating families of kids’ programs.
Fall 2026 Registration Coming Soon
[CLOSED] Scholarship: A limited number of need-based scholarships are available on a sliding scale. Families can request financial aid upon registration via Brightwheel. Applications for spring and summer programs are due via your registration on Sunday, February 8th. Recipients will be selected by lottery. We will notify recipients by evening of Monday, February 16th, 2026.
For Elementary
Children’s Garden
Pre-K to 5th grade | drop-off
The Children’s Garden is buzzing with life all year round! Kids enjoy time planting, playing, observing, and learning in a nurturing environment. Our programs encourage and support children’s natural curiosity with both structured and freeform exploration. From seed to table, young gardeners grow veggies, create art & recipes, explore in nature, and make lasting friendships.
This program is for drop-off only and takes place almost entirely outdoors. We kindly require that all children are able to use the bathroom independently.
*Lunch is not provided as a part of this program.
Spring 2026 [SOLD OUT]
Schedule:
- Eight weeks, two-hour session | Sundays | 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
- Sundays: April 19, 26, May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, & June 7
Cost: $400 Non-Member / $380 Family-Level+ Member
Summer 2026 [ALL SESSIONS SOLD OUT]
Schedule:
- Mondays to Thursdays, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
- Extended hours until 5:30 PM, $40/day
- Session 1: Botanical Builders – July 6–16 – Discover how humans learn from nature to build our cities and farms through observing natural patterns and creating models of plant and animal-made structures.
- Session 2: The Kitchen & Beyond – July 20– 30 – Explore the many ways people use plants to create a sense of home, through cooking, medicine, craft, and more.
- Session 3: Growing Artists – August 3–13 – Forage for materials in the garden and draw inspiration from nature to create art, music, poetry, performances, and more.
- Session 4: Trees & Me – August 17-20 – Connect with our city’s forest ecosystem to understand how trees function and how they care for our land, air, water, critters, and people!
Costs:
- Two-Week Sessions (8 days): $900 Non-Member / $855 Family+ Member
- One-Week Session (4 days, Session IV): $450 Non-Member / $427.50 Family+ Member
Register below:
Fall 2025 - click to expand
Fall 2025
Schedule:
- Eight weeks, two-hour session | 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
- Sundays: October 5, 19, 26, November 2, 9, 16, 23, Dec 7
Cost: $400 Non-Member / $380 Family-Level+ Member
For Toddlers
Garden Buds
Ages 2 & 3
Tailored to our youngest gardeners (ages 2 and 3), we invite you to connect with your little one to explore the wonder of nature through hands-on work and play in the garden. Together, you’ll harvest garden produce, create botanical crafts, and share stories and songs.
Each child must be accompanied by only one adult. Please, no siblings, unless you have a second adult to accompany. This program is held almost entirely outdoors.
Schedule:
- Sundays: Fall & Spring
- Fridays: Summer
- 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM OR 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Cost: $150 Non-Member / $142.50 Family-Level+ Member
Spring 2026 - click to expand
Spring 2026
April: Seeds & Sprouts
Awaken the garden with your little one, and plant seeds for this year’s crops!
Sundays: April 5, 12, 19, & 26
Register by Fri 3/27 to guarantee a seat.
May: Bees & Blooms
Buzz and blossom with the bees and flowers as you explore spring changes!
Sundays: May 3, 10, 17, & 24
Register by Fri 4/24 to guarantee a seat.
June: Blossoms & Berries
Enjoy the warmth and sweetness of berry season in the garden!
Sundays: May 31, June 7, 14, & 21
Register by Fri 5/22 to guarantee a seat.
Summer 2026
Play, learn, and harvest veggies in the bright summer sun!
Please note that Summer Garden Buds programs take place on FRIDAYS, rather than Sundays.
July: Summer Sunshine
Fridays: July 10, 17, 24, & 31
Register by Fri 7/3 to guarantee a seat.
August: Summer Sunshine II
Fridays: August 7, 14, 21, & 28
Register by Fri 7/31 to guarantee a seat.
Fall 2025 - click to expand
Fall 2025
Early Fall: Honey & Harvest
Celebrate the season’s harvest!
Sundays: September 28, October 5, 19, & 26
Register by Fri 9/12 to guarantee a seat.
Late Fall: Trees & Leaves
Help put the garden to sleep for winter!
Sundays: November 2, 9, 16, & 23
Register by Fri 10/10 to guarantee a seat.
For Middle Schoolers
Junior Naturalists
Students entering 6th-9th grade | drop-off
Spring 2026: Junior Naturalists Gardening Club
Schedule:
- Eight weeks, two-hour session | Sundays | 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
- Sundays: April 19, 26, May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, & June 7
Cost: $400 Non-Member / $380 Family-Level+ Member
Summer 2026
Plan a summer adventure for your middle schooler! Instructors challenge young naturalists to use their observation skills to understand how nature is a part of every day life. Budding ecologists will take on garden projects, learn how to identify local plants & animals, conduct scientific experiments, explore topics in environmental justice, and more!
Schedule:
Three 2-week sessions, one 1-week session. Mondays – Thursdays, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM.*
*Extended Hours until 5:30 PM (For an additional $40/day, Extended Hours are available as add-on at checkout.)
- Session 1: Botanical Builders – July 6 – 16
- Session 2: The Kitchen & Beyond – July 20 – 30
- Session 3: Growing Artists – August 3 -13
Cost:
- Two-Week Sessions (8 days): $900 Non-Member / $855 Family+ Member
Register Below:
Know Before You Go:
Click the buttons below for more information for participating families of kids’ programs.
Past Programs, Spring & Summer 2025
Spring & Summer Children’s Garden '25 - Click to Expand for Details
Children’s Garden
Ages 4-10 | drop-off
The Children’s Garden is buzzing with life all year round! Kids enjoy time planting, playing, observing, and learning in a nurturing environment. Our programs encourage and support children’s natural curiosity with both structured and freeform exploration. From seed to table, young gardeners grow veggies, create art & recipes, explore in nature, and make lasting friendships.
This program is for drop-off only and takes place almost entirely outdoors. We kindly require that all children are able to use the bathroom independently.
*Lunch is not provided as a part of this program.
Spring 2025
Schedule:
- Eight weeks, two-hour sessions | Saturdays or Sundays | 1 to 3pm:
- Sat: April 19, 26, May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 & June 7 or
- Sun: April 20, 27, May 4, 11, 18, 25, June 1, & 8
Cost: $400 Non-Member / $360 Family-Level+ Member
Summer 2025
Schedule:
- Mondays to Thursdays, 9am to 3pm
- Extended hours until 5:30pm, $40/day
- Session I: Botanical Builders – July 7–17 – Discover how humans learn from nature to build our cities and farms through observing natural patterns and creating models of plant and animal-made structures.
- Session II: The Kitchen & Beyond – July 21– 31 – Explore the many ways people use plants to create a sense of home, through cooking, medicine, craft, and more.
- Session III: Growing Artists – August 4–14 – Forage for materials in the garden and draw inspiration from nature to create art, music, poetry, performances, and more.
- Session IV: Trees & Me – August 18-21 – Connect with our city’s forest ecosystem to understand how trees function and how they care for our land, air, water, critters, and people!
Costs:
- Two-Week Sessions (8 days): $900 Non-Member / $810 Family+ Member
- One-Week Session (4 days, Session IV): $450 Non-Member / $405 Family+ Member
Spring & Summer Garden Buds '25 - Click to Expand for Details
Garden Buds
Ages 2 & 3
Tailored to our youngest gardeners (ages 2 and 3), we invite you to connect with your little one to explore the wonder of nature through hands-on work and play in the garden. Together, you’ll harvest garden produce, create botanical crafts, and share stories and songs.
Each child must be accompanied by only one adult. Please, no siblings, unless you have a second adult to accompany. This program is held almost entirely outdoors.
Cost: $150 Non-Member / $135 Family-Level+ Member
Schedule:
- April, May, June, and July sessions, four weekly sessions per month. Choose one weekly day (dates below) from each session.
- April session runs Saturdays or Sundays at 9:30am-10:30am or 11:00am-12:00pm
- May and June sessions run Friday at 10:00am-11:00am or Saturdays / Sundays at 9:30am-10:30am or 11:00am-12:00pm
- July session runs 10:00am-11:00am on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays
- August session runs 10:00am-11:00am on Fridays only
April: Seeds & Sprouts
Awaken the garden with your little one, and plant seeds for this year’s crops!
- Sat, April 5, 12, 19, 26
- Sun, April 6, 13, 20, 27
Register by Fri 3/28 to guarantee a seat.
May: Bees & Blooms
Buzz and blossom with the bees and flowers as you explore spring changes!
- Fri, May 2, 9, 16, 23
- Sat, May 3, 10, 17, 24
- Sun, May 4, 11, 18, 25
Register by Fri 4/25 to guarantee a seat.
June: Blossoms & Berries
Enjoy the warmth and sweetness of berry season in the garden!
- Fri, June 6, 13, 20, 27
- Sat, June 7, 14, 21, 28
- Sun, June 8, 15, 22, 29
Register by Fri 5/30 to guarantee a seat.
July: Summer Sunshine
Play, learn, and harvest veggies in the bright summer sun!
- Fri, July 11, 18, 25, 8/1
- Sat, July 12, 19, 26, 8/2
- Sun, July 13, 20, 27, 8/3
Register by Fri 7/4 to guarantee a seat.
NEW: AUGUST SESSION – Summer Sunshine
Fridays only: Fri, Aug 8, 15, 22, 29
Jr Naturalists '25 - Click to Expand for Details
Junior Naturalists
Students entering 6th-9th grade | drop-off
Plan a summer adventure for your middle schooler! Instructors challenge young naturalists to use their observation skills to understand how nature is a part of every day life. Budding ecologists will take on garden projects, learn how to identify local plants & animals, conduct scientific experiments, explore topics in environmental justice, and more!
Schedule:
Three 2-week sessions, one 1-week session. Mondays – Thursdays, 9:00am-3:00pm.*
*Extended Hours until 5:30pm (For an additional $40/day, Extended Hours are available as add-on at checkout.)
- Session I: Botanical Builders – July 7 – 17
- Session II: The Kitchen & Beyond – July 21 – 31
- Session III: Growing Artists – August 4 -14
Cost:
- Two-Week Sessions (8 days): $900 Non-Member / $810 Family+ Member
Past Programs, Winter 2025
School Holiday Programs: Mid-Winter Break - Click to Expand for Details
School Holiday Programs:
Mid-Winter Break
Ages 4-10 | drop-off
Schedule:
- Four Days During Mid-Winter Break: Tuesday, February 18 through Friday, February 21, 2025
- 9am – 3pm
$440 Non-Member / $396 Family-Level+ Member
Drop off your child to enjoy the Garden during their week off from school! Practice your scientist skills, create art using botanical materials, start veggies in our greenhouse, and connect with new friends this winter! Together, we’ll explore the work of Black scientists, gardeners, environmentalists, and food justice advocates, in celebration of Black History Month.
*Lunch is not provided as a part of this program.
Past Programs, Fall 2024
Fall Children’s Garden - Click to Expand for Details
Fall Children’s Garden
Ages 4-10 | drop-off
Schedule:
Eight weeks, two-hour sessions | Saturdays or Sundays | 1 to 3pm
- Saturdays, Sept 28, Oct 5, 12, 19, 26, Nov 2, 9, 16 OR
- Sundays, Sept 29, Oct 6, 13, 20, 27, Nov 3, 10, 17
$400 Non-Member / $360 Family-Level+ Member
The Children’s Garden is a fun and exciting place where kids spend time planting, playing, observing, and learning in a nurturing environment. Our program offers a blend of structured and freeform exploration, designed to provide children the supports they need to express their natural curiosity.
Young gardeners will learn to grow and harvest vegetables, bringing their food from seed to table, and then putting the garden to sleep for the winter. The program incorporates the garden as a resource to support nature discovery, hands-on time in the garden, thematic activities, botanical art, and science investigations.
This program is for drop-off only and takes place almost entirely outdoors. We kindly require that all children are able to use the bathroom independently.
*Lunch is not provided as a part of this program.
Fall Garden Buds - Click to Expand for Details
Fall Garden Buds
Ages 2 & 3
Schedule: four weekly occurrences per session. Choose one weekly day (dates below).
- Fridays, Oct 18, 25, Nov 1, 8
- Saturdays, Oct 19, 26, Nov 2, 9
- Sundays, Oct 20, 27, Nov 3, 10
Register by Friday, Oct 11 to guarantee a seat!
TIMES (one-hour duration):
- Fridays 9:30am-10:30am
- Saturdays 9:30am-10:30am OR 11:00am-12:00pm
- Sundays 9:30am-10:30am OR 11:00am-12:00pm
$150 Non-Member / $135 Family-Level+ Member
Tailored to our youngest gardeners (ages 2 and 3), we invite you to connect with your little one to explore the wonder of nature through hands-on work and play in the garden. Together, you’ll harvest garden produce, create botanical crafts, share stories and songs, and help put the garden to sleep for winter.
Each child must be accompanied by only one adult. Please, no siblings, unless you have a second adult to accompany. This program is held almost entirely outdoors.
Fall School Holiday Programs - Click to Expand for Details
Fall School Holiday Programs
Ages 4-10 | drop-off
Schedule:
Drop-off on DOE School Holidays | 9 to 3pm
- Indigenous Peoples’ Day, October 14
- Diwali, November 1
- Election Day, November 5
$110 Non-Member / $99 Family-Level+ Member
Drop off your child to enjoy the garden on their day off from school! Children will participate in seasonal activities and learn about holidays & traditions of the fall season.
This program is for drop-off only and takes place both indoors and outdoors. We kindly require that all children are able to use the bathroom independently.
*Lunch is not provided as a part of this program.