The Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens will kick-off its 2017 season once again with the Butterflies in the Garden exhibit, presented with support from MSU Federal Credit Union.

The butterflies will be on display from March 15 to April 30, 2017 in the Indoor Michigan 4-H Children’s Garden at Michigan State University. The Butterflies in the Garden exhibit is open to the public from 2-4 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. Butterflies will have extended hours and special activities during spring break, April 3-7, 2017 from 1-4 p.m. It will be closed Easter Sunday, April 16.

In addition to the butterfly exhibit, the garden hosts a variety of programs for youth and families around various themes.

General admission to the Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens and Butterflies in the Garden exhibit are free, but donations are appreciated. Some events have a $5 fee. There is a parking fee on weekdays. Visit 4hgarden.msu.edu for more information and to pre-register for events.

Download the full calendar with event descriptions and details.

Download the full calendar with event descriptions and details.

Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens Spring & Summer 2017 Calendar

• Butterfly Day – Apr. 15, 10 a.m.-noon
  Join us in celebrating another exciting season of “Butterflies in the Garden.” Come and explore the secret life of butterflies in the Indoor 4-H Children’s Garden. We will discover the amazing butterfly life cycle, create butterfly gardens to take home, and much more. Cost per child: $5, parking free.
• Plant Sale – May 20 from 7 a.m.-2 p.m.
  Our plant sale features divisions from the DeLapa Perennial Garden as well as annuals, vegetables, succulents, houseplants, trees and shrubs. Cost per child: $5, parking free.
• Garden Geocache Event – June 10, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
  Cache veterans and new enthusiasts are welcome at this geocaching adventure. Bring your picnic lunch and enjoy a day of caching in the garden. We will be finding new caches, trading travel bugs, exploring the gardens and much more. If you have a GPS unit please bring it to this event. If you do not have one, we will provide one. Cost per child: Free , parking free.
• Storybook Tea Party – June 20, 10 a.m.- noon
  Join us and our garden storybook friends for a spot of tea and garden fun. Come dressed as your favorite storybook character and enjoy tea, activities and of course stories! SPECIAL ADDITION: Some of our readers will be the teens that are part of Stories in the Garden! Registration required. Cost per child: $5, parking not included.*
• Digger Day – June 29, 10 a.m.-noon
  Come to the garden and explore the world of diggers. Front-end loaders, dump trucks and backs hoes, all of these tools help with projects both big and small in our communities. MSU Infrastructure Planning and Facilities will bring some of MSU’s biggest and best equipment to the garden for us to explore. We will also have activities and crafts so come ready to dig and get dirty at this new event! Cost per child: $5, parking not included.*
• Garden Writers Workshop – July 11-13, 10 a.m.-noon
  Young writers will learn about the wonderful world of writing in the garden. Using the garden as their inspiration, campers will connect writing to nature, creating poems, stories, plays and much more. Ages 7 and up. (Limited to 20 participants). Cost per child: $30 for all three days, parking not included.* 
• Stories in the Garden – July 12 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
  Teens will be reading stories to younger children – a magical time of fun and learning. Great for kids 0 to 100! Cost per child: free, parking not included.*
• Train Day – July 20, 10 a.m.-noon
  All aboard! Join us in celebrating our love for locomotives with the Lansing Model Railroad Club and the Capital Area Railway Society. Watch trains of all shapes and sizes, help us construct a train village in the garden, discover what happens on the tracks and much more! Cost per child: $5, parking not included.* 
• Water Day – July 25, 9 a.m.-noon
  Come cool off from the summer heat and have fun in the garden with water. We will play water games, do water art and explore all things fun about water. Come ready to get wet! Cost per child: $5, parking not included.*
• Bug Day – July 27, 10 a.m.-noon
  We cannot get enough of these amazing six-legged friends! Join us for what has become an annual tribute to insects in the garden. We will be collecting bugs, observing bugs, making bugs and even writing poetry about bugs! Our friends from the MSU Bug House will be back this year with their amazing collections of insects from all over the world! Cost per child: $5, parking not included.*
• Camp Monet – Aug. 8-10, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
  Young artists will love spending three days in the garden creating marvelous projects. Campers will use inspiration from the garden to make projects that involve sketching, painting, sculpting, dying, weaving and much more! Lunch will not be provided, so please bring a lunch each day. We will eat together in the garden. Ages 7 and up. (Limited to 20 participants.) Registration required. Cost per child: $70 for all three days, parking not included.*
• Garden Chefs from Garden to Table – Aug. 15 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
  Join us in the garden and learn all about interesting edibles and how to make delicious, easy creations. Each session will focus on a different theme and we will prepare a delicious and nutritious lunch using items from the garden. Ages 7 and up. This is a drop off program. Cost per child: $25 per person, parking not included.*
• Bubble Day – Aug. 17, 10 a.m.-noon
  Come celebrate the end of summer vacation at the garden with bubbles! As we explore the wonderful world of bubbles we will paint, eat, and even make music with bubbles. Don’t forget to invite your friends and family to come to this bubblelicious bash! Cost per child: $5, parking not included.*
• Dinosaur Day – Aug. 22, 10 a.m.-noon
  Come and explore the exciting world of dinosaurs in the garden. We will uncover dinosaur mysteries; discover what plants they ate, and learn what the earth was like when dinosaurs roamed here. Cost per child: $5, parking not included.*
• Stories in the Garden – Aug. 23 from 7-8:30 p.m.
  Teens will be reading stories to younger children – a magical time of fun and learning. Great for kids 0 to 100! Cost per child: free, parking free.
• Holiday Open House – Dec. 7, 5-7 p.m.
  Enjoy our displays of poinsettias and 16′ poinsettia tree under evening lights. Bring your camera and the kids. Santa will arrive in his sleigh at 5:30 pm. MSU Poinsettias, centerpieces, and wreaths will be for sale. Enjoy some holiday refreshments. Cost per child: free, parking free.

Stories for Sprouts & Seedlings
This program is designed especially for young children, ages 2-4, to experience the wonders of gardening through stories and hands-on projects. Each month a different book is featured with an accompanying gardening activity. This program occurs the third Wednesday of the month from 10-11 a.m.

• May 17 from 10-11 a.m. – Syliva’s Spinach by Katherine Pryor.
• June 21 from 10-11 a.m. – In Mary’s Garden by Tina Kugler.
• July 19 from 10-11 a.m. – Over in the Garden by Jennifer Ward.
• Aug. 16 from 10-11 a.m. – The Dinosaur Farm by Frann Preston-Gannon.
• Sept. 20 from 10-11 a.m. – Because of an Acorn by Lola M. Schaefer.
• Oct. 18 from 10-11 a.m. – From Apple Tree to Cider Please by Felicia Sanzari Chernesky.

*The MSU Horticulture Garden parking meters are a cash/credit system. Parking can be paid at the meter and the machines accept both credit and U.S. coins. The charge for parking is $0.25 for 8 minutes. There is a $1.80 minimum for credit card charges. All major credit cards accepted.

The spring and summer 2018 4-H Children’s Gardens family program calendar is now available!

The Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens will kick-off its 2018 season once again with the Butterflies in the Garden exhibit. The butterflies will be on display from March 15 to April 30, 2018 in the Indoor Michigan 4-H Children’s Garden at Michigan State University. The Butterflies in the Garden exhibit is open to the public from 2-4 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. Butterflies will have extended hours and special activities during spring break, April 2-7, 2018 from 1-4 p.m. It will be closed Easter Sunday, April 1.

In addition to the butterfly exhibit, the garden hosts a variety of programs for youth and families around various themes.

General admission to the Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens and Butterflies in the Garden exhibit are free, but donations are appreciated. Some events have a $5 fee. There is a parking fee on weekdays. Visit 4hgarden.msu.edu for more information and to pre-register for events.

Download the full calendar with event descriptions and details.

MICHIGAN 4-H CHILDREN’S GARDENS SPRING & SUMMER 2018 CALENDAR

• Butterfly Day – Apr. 28, 10 a.m.-noon
  Join us in celebrating another exciting season of “Butterflies in the Garden.” Come and explore the secret life of butterflies in the Indoor 4-H Children’s Garden. We will discover the amazing butterfly life cycle, create butterfly gardens to take home, and much more. Cost per child: $5, parking free.
• Plant Sale – May 19 from 7 a.m.-2 p.m.
  Our plant sale features hanging baskets, perennials, annuals, grasses, herbs, vegetable seedlings, shrubs and more.
• Garden Geocache Event – June 9, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
  Cache veterans and new enthusiasts are welcome at this geocaching adventure. Bring your picnic lunch and enjoy a day of caching in the garden. We will be finding new caches, trading travel bugs, exploring the gardens and much more. If you have a GPS unit please bring it to this event. If you do not have one, we will provide one. Cost per child: Free , parking free.
• Superhero Tea Party – June 19, 10 a.m.- noon
  Come dressed as your favorite superhero and celebrate with a tea party in the garden. Participants will have a chance to share tea and treats with friends and then journey into the garden for a variety of fun make-and-take activities. Registration required. Cost per child: $5, parking not included.*
• Stories in the Garden – June 19 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
  Teens will be reading stories to younger children – a magical time of fun and learning. Great for kids 0 to 100! Cost per child: free, parking not included.*
• Digger Day – June 28, 10 a.m.-noon
  Come to the garden and explore the world of diggers. Front-end loaders, dump trucks and backs hoes, all of these tools help with projects both big and small in our communities. MSU Infrastructure Planning and Facilities will bring some of MSU’s biggest and best equipment to the garden for us to explore. We will also have activities and crafts so come ready to dig and get dirty at this new event! Cost per child: $5, parking not included.*
• Garden 25th Birthday Bash – July 14, 10 a.m.-noon
  We will celebrate the gardens silver birthday with activities throughout all the gardens, including container gardens, tours, and of course cake and ice cream. Cost per child: free.
• Garden Writers Workshop – July 10-12, 10 a.m.-noon
  Young writers will learn about the wonderful world of writing in the garden. Using the garden as their inspiration, campers will connect writing to nature, creating poems, stories, plays and much more. Ages 7 and up. (Limited to 20 participants). Cost per child: $30 for all three days, parking not included.*
• Stories in the Garden – July 11, 7-8:30 p.m.
  Teens will be reading stories to younger children – a magical time of fun and learning. Great for kids 0 to 100! Cost per child: free.
• Train Day – July 19, 10 a.m.-noon
  All aboard! Join us in celebrating our love for locomotives with the Lansing Model Railroad Club and the Capital Area Railway Society. Watch trains of all shapes and sizes, help us construct a train village in the garden, discover what happens on the tracks and much more! Cost per child: $5, parking not included.*
• Water Day – July 26, 10 a.m.-noon
  Come cool off from the summer heat and have fun in the garden with water. We will play water games, do water art and explore all things fun about water. Come ready to get wet! Cost per child: $5, parking not included.*
• Bug Day – July 31, 10 a.m.-noon
  We cannot get enough of these amazing six-legged friends! Join us for what has become an annual tribute to insects in the garden. We will be collecting bugs, observing bugs, making bugs and even writing poetry about bugs! Our friends from the MSU Bug House will be back this year with their amazing collections of insects from all over the world! Cost per child: $5, parking not included.*
• Camp Monet – Aug. 7-9, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
  Young artists will love spending three days in the garden creating marvelous projects. Campers will use inspiration from the garden to make projects that involve sketching, painting, sculpting, dying, weaving and much more! Lunch will not be provided, so please bring a lunch each day. We will eat together in the garden. Ages 7 and up. (Limited to 20 participants.) Registration required. Cost per child: $70 for all three days, parking not included.*
• Garden Chefs from Garden to Table – Aug. 14, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
  Join us in the garden and learn all about interesting edibles and how to make delicious, easy creations. Each session will focus on a different theme and we will prepare a delicious and nutritious lunch using items from the garden. Ages 7 and up. This is a drop off program. Registration required. Cost per child: $25 per person, parking not included.*
• Bubble Day – Aug. 16, 10 a.m.-noon
  Come celebrate the end of summer vacation at the garden with bubbles! As we explore the wonderful world of bubbles we will paint, eat, and even make music with bubbles. Don’t forget to invite your friends and family to come to this bubblelicious bash! Cost per child: $5, parking not included.*
• Stories in the Garden – Aug. 22, 10-11:30 a.m.
  Teens will be reading stories to younger children – a magical time of fun and learning. Great for kids 0 to 100! Cost per child: free, parking not included.*
• Holiday Open House – Dec. 7, 5-7 p.m.
  Enjoy our displays of poinsettias and 16′ poinsettia tree under evening lights. Bring your camera and the kids. Santa will arrive in his sleigh at 5:30 pm. MSU Poinsettias, centerpieces, and wreaths will be for sale. Enjoy some holiday refreshments. Cost per child: free, parking free.

Please register in advance for these events at http://4hgarden.msu.edu/register/register-family.html. 

Stories for Sprouts & Seedlings
This program is designed especially for young children, ages 2-4, to experience the wonders of gardening through stories and hands-on projects. Each month a different book is featured with an accompanying gardening activity. This program occurs the third Wednesday of the month from 10-11 a.m.

• May 16, 10-11 a.m. — Butterfly Park by Etlly MacKay
• June 20, 10-11 a.m. — Where do Diggers Sleep at Night? by Brianna Caplan Sayres
• July 18, 10-11 a.m. — Good Trick Walking Stick by Sheri M. Bestor
• August 15, 10-11 a.m. — Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
• September 19, 10-11 a.m. — Surprise in the Meadow by Anna Vojtech
• October 17, 10-11 a.m. — Little Boo by Stephen Wunderli

 *The MSU Horticulture Garden parking meters are a cash/credit system. Parking can be paid at the meter and the machines accept both credit and U.S. coins. The charge for parking is $0.25 for 8 minutes. There is a $1.80 minimum for credit card charges. All major credit cards accepted.

THE SPRING AND SUMMER 2019 4-H CHILDREN’S GARDENS FAMILY PROGRAM CALENDAR IS NOW AVAILABLE!

The Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens will kick-off its 2019 season once again with the Butterflies in the Garden exhibit. The butterflies will be on display from March 15 to April 30, 2019 in the Indoor Michigan 4-H Children’s Garden at Michigan State University. The Butterflies in the Garden exhibit is open to the public from 2-4 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. Butterflies will have extended hours and special activities during spring break, April 1-5, 2019 from 1-4 p.m. It will be closed Easter Sunday, April 21.

In addition to the butterfly exhibit, the garden hosts a variety of programs for youth and families around various themes.

General admission to the Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens and Butterflies in the Garden exhibit are free, but donations are appreciated. Some events have a $5 fee. There is a parking fee on weekdays. Visit 4hgarden.msu.edu for more information and to pre-register for events.

Download the full calendar with event descriptions and details.

MICHIGAN 4-H CHILDREN’S GARDENS SPRING & SUMMER 2019 CALENDAR

• Butterfly Day – Apr. 27, 10 a.m.-noon
  Join us in celebrating another exciting season of “Butterflies in the Garden.” Come and explore the secret life of butterflies in the Indoor 4-H Children’s Garden. We will discover the amazing butterfly life cycle, create butterfly gardens to take home, and much more. Cost per child: $5, parking free.
• Plant Sale – May 18 from 7 a.m.-2 p.m.
  Our plant sale features hanging baskets, perennials, annuals, grasses, herbs, vegetable seedlings, shrubs and more.
• Garden Geocache Event – June 1, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
  Cache veterans and new enthusiasts are welcome at this geocaching adventure. Bring your picnic lunch and enjoy a day of caching in the garden. We will be finding new caches, trading travel bugs, exploring the gardens and much more. If you have a GPS unit please bring it to this event. If you do not have one, we will provide one. Cost per child: Free , parking free.
• Stories in the Garden – June 12 from 7-8:30 p.m.
  Teens will be reading stories to younger children – a magical time of fun and learning. Great for kids 0 to 100! Cost per child: free.
• Mad Hatter Tea Party – June 19, 10 a.m.- noon
  Bring a friend and join us for a spot of tea and cake in the garden. Please wear your fanciest hat, and costumes are quite acceptable. We will be playing games, making hats and much more. Registration required. Cost per child: $5, parking not included.*
• Digger Day – June 27, 10 a.m.-noon
  Come to the garden and explore the world of diggers. Front-end loaders, dump trucks and backs hoes, all of these tools help with projects both big and small in our communities. MSU Infrastructure Planning and Facilities will bring some of MSU’s biggest and best equipment to the garden for us to explore. We will also have activities and crafts so come ready to dig and get dirty at this new event! Cost per child: $5, parking not included.*
• Garden Writers Workshop – July 9-11, 10 a.m.-noon
  Young writers will learn about the wonderful world of writing in the garden. Using the garden as their inspiration, campers will connect writing to nature, creating poems, stories, plays and much more. Ages 7 and up. (Limited to 20 participants). Cost per child: $30 for all three days, parking not included.*
• Stories in the Garden – July 10, 10-11:30 a.m.
  Teens will be reading stories to younger children – a magical time of fun and learning. Great for kids 0 to 100! Cost per child: free, parking not included.*
• Train Day – July 18, 10 a.m.-noon
  All aboard! Join us in celebrating our love for locomotives with the Lansing Model Railroad Club and the Capital Area Railway Society. Watch trains of all shapes and sizes, help us construct a train village in the garden, discover what happens on the tracks and much more! Cost per child: $5, parking not included.*
• Water Day – July 25, 10 a.m.-noon
  Come cool off from the summer heat and have fun in the garden with water. We will play water games, do water art and explore all things fun about water. Come ready to get wet! Cost per child: $5, parking not included.*
• Bug Day – July 31, 10 a.m.-noon
  We cannot get enough of these amazing six-legged friends! Join us for what has become an annual tribute to insects in the garden. We will be collecting bugs, observing bugs, making bugs and even writing poetry about bugs! Our friends from the MSU Bug House will be back this year with their amazing collections of insects from all over the world! Cost per child: $5, parking not included.*
• Camp Monet – Aug. 6-8, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
  Young artists will love spending three days in the garden creating marvelous projects. Campers will use inspiration from the garden to make projects that involve sketching, painting, sculpting, dying, weaving and much more! Lunch will not be provided, so please bring a lunch each day. We will eat together in the garden. Ages 7 and up. (Limited to 20 participants.) Registration required. Cost per child: $70 for all three days, parking not included.*
• Garden Chefs from Garden to Table – Aug. 13, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
  Join us in the garden and learn all about interesting edibles and how to make delicious, easy creations. Each session will focus on a different theme and we will prepare a delicious and nutritious lunch using items from the garden. Ages 7 and up. This is a drop off program. Registration required. Cost per child: $25 per person, parking not included.*
• Bubble Day – Aug. 15, 10 a.m.-noon
  Come celebrate the end of summer vacation at the garden with bubbles! As we explore the wonderful world of bubbles we will paint, eat, and even make music with bubbles. Don’t forget to invite your friends and family to come to this bubblelicious bash! Cost per child: $5, parking not included.*
• Stories in the Garden – Aug. 14, 7-8:30 p.m.
  Teens will be reading stories to younger children – a magical time of fun and learning. Great for kids 0 to 100! Cost per child: free.
• Holiday Open House – Dec. 5, 5-7 p.m.
  Enjoy our displays of poinsettias and 16′ poinsettia tree under evening lights. Bring your camera and the kids. Santa will arrive in his sleigh at 5:30 pm. MSU Poinsettias, centerpieces, and wreaths will be for sale. Enjoy some holiday refreshments. Cost per child: free, parking free.

Please register in advance for these events at http://4hgarden.msu.edu/register/register-family.html. 

Stories for Sprouts & Seedlings
This program is designed especially for young children, ages 2-4, to experience the wonders of gardening through stories and hands-on projects. Each month a different book is featured with an accompanying gardening activity. This program occurs the third Wednesday of the month from 10-11 a.m.

• May 15, 10-11 a.m. — Monarch and Milkweed by Helen Frost and Leonid Gore
• June 19, 10-11 a.m. — Up in the Garden Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner
• July 17, 10-11 a.m. — My Busy Green Garden by Terry Pierce
• August 21, 10-11 a.m. — Sunflower House by Eve Bunting
• September 18, 10-11 a.m. — Your Nest Here with Me by Helen Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple
• October 16, 10-11 a.m. — Bloom by Deborah Diesen

 *You must park in a space designated as a “Pay by Plate” parking space. Signage has been installed in these areas. Parking spaces not marked at “Pay by Plate” may be reserved for permit parking. Parking in a space not designated as “Pay by Plate” parking may result in a parking violation. Immediately after parking, enter license plate number and payment into the lot’s SPOTON pay station or via the MSU SPOTON app. Pay stations accept cash payment or credit cards. They do not give change back nor are refunds issue for time paid for, but not used.

THE SPRING AND SUMMER 2020 4-H CHILDREN’S GARDENS FAMILY PROGRAM CALENDAR IS NOW AVAILABLE!

The Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens will kick-off its 2019 season once again with the Butterflies in the Garden exhibit. The butterflies will be on display from March 15 to April 30, 2020 in the Indoor Michigan 4-H Children’s Garden at Michigan State University. The Butterflies in the Garden exhibit is open to the public from 2-4 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. Butterflies will have extended hours and special activities during spring break, April 1-5, 2020 from 1-4 p.m. It will be closed Easter Sunday, April 12.

In addition to the butterfly exhibit, the garden hosts a variety of programs for youth and families around various themes.

General admission to the Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens and Butterflies in the Garden exhibit are free, but donations are appreciated. Some events have a $5 fee. There is a parking fee on weekdays. Visit 4hgarden.msu.edu for more information and to pre-register for events.

Download the full calendar with event descriptions and details.

MICHIGAN 4-H CHILDREN’S GARDENS SPRING & SUMMER 2020 CALENDAR

• Butterfly Day – Apr. 25, 10 a.m.-noon
  Join us in celebrating another exciting season of “Butterflies in the Garden.” Come and explore the secret life of butterflies in the Indoor 4-H Children’s Garden. We will discover the amazing butterfly life cycle, create butterfly gardens to take home, and much more. Cost per child: $5, parking free.
• Plant Sale – May 18 from 7 a.m.-2 p.m.
  Our plant sale features hanging baskets, perennials, annuals, grasses, herbs, vegetable seedlings, shrubs and more.
• Garden Geocache Event – June 6, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
  Cache veterans and new enthusiasts are welcome at this geocaching adventure. Bring your picnic lunch and enjoy a day of caching in the garden. We will be finding new caches, trading travel bugs, exploring the gardens and much more. If you have a GPS unit please bring it to this event. If you do not have one, we will provide one. For those that are new to geocaching come to the introduction class Geocaching 101, 10-11 am B109 Plant and Soil Sciences. Cost Per Child: free and parking free.
• Garden Writers Workshop – June 7-9, 10 a.m.-noon
  Young writers will learn about the wonderful world of writing in the garden. Using the garden as their inspiration, campers will connect writing to nature, creating poems, stories, plays and much more. Ages 7 and up. (Limited to 20 participants). Cost per child: $30 for all three days, parking not included.*
• Stories in the Garden – June 10 from 10-11:30 a.m.
  Teens will be reading stories to younger children – a magical time of fun and learning. Great for kids 0 to 100! Cost per child: free.
• Mad Hatter Tea Party – June 18, 10 a.m.- noon
  Bring a friend and join us for a spot of tea and cake in the garden. Please wear your fanciest hat, and costumes are quite acceptable. We will be playing games, making hats and much more. Registration required. Cost per child: $5, parking not included.*
• Digger Day – June 23, 10 a.m.-noon
  Come to the garden and explore the world of diggers. Front-end loaders, dump trucks and backs hoes, all of these tools help with projects both big and small in our communities. MSU Infrastructure Planning and Facilities will bring some of MSU’s biggest and best equipment to the garden for us to explore. We will also have activities and crafts so come ready to dig and get dirty at this new event! Cost per child: $5, parking not included.*
• Stories in the Garden – July 8, 7-8:30 p.m.
  Teens will be reading stories to younger children – a magical time of fun and learning. Great for kids 0 to 100! Cost per child: free, parking not included.*
• Water Day – July 13, 10 a.m.-noon
  Come cool off from the summer heat and have fun in the garden with water. We will play water games, do water art and explore all things fun about water. Come ready to get wet! Cost per child: $5, parking not included.*
• Train Day – July 23, 10 a.m.-noon
  All aboard! Join us in celebrating our love for locomotives with the Lansing Model Railroad Club and the Capital Area Railway Society. Watch trains of all shapes and sizes, help us construct a train village in the garden, discover what happens on the tracks and much more! Cost per child: $5, parking not included.*
• Bug Day – July 30, 10 a.m.-noon
  We cannot get enough of these amazing six-legged friends! Join us for what has become an annual tribute to insects in the garden. We will be collecting bugs, observing bugs, making bugs and even writing poetry about bugs! Our friends from the MSU Bug House will be back this year with their amazing collections of insects from all over the world! Cost per child: $5, parking not included.*
• Camp Monet – Aug. 4-6, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
  Young artists will love spending three days in the garden creating marvelous projects. Campers will use inspiration from the garden to make projects that involve sketching, painting, sculpting, dying, weaving and much more! Lunch will not be provided, so please bring a lunch each day. We will eat together in the garden. Ages 7 and up. (Limited to 20 participants.) Registration required. Cost per child: $70 for all three days, parking not included.*
• Stories in the Garden – Aug. 12, 10-11:30 a.m.
  Teens will be reading stories to younger children – a magical time of fun and learning. Great for kids 0 to 100! Cost per child: free.
• Bubble Day – Aug. 13, 10 a.m.-noon
  Come celebrate the end of summer vacation at the garden with bubbles! As we explore the wonderful world of bubbles we will paint, eat, and even make music with bubbles. Don’t forget to invite your friends and family to come to this bubblelicious bash! Cost per child: $5, parking not included.*
• Holiday Open House – Dec. 3, 5-7 p.m.
  Enjoy our displays of poinsettias and 16′ poinsettia tree under evening lights. Bring your camera and the kids. Santa will arrive in his sleigh at 5:30 pm. MSU Poinsettias, centerpieces, and wreaths will be for sale. Enjoy some holiday refreshments. Cost per child: free, parking free.

Please register in advance for these events at 

Stories for Sprouts & Seedlings
This program is designed especially for young children, ages 2-4, to experience the wonders of gardening through stories and hands-on projects. Each month a different book is featured with an accompanying gardening activity. This program occurs the third Wednesday of the month from 10-11 a.m.

• May 15, 10-11 a.m. — The Very Impatient Caterpillar by Ross Burach
• June 17, 10-11 a.m. — The Amazing Life Cycle of Plants (Look and Wonder) by Kay Barnham
• July 15, 10-11 a.m. — Bee: A Peek-Through Picture Book by Britta Teckentrup
• August 19, 10-11 a.m. — Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner
• September 16, 10-11 a.m. — Potato Pants!  by Laurie Keller
• October 21, 10-11 a.m. — Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman

 *You must park in a space designated as a “Pay by Plate” parking space. Signage has been installed in these areas. Parking spaces not marked at “Pay by Plate” may be reserved for permit parking. Parking in a space not designated as “Pay by Plate” parking may result in a parking violation. Immediately after parking, enter license plate number and payment into the lot’s SPOTON pay station or via the MSU SPOTON app. Pay stations accept cash payment or credit cards. They do not give change back nor are refunds issue for time paid for, but not used.

Take a virtual tour of the outdoor Michigan 4-H Children’s Garden with Dr. Norm.

Coronavirus has changed almost everything we do in everyday life and this includes what we normally do at the Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens.
While the outdoor 4-H Children’s Garden has been open to visitors this summer and fall, all programs and field trips were canceled to keep staff and visitors safe. This included the Butterflies in the Garden exhibit and field trips, all spring and fall school field trips, all summer and fall family programs, the little train did not run this summer and the bathrooms were closed.

Some things are still the same: The 4-H Children’s Garden is open to the public. Visitors must observe proper social distancing guidelines when they visit the garden.

Some things are new: Dr. Norm and Miss Jessica developed online versions of 4-H Children’s Garden programs and activities. This included an online Butterfly School and a virtual tour of the 4-H Children’s Gardens (see list of online resources below). They are not the same as the face-to-face programs, but they are a way to provide the plant science, wonder and imagination that typically grows in the garden.

4-H Children’s Garden Online Resources

• MSU Today 4-H Children’s Gardens podcast – Dr. Norm interviewed by Bill Beekman
• Virtual Garden Tours
• Online Butterflies in the Garden School
• Online Seeds of Science
• Online Garden Discovery Activities
• Virtual Children’s Garden Scavenger Hunt
• Online Stories for Sprouts and Seedlings
• Online Story Walk – Little Boo

Due to social distancing and restrictions, Dr. Norm and Miss Jessica, along with only one part-time student, had to plant and maintain the gardens this year on their own. A few adjustments had to be made in terms of plants in the gardens due to availability, but garden staff members were still able to create a beautiful, welcoming space for visitors. While the gardens were not able to offer in-person programs, there were still many visitors in the gardens each day. Some shared their gratitude for providing a space to get outside and enjoy plants in a “safe” environment.

Many of us likely recall being told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. To highlight the importance of starting the day off right, the Michigan 4-H Children’s Garden now features a theme garden dedicated entirely to the first meal of the day.

The Breakfast Garden features plants that go into making our breakfasts, including a coffee plant, pomegranate, orange, maple, pancake, tomatoes, peppers and chives. In addition, four smoothie planters were added which feature some of the popular smoothie flavors including: a tropical smoothie, strawberry-banana smoothie, green smoothie and smoothie grains.

“We had a Cereal Bowl Garden and the space next to it has traditionally been planted in a fall perennial aster that was not very exciting,” explained Norm Lownds, Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens curator. “As we were working in the garden we started talking about what to plant in that area and decided that we could expand beyond the cereal bowl to the entire breakfast. It then only took us a few minutes to come up with a list of possible plants. Once we were that far we had to do it.”

The smoothie planters were a donation from Earth Box many years ago, however the Breakfast Garden is in need of a sponsor. If interested in sponsoring this garden, contact greenca5@msu.edu.

In addition, a few updates and restorations were also completed in the Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens over the summer bringing the garden to its natural splendor.

The planter boxes were replaced and a self-portrait station was added to the Sunshine Garden Gallery wall. The gate to Bogue Street, the benches in the Friends Terrace and the spitting frogs gate were all repainted.

As part of one of the National Science Foundation (NSF) grants garden staff are collaborating on, a Smell Scavenger Hunt has been added through the garden. It has been very popular and is getting more and more visitors to stop and smell the flowers (and the leaves). In addition, more QR codes will be added to the signs so that visitors can discover even more information if they are interested.

Over the summer the family programs had a different emphasis each month with activity bags given out to visitors, a StoryWalk book that connected to each theme and additional online materials, information, and activities. These self-guided programs have worked well and have been very well-received by 4-H Children’s Gardens visitors.

Elementary students from Dwight Rich School of the Arts spent their first two weeks of school at Michigan State University for experiential learning at the 4-H Children’s Gardens and other campus locations.

Dwight Rich School of the Arts kindergarten through third grade classes spent their first two weeks of the school year at the Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens and other Michigan State University locations for hands-on learning

Twenty-five years ago, the Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens were created as the first gardens in the United States specifically designed for children’s education on a college campus. For Dwight Rich School of the Arts, that is exactly what the 4-H Children’s Gardens provided – a place for its students to learn and grow together for their first few weeks of the school year.

Dwight Rich School underwent construction this year. The school was too small to hold all of its students, and it was old. When the school staff realized the new building wasn’t going to be completed in time for the start of the new school year, they needed to make alternative arrangements for the first two weeks.

The principal and teachers reached out to various outreach programs at Michigan State University, including the 4-H Children’s Gardens, MSU Museum, Planetarium and Cyclotron. After several summer planning meetings, teachers and MSU employees worked together to create a schedule full of interactive learning while building community connections.

“The biggest challenge was taking the risk of bringing 26 students whom I had never met previously off school grounds, but it also presented me with a unique way to connect and bond relationally outside of the traditional classroom setting,” said Keturah Bouyer, third grade teacher at Dwight Rich School of the Arts.

The 4-H Children’s Gardens hosted kindergarten, first-, second- and third-grade classes – one grade level each day. Students arrived at the garden by 10 a.m. and left around 2 p.m. Over four days, more than 300 students explored and experienced the wonder of the gardens. For most of them, this was their first visit to the 4-H Children’s Gardens.

“These are some of the bravest teachers ever, taking field trips right at the beginning of school,” said Norm Lownds, Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens curator. “It shows how very dedicated these teachers are to giving their students the most amazing learning experiences.”

At the 4-H Children’s Gardens students participated in a variety of interactive activities throughout the gardens and still had traditional classroom time with their teachers in classrooms provided by the 4-H Children’s Gardens.

“We appreciated the willingness of the staff at the gardens to speak with us about the experience before our visit and then take the reins to plan a content-driven, fun and valuable day for our children,” said Kimberly Coscarella, kindergarten teacher at Dwight Rich School of the Arts. When asked what the students’ favorite activity was while in the gardens, teachers’ overwhelming response was: getting to explore the pizza garden. Students used their five senses to learn about basil and oregano, all while learning where their food comes from. They especially liked choosing a petal from a begonia plant on the floral peacock to taste.

To strengthen the community connections between the classes and the 4-H Children’s Gardens, the students all planted flowers to take back to their new school.

“The students loved planting the violas, and they were excited to take them back to the school, which are now growing beautifully in our courtyard,” Bouyer said.

Lownds will visit the school multiple times throughout the school year to continue the community connections. The 4-H Children’s Gardens employees and the teachers at Dwight Rich School of the Arts are excited to continue their relationship into the future.

“We are looking forward to our ongoing relationship with the staff at the 4-H Children’s Gardens as they visit our school throughout the year,” Coscarella said. “We have plans to reconnect every few months to further the students’ understanding about plants during the year, and we will also be creating art related to our work with plants to be displayed at the gardens as a reminder of our learning there.”

“Thanks so much to the garden staff for being willing to partner with us in the most adventurous start to a school year I have ever experienced!” Bouyer added. “I really think, as a community partner, you introduced our students to life in a garden and showed what the great state of Michigan has to offer through their experience at MSU!”

Retired MSU professor and longtime Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens donor and volunteer Linda Nelson, Ph.D., left an estate gift to support the Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens.

• All on-campus MSU youth events scheduled to occur before September 1, 2020 must be modified to an online space, postponed or cancelled.
• No face-to-face youth events or programs may take place anywhere in the state, including summer camps, until September 1, 2020. This also includes MSU Extension youth programming at the Detroit Partnership for Food, Learning and Innovation, MSU Tollgate Farm and Conference Center, Summer Discovery Cruises and other programs throughout the state.

Twenty-five years ago, the Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens opened as a place for children to learn about plants and science while satisfying their innate wonder and curiosity. The outdoor garden opened in 1993 as the first garden in the United States developed specifically for the education of children on a university campus. It has been called the “most creative half-acre in America.”

In 2003, the indoor garden opened providing year-round educational access to science-based learning. In 2008, the 2,500-square-foot Pete and Sally Smith Schoolyard Education Garden opened to provide educators with ideas and learning concepts in developing outdoor gardens in schoolyards and community spaces and as a demonstration space for environmentally friendly landscape materials.

The gardens have also received many awards for innovative design as well as for the incorporation of the use of technology, including an online virtual tour, wonderwall (website for students to ask MSU faculty questions) and wonder casts (time-lapse videos of plants growing).

“2018 is the 25th anniversary of the opening of the MSU Horticulture Gardens and the 4-H Children’s Gardens. We have a variety of special celebratory events scheduled throughout the year,” said Norm Lownds, curator of the Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens.

Today the gardens remain a vitally important educational resource for 4-H youth programs, for local schools, and for the young people and their families who visit the gardens each season.
“More than 2 million people, mostly kids, have walked, ran, touched and often hugged their favorite things in the garden.

“We are working to have the gardens looking as good, or even better than they did when they first opened in 1993,” said Lownds.

Projects in process include updates to the Storybook and Train gardens, the Sunflower House, a new shade structure for the Creation Station, and new tables and seats in several locations. Additionally, the Monet Bridge deck and rails will be replaced.

“The wood for this project will come from oak trees that have been harvested from the MSU campus as part of the MSU Shadows program,” Lownds said.

New this year will be a story walk installed in the main 4-H Children’s Garden in partnership with the Capital Area District Library. Custom story walk sign holders, to be installed in the spring, will provide information to incorporate storybooks with the content of the gardens.

“We have selected our book, the content and the story signs are being made,” Lownds said.

Funding is sought for major construction projects to upgrade the Monet Pond, Tree House and twigaloos (house-like structures made from twigs).

Garden Celebration Events

Garden Birthday Party – July 14
On July 14 from 10 a.m. to noon, the 4-H Children’s Gardens will host a Garden Birthday Party for youth to enjoy birthday cake, ice cream and activities in the gardens. Register at http://4hgarden.msu.edu/register/register-family.html. To view the full Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens calendar, go to: https://mi4hfdtn.org/2018-4hchildrensgardens-calendar/.

For more information on how you can make a special birthday gift or provide general support for the Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens, contact the Michigan 4-H Foundation at (517) 353-6692, or donate online now.