Garden Learning Activities Available for Checkout

Girls enjoy the activities of a butterfly in the garden.

Look for the "Kids Corner" in the Linnaeus Visitors' Barn. In a plastic bin you will find a variety of wonderful children's activity kits available for checkout.

Children and their parents are welcome to check out a kit and use it while at the garden to help their children discover new and exciting things. For example, your children can learn about:

• garden design in the Entry Garden;
• symmetry in the Fountain Garden;
• leaf identification in the Boulder Garden;
• soil composition in the compost area of the Vegetable Garden; and
• plant types and propagation in the Greenhouse.

There are also books for children and families to read and use as a resource while at the Linnaeus Garden.

Little Green Thumbs

Little Green Thumbs plant vegetables in May.

This program is held every third Saturday April through September. Little Green Thumbs (ages 4 – 11 years) offers fun gardening projects for children. These sessions are taught by Linnaeus Gardeners and Tulsa Garden Center volunteers.

In 2010 the sessions began with the participants planting vegetables and herbs in our newly acquired Children’s Garden. During each subsequent session the children planted more plants in the garden.

In 2011 programs offered will include: making Seed Terrariums, making Garden Markers, Butterfly Gardens, Bird Houses/Bat Houses, Planting Sunflowers, Building a Garden TeePee, Wiggly Worms and Compost, Garden in a Bucket, Flower Pot Wind Chimes, Veggie and Leaf Prints, Harvesting from the Garden, etc. Participants receive a Little Green Thumb Certificate.

For dates, cost, and registration information, click here.

Youth Groups in the Garden

Daisy Scouts release Lady Bugs in the garden.

In May 2010 we hosted the Daisy Scouts in the garden. They spent the day in the garden where members of the Children’s Committee took the scouts through various activity stations. At the Seed Station they sang, talked about plant parts and seeds, and planted a pumpkin seeds to take home. At the Herb Garden they learned how the American Indian got medicine from plants. They received their own medicine bags to fill and ate a cookie made with Stevia, an herb used for sweetening. At the Compost Station they learned about composting and vermiculture (worm composting). The Pond Station taught them about the water cycle – from evaporation through precipitation. When they visited the Lady Bug Station they learned about the different stages of a Lady Bug’s life. They got to release hundreds of Lady Bugs in the garden.

Have your youth organization contact the Tulsa Garden Center at 918-746-5125 to schedule an activity such as this in the Linnaeus Garden.

Story Time in the Garden

Children enjoy story time in the garden.

Story Time will be held on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays June through October 2011 beginning June 2nd. Join us for Story Time at 10:00 - 11:00 AM in the Outdoor Classroom just behind the statue of Carl Linnaeus.

This activity is free to the public.

Check our Upcoming Events Calendar for exact days and topics.

Children's Garden

Colorful tiles and a trellis make last year's Children's Garden a delight.

A space at the Linnaeus Teaching Gardens was reserved for the Little Green Thumbs program and for children in 2010 - a place they could dig in the earth, plant seeds, and come back later to see the results.

Last year's garden, behind the Maintenance Building, had bright tiles, a trellis, and leafy vegetation. The children in the Little Green Thumbs program planted herbs, melons, and more in the spring and harvested the fruits and vegetables of their labor in the fall.

Because the Linnaeus Garden is acquiring new property and making other changes, the 2011 Children's Garden is in transition. It will be behind the Conservatory in the NE corner this year. The first planting will be April 16th with Little Green Thumbs.

Children's Tours

Children take a guided tour of the Linnaeus Vegetable Garden.

Linnaeus Garden Volunteers love to show off our garden. We are available to give tours to school groups, scouts, and other children's groups.

If you are interested in arranging a tour for your Children’s group, contact our Volunteer Coordinator on 918-746-5136 or 918-746-5125 at the Tulsa Garden Center. She will arrange a tour guide and time for your group.