enjoy your visit — for families

Weekend Family Classes

Together, adults and children can explore cool things about how plants connect to science, art, history, and culture. Each program includes a variety of hands-on activities and projects, as well as opportunities to bring the Garden home. Programs run from November through April on Saturdays.

Registration and payment must be received no later than one week prior to the date of the program. Registration will be available in early August.

Visit Weekend Family Classes Basics for more information, or call (847) 835-8363.

Ages: Children ages 4 to 10 accompanied by adults. Limit of three children per adult, please. An adult MUST accompany children.

Times: 9:30 – 11 a.m. or 1 – 2:30 p.m.

Fees: $17 per child Garden Plus member, $20 per child nonmember

Become a Garden Plus member today and enjoy a special discount.

2009 – 2010 Class Schedule:

Tremendous Trees: Hundreds of different trees grow at the Garden. Explore the diversity of trees by learning some basic tree identification, find out about the birds and animals that live in Illinois' wooded areas, and take home a woodland plant.
November 7, 9:30 – 11 a.m.	November 14, 9:30 – 11 a.m.
November 7, 1 – 2:30 p.m.	November 14, 1 – 2:30 p.m.

Papermaking with Plants: Plants help make products we use every day — like paper. Learn the process of turning plants and old paper scraps into paper. Make sheets of textured, scented, and colored handmade paper.
November 21, 9:30 – 11 a.m.	December 5, 9:30 – 11 a.m.
November 21, 1 – 2:30 p.m.	December 5, 1 – 2:30 p.m.

Joyful Gingerbread: Plants help make delicious holiday treats — like gingerbread! Explore all the different plants and plant parts needed to make gingerbread. Take home a future ginger plant, decorate cookies, and mix up a batch of gingerbread to bake at home.
December 12, 9:30 – 11 a.m.	December 19, 9:30 – 11 a.m.
December 12, 1 – 2:30 p.m.	December 19, 1 – 2:30 p.m.

Worm Worlds: Find out how wriggling creatures turn garbage into rich compost. Explore different types of worms and their habitats, create a worm compost bin, and learn to use compost to feed plants. All participating children take home a compost bin with live worms. This class has an additional $5 materials fee.
January 9, 9:30 – 11 a.m.	January 16, 9:30 – 11 a.m.
January 9, 1 – 2:30 p.m.	January 16, 1 – 2:30 p.m.

Pizza Gardens: Pizza has lots of ingredients from the garden — wheat, herbs, and lots of vegetables! Find out about plants used in pizza, learn to mix and knead pizza dough, and plant a special Italian herb garden to make tasty pizza treats at home!
January 23, 9:30 – 11 a.m.	January 30, 9:30 – 11 a.m.
January 23, 1 – 2:30 p.m.	January 30, 1 – 2:30 p.m.

HOT Chocolate: Uncover the story of chilies and chocolates — food from South American plants! Examine the cacao tree, learn how bitter beans make delicious desserts, mix up an ancient Aztec chocolate, and take home chocolate mint and chocolate pepper plants.
February 6, 9:30 – 11 a.m.	February 13, 9:30 – 11 a.m.
February 6, 1 – 2:30 p.m.	February 13, 1 – 2:30 p.m.

Plant Part Art: Nature inspires all kinds of artwork. Use different parts of plants to create some amazing pieces of art! Learn plant parts by sketching in the Greenhouses and creating "stained glass" using real flowers. Explore how seeds work and design a seed collage.
February 20, 9:30 – 11 a.m.	February 27, 9:30 – 11 a.m.
February 20, 1 – 2:30 p.m.	February 27, 1 – 2:30 p.m.

Gumballs & Superballs: Discover amazing plants of the rainforest in our greenhouses. Find out how people use parts of rainforest trees to make chewing gum and rubber. Create your own bouncing ball and flavorful gum to take home.
March 6, 9:30 – 11 a.m.	March 13, 9:30 – 11 a.m.
March 6, 1 – 2:30 p.m.	March 13, 1 – 2:30 p.m.

Homemade Ice Cream: Many of our favorite kinds of ice cream are flavored with plants — chocolate comes from a tree and vanilla comes from an orchid. Examine these plants, make a batch of vanilla ice cream, and pot a mint plant to flavor ice cream.
March 20, 9:30 – 11 a.m.	March 27, 9:30 – 11 a.m.
March 20, 1 – 2:30 p.m.	March 27, 1 – 2:30 p.m.

Insect Investigations: Explore tiny critters like bees, crickets, and butterflies. Find out about the ways bugs help the plants in a garden. Create a scientific tool to help you study insects at home, experience how bugs see the world, and plant some flowers that butterflies love.
April 3, 9:30 – 11 a.m.	April 10, 9:30 – 11 a.m.
April 3, 1 – 2:30 p.m.	April 10, 1 – 2:30 p.m.