Brookside Gardens – Youth Education

*All of Brookside’s programs are listed in our digital magazine on this website: Spring and Summer 2026 Cultivate Program Guide

School Field Trips

*** Update ***

Thanks for a great school year! We will start taking requests for the 2026-2027 school year in August.

*********************************************************

Field trip programs are offered Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings by reservation only. Most 90 minute field trip programs run from 10:30 am -12 pm. Field Trips DO NOT include tickets to the Butterfly Experience.

Read more about the program options below.

Plants & Pollinators: Grades PreK – K

• Learn about plants with a guided outdoor exploration and pot a plant to take home. Designed for young learners in Pre K (ages 4+) and K. (60 minutes, outdoors)

Plants & Pollinators: Grade 1 and Up

• Learn about the structure and function of plant anatomy and the pollinators they depend upon with a guided outdoor exploration and pot a plant to take home. *Select this option for any Plant and Pollinator Program for grades 1-12. (90 minutes, outdoors)

Erosion & Water on the Landscape: Grade 4 and Up

• Use a map and make observations about erosion, native plants, and the water cycle. Make and take home native seed balls. (90 minutes, outdoors)

Water Quality in the Watershed: Grade 5 and Up

• Use chemistry to test the health of our namesake “brook” and learn about the Chesapeake Bay. (90 minutes, outdoors)

Service Learning: Grades 9 – 12

• Bring your students to work on a service-learning project pulling invasive plants. Along the naturalized borders of our property, learn to identify some common invasives and get hands-on experience managing their spread. (90 minutes, strenuous, outdoors)

All field trip programs are completely outdoors and all participants should come prepared for the weather on their scheduled field trip day. All field trip programs are aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). For questions or more information, please email Liz.Bullock@MontgomeryParks.org

Field trips must be scheduled and confirmed with the Youth Education Team at Brookside Gardens at least 10 business days in advance. Service-Learning field trips must be scheduled and confirmed 20 business days in advance.

Field Trip Programs DO NOT include tickets to the indoor Butterfly Experience.

Field Trips, Professional Development, and Outreach Programs at Brookside Gardens count towards MAEOE Green School Certification.

Experience a special garden space made with our youngest visitors in mind. Children can play and explore nature alongside their adults.

While you’re there, take your favorite explorer on a scavenger hunt. You might look for:

• Native plants, bushes, and trees,
• Paths, tunnels, fences, and trails,
• Planters crafted for the birds, but a nest crafted for people,
• A mural you can play inside,
• a garden-friendly motorcycle,
• and an upcycled percussion section.

We hope to see you in the Children’s Garden soon!

*You can access maps of the Gardens, including the Children’s Garden, as well as other important visitor information online here: Virtual Tour and Map