WHEATON, Md. – Montgomery Parks invites families to enjoy a day of nature, creativity, and fun at Children’s Day at Brookside Gardens on Sunday, September 21, 2025, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The free, family-friendly event is sponsored by Friends of Brookside Gardens and will offer hands-on gardening activities for children and a chance to explore the newly designed Children’s Garden.
What: Children’s Day
When: Sunday, September 21, 2025, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD 20902
Details: Registration on ActiveMontgomery is encouraged but not required. Drop-ins welcome.
Children’s Day participants will rotate through outdoor activity stations that offer fun and educational experiences in nature. Sample activities include:
- Potting a plant to take home
- Author Ann McCallum Staats discusses her book Fantastic Flora: The World’s Biggest, Baddest, and Smelliest Plants
- Learning about soil science
- Photo ops with Montgomery Parks mascots
- Yoga with a Yoga Sprouts instructor
- Performances by the Beech Tree Puppets (morning) or Mr. Gabe, the “Pied Piper of Takoma Park” (afternoon)
Children’s Day is also a great time to visit the Children’s Garden which has been newly designed with the theme Eco Friends. The space features a whimsical playhouse and elements crafted from reused, repurposed, or recycled materials. Montgomery Parks partnered with the Wheaton Arts Parade to create larger than life sculptures of five birds native to Maryland.
“The bird figures bring a rainbow of color to the garden which really appeals to children,” said Stephanie Oberle, director of Brookside Gardens. “We hope that visiting the Eco Friends display will help them appreciate the relationship between wildlife, plant life and humans.”
The artists who painted the bird sculptures will be on hand at Children’s Day to welcome visitors to the Children’s Garden.
About Montgomery Parks
Montgomery Parks manages more than 37,000 acres of parkland, consisting of 414 parks. Montgomery Parks is focused on promoting physical activity, social connectivity, and environmental stewardship, especially in diverse and urbanizing areas, with an emphasis on teens, working-age adults, and seniors. Montgomery Parks is a department of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), a bi-county agency established in 1927 to steward public land. M-NCPPC has been nationally recognized for its high-quality parks and recreation services and is regarded as a national model by other parks systems. MontgomeryParks.org
Accessibility
Montgomery Parks, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, encourages and supports the participation of individuals with disabilities. Please contact the Program Access Office at 301-495-2581 (Voice/TTY), MD Relay 7-1-1 or 800-552-7724 or ProgramAccess@MontgomeryParks.org to request a disability modification. Visit Montgomery Parks Accessibility for more information.
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