Come learn with us!
No School? Come to the garden instead!
- Art Outside for Teens: Monday 3/30, Tuesday 3/31, or Wednesday 4/15, 9 am – 3:30 pm, ages 11 – 14
Storytime in the Garden:
Saturdays in February, from 10 – 10:45 am. Click on the individual date to register or learn more:
- February 21 Storytime Registration Link *Special guest author, Natalie McManus, will read her new book during Storytime on Saturday, February 21.
Registration Now Open:
- Green Careers Panel Discussion for Youth. March 4, 6 – 7 pm. Geared toward high school students, free, virtual.
- Educator Workshop: Data and Art Together in the Classroom. March 18, 7 – 8 pm. For educators, free, virtual.
Learn More
Brookside Gardens is a wonderful place for the whole family to engage with botany, gardening, and wildlife. Learn more by clicking on each section, below.
Youth Programs
*Brookside Gardens offers a variety of programs for youth of all ages. Sign up for activities, classes, and events online by clicking: ActiveMontgomery.
- Indoor story reading in the winter to start, outdoor exploration, weather permitting. Outdoor program during other seasons.
- Ages 3-7 with adult, $5.
- Weekend and Monday classes in winter and spring
- Click here for more info and register: Storytime in the Garden
*Sign up now: Virtual Green Careers Panel Discussion for Youth. March 4, 6 – 7 pm. Virtual. Free. Ages 10 and up.
*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 ***
The Field Trip Request Form is CLOSED for the 2025-2026 school year.
We are booked through the 2025-2026 school year and do not have any available field trip dates remaining.
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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.
School Field Trips: What’s it like in the winter?
The air may be colder, but we continue to run field trips during the winter. The water quality and erosion program schedule are unaffected by the colder weather and participants can expect the same discussion and activities. For the plants and pollinators trip, there are still plenty of things to see and experience in winter. It is a great time to talk about the life cycle of plants, the effects of fewer daylight hours, highlight deciduous vs. evergreen plants, identify and classify seeds and seed dispersal mechanisms, and discover what happens to the pollinators during the winter. When pollinators are not active in the garden because of the cold, we play a game to model pollinator diversity and the interdependence of plants and animals. Please note, our field trips remain primarily outdoors even in winter, and students and chaperones should be encouraged to dress appropriately.
Social stories aid children by helping them learn how to respond appropriately to daily activities or events.
Hello!
Today I am going on a field trip to Brookside Gardens!
I am prepared to spend the entire field trip outdoors.
I have used the bathroom before we left school so that I won’t need to while we are in the Gardens.
I wore comfortable, close-toed shoes and clothes that can get dirty.
I have a warm layer if it will be cold. If there is a chance of rain, I will wear waterproof shoes and a rain jacket. I might even bring an umbrella.
When I get to the main entrance of Brookside Gardens, the bus will drive over a grate that makes the bus very bumpy. It is made to keep deer outside the Gardens.
When I get to the Visitor Center, I know I might have to wait on the bus until it is safe to exit, and I might need to listen to announcements from our teacher or bus driver.
When I get off the bus, I will line up with my group (most likely my class), and we will meet our guide. We’ll say hello, learn the rules, and hear the plan for the trip.
Now it’s time to follow the guide! Here are some of the things we may do:
Outdoor Exploration
The guide will lead my group through the garden areas observing plant and insect activity. We will walk about a ½ mile of small hills on paved and natural surface trails.
I will be encouraged to look, listen, smell, and even gently touch different plants found in the garden. I may also see insects and animals that I will not touch.
Hands-On Activity
After the walk, I will work on a project with my class. To complete the project, I might have to touch soil and water. Each type of field trip has their own type of project, too:
- Plants and Pollinators – We might be potting a plant to take home.
- Water Quality – We might do chemical tests with a test tube and water samples from a bucket.
- Erosion – We might do a mapping activity and make seed balls to take home.
- Service-learning – We might learn how to weed and garden outside using gardening tools.
Conservatory
My group might go inside of the Conservatory, a room where plants live.
The conservatory might be hot and humid.
If I go inside this building, I will not touch any plants in there.
Inside the conservatory
After all our adventures, we return to the bus area to leave the gardens with our group.
We don’t get on the bus until our teacher tells us that it is time to board.
Thanks for coming!
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
Summer Camp 2026
Brookside Gardens offers a variety of programs for youth of all ages. Sign up for activities, classes, and events online through ActiveMontgomery.
Follow us on Facebook for upcoming events and garden tips: Brookside Gardens Facebook Page
Field trips and professional development from Brookside Gardens count towards your MAEOE Green School Certification!