Yoga Sprouts!

• Outdoors, weather permitting, ages 3-9 with adult, $7.
• Select fall Saturday classes
• Click here for more info and register: Yoga Sprouts!

Brookside Gardens offers a variety of programs for youth of all ages. Sign up for activities, classes, and events online by clicking: ActiveMontgomery.

All of Brookside’s programs are listed in our digital magazine on this website: Fall and Winter 2025/2026 Cultivate Program Guide

School Field Trips

*Submit a field trip request for the 2025-2026 school year: Field Trip Request Form.

All Field Trips are completely outdoors. 

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)

*Submit a field trip request for the 2025-2026 school year: Field Trip Request Form.

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.

Pop-Up Exploration Cart: iNaturalist

Friday, October 17, any time between 11 am – 1 pm

Past Events:

Thank you to coming to Children’s Day 2025! The event photo album can be found online here: Children’s Day Photos 2025

Save the Date:

Mark your calendar for a family-friendly celebration for Earth Day on Sunday, April 26, 2026

Experience a special garden space made with our youngest visitors in mind. Children can play and explore nature alongside their adults. Some exciting renovations are underway to refresh the Children’s Garden this fall and visitors can still enjoy most of the space while the updates are installed.

Check out the native plants and the container beds crafted like birds’ nests before following the path to a version of a nest more human-sized. Don’t miss the repurposed and freshly painted farm house, as well as the balance logs and garden-friendly motorcycle crafted out of reused lumber from Montgomery Parks’ Pope Farm.

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