Come learn with us at Brookside Gardens!
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.
Brookside Gardens offers a variety of programs for youth of all ages. Sign up for activities, classes, and events online by clicking: ActiveMontgomery. You can access the full list of programs by clicking: Spring and Summer 2025 Cultivate program guide here.
**Spring Field Trips have concluded for the 24/25 school year. We will start taking requests in August for the 25/26 school year on the Field Trip Request Form.
Field trip programs are 90 minutes each and are offered Tuesday through Friday mornings by reservation only. Read more about the program options below.
| Grades | Field Trip Program | Summary |
| Grades: PreK – 1 | Plants and Pollinators | Learn about plants with a guided outdoor exploration and pot a plant to take home. |
| Grades: 2 – 4 | Plants and Pollinators | Learn about the structure and function of plant anatomy with a guided outdoor exploration and pot a plant to take home. |
| Grade: 4 | Erosion and Water in the Landscape | Use a map and make observations about erosion, native plants, and the water cycle. Make and take home native seed balls. |
| Grades: 5 – 8 | Water Quality in the Watershed | Use chemistry to test the health of our namesake “brook” and learn about the Chesapeake Bay. |
| Grades: 9 – 12 | Service-Learning | Bring your students to work on a service-learning project that benefits the natural world. |
**Spring Field Trips are booked for the 2025 school year. Check back in August to submit a field trip request for the 2025-2026 school year: Request Form.
All field trip programs are aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). For questions or more information, please email Liz.Bullock@MontgomeryParks.org
Explore the range of camp programs offered at Brookside Gardens listed below.
All summer camps for 2025 are currently full, with waitlists. Summer camps run in week-long sessions from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There is no after-care available. Follow this link and scroll towards the bottom of the page to view and access the required forms for all campers: Classes and Camps Website
Ages 6-8 years
Garden Investigators | June 23 – June 27
Garden Investigators | July 14 – July 18
Ages 9-11 years
Summer Science Camp | July 7 – July 11
Art Adventures | July 28 – August 1
Ages 11-14 years
Climate Action Camp | August 4 – August 8
Experience a unique mini-Maryland in the outdoor Children’s Garden. The garden’s theme is “Explore Maryland!” and it is an opportunity for children to explore nature from all regions of our state. You can explore pollinator-friendly plants, play in an old farm house, boat in the sea, and gain knowledge about Maryland’s natural history, flora and fauna.
Brookside Gardens offers a variety of programs for youth of all ages. Sign up for activities, classes, and events online through ActiveMontgomery. You can access the Spring and Summer 2025 Cultivate program guide here.