Longwood for kids
Longwood Gardens is not just your father’s gardens!
Kids are a special interest of the Gardens which, throughout the year offers a variety of special programs, classes, tree houses and fun-filled learning projects geared to stimulate interest in the outdoors, protecting our environment, gardening and good old-fashioned curiosity about the world that surrounds us. One of the several free maps will help you more easily locate those special displays of particular interest.
In the Main Conservatory, the display of trees created by local elementary school children are usually of interest to a lot of kids who take the ideas, talk about them and think about what they might do to make their own Christmas Trees or Holiday wreathes extra special this year. We found the Pink Flamingo Tree particularly whimsical and charming.
As you tour back towards the Main Entrance of the Conservatory, you will find the Children’s Garden. As you enter, you will first come upon a colorful maze for the little ones, easily visible by adults who want to keep their eye on their little adventurers. Traveling through the Children’s Garden, you will find gargoyles, fountains, herbs mirrors, a “fishing pond”, spiraling stairs (a tad too small for larger adults), secret hide-aways as well as a charmingly written list of “rules”. A special “expert” challenge to kids is a laminated picture of six circles found in the Children’s Garden display area and curious, game-loving kids will love the opportunity to show off their detective skills by seeing how quickly they can identify the locations.
Outside the Main Conservatory, on the main grounds, are a series of tree houses suitable for climbing by both parents and kids of widely varying age groups. Young visitors are frequently overheard asking questions such as, “Dad, can we build one of these when we get home?” Can you ask for a more perfect bonding moment than that?
Winding your way back to the entrance of the Gardens is the perfect time to talk with your kids about Gardens and gardening and what they found most interesting. Wander into the gift store and, towards the back and the left side there are age-targeted books, games and plants that might make that perfect gift to keep your grandchild or child’s curiosity about nature stimulated. A future gardener may have just been born!
More about the gift shop in the next blog.
Gardening Grannies is a group of mature and Master Gardeners who live, love and garden on the Delmarva Peninsula. You can reach us at gardeninggrannies@wmdt.com
