Guided Explorations
Everett Children’s Adventure Garden

Guided Explorations in the Adventure Garden provide grade-specific, themed programs that meet state and national learning standards and align with the New York City Scope and Sequence. Led by trained staff, students use their senses and take-home field notebooks to engage in an inquiry-based, hands-on approach to learning as they explore the galleries of the Adventure Garden.

Guided Explorations are supplemented by pre- and post-activities which can be accessed by clicking here.

Fall Plant Parade
What makes a plant a plant? Most plants have the same basic parts, but not all plants look the same. Students explore the Adventure Garden in search of autumn’s different leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds to discover both their importance and the dizzying diversity of their shapes, colors, scents, forms, and sizes. Students plant seeds to take back to the classroom.

Fall Seed Go-Round
How do seeds travel? Seeds move from one place to the next in some very interesting ways and are the amazing beginning to new plants. Students discover the life cycle of plants as they take a closer look at seed dispersal and explore the signs of fall throughout the Adventure Garden. Students conduct an experiment and plant their own seeds to take back to the classroom and care for.

Fall Ecology Escapade
Who eats what? Many plants and animals have specialized relationships with each other that help keep their ecosystems in balance. Students learn how living things are connected as they investigate the different links and relationships in the food webs of the Adventure Garden habitats.

Holiday Trains and Treats
It’s holiday time again! Enjoy Gingerbread Adventures in the Adventure Garden, the Holiday Train Show in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, or, for a doubly exciting program, both. In the Adventure Garden, students delve into the botany behind gingerbread, explore its plant origins, and taste a gingersnap. During a self-guided visit to the Conservatory, students see model trains and trolleys as they move through the magical landscapes of historic New York State buildings.

The Life and Work of George Washington Carver
Best known for his research on the uses of peanuts, George Washington Carver also invented hundreds of uses for soybeans and sweet potatoes. Through hands-on observations and scientific experiments, students explore some of this renowned plant scientist’s findings, investigate the anatomy of seeds, create a personal science timeline, and plant soybeans to take home and chart their growth.

Chocolate and Vanilla Adventures
In the Adventure Garden, learn all about chocolate and vanilla—their histories, where they come from, and how they get from plants to the products we know and love. Students examine cacao seeds and vanilla seedpods. They also prepare ancient hot chocolate using traditional Mayan ingredients and taste modern hot chocolate.

Spring Plant Parade
What different plant parts do we find in the spring? The same plant can look very different depending on the season. Students search the Adventure Garden for spring’s newest arrivals and explore the critical roles that different parts of plants play. Students plant pea or bean seeds to take back to the classroom and observe.

Spring Seed Go-Round
How does a seed become a plant? Seeds contain all the parts and enough food to grow into new plants. Students investigate how flowers transform into fruits and seeds, which in turn grow into new plants as the cycle continues. After planting their own seeds, students observe the plant life cycle back in the classroom.

Spring Ecology Escapade
How do plants and animals balance an ecosystem? The relationships that exist within food webs are very important to the survival of their inhabitants. Students explore these relationships throughout the Adventure Garden and develop a deeper understanding of the adaptations that connect the plants and animals.

Flower Power
Explore the diversity of colors, shapes, and fragrances of flowers and our larger than life flower sculptures. Children use paper pollinator puppets and participate in a flower hunt to investigate the relationships between flowers and important pollinators, such as bees, birds, and butterflies.