Whether you’re planning a one-time field trip, inviting educators into your classroom, or looking for a long-term project partner, Ithaca Children’s Garden offers hands-on, nature-based learning experiences that spark curiosity, deepen connections, and support your teaching goals.
Field Trips, In-Class Programs, & Project-Based Learning
Learning comes alive in the Garden, and beyond.
Field Trips
Bring your class, scout troop, youth group, homeschoolers, or after-school program to Ithaca Children’s Garden — a 3-acre natural wonderland.
Climb Gaia, the giant turtle. Build and create in the Hands-On-Nature Anarchy Zone. Stroll through the Wildflower Meadow, peek inside the Troll House, say hello to the hens and rabbits, or spot tadpoles in the Rice Paddy Pond.
Each 2-3-hour visit blends guided activities with open-ended play, making space for wonder, curiosity, movement, and connections to the natural world.
Explore themes and pricing below.
Choose Your Theme
Pollen and Parts
Dive inside flowers to discover more than their beautiful facades. Dissect their unique structure and inner workings. Become a grain of pollen and figure out how to make your way by wind, animal, or insect to fulfill your mission of ensuring the futures of fruits, seeds, and all life on earth.
Spring
See the beginnings of the garden’s growth and explore the early sights, tastes, smells, sounds, and textures that the warm months bring.
Fall
Discover the fruits of our labor and find the hidden, and not so hidden, food our garden grows!
Spring
Explore how pollen moves from one flower to another to continue this important life cycle.
Fall
Explore how seeds move from one place to another and explore seeds from the fruits of a plant.
Spring
The garden relies on the hard work of the animals to prepare for planting and growing season. How do chickens and rabbits help keep our soil healthy? Why are bees so important to our garden? Find out during a spring field trip!
Fall
See how animals in the garden prepare for winter as you explore the Garden. You’ll help bring warm hay for the rabbits and see how staff prepares our garden helpers for the cold.
Field Trip Pricing
Self-Guided Field Trip
Self‑guided field trips are free and open to all. If you’re able, we suggest a donation of $1–2 per child to help keep ICG accessible to all.
Advance registration required.
Kids' Discover the Trail Buddy Up Trips
$150 per field trip.
Invoiced at the current Kids’ Discover the Trail Buddy-Up rate.
In-Class & Community Programs
Can’t make it to the Garden? Let ICG educators bring interactive, hands-on garden programs to your classroom or community space. Choose from a variety of engaging themes, or reach out to design a custom program tailored to your group. Through interactive activities and demonstrations, our educators foster curiosity, environmental learning, and meaningful connections to nature.
Pricing: $250 for a 30-40-minute session. CiTi Boces discounts are available.
Curriculum designed in alignment with Next Generation Science Standards.
Choose Your Theme
Feathered Friends
Dive inside flowers to discover more than their beautiful facades. Dissect their unique structure and inner workings. Become a grain of pollen and figure out how to make your way by wind, animal, or insect to fulfill your mission of ensuring the futures of fruits, seeds, and all life on earth.
Project-Based Learning
Grow something meaningful together through long-term, project-based learning partnerships. Over weeks or months, ICG educators collaborate with your group on hands-on projects that foster curiosity, skill-building, and lasting connections to nature.
Email us at register@ithacachildrensgarden.org to get started.
Short on time? These themes can be adapted to 30-45-minute sessions.
Themes & Pricing
Garden Rehabilitation
Is your school or community garden in need of a little extra care and attention? Whether you’re starting from scratch with limited supplies, refreshing beds with compost, or getting new plants in the ground, we’re here to help.
ICG educators can also work alongside teachers and community leaders to engage students and participants in hands-on garden learning and ongoing stewardship.
Pricing
Pricing for Project-Based Learning starts at $1,500.
Project-based learning is likely suitable for grants. Contact us at register@ithachildrensgarden.org to share your interest and needs. Our Education Director would love to work with you to support your garden dreams!
CiTi Boces discounts are available.
Educator Testimonials
The Garden offers a safe, welcoming environment where children can explore, play, and engage with the natural world. With a fully fenced perimeter, clear zones, and engaging activities throughout, I feel confident letting my students play freely.
– Jenna Hallas
My students bring their learning in math, science, ELA, and social studies into play, exploration, and experiments at the Garden. They practice planning, executive function, working together, care for each other and our environment, and co-regulating.
This is their learning made meaningful and solidified in long-term memory. This is theory put into practice. Their learning grows because they can practice what they have been taught in real life, not at a table.
-Priscilla Reyer
Our class had a wonderful time at ICG! We explored the Kitchen Garden, Wildflower Meadow, and dissected a flower to learn more about pollination. The highlights were petting the chickens and bunnies and adventuring through the Anarchy Zone.
-Abigail Cook and Melissa Millspaugh