See our hours & parking page for information on required use of PayByPhone for parking payment.

Children and Family Programs

We offer a range of fun, imaginative and challenging programs for children and families. Learn and discover together in beautiful and biodiverse Duke Gardens! We welcome all children and are happy to work with you to plan appropriate accommodations for your child in our programs.

 

Upcoming Spring 2024 Programs

Tot and Me Botany, a 4-class series
Connect with a community of plants, young children and other adults as you learn basic botany through hands-on, multi-sensory, immersive activities among the plants of Duke Gardens. These sessions are designed for children ages 3-6 years old and their adult companion.
Each session will focus on a different plant part. Register for all six to learn all the parts of a plant and to receive a discount.

Dates: Mondays,3/4, 3/11, 3/18 and 3/25
Time: 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Cost: $64  for all 4 classes; 20% discount for family level members with discount code
Location: Starts in the classroom inside the Doris Duke Center and moves outside into the gardens
Register Here

 

Storytime and Discovery Drop-In
Join us for a story time and some self-guided activities at the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden (D3 on the map). Story times will begin at 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. each Thursday morning in the story circle in the Discovery Garden. Activities for caregivers to enjoy with their youngsters will be available on the picnic tables in the same garden area. 

Dates: Every Thursday from March 7 to May 23
Time: 10 a.m. to noon; stories begin at 10:30 and 11:30 a.m
Cost: FREE; no registration
Location: Meet at the tobacco barn in the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden.

 

español

The following programs are conducted entirely in Spanish.

Hora de cuentos en español
¡La hora de cuentos es un programa diseñado para que jóvenes puedan aprender y disfrutar de los jardines en español! La hora de cuentos ocurre en el círculo de cuentos en el Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden (marcado con “D3” en el mapa). Cada semana leeremos algunos cuentos, pasaremos tiempo disfrutando de las plantas en este jardín, y realizaremos actividades relacionadas a los cuentos.

Fechas: Cada lunes desde el 4 de marzo al 20 de mayo
Hora: 10-11 a.m.
Costo: Gratis, no se requiere matricularse.
Lugar: Encuéntranos en el círculo de cuentos en el área de Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden

CANCELADO 18 de marzo

 

 

More resources

Check out our family activity videos here!

ecoEXPLORE, for children in grades K-8, combines science exploration with kid-friendly technology to foster a fun learning environment for children while encouraging them to explore the outdoors and participate in citizen science. Duke Gardens is an ecoEXPLORE HotSpot!

Feel free to use any of our self-guided visit resources to explore Duke Gardens with your family!

Please see more at-home learning activities, classes and links here.

If you'd like to be added to our email list for program announcements, please email gardenseducation@duke.edu.

Thank you!