When it was originally designed in the 1990s, River Farm’s popular Children’s Garden was one of the first dedicated children’s gardens in North America. It comprises a variety of themed gardens designed to stimulate children’s interest in plants and nature. It offers a safe, hands-on experience, encouraging interaction and unstructured “loose parts play” to stimulate children’s imaginations.

Part of the appeal for children is the miniature scale of the individual garden areas, which range from a little house on the prairie garden and a cool bat cave. The gardens are designed to provide a multi-sensory experience, with fragrant flowers and herbs, colorful blooms and butterflies, rustling foliage, and a variety of textures.

These gardens delight the child in all of us. Whether you explore them as part of a play date, an outdoor picnic, or reserve them for a children’s birthday party, they will offer creative learning experiences and engaging outdoor play.