Book your School Visit or Field Trip to TBG today!

SCHOOL VISIT DETAILS

Dates: School programs for the 2023/2024 school year are offered from September 19 to November 3, 2023 and April 8 to June 14, 2024. School programs are offered Tuesday through Friday. Complete an online booking request (below) to book your visit.

Group size: Maximum of 30 students per program; two programs can run simultaneously.

Grades: We offer programs for preschool students (spring only), Kindergarten, and Grades 1 to 5. Click the links to the right for program descriptions. 

FEES

  • Half-day programs (1.5 – 2 hours): $10+HST per student, per program. Classes interested in staying for the full day must sign up for Hike-in-a-Bag ($1+HST extra per student), and they cannot be guaranteed indoor lunch space.
  • Full-day programs (3 – 4 hours with 30 min lunch break): $16+HST per student
  • Preschool programs (1 -1.5 hours): $12+HST per adult-child pair
  • Adult supervisors: There is no charge for each adult supervisor for every five students; no charge for special needs assistants. Additional adults pay the same price as the students. This cost does not apply to preschool programs.

Changes in group size must be confirmed three days in advance. Otherwise, you will be charged for at least the number of students you booked.

All teaching garden programs are outdoors, except in severe weather; please ensure students are properly dressed for the weather.

All food brought to these programs should be nut-free.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS

All programs take place outdoors in the Toronto Botanical Garden’s Teaching Garden and surrounding hiking trails. All programs include the opportunity to plant or harvest in the Toronto Botanical Garden’s Teaching Garden.

Indoor programs are available on special request or when the weather prohibits an outdoor program.

Preschool – Sing For Spring  [TG23SPSS]
Sing for Spring focuses on sensory activities, songs, storytelling and caregiver-child interactions. The program takes place in the Teaching Garden and surrounding arboretum. Sing for Spring is recommended for groups that need or want to bring one adult for every child.  Caregivers participate alongside the children, enjoying the spring weather, and plant a seed in the garden. (Available April through June only)
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: Early Learning for Every Child Today

Kindergarten – Munchkins in the Garden [TG23SPMG]
Touch and explore nature! Munchkins in the Garden is comprised of two parts – full-class guided exploration activities, and small-group, hands-on learning. Students will have the opportunity to plant a seed or bulb in the Teaching Garden’s organic vegetable beds, touch and learn about composter worms and explore the colours, sounds and textures of the garden and arboretum.
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: The Kindergarten Program, 2016

Grade 1 – Eyes on Life [TG23SPEL]
What do plants and animals need to live? Are they the same things? Through hands-on activities and dramatic games, students will learn about plants and animals to find out the difference.
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: Characteristics and Needs of Living Things

Grade 2 – Garden Dwellers [TG23SPGD]
Can you guess which animals make the Toronto Botanical Garden their home? You might be surprised at the answer! Students will discover the wide range of creatures that live here and learn how they meet their needs all year long.
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: Growth and Changes in Animals

Grade 3 – Soil: That’s Not Dirt! [TG23SPND]
Soil is so much more than dirt! Through hands-on activities, students will become soil detectives to explore the formation process and explore the components of the organic and inorganic parts of soil.
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS – Soils in the Environment

Grade 3 – Plants: Growing Green [TG23SPGG]
Plants come in all shapes and sizes! Examining the tallest to the smallest with hands-on activities helps children to understand the importance of all plants.
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: Growth and Changes in Plants

Grade 4 – Where the Wild Things Roam [TG23SPWW]
Hands-on activities and outdoor games introduce habitat concepts and the busy community of birds, insects, plants, and mammals that live in our gardens and ravine.
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: Habitats and Communities

All Grades – Hike-in-a-Bag [TG23SPHB]
If you wish to remain for the full day or to have lunch on the grounds, you may do so by adding on our optional Hike-in-a-bag program to your registration. This program allows TBG school program participants to stay on the grounds without procuring a picnic or group visit permit from the city.

If you sign up for this additional program, you will borrow an activity-filled backpack and map of the grounds. This backpack will identify you to city staff as participants in a TBG program. Inside the backpack are simple materials to help you guide your students in an exploration of the gardens. You may choose to do some or all of these activities, or you can plan your own activities.

Hike-in-a-bag adds $1 to the per-student cost of your trip.

CANCELLATION POLICY

Cancellations must be made at least two weeks in advance. If a program is canceled less than two weeks prior to the scheduled date, the projected cost of the program must be paid in full by the school.

SIGN UP TODAY

School Registration 2022-2023

  • DATE: (Top 3 Choices)
  • NB: Dates are not guaranteed until trip is confirmed. School programs are two hours long and cost $10/student. Classes wishing to stay for the entire day will be charged an extra $1/student for a self-guided tour kit.
  • For more information please call please email education@torontobotanicalgarden.ca
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