May 8 and 9 
Sense: sight
Use empty picture frames in the garden to draw your favorite view! Take a walking tour of the woodland trail to see incredible views of the Missouri River Valley. This weekend is the last chance to see the Japanese doll exhibit, "The Dolls of Japan: Shapes of Prayer; Embodiments of Love." Take a photo with your mother at the garden, and post it on the garden's Facebook page.

May 15 and 16
Explore all your senses during our Spring into Spring plant sale and festival!

May 22 and 23
Sense: smell
Stop and smell the flowers at our special plant petting zoo, and take a walking tour of the entire garden - stopping along the way to breathe in tantalizing scents.

May 29 and 30 (Memorial Day weekend)
Sense: hearing
Enjoy the sounds of Chime Master's Mobile Millennium carillon at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. both Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Make your own instrument out of natural materials, read excerpts from "The Four Seasons" sonnets and walk through the garden listening for the sounds of the season. Try your luck at limited CD giveaways throughout the weekend.

Listen to us on SpiritRADIO, talk about this and other exciting events.
Click here for the podcast.

June 5 and 6
Sense: touch
Plants do what they must to survive - and that sometimes involves protective exterior textures and water conservation mechanisms. Plant a succulent sedum to take home, and view (but do not touch) the garden's intriguing cactus collection. Learn how hosta, roses and other plants have adapted to their environments.

June 12 and 13
Sense: taste
Visit the children's garden to see vegetable plants growing, learn about community gardens, and plant a "seed necklace" to take home.

June 19 and 20
Sense: see
Join chalk artist Peggy Reinicke to draw a gigantic, colorful chalk vine and flowers along the walkway between the children's garden and herb garden, and take home a free package of chalk, while supplies last. Take a walking tour to see all the vivid annual flowers in bloom up close.

June 26 and 27
Sense: smell
In the spirit of the trees that provide us with fresh air (and oxygen!) every day, create a work of tree art to take home. 

July 3 and 4
Sense: hear
Make your own rain stick so you can listen to the sound of rain anytime! Take a walking tour through the garden while listening for special sounds. Enjoy live music and $1 hot dogs in celebration of Independence Day.

July 10 and 11
Sense: touch 
Sandhills Suri Alpacas LLC brings to the garden Suri Alpacas! Visitors will experience the grace and elegance of this regal but shy animal.  The dreadlocked fiber of the Suri is breathtaking to watch as these animals move about. Feel the fineness of the fiber, the density of which these animals carry and the natural luster of the fiber (which is without any oil). Kids (and adults) can give an alpaca a hug! Make recycled paper, and learn about plants in the garden that are used for human consumption and material.

July 17 and 18 
Railroad Days
Explore all your sense during our Railroad Days festival.

July 24 and 25
Sense: taste
Make an herb corsage, take a walking tour of the herb gardeb to learn about culinary herbs and about the use of herbs in cooking and teas.

July 31 and August 1
Sense: see
Bring your binoculars, and take a tour of the arboretum, keeping an eye out for the birds that call it home. Make a bird feeder to take home, and learn about birds of prey from Raptor Recovery representatives.

August 7 and 8 
Sense: smell
Learn about the psychology of scent and why familiar smells trigger certain memories. Walk through the garden, smelling the various fragrances to determine what memories they trigger for you.

August 14 and 15
Art in Bloom
Explore all your sense during our Art in Bloom festival!

August 21 and 22
Sense: hear
Put on your "deer ears" to focus in on all the subtle audible discoveries in the garden. Make a wind chime to take home, and listen for the sounds of music and insects.

August 28 and 29 
Sense: touch
Get familiar with the textures of bark, touch plants in our petting zoo.

September 4 and 5 
Sense: taste
Learn about salsa, ethnic tomato-pepper recipes and heirloom tomatoes, and see the tomatoes and peppers growing in the children's garden.

Every SENSEATIONAL WEEKEND
Discovery Bags
Discovery bags will be available for your family to check out and use during your garden visit, free of charge. Filled with kid-friendly contents, these bags give you and your children the tools needed to discover the mysteries of the garden. Find creepy crawlies close up using the magnifying glass, tour the garden by solving clues from the garden scavenger hunt, learn to identify plants, flowers, trees and more.

Scavenger Hunt
Grab a scavenger hunt sheet and explore the garden together, following clues and observing the environment by using your senses.

Walking Tours
Docent-led walking tours related to the weekend's theme will take place both days at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Cafe
Enjoy lunch or snacks in the cafe from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Nature is wonder filled and unpredictable. Weekly themes and activities may change when Mother Nature provides interesting and educational surprises. Activities will be held outdoors, weather permitting.