Bok Tower Gardens > Education > Families

Families

Questions? Contact our education staff at programs@boktower.org or call us at 863.734.1222.

At Bok Tower Gardens there is something to discover for visitors of all ages! Families are encouraged to explore the Gardens at their own pace.

Building on more than 80 years of excellence, Bok Tower Gardens provides authentic and engaging educational experiences. Our Children & Families programming is aimed to connect and engage learners of all ages through activities that help children and adults become more creative, healthier, happier and more connected to the natural world.

Many Ways to explore the Gardens

Discovery Backpacks
These backpacks are filled with books on plants and animals, binoculars and a compass, stuffed animals, a blanket and a souvenir coloring poster to take home! Designed to help children explore the Gardens through fun and educational activities and a unique kid-friendly vantage point.

Garden Adventure Guide
Our free guide is designed to be shared with the whole family. Filled with fun facts and activities, everyone in your family can enjoy learning about the cultural and natural history of the Gardens. Use the map and clues to hunt for the hidden tile posts on your way to the Singing Tower. The Garden Adventure Guide and our Family Discovery Backpacks are on loan free of charge at the Visitor Center.

Geocaching
Join the global treasure-hunting phenomenon, this family-friendly activity will lead you through the Gardens in search of our three hidden geocache locations. Proper geocache etiquette says that you should bring a small item to leave in the geocache and choose one from the container to take home as your own treasure!

Plants and Animals
Bok Tower Gardens is a designated location on the Great Florida Birding Trail where you can find 126 species of birds including woodpeckers, hummingbirds, turkeys and the occasional bald eagle. Japanese koi call the Tower’s moat their home. Bring along a quarter so you can get some fish food from the feeder!

Stop by Window by the Pond, a great place to observe nature’s show as it plays out through a large picture window looking over a small pond. With patience you can watch as birds, reptiles, butterflies and fish live their lives in their native habitat.

Our ¾ mile Pine Ridge Nature Preserve provides a rare opportunity to explore one of the nation’s few remaining long-leaf pine-turkey oak habitats. Some of its rare plant species are found nowhere else in the world.

The Endangered Plant Garden is a unique showcase of rare Florida native plants, some listed as being globally threatened or endangered. Here you can also learn about the relationship of fire with this habitat.

Other Fun Activities

• 10 rubbing posts where children can make a copy of the tile engraving
• Living tunnel, bamboo hut, sandbox and picnic area
• Secret garden areas with chairs made from trees and large fossil-bearing Florida capstone rocks
• Human sundial in the Endangered Plant Garden
• Koi feeders located near the Singing Tower
• Nap and reading benches hidden in several places in the Gardens