Select an Option
Bok Adventures
Available courses: options include Discovery and Nature Play | Insects Up Close | Math in the Gardens | Growing Writers | A Bird’s Life | Roots & Shoots | Building Character | Community Based Instruction | Splash! Grant Freshwater Education | Walking Through History
Discovery and Nature Play
Grades: Pk-1
Days: Tuesday-Saturday
Times: 9am-4pm
Duration: 2 hours
Cost: $7 per child
Number of Students: 10 minimum
Bring your students to Hammock Hollow Children’s Garden where our educators will engage them in a variety of fun activities as they learn, explore, and create.
Choose the focus of your Discovery and Nature Play adventure:
- Walking Through History
- Insects Up Close
- Math in the Gardens
- Roots and Shoots
- Splash! Grant Freshwater Education
- A Bird’s Life
Choose the structure of your Discovery and Nature Play adventure:
One hour of free nature play with extra-staffed activities in Hammock Hollow and a trip to the Singing Tower to feed the koi.
One hour of free nature play with extra-staffed activities in Hammock Hollow and one hour of educator-facilitated hands-on activities in the Gardens.
Hammock Hollow has misters, fountains, and a water pump, so your students will get wet if you let them!
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Insects Up Close
Grades: 2-5
Days: Tuesday-Saturday
Times: 9am-4pm
Duration: 2 hours
Cost: $7 per child
Number of Students: 10 minimum
Bok Tower Gardens is home to a myriad of insect species; beautiful butterflies, busy bees, and lovely ladybugs, just to name a few. Insect lovers, and those who find them a bit icky, will have fun on this adventure, digging through compost, hunting for insects in their habitat, and learning about insect life cycles. Students will get to act out the relationship between insect pollinators and plants, and understand our dependence on insect pollinators for our food. Your students will also enjoy a sweet honey tasting of different Florida honeys or “eat like insects” while learning about insect mouth adaptations!
Certifications:
Science: SC.K.L.14.3, SC.K.N.1.1, SC.K.N.1.2, SC.K.N.1.5, SC.1.E.5.3, SC.1.E.6.1, SC.1.L.14.1 SC.1.L.17.1
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Math in the Gardens
Grades: Range from PK-12 depending on class
Days: Tuesday-Saturday
Times: 9am-4pm
Duration: 2 hours
Cost: $7 per child
Number of Students: 10 minimum
Math is everywhere at Bok Tower Gardens, from the large round head of a sunflower to the grand landscape design of Fredrick Law Olmsted, Jr. Your students will delight in the beauty of math as they work together to find and compare hidden shapes and patterns in nature, measure angles, perimeter, area, and volume, and find lines of symmetry in natural objects. They can even go inside a coordinate grid on our lawn and explore beginning fractions in our Outdoor Kitchen!
Certifications:
Math: MAFS.K.CC.3.6, MAFS.K.G.1.2, MAFS.K.G.2.5, MAFS.K.MD.1.2, MAFS.K.MD.1.a, MAFS.1.G.1.1, MAFS.1.G.1.3, MAFS.1.MD.1.1, MAFS.1.MD.1.a, MAFS.1.MD.3.4
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Growing Writers
Grades: 2-5
Days: Tuesday-Saturday
Times: 9am-4pm
Duration: 2 hours
Cost: $7 per child
Number of Students: 10 minimum
Use the beautiful natural setting of Bok Tower Gardens and the extraordinary story of Edward Bok to inspire your students’ writing! Students will use their five senses to experience salsa and chips, and then explore the gardens, collecting observations that will be fashioned into metaphors and similes, their own nature poem, and a unique perspective writing. Students will consider how they can “make you the world a bit better or more beautiful because you have lived in it”, as Edward Bok’s grandmother said to him.
Certifications:
Language Arts:
LAFS.4.L.1.2, LAFS.4.L.2.3, LAFS.4.L.3.5, LAFS.4.RL.1.2, LAFS.4.SL.2.4, LAFS.4.W.4.10, LAFS.5.L.1.2, LAFS.5.L.2.3, LAFS.5.L.3.5, LAFS.5.RL.1.2, LAFS.5.SL.2.4, LAFS.5.W.4.10
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A Bird’s Life
Grades: 2-5
Days: Tuesday-Saturday
Times: 9am-4pm
Duration: 2 hours
Cost: $7 per child
Number of Students: 10 minimum
Originally created as a bird sanctuary, Bok Tower Gardens is the perfect place to learn more about the lives of our feathered friends. Students will explore bird habitat, learn about basic bird needs, and play a game to discover bird adaptations or the role of birds in a food chain. Students will discover the birds that adorn the Singing Tower and connect the conservation challenges in Bok’s day with current issues. And hopefully, we will catch a glimpse of a few of our resident bird species!
Certifications:
Science:
SC.2.N.1.2, SC.2.N.1.5, SC.2.L.17.1, SC.2.L.17.2, SC.3.N.1.3, SC.3.N.1.6, SC.3.N.3.2, SC.3.L.15.1, SC.4.N.1.6, SC.4.N.3.1, SC.4.L.16.3, SC.4.L.17.3, SC.5.N.1.6, SC.5.L.14.2, SC.5.L.17.1
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Roots & Shoots
Grades: 2-5
Days: Tuesday-Saturday
Times: 9am-4pm
Duration: 2 hours
Cost: $7 per child
Number of Students: 10 minimum
What better place to learn about plants than a garden? Through hands-on activities and games, your students will discover what plants need to make their own food, experience the plant diversity in our Gardens, learn about the life cycle of a flowering plant, and understand how plants spread their seeds into the environment. There is even a stop in our Outdoor Kitchen to make the connection between different plant parts, their functions, and the food that we eat.
Certifications:
Science:
SC.2.L.16.1, SC.2.L.17.2, SC.3.L.14.1, SC.3.L.15.2, SC.3.L.17.2,SC.3.N.1.3, SC.4.L.16.1, SC.4.L.17.2, SC.4.L.17.3, SC.4.L.17.4, SC.4.N.1.6, SC.5.L.14.2, SC.5.L.17.1
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Building Character
Grades: 2-12
Days: Tuesday-Saturday
Times: 9am-4pm
Duration: 2 hours
Cost: $7 per child
Number of Students: 10 minimum
Students will learn teamwork, communication and courtesy as they work together to solve challenges they cannot solve alone in this team-building course. Activities and cooperative games encourage everyone to work to get to know each other, appreciate the differences in people, create positive relationships, practice leadership skills, understand group dynamics, and laugh together.
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Community Based Instruction
Grades: 6-12 & adults
Days: Tuesday-Saturday
Times: 9am-4pm
Duration: 2 hours
Cost: $7 per child
Number of Students: 10 minimum
Bring your students to beautiful Bok Tower Gardens for their next community-based instruction field trip. Your students will learn firsthand from Bok Tower employees what it takes to keep the Gardens running smoothly, from the Café to the Gift Shop to the Visitor Center. Walking to the Singing Tower to feed the koi, viewing our short video about Bok Tower Gardens’ history, and visiting our museum is included in this adventure. We would love to be a part of your students’ community experiences!
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Splash! Grant Freshwater Education
Grades: 2-5
Days: Tuesday-Saturday
Times: 9am-4pm
Duration: 2 hours
Cost: $7 per child
Number of Students: 10 minimum
Bok Tower Gardens is an approved freshwater education field trip site for the Splash! Grant program administered by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Your students will explore sources of freshwater in the Garden during a water walk, play a water cycle game, test water quality in our moat by the Singing Tower, and dip net in Pinewood Pond to learn about a pond ecosystem.
Certifications:
Science:
SC.2.L.17.1, SC.2.L.17.2, SC.2.P.8.4, SC.3.N.1.3, SC.3.N.3.2, SC.3.N.3.3, SC.3.P.9.1, SC.4.E.6.6, SC.4.N.1.6, SC.4.N.3.1, SC.5.E.7.1, SC.5.E.7.2
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Walking Through History
Grades: 2-5
Days: Tuesday-Saturday
Times: 9am-4pm
Duration: 2 hours
Cost: $7 per child
Number of Students: 10 minimum
Bok Tower Gardens is a National Historic Landmark with a rich history centered around Edward Bok and his creation of the Gardens and Singing Tower. This history will come alive as your students take a walk around the Gardens to explore the reasons immigrants come to this country, find examples of good citizenship and volunteerism, and explore the symbolism and meaning of the artwork on the Singing Tower. Students will get to touch samples of the different materials that make up the Singing Tower and share their family history.
Certifications:
Social Studies:
SS.2.A.2.5, SS.2.C.2.2, SS.2.C.2.4, SS.3.C.2.1, SS.3.G.1.3, SS.3.G.2.5, SS.4.A.1.1, SS.4.A.1.2, SS.4.A.6.3, SS.4.C.2.3, SS.4.E.1.1, SS.4.G.1.4, SS.5.A.1.1, SS.5.C.2.5
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Culinary Programs
Available courses: options include A-maize-ing Herbs | Plant Parts We Eat | Mindful Smoothies | Pizza Gardening
A-maize-ing Herbs
Grades: 2-5
Days: Tuesday-Friday
Times: 9am-4pm
Duration: 2-3 hours
Cost: $10 per student
Number of Students: 10 minimum-60 maximum
What is the difference between an herb and a spice? Students will learn the answer as they explore our herb garden through touch and smell, and create their own herb and spice seasoning blends to try on freshly made air-popped popcorn in our Outdoor Kitchen. They will enjoy making a fragrant art project out of dried herbs and spices to take home, and will take a walk to the Singing Tower to feed the koi.
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Plant Parts We Eat
Grades: 2-8
Days: Tuesday-Friday
Times: 9am-4pm
Duration: 2-3 hours
Cost: $10 per student
Number of Students: 10 minimum-60 maximum
Which plant parts end up on our plate? Your students will learn the answer as they explore the seasonal fruits and vegetables growing in our Edible Garden, and build their own flowering plant out of craft materials to make the connection between plant
parts and our food. They will whip up some healthy no-bake energy bites using different plant part ingredients to enjoy in our Outdoor Kitchen, and take a walk to the Singing Tower to feed the koi.
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Mindful Smoothies
Grades: 2-8
Days: Tuesday-Friday
Times: 9am-4pm
Duration: 2-3 hours
Cost: $12 per student
Number of Students: 10 minimum-40 maximum
Relax in the Gardens with a mindful walk to the Singing Tower to feed the koi, come together as a group with a team building activity, and create smoothies during this program. Your students will practice paying attention to the present moment with all of their senses to focus on their experiences during their mindful walk through the Gardens. They will work together to make unique smoothies in the Outdoor Kitchen using a variety of ingredients to create fun flavor combinations, and then they will sample each other’s creations.
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Pizza Gardening
Grades: 2-12
Days: Tuesday-Friday
Times: 9am-4pm
Duration: 2-3 hours
Cost: $20 per student
Number of Students: 10 minimum
Join us in the Outdoor Kitchen to make your very own pizzas! Students will learn how to make pizza dough and tomato sauce from scratch, and basic knife skills to prepare their choice of toppings. Create your unique pizzas, and slide them into our wood-burning pizza oven for just a few minutes to cook. Students also get to explore our Edible Garden to better understand the connection between plants and our food. Optional additional charge of $10 per adult for pizza.
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Other Education Options
Available courses: options include Team Building and Tree Climbing | Service Learning Opportunities | Earth Day Festival | Self-Guided Tours
Team Building and Tree Climbing
Grades: 1-College
Days: Monday-Friday
Times: 9am-4pm
Duration: 3 hours
Cost: $35 per child
Number of Students: 30 minimum
Students will learn teamwork, communication and courtesy as they work together to solve challenges they cannot solve alone in this team-building course. Activities and cooperative games encourage everyone to work to get to know each other, appreciate the differences in people, create positive relationships, practice leadership skills, understand group dynamics, and laugh together.
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Service Learning Opportunities
Grades: 6-College
Days: Tuesday & Thursday
Times: 9:30am-12pm
Duration: 2.5 hours
Cost: no cost
Number of Students: 24 maximum
Service learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.
Is your group or high school teen in need of Community Service Hours?
Service learning projects at Bok Tower Gardens are available as a custom-created experience. Opportunities include:
- Natural Lands: marking and/or pulling out invasive plant species, collecting seeds, and garbage removal.
- Gardens: mulching plant beds and paths, and working in the raised beds in the Edible Garden.
- Children’s Garden: participating in nature play with young children and tidying the Garden.
- Greenhouse: weeding, washing pots, sweeping leaves, and potting plants.
Teachers can contact the Education Coordinator at 863.734.1221 or education@boktower.org to begin the conversation for their student groups. Teens should apply as a volunteer to begin the process
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Celebrate Earth Day
Grades: K-5
Days: April 25 & 26
Times: 9am-12pm
Duration: 3 hours
Cost: $7 per student
Number of Students: no class size limit
Students participate in hands-on activities at booths exhibited by environmental organizations from around central Florida. Exhibitors may change year to year and have included themes such as recycling, protecting wildlife, water conservation, gardening, live animals, plant giveaways, and more!
Great for homeschool families! All group sizes welcome. Registration is open for 2019. Pre-registration is required.
Some of the attendees favorite activities included: water cycle, weather safety, telescopes, reptiles, bees and honey, aquaponics, earth ball, sustainability pledges, and learning about the Singing Tower.
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Self Guided Tour
Grades: K-College
Days: Sunday-Saturday
Times: 9am-6pm
Duration: none
Cost: $5 per child
Number of Students: no class size limit
Plan Your Own Adventure
Plan your own adventure and give your students the key to the Gardens. Bok Tower Gardens is a great place for your students to enjoy their independence and explore safely. Experience the excitement when students take charge of their learning in the classic and refined gardens.
Teachers, scouts, church groups, and colleges are welcome to bring students for self-guided visits. Our staff will orient the group, then the group is welcome to tour the Gardens at their own pace. Your Garden activities must be approved by the Education Coordinator prior to the tour. Elementary school teachers are welcome to download the “Garden Explorations Packet” as an optional curriculum model.
Garden Adventure Guide
The Garden Adventure Guide is a printed activity guide available for all our young visitors. It includes a map to the rubbing tile posts and Gardens, as well as a Singing Tower jumble puzzle and other activities to deepen families’ and children’s engagement in the natural world. Garden Adventure Guides and rubbing paper for the tile posts may be requested by teachers when they book a Self-Guided Gardens Explorations field trip for their students, or are available at the Information Desk in the Visitor Center.
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* Group rate cannot be combined with memberships and passes. All group reservations must be paid in one payment to qualify for group rate. Payments are final and non-refundable. Receive one (1) free adult per five (5) students, additional adults are $10 each.