A couple of weeks ago my son invited me to go to the Arboretum with him. I hadn’t been there in quite a while but I was looking forward to seeing the beautiful flowers and walking the trails.
Well, I quickly realized I needed to write a blog post about this space. I am grateful I brought my phone along so I could take pictures.
I did not get photos of the large pond that has flowers, bridges, large Koi fish, turtles and more. So I am borrowing this one from the internet. Click on the picture to see additional photos of the gardens.
As adults we stood and watched the fish and turtles for a while so I can only imagine the appeal they would have for young children.
HERE is a link to their website so you can look around at what they have to offer.
As we headed west we quickly came upon the children’s area of the garden. I first noticed the train garden. What fun!
The tracks go overhead on a bridge, through a replica of old Overland Park downtown, through a country scene and even under the sidewalk with plexi-glass over it so you can see the train. Evidently volunteers run the track and they weren’t there yet when we were so we didn’t get to see the trains moving. I’d suggest you call the center to see when volunteers were planning to arrive on they day you are visiting. I know this past Sunday they said the volunteers typically get there around 9:30.
The large caboose is one the children can peek into the windows to see what that looks like.
Nearby we saw the vine tunnel. It wasn’t completely covered this year as I have seen it some previous years I’ve visited. It still looks like fun!
A little further down the trail there was a natural play area. While there weren’t any children playing I could visualize the fun a young one would have navigating the different structures.
We walked the concrete paths and then the trails through the woods. All the trails are easy walks about a mile long so children should be able to navigate them watching for wildlife and water features. It was hot and humid on the day we visited and I still enjoyed it. I can imagine how delightful it would be on a beautiful upcoming fall day.
At the front entrance if you head straight onto a paved trail, there are lots of different international statues. I can see the kids enjoying the hunt for the next statue.
I hope you all take some time to enjoy the arboretum. It typically costs just $3.00 a person however on Tuesdays there is no charge.
I’d love to see any pictures of your kids having fun playing in this beautiful place.
UPDATE:
10-3-18 We received these pictures of some of our Aldersgate Preschool kids enjoying the Arboretum. I love it!
Aldersgate Preschool 