Youth gardening
Youth gardening in Pierce County
Whether you are a parent or a teacher, ignite in our children a passion for gardening from an early age. We offer youth gardening programs that allow kids to experience the wonders of this rewarding hobby firsthand. While building essential knowledge, these programs primarily aim to cultivate a lifelong love for the art of gardening. Nurture the gardeners of tomorrow by immersing them in this enriching experience today!
More Information
We have Youth Gardens and offer Youth Gardening Workshops out of both of our Demonstration Gardens. Read on for details.
Come to our Booth!
The Pierce County Master Gardener Children’s Garden Team will host a booth at the Puyallup Spring Fair from Friday, April 10th through Sunday, April 12th. We will have many family friendly events for FREE including:
- potting up pumpkin and sunflower seeds to take home
- investigating insects under a microscope
- creating an insect antennae headband
- crawling through the sensory bug tunnel
Find us in the Pavillon in the KidZone near the merry-go-round! Come by and say hi!
Puyallup Youth Gardening
25 years at the Puyallup Children’s Garden
Our Youth Garden is located within our Puyallup Demonstration Garden.
Check our calendar for class dates. Check our Catalog, below, for course descriptions.
In additional to our scheduled programming, we welcome tours and visits to our garden outdoor classroom, as we can accommodate. If you are interested in scheduling a visit, please complete the ‘Contact’ form.
When? We welcome groups to our garden May 1 through mid-October, 9 am – 3 pm.
How? We depend on our volunteers to staff any visits. We ask for a minimum two-week notice of your request.
We hope to see you and your family in the garden!
2026 Class Catalog for Puyallup Youth Gardening:
Spring Fest – Waking UP!
We’re hosting a family event to celebrate spring on Saturday, March 21st.
Families with children ages 3-11 are invited to play a bingo scavenger hunt, plant early flowers and veggies, dance in the season, build a dead hedge, and make a germinating necklace as they celebrate the start of spring. Registration begins at 9:30
Planning your Garden
Learn what plants can be started now and plan for coming seasonal plantings.
Worm University
Visit the worm colony and learn their secrets.
Hummingbirds
Welcome the living jewels of the bird world that pollinate our gardens.
Summer Fest – Plants Talk
Investigate how plants communicate with their environment and each other.
Dinosaurs
Learn which plants are left from the dinosaur age
& design your own garden for tiny dinosaurs.
Tiny Wonders
Use magnifiers and microscopes to observe what is hiding in our garden world.
Fall Fest – Seed Saving
FLearn about and collect seeds from plants to save for future planting.
Gig Harbor Youth Gardening
Gig Harbor Demonstration Garden
All workshops are FREE.
Demonstration Garden Hours:
– Wednesdays, 9:30am to noon year round
– Saturdays, 10:00am to 2:00pm mid-April to mid-October
Workshop Schedule:
Workshop Registration:
– Opens one month before class start date
2026 Class Catalog for Gig Harbor Youth Gardening:
Ready Set, Grow!
Spring is sprung and it’s time for students to learn the essentials of good gardening: students will learn about the important elements required for plants to grow including identifying compostable and non-compostable materials. They will plant their own flower containers and vegetable seeds for growing at home.
Fairies and Gnomes
Who says that fairies aren’t real? Come to class and learn about the magic of gardening and who knows, you might spot a fairy or two…. who gnomes?
Children will make their own “Fairy Garden” in a pot to take home.
Harvest Festivities
It’s time to start shutting down the garden and enjoying some of its bounty. We’ll get together to share in fall garden related activities and have some fun!
Frequently Asked Questions:
A: We will always try to meet your needs, however it will depend on the size of the group, the amount of lead time and our available volunteers. Best way to find out is to contact us with your details and we’ll get back to you with what we are able to do.
Gig Harbor: Children of all ages are always welcome to visit with their parents but Workshops are designed for ages 5 – 11 and only registered children are allowed to participate but younger sibs are welcome to observe.
Puyallup: These are family events. A parent or guardian must attend with the child.
Siblings are welcome, but the events are generally geared for ages 3-11.