A World of Chocolate
Returns to The Everett Children’s Adventure Garden at
NY Botanical Garden
It may be cold outside, but it’s warm in the William
and Lynda Steere Discovery Center at the Everett Children’s
Adventure Garden and in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. Marking
its third year, A World of Chocolate is a two month celebration
when children learn the history of chocolate’s beginnings
in the rain forests of South and Central America, and its discovery
by the Mayans. Hear how chocolate evolved from a bitter, cold
drink to today’s sweet hot chocolate treat. This program
is for school groups during the week and families in the afternoons
and during weekends and holidays.
A World of Chocolate: January
11–March
30, 2003
Kids’ taste buds are stirred up when they sip a Mayan
chocolate drink and discover that ancient chocolate is different
from today’s hot chocolate. Children grind and taste
real chocolate seeds and add spices like chili powder, cinnamon,
and vanilla to make a special recipe. They also play an ancient
Mayan barter game, using cacao seeds as money. Children learn
all about the history of chocolate and visit the great cacao
tree, Theobroma cacao, or “food of the gods,” in
the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. Parents take your children
after school and on the weekends, teachers sign up your school
group today!
In addition to chocolate, we offer
a special program where children learn the story of the vanilla
orchid with activities for families and school groups. Running
in conjunction with the Garden’s Celebration of Orchids (February 28th–March
30th), children discover that vanilla comes from the seedpod
of an orchid plant, Vanilla planifolia and that the plant has
an unusual means of pollination. They use their senses to experience
the heavenly scent of fresh vanilla and taste vanilla flavored
products. In addition, they examine vanilla beans with hand
lenses and microscopes and observe live vanilla orchids. Come
to storytelling at the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden
and hear the tale of how the young Mayan princess “Morning
Star” created vanilla—the “nectar of the
gods.”
School’s Out Week @ A World of Chocolate—February
15 through 23, 2003
Because kids are off from school this week, The Garden offers
more fun activities so families can visit every day and still
not run out of things to do. In addition to the popular World
of Chocolate program, special activities include crafting candy
boxes for chocolate treats, making chocolate candy with molds,
making and tasting chocolate leaves, and taste-testing different
kinds of chocolate.
New—Spices, Scents & Salves Exhibit—going
on now through April 2003
A new exhibit in the Bendheim Global
Greenhouse at the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden
invites children to learn how preserved plants are used in
a variety of ways. Children use their senses and curiosity
to learn about the myriad uses of preserved plants in the
home environment.
Ongoing:
An ideal destination to enjoy in
any season, families and school groups visit the Everett
Children’s Adventure
Garden and participate in the many ongoing programs. Set against
an amazing landscape and garden galleries—children learn
indoors at the Discovery Center where a host of activities
offers hands-on learning about plant science in a fun and engaging
way. Children investigate what’s in the Discovery Boxes,
play with plant puzzles, explore plant parts under the microscopes
in the Lab at the Discovery Center, and use the computer to
play a plant game. As always, the Garden encourages children
to look, touch, explore, question, and discover just like real
scientists.#
For information on
Garden hours: (718) 817-8700 or http://www.nybg.org/
The Everett Children’s Adventure
Garden has been made possible by the leadership generosity
of Edith and Henry Everett
