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Garden After-School
An extension of our popular Garden Camp program, Garden After-School (ASP) provides engaging, all-outdoor afternoon activities for children in grades K-5. The ASP's goal is to foster and support a lifelong love of learning and nature and provide a nurturing, safe setting for positive social-emotional development with peers in nature.
Garden After-School connects children to plants through a combination of structured, themed activities and open-ended time to develop curiosity, initiative, imagination, and creativity. Activities revolve around four main themes; gardening, art, wellness, and ecology.
2023-2024 Garden After-School Upcoming Session
Fall Semester
Dates: August 16 - December 21
Regular Hours: 2pm-5pm
Wednesday Hours: 1pm-5pm
Drop-off window: 2:00-2:45pm
Wednesday Drop-off: 1:00-1:30pm
Pick-up window: 4:45-5:05pm
Extended Care Ends: 5:30pm
Readily Available Plans
5 Day (M-F)
3 Day (MWF or TWT)
2 Day (Tu/Th or Wednesday+)
*None of these plans work for you? We're flexible! Email [email protected] to figure out your personalized flexible schedule, or to join us by the month.
Payment plans available for all sessions!*
Hands-on Gardening
Students in our After School program love to get their hands dirty! During our frequent trips to the Children's Garden, our students plant and tend to seeds, help pull weeds and mulch, and sometimes even sample the treats that we've grown! Our Children's Garden educators lead lessons for our students based on their grade - even letting students decide what projects they're most excited to work on!
Activities
Creative Free Play
After a long day in school, we know just how important it is for some free time! In Garden After School, our creativity is fueled by how we immerse ourselves in nature. We love making up our own games, building in the Fort Forest and the Mud Kitchen, and exploring our favorite gardens.
Nature Journaling
We routinely spend time throughout the semester practicing nature journaling with our students. Nature journaling helps us slow down and observe our surroundings, allowing us to practice mindfulness while still engaging with the Garden. There's no wrong way for us to study our surroundings!
Local Field Trips
Throughout the semester our students take trips to some nearby places within walking distance. Last semester we visited Stow Lake, the Conservatory of Flowers, the Japanese Tea Garden, rode the SkyStar Wheel, and played at Mother's Meadow. Next semester we plan to do some of the same, and more!
And so much more!
Our Garden Guardians always find something to do! Between pond studies, playing marbles in the Redwood Grove, crafting clay pollinators, exploring the Children's Garden, enjoying Banana Tag, making leaf boats... it's hard to say what your student's favorite part will be.
Additional Information
Holidays & No Program
The program will follow SFUSD’s school calendar and will not meet on the following dates this semester:
Monday, September 4
Monday, October 9
Friday, November 10
Wednesday, November 22 through Friday, November 24
Walking School Bus
Jefferson Elementary School
We will be providing a Walking School Bus (WSB) from Jefferson ES. Our WSB is staffed by at least 2 Garden Camp counselors who maintain a safe route and wear neon safety vests to make themselves more visible.
More information, including route, will be shared with participants.
Garden After-School pauses in June and resumes in August.
For more information our our Garden Camp summer program, please click here.