For kids visiting the Botanical Gardens, the zone hardiness and Latin genus of the plants may be lost on them. Instead, they’ll want to head to the Play Pods located throughout the gardens. There they’ll climb and play on pint-size Trees, Leaves, Mushrooms, the Dragonfly and the Metamorphosis near the Butterfly House.

This play equipment was built as a NatureGrounds demonstration site in conjunction with PlayCore, a company focused on unique play environments. 

Each of the play areas includes a lesson in science and nature.

The Metamorphosis, for instance, teaches the cycle of the monarch butterfly from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly. The Mushroom teaches the importance of fungi in creating soil.

These Play Pods also were designed with safety and security in mind. The ground in the Play Pods is a deep layer of rubber surface made from recycled tires. The Play Pods are usually quite busy on the weekends, in particular, as these along with the more traditional playground equipment make the Botanical Gardens one of the city’s most popular play areas.