As a part of Holiday at the Arboretum featuring The 12 Days of Christmas and The Artistry of the Nativity, the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden is also beginning to look a lot like Christmas with daily holiday themed, hands-on activities and labs for the young and young at heart.

Caelie Dunn, Director of Public Programs for the Children’s Adventure Garden, said, “In addition to the wonderful 12 Days of Christmas exhibit that has been on display in the main garden, we also have daily holiday activities for our guests to enjoy.”

Dallas Child recently recognized the Arboretum as the “Best Place to Get Outdoors.” Holiday activities in the Children’s Adventure Garden include the following:

Starchy Night Lab

Through January 3

In the heat of the Exploration Center Plant Lab, guests will use the endosperm of corn to make a non-Newtonian Fluid with shockingly sticky results. 

Write a Letter to Santa

Saturday, December 5 at 9 a.m.

On the Moody Oasis, guests are invited to attend a letter-writing workshop to craft letters to Santa. The workshop will include paper, pens and stickers along with some of Santa’s helpers that are sure to stop by with some letter-writing tips.

The Case for Santa Claus

Saturday, December 12 at 11 a.m.

Guests will get to use science to answer questions like, how does Santa’s sleigh fly? How does he fit down all the world’s chimneys? How does he not burn himself in the fireplace?  The Case for Santa Claus activity will take place in the Children’s Adventure Garden’s Entry Plaza.

Other holiday activities include Tracks in the Snow in the Texas Native Wetlands, The 12 Days of Christmas in Texas on the Moody Oasis, Not a Creature Was Stirring, There’s No Flakes Like Snowflakes, The Weather Outside is Frightful and more. For a complete list of Children’s Adventure Garden activities and times, visit http://www.dallasarboretum.org/named-gardens-features/the-rory-meyers-childrens-adventure-garden.

In the main garden, guests can enjoy visits with Santa, a live reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. through December 20. Along with a stroll through the magnificent 12 Days of Christmas exhibit, live entertainment, festive demonstrations and holiday refreshments round out the holiday festivities in the garden on Saturdays and Sundays.