Published on September 18, 2025
There’s something magical about seeing kids explore the outdoors.
At the Children’s Garden at Evergreen Brick Works, simple materials, natural structures and imaginative spaces combine to spark curiosity, creativity and connection with nature. From the quiet, shaded Willow Dome to the splash-filled Water Studio, every corner is a chance to play and explore
Now that the Children’s Garden has reopened, we invite families, caregivers, educators and curious explorers to come and experience all the spaces and features.
What can you expect to find in this wondrous space? Read on.
Sometimes the best places to spark creativity are the simplest. Welcome to Toad Road, a play area with an assortment of stumps and logs that children can hop across, balance on and climb over.
Prompts for play: How old do you think these stumps are — can you tell by counting the tree rings? Can you design an obstacle course using three stumps and the crossing log? How might a toad hop and move its way around these logs?”
Follow the Fossil Flow for water play in a wide sand pit, with a mud kitchen right beside it for mixing up wild recipes and baking the best mud pies. It’s a spot where kids can dig, splash and create with nature all around them.
Prompts for play: How many fossils can you spot, and what do they feel like? What ingredients can you gather from nature this season? What kind of dessert could you make with them? How many mud creatures can you shape and bring to life?
The Wolf Den is a perfect spot for individual or small-group play. Its large rock overhang sparks a sense of adventure, offering room to explore, hide and let imaginations run wild.
Prompts for play: What animals live in dens, and how could we make this space more comfortable for them?
The Outdoor Classroom is a welcoming gathering space with armour stone seating and a beautiful nature-inspired mural. It’s perfect for storytelling, sharing ideas, and connecting with each other while surrounded by nature.
Prompts for play: What animals or plants did we spot on our way here today? Can we play ‘I Spy’ using all the colours, shapes and designs in the mural?
A playhouse made of cob (subsoil, sand, straw and water) by community members and Evergreen back in 2012, the Cob House even comes with a living roof! It’s a hands-on way to explore how natural materials act as insulators, keeping the inside cooler in summer and warmer in winter.
Prompts for play: If this were our home, what would we plant in the garden around it or on the green roof?
The Willow Dome is a shaded, quieter spot in the garden where children can gather to read, do crafts, or simply enjoy some calm time. Its tall willow branches are woven into a dome structure, creating a peaceful space for reflection and rest.
Prompts for play: What stories could happen in this quiet space? How could we use this shady spot for reading, drawing or imagining adventures?
Get ready to make some noise! The Music Wall turns the garden into a stage, where colourful tubes invite kids to tap, strike and explore all the different sounds they can create.
Prompts for play: How many different sounds can you make on the music wall? What other sounds can you hear around the garden, and what might be making them?
Water tower storing rainwater? Check. Hand pumps to pull water? Check. Water to splash in? Check. The Water Studio is a hands-on spot where children can explore how water moves, experiment with different tools to direct its flow, and make a splash while learning.
Prompts for play: How can we speed up water from point A to point B? How can we slow it down? Can we pretend to be beavers and become water architects?
Learn more
The Children’s Garden is where kids can play, explore and connect with nature. It’s a place for kids to get hands on the natural world, including exploring the garden’s rich array of plants.
It’s open summer weekdays, July and August: 5:30 p.m. to dusk; school-year weekdays, September through June: 4 p.m. to dusk; and year-round weekends and holidays: 8 a.m. to dusk.
You can also check out our Visitor Info page for more on planning your visit, getting to the Brick Works and the rest of our programs, events and activities.
