Ithaca Children's Garden

06/03/2026

06/01/2026

Exciting update: International Mud Day will feature music by Travis Knapp and a Cob Therapy Community Creation Zone!

About Cobb Therapy: Get your hands dirty and discover the magic of building with earth! Join Cob Therapy for a hands-on mud experience where children and adults can stomp, squish, sculpt, and create using cob: a natural mixture of clay, sand, and straw.
Learn more: https://www.cobtherapy.com/

About Travis Knapp: Travis Knapp's music is full of soulful singing, clawhammer banjo, joyful dance grooves, acoustic vibes, heartfelt stories, gardening tips, bicycle touring tales, and inspiration to come to this life in a good way. His folk music pulls together personal and community growth with social justice and everyday spiritual practice.
Learn more: https://travisknapp.com/about/

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/international-mud-day-tickets-1989241562061?aff=oddtdtcreator

ICG's Anarchy Zone will be transformed into a muddy wonderland, featuring mud pits, mud slides, and mud art for endless entertainment.

05/28/2026

Ithaca Children's Garden is !

-Early Childhood After-School Lead
-School Age After-School Program Lead

Learn more and apply: https://www.ithacachildrensgarden.org/about-icg/ -our-team

05/21/2026

We're in the running, and we need your vote! ICG has been nominated as a Finger Lakes Favorite in three categories, and every vote helps us grow our impact and connect even more kids with nature.

You can vote for ICG in each category once per day through May 29, so bookmark the page and set a reminder! Let’s show the region just how much ICG means to our community and help put the Garden on top.

https://fingerlakesfavorites.com/vote/

05/15/2026

Tickets for International Mud Day are now available! Join us for one of Ithaca Children's Garden's messiest and most beloved traditions as the Hands-On Nature Anarchy Zone transforms into a muddy wonderland of pits, slides, mud art, splashing, digging, and joyful outdoor play. Come celebrate connection — to nature, community, and the simple magic of getting gloriously muddy. Get messy. Make memories.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/international-mud-day-tickets-1989241562061?aff=oddtdtcreator

“There is nothing better than watching a ton of wild, happy, muddy children squealing with delight and not a screen in sight!”

05/08/2026

Public gardens are places of wonder, connection, and discovery.

From muddy play in the Hands-On Nature Anarchy Zone to leaping off Gaia, splashing in the Rice Paddy Pond, strolling the Story Walk, or finding quiet moments beneath the trees with the hens, every visit to Ithaca Children's Garden helps kids and families build lifelong relationships with nature.

Join us this week as we celebrate the joy and importance of public gardens everywhere. Stop by and experience the Garden in bloom.


American Public Gardens Association

05/07/2026

Drop in. Dig deep. Discover Nature.

Join us for Drop-In Discovery Days, a free Saturday Summer series designed for nature explorers of all ages. Starting on May 16, materials and staff will be available to support your exploration as you enjoy hands-on, themed activities at your own pace. No registration is needed.

Look for the new Discovery Cart from 10-12 — we’ll have a sign at the main entrance to guide you. We can’t wait to explore with you!

https://www.ithacachildrensgarden.org/programs/drop-in-discovery-days/

This program is supported by the Tompkins County Tourism Program and the Legacy Foundation.

05/06/2026

Come one, come all to Circus in the Garden! Join Circus Culture youth troupes for three free and family-friendly shows under the tent at the Ithaca Children's Garden. No reservations needed - just show up! We highly encourage bringing your own chairs and blankets, but we will have extras to share if needed. Seating area is under our open-air tent on grass.

Oak Troupe Presents: ONCE UPON A CIRCUS
Saturday, May 23 @ 10am
Saturday, May 23 @ 11:30am
Sunday, May 24 @ 1pm

Aspen Troupe Presents: CIRCUS AS YOU KNOW IT
Saturday, May 23 @ 1pm
Sunday, May 24 @ 10am
Sunday, May 24 @ 11:30am

Village Circus Presents: A VILLAGE CIRCUS (RE)MIXTAPE
Sunday, May 24 @ 4pm

Shows will be canceled in high winds or electrical storms. Check on Instagram for updates.

Any donations collected will go towards Circus Culture's scholarship fund.

For show-related questions (accessibility, further show details, etc.), please email [email protected]. Comprehensive info about venue accessibility can be found on the Ithaca Children's Garden website.

05/01/2026

Thanks to our community, we've reached our Scholarship Campaign goal. Together, supporters helped unlock the full $27,500 match, doubling the impact of every dollar given and raising an extraordinary $55,000 for over 100 local families. We did it!

If you made a gift to the Scholarship Fund this spring, thank you. Your support helps ensure that every child — regardless of circumstance — has the chance to dig in the soil, plant seeds, taste food they've grown, and play freely in nature.

We're deeply grateful to be part of a community that shows up for kids, for nature access, and for one another. Because of you, the Garden continues to grow as a place of connection, curiosity, and joy.

04/30/2026

These are your final hours to double your impact for over 100 local families.

If you’ve been meaning to jump in, now’s the moment. We’re just $766 away from unlocking the full match. Make your gift and help us get there by midnight.

The only way ICG can offer Tompkins County’s most progressive scholarship program is with the generous support of our community — with you.

https://ithacachildrensgarden.app.neoncrm.com/campaigns/228