Kids Enter Free! Family Saturdays Programming for 2018

By Rumi Tsuchihashi

Kids love watching the koi in action! Mark your calendars now for Family Saturday "Koi Day", May 12. There will be fun koi themed activities (and a chance to feed them, too.)

Would you like to give your kids a chance to enjoy time outdoors and learn about Japanese culture at the same time?

The garden is a treasure trove for young ones and who see, touch, smell and hear it for the first (or one-hundreth) time. And we're delighted to announce that we've lined up many new learning opportunities for Family Saturdays in 2018. Admission to Family Saturdays is now free from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for all youth 12 and under!

Kite-making workshop from the 2017 season. We're pleased to share this experience with our visitors again for the August Family Saturday this year.

The series will kick off on April 14 with an opportunity to try out Chigiri-e. A collage technique long practiced in Japan, chigiri-e means “to tear art,” or “painting with paper.” Artists use delicate hand-made papers to create an effect that resembles watercolor painting. Instructor Constance Perenyi turned to paper to illustrate Growing Wild, Inviting Wildlife into Your Yard, her first book for young readers. She will demonstrate her unique technique while giving young participants a hands-on experience at creating their own torn-paper painting to take home. 

All Family Saturday activities take place between 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

April 14:  Chigiri-e Interactive Demonstration
May 12: Koi Day
June 16: Japanese Folktales
July 7: Tanabata Festival
August 11: Kite-Making Workshop
September 15: Hand Weaving Demonstration
October 13: TBD