The Garden as a classroom
At the Hortus, you can experience the world of plants with all your senses. Discover diverse climates and explore just how extraordinary plants truly are. We offer three educational programmes in English, perfect for schools or groups looking for an inspiring and educational day out in the garden.
Age 7 to 10 – Shopping Basket
Discover the plant origins of everyday items. During this hands-on lesson in the Hortus, pupils explore the garden carrying a shopping basket filled with ten very different items, all made from plants. At each stop, they answer questions, identify plant parts, and use their senses to compare and explore. Can you feel the difference between a bamboo sock and a cotton one? Can you smell which herbs belong to which plant? And of course, some of the edible products from the basket can be tasted along the way. A tasty and surprising adventure through the world of useful plants!
- Duration: 90 minutes.
- Supervision: Schools must bring 1 English-speaking adult per 5 pupils. A Hortus teacher will welcome the class, introduce the lesson and conclude the activity after the discovery tour.
- Group size: Maximum 30 pupils.
- Availability: Year-round.
- Price: €6,00 per pupil, teachers free of charge.
Please book at least two weeks in advance using our booking form.
Book this tourAge 12 to 16 – Useful Plants
Plants are everywhere: in our food, in what we wear, and in our homes. Even elastic bands are made from plants. Using a workbook, pupils explore the garden independently. Through nine short assignments spread throughout the Hortus, they discover how plants play a role in our daily lives. They investigate historical medicinal plants, build with bamboo, and reflect on the relationship between people and nature. The workbook also connects well to assignments brought from school, allowing pupils to link their own learning goals to their journey in the garden.
- Duration: 45 minutes.
- Supervision: Schools must bring 1 adult per 10 pupils. Workbooks can be collected at the entrance and distributed by the accompanying teacher.
- Group size: Maximum 30 pupils.
- Availability: Year-round. Also available in English.
- Price: €6,00 per pupil.
Please book at least 1 week in advance using our booking form.
Book this tourGuided tours - Primary & secondary education
The Hortus is the perfect place for an educational guided tour full of sensory experiences. Together with a Hortus guide, pupils go on an exploration of fascinating plants: from giant leaves and carnivorous species to trees from distant lands and flowers with remarkable colours and scents. Every tour is tailored to the group’s level, ensuring that everyone can learn and explore at their own pace. Do you have a specific theme in mind or would you like to discuss the possibilities? Please let us know.
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Supervision: One Hortus guide per 8 pupils.
• Group size: Maximum 32 pupils.
• Availability: Year-round.
• Price: €6,00 per pupil, €20,00 per guide.
Please book at least 2 weeks in advance using our booking form.
Book this tourHigher education
We offer tailored programmes on a range of topics for students in higher education. These include workshops or guided tours that we tailor to the curriculum and wishes of the programme. Do you have your own teaching programme that you’d like to carry out at the Hortus? That’s possible too!
Please see below for more info.
The offerings for secondary vocational education (MBO), higher vocational education (HBO), and scientific/academic education (WO) include guided tours, independent assignments, mini-lectures, and workshops. A wide range of topics is available, from practical subjects as the use plants in gardens, offices, and bouquets to evolution of plants, and from tropical ecology to medicinal plants. Future teachers and educators can also learn more about nature education through our programs for elementary and secondary schools. Please reserve guided tours at least 2 weeks in advance. For customized programs, please reserve at least 4 weeks in advance.
Group size: Maximum of 30 students simultaneously
Price: €7,50 per student, €60,00 per tour guide.
