Summer Programs for Children at Marin Art and Garden Center
Marin Art and Garden Center, 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ross, CA 94957
About
Summer Programs for Children at Marin Art and Garden Center include time for children to splash in the sprinkler, dig in the garden, and explore nature. The program also includes free play, hands-on activities, and general exploration, with plenty of sprinkler fun as part of the day.
• Ages: 2–5 years old
• Schedule: Monday through Thursday, June 8–July 16, with Summer Sprouts meeting 8:30 am–1 pm and Twos Try It meeting 9 am–12 pm
Summer Sprouts is a joyful, outdoor summer camp for children ages 3–5 that is designed to celebrate everything that makes summer magical. Days are spent mostly outside for both Summer Sprouts and Twos Try It, and children build confidence, independence, and connection through simple summer routines, hands-on activities, and time to move and explore. Summer Sprouts is a separate program from the Garden School, and acceptance into Summer Sprouts is not an acceptance to the Garden School Preschool. Summer Sprouts will end July 24.
Twos Try It Camp offers young children a gentle introduction to preschool in a relaxed, low-pressure setting. Twos Try It is designed for two-year-olds who want to “try out” school and focuses on play, simple routines, and relationship-building rather than structure or expectations. Children in Twos Try It build comfort with teachers and classmates at their own pace, and diapers are welcome; children do not need to be potty trained to participate.
Marin Art and Garden Center’s mission states that it is a special gathering place that celebrates learning, growth, and the beauty of nature, and a place to be inspired, educated and entertained—or to just be. The Center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural and landscape design significance and for its pivotal role in the women’s garden club movement that started in the 1940s. It is described as a welcoming place for the entire community to learn about ourselves, about each other, and about our world, where people gather to celebrate milestone events, attend art and garden shows, learn to conserve landscaped and natural worlds, hear music from around the world, picnic with friends and family, or take a contemplative walk through the gardens. Marin Art and Garden Center sits within the unceded ancestral homeland of the Coast Miwok people, and there is no fee to visit; the grounds are open from sunrise to sunset year-round.
The leadership team includes Iris Lax, Executive Director; Cindy Barath, Events Coordinator; Jenny Board, Garden Manager; Michael Bogart, Director of Grounds & Facilities; Patty Carr, Gardener; Tanya DiRoma, Programs & Development Coordinator; GiGi Henry, Teacher | Garden School; Katie Hodgson, Assistant Director | Garden School; Bernadette Marshall, Teacher | Garden School; Kelly Miller, Director of Development; Katy Negrin, Admin Manager; Emma Norris, Director | Garden School; Rosaura Pinones, Teacher | Garden School; Svetlana Savinova, Director of Finance; Audrey Shapiro, Director of Events & Programs; and Sofia Vazquez, Teachers’ Aide | Garden School. The Board of Trustees includes Thomas (Tom) Ross Perry, President; Edward (Ned) Purdom, Vice President; Bill Bishop, Treasurer; and Rebecca Sylla, Secretary.
Last updated August 15, 2026.
• Ages: 2–5 years old
• Schedule: Monday through Thursday, June 8–July 16, with Summer Sprouts meeting 8:30 am–1 pm and Twos Try It meeting 9 am–12 pm
Summer Sprouts is a joyful, outdoor summer camp for children ages 3–5 that is designed to celebrate everything that makes summer magical. Days are spent mostly outside for both Summer Sprouts and Twos Try It, and children build confidence, independence, and connection through simple summer routines, hands-on activities, and time to move and explore. Summer Sprouts is a separate program from the Garden School, and acceptance into Summer Sprouts is not an acceptance to the Garden School Preschool. Summer Sprouts will end July 24.
Twos Try It Camp offers young children a gentle introduction to preschool in a relaxed, low-pressure setting. Twos Try It is designed for two-year-olds who want to “try out” school and focuses on play, simple routines, and relationship-building rather than structure or expectations. Children in Twos Try It build comfort with teachers and classmates at their own pace, and diapers are welcome; children do not need to be potty trained to participate.
Marin Art and Garden Center’s mission states that it is a special gathering place that celebrates learning, growth, and the beauty of nature, and a place to be inspired, educated and entertained—or to just be. The Center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural and landscape design significance and for its pivotal role in the women’s garden club movement that started in the 1940s. It is described as a welcoming place for the entire community to learn about ourselves, about each other, and about our world, where people gather to celebrate milestone events, attend art and garden shows, learn to conserve landscaped and natural worlds, hear music from around the world, picnic with friends and family, or take a contemplative walk through the gardens. Marin Art and Garden Center sits within the unceded ancestral homeland of the Coast Miwok people, and there is no fee to visit; the grounds are open from sunrise to sunset year-round.
The leadership team includes Iris Lax, Executive Director; Cindy Barath, Events Coordinator; Jenny Board, Garden Manager; Michael Bogart, Director of Grounds & Facilities; Patty Carr, Gardener; Tanya DiRoma, Programs & Development Coordinator; GiGi Henry, Teacher | Garden School; Katie Hodgson, Assistant Director | Garden School; Bernadette Marshall, Teacher | Garden School; Kelly Miller, Director of Development; Katy Negrin, Admin Manager; Emma Norris, Director | Garden School; Rosaura Pinones, Teacher | Garden School; Svetlana Savinova, Director of Finance; Audrey Shapiro, Director of Events & Programs; and Sofia Vazquez, Teachers’ Aide | Garden School. The Board of Trustees includes Thomas (Tom) Ross Perry, President; Edward (Ned) Purdom, Vice President; Bill Bishop, Treasurer; and Rebecca Sylla, Secretary.
Last updated August 15, 2026.
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