- October 5, 2022 - Jardin botanique : Favourites
At the Jardin botanique we love celebrating Halloween. For decades now, October has been synonymous with pumpkins, squashes, shows and family activities of all kinds. But this year there's a new experience to enchant the entire family: Halloween Shivers!
The Jardin is bewitched!
This year, the boundaries between the real and unreal worlds are fading: the Sorcerer Kalbacius has taken advantage of the fact to cross from one world to the other and install his haven and his fantasy creatures in the Jardin botanique's Main Greenhouse. Children are invited to assist this delightful character in returning to his own world before October 31 at midnight!
To help Kalbacius, you need to take part in certain activities – the art of potions, for example. Bewitched plants class offered in the Hospitality Greenhouse makes it possible to experiment on potions with plants that produce funny reactions!
An obstacle course and the gourd family
On the Magic Steps Circuit, children can test their balance on an autumn-colored course, endlessly fun-filled and with squashes and pumpkins everywhere. Just the thing for kids to let loose and get some color in their little cheeks. And in all likelihood you'll be spending a lot of time there: it's a magical place that kids just don't want to leave.
Everything about squash!
Near the Magic Steps Circuit you'll find the Squash Kiosk, a guided activity featuring the great squash family. The scientific-education team serves up a story, hosted by a giant puppet, on pollination and on the life and death cycle of a pumpkin. There's also a remarkable diversity of squashes to be discovered, all of which are grown and harvested in the Jardin botanique's Food Garden thanks to a talented specialized horticulturist and her team.
It's also the starting point for the Bewitched creatures hunt, inspired by traditional treasure hunts. Participants have to set off in search of bewitched creatures who've escaped from the Main Greenhouse and the hands of the Sorcerer. If they accept the challenge – a challenge best met as a family! – participants earn the chance to win a prize.
Stories that give you the creeps…or courage!
After the bewitched-creature hunt, the next stop you want to make is at the Japanese Pavilion. On the menu are spooky stories (a touch of the willies!) with monsters from Japanese folklore courtesy of kamishibai, or paper theater. Japanese sweets will be served to young spectators.
A play featuring Scaredy Squirrel, no less!
Scaredy Squirrel, a star of children's literature well-known from the works of Mélanie Watt, is a little anxious as Halloween approaches. How do you prepare for the scariest holiday of the year when you're afraid of everything? Will he be ready for the candy race? That's the plot of this emotionally rich show. And here's betting that the song hummed by Scaredy to give himself courage will stay in your head and turn out to be really useful.
An original way of observing Halloween
The Halloween Shivers programming allows kids and grownups to let their imagination run free, to make fantastic discoveries, to stretch their legs, to appreciate nature in autumn dress and to enjoy the most stimulating sort of visit experience. A don't-miss event in Montréal!
For suggestions of activities to as a family
Subscribe to the Family Space newsletter
