Celebrate Arbor Day With Kids in the Twin Cities

Trees provide shade, fruit and oxygen, but they also serve as natural playground equipment or a pop-up fort. Arbor Day is officially the last Friday in April — April 24th in 2026. We celebrate Arbor Day well into May around here because tree planting requires the soil to be fully thawed, and we can’t always anticipate April ground conditions.

Family-Friendly Arbor Day Events in the Twin Cities

Most of these events will offer a brief history of Arbor Day and the National Arbor Day Foundation, an opportunity to participate in community tree planting and other family-friendly activities for the local community.

Minneapolis Arbor Day (FREE)

Date(s): 04/24/2026 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Location: Bethune Park, 1304 N 10th Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 55411

In honor of Arbor Day, help plant trees (even take home a free seedling yourself), safely climb trees (harnesses included), explore and touch Forestry equipment, play giant lawn games and kids can use natural building materials to scramble around in a nature play area. Grab your dinner from one of the food trucks.

Robbinsdale Arbor Day Celebration (FREE)

Date(s): 04/25/2026 9:30 am - 12:00 pm
Location: ,

Celebrate Arbor Day in Robbinsdale with fun activities including creating tree posters, planting trees, taking home a free tree seedling and cleaning up the park, trail or watershed area. All activities are free and appropriate for all ages. 2026 Location TBA.

Arbor Day at the Arb

Date(s): 04/25/2026 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Location: Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, 3675 Arboretum Drive, Chaska, MN , 55318

Arbor Day at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is a full-on celebration with special activities included with admission like a scavenger hunt and storytime. Find a Tree Discovery Zone inside the Great Hall and craft a tree cookie ornament to take home. Outdoors, take a guided tree walk to learn about many of the species cared for at the Arb.

Savage Arbor Day Celebration (FREE)

Date(s): 04/25/2026 10:00 am - 11:30 am
Location: McColl Pond Environmental Learning Center, 13550 Dakota Ave S, Savage, MN , 55378

The whole family will find something to enjoy at the FREE annual Arbor Day Celebration at the McColl Pond Environmental Learning and Event Center. Kids will get especially excited about the Sustainable Safari Wildlife Show featuring animals such as ring-tail lemurs, pygmy goats, baby kangaroos, snakes, porcupines, and more. Pick up a free white spruce tree plug to plant at home.

Maple Grove Arbor Day Celebration (FREE)

Date(s): 04/25/2026 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Location: Maple Grove Community Center, 12951 Weaver Lake Road, Maple Grove, MN, 55369

At Maple Grove’s Arbor Day Celebration, there’s plenty of green family fun to keep your kids engaged and learning. Activities include a live animal shows, demonstrations and free seedling giveaways. Admission and activities are free.

Chanhassen Arbor Day Tree Planting Event (FREE)

Date(s): 05/02/2026 9:00 am - 11:00 am
Location: South Lotus Lake Park, 7610 S Shore Dr, Chanhassen, MN, 55317

The City of Chanhassen’s annual Arbor Day planting event includes a tree planting, fun activities for all ages and free refreshments.

St. Louis Park Arbor Day Celebration (FREE)

Date(s): 05/14/2026 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Location: Carpenter Park, 4900 Highway 7, St Louis Park, MN, 55416

St. Louis Park’s annual Arbor Day celebration includes tree-focused activities for the whole family.

Kid-Friendly Arbor Day Activities

Although it can be fun to volunteer together, you don’t need to go to an event. Try these activities on your own time.

1. Focus on Trees During a Nature Walk or Tree Trek

Take a nature hike in your own neighborhood or at a park to look for different types of leaves, acorns and other seeds, measure tree trunk diameters with your arms or a measuring tape, and look out for wildlife that call the trees home. Several local parks offer self-guided Tree Treks:

Indian Mounds Regional Park Tree Trek, St. Paul
Central Park Tree Trek, Brooklyn Park
Maplewood Nature Center, Maplewood – Printable Tree Quest
Maple Grove Arboretum – has markers under each tree so you can learn about the trees species as you explore.

Maple Grove Arboretum

Indian Mounds tree trek

Brooklyn Park Tree Trek

2. Make Arbor Day Crafts

The Minnesota Children’s Museum suggested Tree Art as a winter project, but kids can go on a nature walk and do this collage craft any time of the year and make some beautiful trees. Find more information: Cold Weather Crafts.

If the weather doesn’t cooperate and you still want to make some fun tree art, try our Crafty Wednesday: Treasure Art. We made trees with buttons.

Or make a day of it and book a session to build a Fairy Tree House at Heartfelt in Linden Hills. This keepsake will make a fun toy or display for your fairy garden.

Nature Walk Tree Craft

Button Tree

Fairy Tree from Heartfelt

3. Learn More About Trees Together

Print a Guide to Arbor Month from the Minnesota DNR. This guide was created for K-8 classroom teachers, but would work for families. It offers lessons and resources for learning about trees.

4. Climb a Tree

Kids who love trees will likely grown into adults who cherish and protect trees. Find your family a good climber and have fun.

Rod Carew Ballfield

Lakeview Knolls Park

Washburn Fair Oaks Park

5. Arbor Day Story Time

Read some great picture books like, The Lorax or Johnny Appleseed. Maybe you can eat some apples and plant the seeds. Do you think you’ll grow an apple tree?

6. Attract Wildlife to Your Own Trees

Build a bird feeder or birdhouses, a bee hotel or a squirrel Olympics course to encourage wildlife in your own backyard.

7. Visit the Oldest Living Tree in Minneapolis

Explore Theodore Wirth Regional Park in Minneapolis to see if you can find the Rockwood Oak. It is estimated to be over 300 years old and likely the oldest living thing in Minneapolis. Learn more here.

8. Plant a Tree or Care for a Tree

Not everyone has the space for a new tree. If you do have the space, you could plant a tree in your own yard for your kids to nurture. Otherwise, maybe you can learn about a tree already growing in your own yard or nearby and find ways to nurture it. Some trees need regular pruning. Others need watering during dry times. What does your tree need to be its best?