UF Health Children's Healing Garden

Our UF Health Children’s Healing Garden follows the Nature Explore® concept, which creates dynamic, nature-based play and learning spaces that apply research-based, field-tested design principles.

Nature Explore is a program of the Dimensions Educational Research Foundation, and UF Health Shands is only the second health care facility and the first hospital in the Certified Nature Explore Classroom network.

For questions, contact UF Health Advancement at 352-273-7986.

UF Health Children's Healing Garden Options

• Bench Dedication - $5,000.00
• I would like to be contacted for more information.

This therapeutic garden was created especially for engaging children while they are hospitalized. Its primary purpose is for use by young inpatients whose care teams have ‘prescribed’ them time here.

The garden is a one-of-a-kind resource designed to uplift the spirits of our patients and families through distraction, relaxation and physical activity. This distinctive environment complements the superb medical care provided at our UF Health hospitals by promoting healing and wellness through connection with nature.

The garden includes walking paths, butterfly gardens, a relaxation area with seating, raised gardening beds and interactive areas for children of all ages to engage in unstructured exploratory play. The concrete paths in our wheeled toy and open areas are stamped with animal prints and leaves. The wheeled toy area gives children a chance to develop their muscles, and the open area allows children to run, dance and play.

Bench Dedication

A limited number of benches are available for dedication. Inscriptions may be up to 30 characters, including spaces, and up to four lines of text.