Science ATL 2025 Holiday Gift Guide
While there are a million and one science toys out there, at Science ATL, we really value the chance for having experiences and getting the chance to see and do and celebrate some of the local science we have around us. Hope our gift ideas help sprinkle a little science into your holiday!
For the Bookworm
We always love a good read, and don’t have to look very far to find one! We are so lucky that many authors of great science-connected books call Atlanta home! Last year, we featured Emory Professor Jaap de Roode at the Atlanta Science Festival. If you missed his magical event, you can catch up by reading his book Doctors by Nature: How Ants, Apes, and Other Animals Heal Themselves.
Another friend of the Festival, Shelli R. Johannes, has a slew of children’s books with young scientist characters. The Georgia Center for the Book named Cece Loves Science one of the “Books All Young Georgians Should Read.” Pick up a copy of one of Shelli’s books from our friends at Little Shop of Stories!
Finally, this gorgeous new release has us all excited to go exploring across our state! Dig into 35 Natural Wonders of Georgia to See before You Die by Ann Litrel and Charles Seabrook. Litrel’s watercolors paired with writing from AJC veteran science and environmental reporter Seabrook will have you sitting with your calendar to map out your travel plans across Georgia!
For the Plant Lover
Celebrate the plant parent in your life with gifts that help them deepen their green-thumb skills — and grow their collection with locally rooted stewardship.
Every year, Produce’d in South Atlanta offers tours of their hydroponic growing facility at the Atlanta Science Festival. But no need to wait till March! Subscribe to their Growbox Service and become a hydroponic farmer at home!
Help someone learn to care for plants by buying a holiday party host gift from a local plant shop. The experts at Lush Plant Co. will teach you everything you need to know about how to balance light and water for stunning house plants. Or go wild and pick up a carnivorous plant from Atlanta Carnivorous Gardens! Kirk grows his unique bug-eating plants from seed at his home in Snellville and offers many for sale on his website.
For Those That Adore Animals
If you’re shopping for someone who lights up at the sight of a furry, feathered, or scaly friend, Atlanta offers unforgettable, science-rich encounters that bring people closer to the animal world. These giftable experiences let animal lovers learn directly from wildlife experts, assist in care, and deepen their understanding of conservation — all while having a blast.
Get up close and personal with your favorite animals with Zoo Atlanta’s Wild Encounters. Meet a lemur, feed a warthog, or come face-to-trunk with an elephant!
Take a class to learn more about some cool species! Birds Georgia offers beginning birding workshops, but also master classes on some of your favorite winged friends like sparrows! The Amphibian Foundation has just moved to a new space in Legacy Park in Decatur and with the move, they’ve upped their education game! If your loved one is into salamanders, reptiles, frogs, and all things slimy or scaly, sign them up for the Master Herpetologist Program (or the Junior version for kiddos 12-14 years old!)
For the Foodie
There’s science behind all food and drink preparation! The more you know about the why and how, the better you’ll be at preparing it!
Stop by the Wine Workshop and Brew Center in Decatur to pick up a wine making kit and to schedule visits with their team to make your own wine. Keep your eye on southwest Atlanta’s Osono Bread for their next announcement of a sourdough workshop or grab a class gift card from Colette Break and Bakeshop to learn about focaccia, sourdough and more! Opo Coffee will be offering a Lattes & Lipids class during the March Atlanta Science Festival, but if you can’t wait that long, sign your favorite coffee lover up for one of their other classes!
For the Science ATL Superfan
Uncover the secret science where we live, walk, and play. Science ATL’s Discovery Walks take explorers through a self-guided tour of six iconic Atlanta locales – Cascade Springs Nature Preserve, Sweet Auburn, Eastside Beltline, South Peachtree Creek Trail, Emory University, and downtown Decatur. The six Discovery Walks are presented through beautifully illustrated maps featuring family-friendly journeys between two and four miles long, each with ten intriguing science stops along the way. Pair a Discovery Walk with an eye-catching Science Y’all sticker or official Science ATL gear and you’ll have the best gift basket on the block.
Even better, make a donation to Science ATL in honor or memory of a loved one! Your gift helps support our programs and events that build a more equitable science community.
Proceeds from all these powerful presents go right back to Science ATL’s mission of cultivating an equitable community of lifelong learners across metro Atlanta connected and inspired by the wonder of science.
