Family Fun in
Charleston
Contributed by Gina Ciarcia
Family Support
www.lowcountryparent.com
has an excellent calendar of events, along with information on area schools (
public and private), summer camps, and general parent support.
www.babyzone.com also has a calendar of events
www.sciway.net lists statewide events. It also has some information
on schools and
tourism.
www.charlestonlowcountry.com/calendar/index.html. List events in the
lowcountry.
Structured Programs
for Parent/Child Interaction
www.playandmusic.com/b2c/customer/home.jsp Gymboree. A great
opportunity to play, sing and have fun with your little one with a lot of
awesome props. Infant
-Preschool.
Parents and Children Together (PACT) A
wonderful, local program that meets in several locations around the Charleston
area. Not only does your child benefit from interaction with you and other
children their age, but you and the others participating greatly benefit from
discussions on parenting issues (discipline, family life, child nutrition, potty
training, etc) that are led by a qualified facilitator who has studied in child
development or a similar field. It is also a great way make friends with others
who have children of similar age. No website, but when the new schedule comes
out, I will make it available to you all. (Eden and I did this for four
semesters and I will begin again in the fall with Luke and Cora). 6 - 36
months.
www.lowcountrykindermusik.com
Kindermusik. Carol Smith is a wonderful lady. An enthusiastic instructor, she
has been teaching music for over 13 years. She has a lot of great props and a
creative approach. Eden absolutely loves Kindermusik. A great time for parents
and children. Infant- Preschool.
www.ccpl.org Charleston County Public Library Storytimes. Go to Quick
Links, Programs and Events. There will be listings for storytimes at each of the
public libraries. FREE. We have been going to storytime at our library ever
since we arrived in Charleston. All three children truly enjoy it. Storytimes
for younger children include: reading, singing, fingerplays and puppets. No one
expects toddlers to sit at attention, riveted by “Brown Bear, Brown Bear.” A
very friendly environment. Infant-Preschool. Book Groups for school age
children.
Barnes and Noble story times. Check with your local store for dates and
times.
The Great Outdoors
www.ccprc.com Charleston County
Parks. Beautiful parks from Kiawah Island to North Charleston. Lots of great
programs for children as young as three. Fun for parents too: kayaking, rock
climbing, bird watching and hiking to name a few. Eden and I both always have
such fun at the Parent and Tot Science time. The Water Parks within the James
Island, Mt Pleasant and North Charleston parks are fantastic water parks,
especially for small children! Don’t sit there and wonder if your little one is
too small. Just go! They will have a blast. Older kids will have a great time
too. Definitely take advantage of Charleston’s great county
parks!
www.ci.charleston.sc.us/dept/?nid=22 Charleston Dept of
Recreation. Youth sports and leagues, camps, city parks and playgrounds. Fun
programs for kids, such as the Huck Finn Fishing Festival and Celebration of
Summer held in July at Hampton Park.
www.pride-net.com/swamp The
Audubon Sanctuary in Francis Beidler Forest. 1.75 mile boardwalk trail through
1000+ year old pristine cypress forest. Off of I-26. Also checkout the Francis
Marion Forest for hiking and camping opportunities. Charlestowne
Landing. Site of the original settlement of Charleston. Charleston’s only
zoo. Also filled with lots of trails and picnic areas. Lots of fun for little
money! Located in West Ashley off of Highway
171.
www.sciway3.net/outdoors/park-angeloak.html Angel Oak Park. You owe
it to yourself to go and see this amazing tree estimated to be over 1400 years
old! Picnic tables make it a great place for a midday excursion. John’s
Island. FREE.
www.orangeburg.sc.us/gardens/edisto.htm Edisto Memorial Gardens in
Orangeburg. Features over 50 beds of roses! Terrace, butterfly and sensory
gardens can also be enjoyed, along with a walk on the boardwalk through the
tupelo/cypress wetland. The last full weekend in April marks the South Carolina
Festival of
Roses. FREE.
www.cypressgardens.org Gorgeous
gardens, butterfly pavilion, aquarium, boat rides and more right in Moncks
Corner! Go and see where all the swamp scenes in the movie “The Patriot” were
filmed. A short trip if you live in the North area. Definitely worth it! We had
lots of fun.
www.brookgreen.org Brookgreen Gardens in Pawley’s Island. 9,000 acres
of beauty includes a wildlife preserve, sculpture gardens, and The Center for
American Sculpture. This National Historic Landmark is worth the trip. Also,
Huntington Beach State Park is right across the street
www.lowcountry-sc.com/huntington/park.htm
www.riverbanks.org Riverbanks
Zoo. Columbia. Animals abound in this zoo which also features a gorgeous
botanical garden. According to their website, “Riverbanks is the premier family
choice for education and recreation in the Southeast.” Sounds like a fun day
trip!
History and Culture
www.gibbesmuseum.org The Gibbes Museum of Art. Quick Link to School
of Art. Structured art classes for children as young as
four!
www.charlestonmuseum.org The
Charleston Museum. Go see America’s First Museum which highlights so many
aspects of the Lowcountry’s beauty, rich history and culture. Programs are
routinely offered for children as young as 18 months. They also have etiquette
classes designed for children 8 -12!
www.nps.gov/fosu Fort Sumter. Shots fired on Fort Sumter by Citadel
cadets marked the beginning of the Civil War. If it’s a pleasant day, the boat
ride across the harbor makes the trip that much more enjoyable. Also visit Fort
Moultrie on Sullivan’s Island. www.nps.gov/fomo
www.scaquarium.org The South Carolina Aquarium. A great aquarium,
whose current exhibit ‘Secrets of the Amazon’ is worth seeing. Eden loves to
push the button that causes the ‘thunderstorm.’ Kids enjoy the aquatic petting
zoo and all the fascinating creatures on display. Programs offered for children
as young as one. If you plan to go regularly, a membership quickly pays for
itself.
www.patriotspoint.org Patriots
Point Naval and Maritime Museum, Mt Pleasant. “The
centerpiece of Patriots Point is the world famous aircraft carrier USS YORKTOWN,
a heavily decorated warship that was at
the ‘tip of the spear’ in America's victory in the Pacific during World War II.”
Just for the Kids
www.explorecml.org Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry. Eden has such
a blast every time we go here! Interactive exhibits include a shrimp boat,
medieval castle, water play, construction site and others. They have a terrific
art room with all types of media for children to use. There is also a separate
infant/toddler room. Trust me, they will not want to leave!
www.edventure.org Edventure Children’s Museum!, Columbia. South
Carolina’s largest children’s museum. “Experience the joy of learning and
discovery at EdVenture Children's Museum! A hands-on experience, Edventure
provides children, families, and teachers with the opportunity to immerse
themselves in dynamic, diverse exhibits, programs, events and
more.”
www.frankiesfunpark.com Amusement
Park, North Charleston. Miniature golf, bumper boats, road course, rock wall and
more. Ready, Set, Jump! Clements
Ferry Road, Daniel Island. Good for even the little ones. Luke and Cora always
have a blast. A good nap afterwards is a sure
thing.
YMCA. Downtown Summerville. Swimming
lessons and gymnastics for little ones. Swimming lessons also available at St.
Andrews Family Fitness, West
Ashley.
Base Playgroup. Community
Center. Wednesdays at 9:30am. 0-5 years.
The Old Standbys
Charleston
is filled with gorgeous sites. Most plantations are just a short drive away and
are a must to see. Although you wouldn’t dare to take a young child inside the
historic home, most plantations are surrounded by breathtaking gardens and wide
open spaces. They also sport domestic animals such as chickens, geese, goats,
turkeys, peafowl, sheep and ponies. Here are a few of the plantations that I am
familiar with, but there are a lot more (Magnolia is my favorite):
· Boone
Hall, Mt Pleasant. www.boonehallplantation.com
· Middleton
Place, West Ashley www.middletonplace.org
· Magnolia
Plantation and Gardens, West Ashley www.magnoliaplantation.com
· Drayton
Hall, West Ashley www.draytonhall.org
Sporting
events are always lots of fun. Check out the Riverdogs
www.riverdogs.com and the Stingrays
www.stingrayshockey.com,
along with The Citadel, C of C, and CSU sport schedules
There is a
lot of farming in Charleston county. Most farms offer U-pick produce. It is such
a delight to pick fresh fruits and vegetables, and the children absolutely love
it! Most of us are familiar with Boone Hall farms on Highway 17, but most
farming is done out on the islands. Legare Farms on Johns Island is the most
notable. However, I have read of a tea plantation and vineyards on Wadmawlaw
Island and out in Ravenael. Leland Farms is on Wadmawlaw. At these different
farms you can pick strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, muscadine grapes and
an assortment of vegetables. This website is a great resource for agriculture in
this area of the state: www.sc-heritagecorridor.org/html/Agpage.html. Also,
don’t forget the Farmer’s Market in downtown Charleston at Marion Square every
Saturday, March 26 thru December 23, 2005
www.ci.charleston.sc.us/dept/content.aspx?nid=553 . Get there early
(I like to be there by 8:30) and have breakfast (I love the crepe stand) and
browse through the fresh flowers, produce and herbs. Vendors selling various
arts and crafts abound. It is a wonderful, relaxing way to spend the morning!
