The Top 5 Best Places to Bring Your Kids In Charleston, SC
Having moved here close to 9 years ago with a 2 year old, I quickly learned that Charleston and our surrounding areas have some awesome kids activities!
1. Children's Museum
One of my favorite places I took my daughter when she was younger was the Children's Museum in downtown Charleston. There are 8 different interactive play areas, each with it’s own activities! Who didn’t love to scan items in the grocery store when they were little? Well, the Children's Museum will allow your kids to shop, scan and bag produce, boxed goods and even frozen foods!
When you’re done shopping, you can climb aboard the pirate ship and step back in time to the golden age of pirates! From sea monster attacks to searching for buried treasure to battles at sea… see where your child’s imagination will take them!
Next, hop on over to the art room where color and creativity welcome you! Whether your little one constructs knight’s armor from recycled egg cartons in the “Creation Station” or tries a splatter painting à la Jackson Pollock in the “Painting Place” – every child will find the artist within!
Other special areas include the Speak Loud Studio, Kids Garden, Air Air Everywhere and they even have an infant and toddler play space. Some of their installations change from time to time so be sure to check out the Children's Museum again and again!
2. Splash Zone Waterpark
Next on our list is Splash Zone Waterpark on James Island. When the temperature starts rising, people of all ages enjoy this favorite summertime getaway located in James Island County Park. This seasonal attraction provides hours of fun and recreation for the entire family.
It features a 200-foot tube slide, a 200-foot open slide, a rainforest play structure with slides, buckets, sprays, and more, a 500-foot lazy river with an adventure channel of sprays and waterwalls, a leisure pool, concessions, showers/changing areas, locker rentals, lounge chairs and group/party packages. So if you’d like to wear out your little one while beating the heat, be sure to check out Splash Zone Waterpark!
3. Charleston Fun Park
Third to make our list, and one of my personal favorites is Charleston Fun Park located in north Mt. Pleasant. Get your fun on with go-karts, 36 holes of mini-golf, an outdoor axe throwing arena, a virtual reality roller coaster, bumper cars, a full arcade with prizes and the all new OMNI VR Battle Arena!
And if all that makes you hungry or thirsty, they have snacks like Dippin’ Dots, F’Real Milkshakes, chips and drinks - including adult beverages like beer and wine. And speaking of beer and wine, every Thursday you can be treated to Live music and a rotating line-up of the areas most sought after food trucks (including some sweets trucks!), incredible drink specials and an axe throwing competition with prizes. Sounds like a great Thursday evening for me and the kids!
Watch our Lively Charleston episode on the best places to bring your kids in Charleston!
4. South Carolina Aquarium
Another great place to beat the summer heat is our very own South Carolina Aquarium, which is home to over 5,000 animals and is located in downtown Charleston! There are so many different exhibits from the mountains to the ocean. Check out their touch tank where you can actually touch and feel several species of invertebrates, like hermit crabs, whelk, sea urchins, horseshoe crabs and Atlantic stingrays!
Then head on over to the ocean exhibit and explore North America’s deepest tank! It’s impossible to miss their two-story, 385,000-gallon great ocean tank. You’ll practically rub noses with sharks and can wave hello to the 220-pound loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta.
Then go on to meet Liberty the bald eagle. Below her is a stream filled with many species of fish. Above is a waterfall spilling over a rocky gorge. Somewhere in the middle, you can even find 3 of the cutest river otters you have ever seen, Ace, Charlie and Beau, swimming, snacking or snoozing. There is so much more to see here so definitely add the Charleston South Carolina Aquarium to your list of must-sees!
5. Sporting Events
Last on our list are the sporting events. Head on over to Joe Riley Stadium -known to locals as “The Joe”- to take in a baseball game and cheer on our hometeam, the Riverdogs! This is actually a feeder team for the New York Yankees, so you might just get a chance to see the next Derek Jeter! And after every Friday evening games they have fireworks to end the night. It’s not a huge stadium so there’s not a bad seat in the house.
We are also home to the awesome minor league hockey team, the Charleston Stingrays! Their home turf is right here at the North Charleston Coliseum. For the younger fans, I would recommend joining the Cool Ray's Kids Club which is an exciting way for fans 14 and under to enjoy Stingrays hockey with a more exclusive experience. Members will have exclusive benefits, rewards, discounts and more! If you’re a hockey fan like me, it’s also a great place to get on the glass at a fraction of the price you’d pay at any NHL game!
And speaking of fractions, this is just a snippet of what Charleston has to offer our kids! So if you are planning a trip here to explore low country living or just to vacation, please reach out to the Lively team and we will be happy to share all things Charleston!
Interested in buying a home in the Charleston area?
Want all the latest news and events delivered to your inbox?
