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12 Unique Ideas for Family Fun in the Port Royal-Hilton Head-Beaufort Area of the Lowcountry

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Planning a trip to the Hilton Head or Beaufort area this summer but unsure of what to do with the kiddos while there? After a recent trip to the area with her family, Kristina put together a list of 14 fun things to do with family while in the Hilton Head-Beaufort-Port Royal area. You’re sure to find the perfect activities for your next family trip to this area of the Lowcountry!

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You Can Ride a Zip Line at the Simpsonville City Park Playground [Closed for construction until Fall 2024]

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Goodbye late 1980s, hello sensory play, ADA-inclusive structures, and a zip line. It’s all happening at the Simpsonville City Park, which got a huge makeover in late 2017. Out with old equipment, rusted swings, and questionable slides. In with bright new swings and slides, balancing apparatuses, and sensory play equipment.

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PLEASE NOTE: As of June 2023, this park is closed for construction. It is expected to open in fall 2024

The all-new Simpsonville City Park

The City of Simpsonville spent just under $200,000 of dedicated recreation funds to totally revamp the playground. And additional private money was raised to create the Simpsonville Sensory Playground, an area dedicated to providing kids with sensory disorders a place of their own to enjoy play (although any kids are welcome to use the equipment).

There are several climbing structures and balancing equipment, which definitely lend themselves to kids who are practicing to be little ninja warriors. There are plenty of swings, including two for children who are disabled, baby swings, and regular swings for bigger kids.

And the zip line is pretty awesome, too. Kids (and I imagine adults – truth be told, I really wanted to try it out) line up for their turn to sit on the seat hanging by a thick rope and zip on the line to the other end of the playground. This is a popular feature and certainly a favorite activity for my own kids.

For adults hanging out while their kids play, there are a couple hanging porch swings to enjoy situated near the entrance to the playground. The playground is entirely fenced in, except for the entrance, so it makes it relatively easy to keep track of the little ones and not worry about them wandering off.

The City Park is the only fully inclusive playground in the area compliant with the American Disabilities Act. Way to go Simpsonville!

Besides the new playground equipment, the City Park also has an enclosed dog park, a fitness trail, a disc golf course, and picnic tables. There is also a free book lending library on site. Thankfully there are bathrooms within a short walking distance from the playground as well.

The location is ideal for spending time in downtown Simpsonville. It’s close to restaurants, shopping, and the popular Ice Cream Station. It’s a wonderful town to explore and this new playground just kicked it up a big notch for families.

Want to go?

Simpsonville City Park
100 Park Drive, Simpsonville
(located right off Main Street and next to the Simpsonville Police station)

Have you checked out the all-new Simpsonville City Park yet?

Related Content:

From Ice Cream to Play: Our Day in Downtown Simpsonville

Corral Those Kiddos: Playgrounds with Fenced in Toddler Areas

7 Greenville Parks with Great Outdoor Spaces

Lice are a Nightmare and Greenville Has a New Clinic to Take Care of Them

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Lice is one of a parent’s worst nightmares once their kids enter school. The inevitability of a household with school-age children dealing with lice is pretty high. Enter the Lice Clinics of America, which I didn’t even know was a thing until learning they opened a location in Greenville. It’s like a franchise restaurant, except for lice prevention and treatment, and happens to be the largest network of urgent care lice treatment clinics in the country.

So instead of Googling about lice prevention and what to do when a child comes home with lice, I figured I’d go right to the experts and ask all my lice-related questions. Heather Purtle is the clinic owner of the Lice Clinics of America location in Greenville and she graciously answered my questions.

What you need to know about lice

KIDDING AROUND GREENVILLE: How common is head lice in elementary, middle, high school and college? What are the chances that parents will have to deal with lice?

HEATHER PURTLE: It’s estimated there are 6 to 12 million new cases of head lice diagnosed in children ages 3 to 11 each year in the United States. To put that number in perspective, 1 in 20 children have lice at all times. And approximately 40% of people will get head lice; a few decades ago only 4% of the population got head lice. This dramatic increase is due to the evolution of Super Lice, which are lice that are resistant to traditional treatments. Just like antibiotic resistance, lice have evolved and they now can survive traditional, over-the-counter, pesticide treatments.

Head lice cases have not been tracked as closely in older children, teenagers and adults so there aren’t accurate statistics at this time. But unpublished studies show a dramatic increase in cases in teenagers and adults, as well as children. This is related to the prevalence of Super Lice and also could be related to technology. People regularly gather in close proximity around video games, computer screens, and take selfies with heads pressed together. It is likely that once there is a head lice infestation in the house, a parent, caregiver or other sibling also will become infested and moms especially are vulnerable.

KAG: Lice are one of parenting’s worst nightmares. How does Lice Clinics of America help parents deal with this?

HP: Lice Clinics of America offers a professional, head screening as the first step in the process. (And very good news- many more clients are negative than positive!) To give you an accurate diagnosis, we carefully head screen clients, putting all samples under our high- powered microscopes. If we find anything, you will see it and we can advise you on your best treatment options.

If someone in your family is positive, Lice Clinics of America recommends the entire family should be screened, as lice quickly spread in families or other group living situations, like college dorms or retirement homes. If someone is positive, Lice Clinics of America offer in- clinic treatments that take about an hour to be lice- free or DIY, take home options to use over a 10-day period. Both options are highly effective, non-toxic and pesticide- free. In contrast, traditional, over-the-counter treatments are only 25% effective and typically contain pesticides that have been linked to some scary side-effects.

Lice Clinics of America is the largest lice network in the world, with approximately 300 locations. It is a company dedicated to using science to solve lice. If you ever Google “head lice,” you most likely will be overwhelmed by the- often contradictory- advice. Lice Clinics of America- Greenville will give you the best, current practices and save you a lot of unnecessary worry and work.

Photo credit to Lice Clinics of America

How does Lice Clinics of America work?

KAG: Can you tell me a little bit about what Lice Clinics of America does?

HP: Sure! Lice Clinics of America is best known for our quick, effective cure for eliminating Super Lice and their eggs through a 3-step process involving an FDA-cleared medical device, comb-out and topical rinse.

Step 1: There isn’t a shampoo, oil or spray on the market that effectively treats nits (lice eggs). But a scientist at the University of Utah discovered if you remove the water in the eggs, it kills them. He invented our exclusive, FDA-cleared medical device, the AirAllé. It is the only FDA-cleared, medical device in the upstate for treating lice and eggs. This heated- air treatment takes 20-30 minutes and has been clinically proven to kill the living lice and 99.2% of their eggs (nits). It is the only treatment that effectively kills nits.

Step 2: The purpose of the AirAllé device is to kill the lice and eggs through dehydration, but dead lice and eggs will remain in the hair after treatment. Our technicians will do a post-treatment comb-out with a professional lice comb (which usually takes about 30 minutes) to remove the dead lice and eggs.

Step 3: The technician will apply a post-treatment topical rinse to ensure the eradication of the lice. Using this procedure, we guarantee you will leave our clinic lice-free.

Lice prevention

KAG: If a parent is notified of a child that has lice in their child’s class, should they bring their child to a Lice Clinic of America location to get checked? What precautions should they take when they get that email?

HP: If you’re concerned, call Lice Clinics of America for a head screening appointment. Lice Clinics of America can spot lice a lot earlier using our microscopes than you can with the naked eye. But it’s still important for parents to perform frequent head checks on children, especially if you’ve been notified that a child’s classmate has lice. If you are unsure how to check your child’s head, call Lice Clinics of America for a head screening appointment and we’ll screen your child, while teaching you how to repeat the process in the future.

The most important thing to keep in mind when preventing head lice is to avoid head-to-head contact with others. It’s estimated more than 98% of infestations occur from direct head to head contact: hugs, horseplay, sports and selfies are perfect opportunities for transfers. It is extremely rare to get lice from secondary objects such as hats, brushes, helmets, etc. But as a precaution, we recommend that these objects not be shared.

KAG: How fast can Lice Clinics of America see a child? Can the child be treated immediately if they have head lice and can parents get everything they need to combat lice at the clinic – like they don’t need to run around to different stores to find what they need?

HP: Lice Clinics of America operates by appointment. In order to be checked and treated for lice, all you have to do is book an appointment and come into our professional lice removal clinic. In as little as one hour, with no pain or toxic chemicals involved, you or your child will leave lice-free, guaranteed. Everything you need is located at our clinic; you do not need to go to different stores to purchase products.

Other information you should know

KAG: Why did Lice Clinics of America choose Greenville as the next city to open in?

HP: Lice Clinics of America locations are individually owned and operated. Many owners have had some experience with lice, which led them to look for better solutions. I’m the same. Last year, my elementary-aged children gave me lice. I, neurotically, stayed up all night searching for solutions and scrubbing my house. During my research, I realized that the best treatment in the world (AirAlle′) was not available in the Upstate. To my children’s great horror, I bought the rights and opened a clinic to serve the Upstate. My employees and I have been overwhelmed by how rewarding it is to help families and individuals during this short-term, life crisis!

KAG: How much does it cost for an appointment at Lice Clinics of America and do you take insurance?

HP: The prices for the various treatment options include:

Screening and consultation — $20 (This fee is waived if you choose an AirAlle′ treatment.)

Signature AirAllé® treatment— $199

Express AirAllé® treatment— $159

Comb-out treatment— $95/hour

Do-it-yourself lice removal kit—$29.99 and up

Lice Clinics of America’s in-clinic services often are covered by insurance, so we offer you forms you can submit to your insurance for possible reimbursement. We also accept HSA. Additional information on specific pricing for the Greenville clinic can be found here.

Lice Clinics of America
1 Creekview Court, Suite C, Greenville
864.383.0321
https://liceclinicsgreenville.com/

 

 

 

 

 

Kids Won’t Want to Leave Open Art Studios

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Have you seen Open Art Studios on Main Street in Greenville? Right in the heart of downtown Greenville, this local studio offers classes for kids and grown-ups, as well as birthday parties and special events.

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Shannon Forest Christian School Provides An Exceptional Education for Students in K3 – 12th Grade

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Thank you to Shannon Forest Christian School for sponsoring this content.

Choosing how to educate your child involves making important decisions. Thankfully there are many options available which can make these decisions even more overwhelming.

While there are a multitude of stellar schools in the Upstate, Shannon Forest Christian School (SFCS) is one that stands out for their academics, athletics, and the encouraging atmosphere of a Christian education experience. Shannon Forest is always near the top of any list of reader-recommended schools that Kidding Around Greenville has compiled. Families truly love this school.

Academic Environment

SFCS offers Shannon Beginnings for K3 and K4, in both full and half day options for the smaller ones. The program helps to prepare young children for an easy transition to Kindergarten which includes lots of guided play and nurturing care from loving teachers.

If some children are not ready for Kindergarten, Shannon Forest offers a unique Transitional Kindergarten Program.   The Lower School includes Kindergarten 5 through 5th Grade.  Students also enjoy time in the Innovations STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Lab.

Entering the 6th Grade can be a difficult transition for many students.  SFCS conducts a specially designed Crusader Crossroads program to ease students through this big step, plus classes, study sessions and one-on-one tutoring options are targeted at student success.

The Upper School at SFCS encompasses students in 7th-12th Grade and focuses on Math, Science, Hstory and English. Several Advanced Placement (AP) courses like English, Calculus, U.S. History, European Biology, Music Theory and Biology are available for qualified students. The SFCS Director of College Counseling assists students and their families as they apply for college and explore career options.

Learning How to Pay for College

Higher education is not cheap, even for state schools. Some families will send a child to college next year, while others may have 12 years to plan.  SFCS is offering a one-night workshop on Tuesday, March 13th from 6:00 – 8:00 pm entitled “Little Known Secrets of Paying for College.”  Parents will learn ways to send their child to the college of their dreams without breaking the bank!

Parents will also discover strategies that may enable to them to qualify for financial aid, sources for scholarships, and strategies for maximizing your wealth and minimizing your tax exposure, giving you greater cash flow for funding a college education.

It’s free, open to the public and for families of ALL ages!  The workshop takes place at Eastside Presbyterian Church Sanctuary, 829 Garlington Road, Greenville. Register here.

Athletics and The Arts

On the athletic field, students in 6th through 12th Grade are able to participate in a variety of sports teams including soccer, volleyball, cross country, basketball, cheerleading, soccer, golf, baseball, and track & field.

The school has no shortage of creative outlets for the students. SFCS offers Foreign Language, Drama, Choir, Yearbook and Visual Arts. They also perform concerts and theatrical productions for the school and community.

Christ-Centered Values

Shannon Forest is unapologetic about its worldview; it is distinctly Christian and rooted in discipleship. Every member of our faculty and staff understands that their calling, as teachers, is to teach in a way that is Christ-centered, academically excellent, and designed to move students into higher categorical thinking. They also understand that teaching is discipleship, by its very nature. Words like concern, family, love and truth sit at the heart of what your student and family will experience once you set foot on the Shannon Forest campus.

SFCS develops these role models by requiring a certain number of service hours from each student where they are able to demonstrate their Christian faith and values in the real world.

The Vision and Mission of the school are:

Vision: Educating and equipping students to pursue excellence and impact the world for Jesus Christ.

Mission: We are a Christian community providing a comprehensive college-preparatory education rooted in the truth of a Biblical worldview and marked by wisdom, excellence, and purpose.

Take a Tour

Interested in Shannon Forest Christian School and want to learn more? The school offers Tour Tuesdays on February 20th, 7th, March 6th, 13th, 20th, April 3rd, 10th, 17th, and May 1st. No reservations are needed for any of the Tour Tuesdays. If you’d like a different time and date, email or call the Director of Admissions, Candace Kurtz at ckurtz@shannonforest.com or call 864.678.5113.

Shannon Forest Christian School
829 Garlington Road
Greenville, SC
Main number: 864.678.5107

Would Shannon Forest Christian School be a good fit for your child?

Bridgeway Christian Academy Puts Beliefs Into Action

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Thank you to Bridgeway Christian Academy for sponsoring Kidding Around Greenville.

One Christian school in Greenville is walking the walk, living out their beliefs of helping others in need. Bridgeway Christian Academy (BCA) recently packed 10,000 nutritious meals for hungry children both locally in Greenville and internationally in Haiti as part of their “Feed the Need” program.

Bridgeway Christian Academy, located at 724 Garlington Road in Greenville, is fully accredited with the Association of Christian Schools International and offers classes for P3 through 9th grade. The school will add grades 10 and 11 over the next two years and be a fully operating high school by August of 2020.

Bridgeway Christian Academy & Feed the Need

The culmination of the “Feed the Need” program was an event on Friday, December 8th at the school where students, families and faculty packed, sealed, and boxed 9,000 meals that will be delivered abroad to hungry children in Haiti through Bethel Mission Outreach, a ministry partner of Bridgeway Church, which is across the street from the school and directly affiliated. Harvest Hope Food Bank in Greenville received 1,000 meals to be given to children right here in our own community.

Children learn by doing and by having meaningful experiences that they carry with them into their own homes, into relationships with their friends, and eventually into their communities.

“We are thrilled to have wonderful partners in Bethel Mission Outreach and Harvest Hope,” said Kyle Meleski, Director of Development at BCA. “This entire campaign has been one that has allowed our students and school families to be part of something truly special. The packing day was a meaningful experience that provided us all the opportunity to serve those in need.”

Part of BCA’s Vision Statement is ‘to prepare students to be Christian leaders by fostering community and world outreach’. By participating in the Feed the Need program, students were able to put those beliefs into action and learn how to be those Christian leaders both here in Greenville and throughout the entire world.

The Feed the Need program raised money for scholarships and school-based needs for BCA. They were generously assisted by local businesses and community members including Focus Audio Video LLC, The Keagy Team at C. Dan Joyner Realtors, Benson Nissan of Easley, Harrison Orthodontics, SynTerra Corporation, Spectrum Interiors of SC and T&S Brass and Bronze Works.

The entire program has been a huge team effort throughout BCA and the community and has lent itself to a teaching moment for the faculty and administrators to show students what it means to be compassionate and loving, especially to those who are in need.

How can your family help?

For those who want to contribute to this worthwhile campaign, you can simply text BCA to the number 71777. You will be then directed to a secure link and prompted to make a donation. Thank you!

We also would love to encourage our readers to think of a way to help our community this holiday season. Leave a comment letting us know how your family plans to give back!

Meet Kristina, KAG Food Expert

Kristina_headshot 150 pixel Kristina Hernandez is a mom of two girls, freelance writer and photographer and New Jersey native who is thrilled to call the Upstate her new home. She loves cooking, trying new foods, and checking out all that Greenville has to offer.

Local Company Does All the Work of Composting for You

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Note: We were provided with a chance to experience Compost House in order to facilitate this review. Read below to get a special code for your own free trial!

When a guy named Joseph McMillin started a food and recyclables company out of Wofford College’s entrepreneur program met Gary Nihart, a Clemson grad who worked with facilities to help start the composting program that the university currently uses, an idea of food waste recycling was born, specifically composting food waste.

Joseph and Gary decided to create Compost House, which would be a branch of Atlas Organics, a company that the two men had already started. These two guys are smart for several reasons but mostly because they came up with a really neat idea of not only composting food waste and scraps on a commercial level but helping regular families to do the same – and to reap the benefits of composted soil in their own gardens and homes, creating essentially a sustainable community culture.

What is composting?

Composting is essentially recycling vegetable and food scraps into usable and healthy soil by decomposing it. These food scraps, including egg shells and coffee grinds, mix with soil and other scraps like grass clippings or newspaper shavings even, to break down quickly and turn into what gardeners call “black gold”, dirt that is excellent for growing plants and flowers.

Composting requires all those food scraps plus leaves, grass clippings, and water in order to quickly decompose into usable soil.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that food scraps and yard waste account for 20 to 30 percent of what we throw away. So, if compost all that waste, we would be able to keep so much more out of landfills, which is a big win.

Is compost soil really better?

At the risk of sounding super hippie-ish, my family has composted our food scrapes for the past two years. But honestly it was by accident because our new house already had a big compost bin so we figured, why not use it?

I had wanted to start a garden and had heard of the benefits of composting for healthier soil so we gave it a shot.  I threw kinds of food scrapes – onion peels, ends of carrots, potato skin shavings – plus eggshells, tea bags, and coffee grinds into the bin and truly, to my surprise, they made some awesome soil.

When it came time earlier this spring to plant my garden, my dad, a landscaper by profession, had bought some awesome-looking dirt for his garden (yes, dirt can look great to a gardener) and offered me some because he’s a great dad. I accepted and used some of that dirt for my plants and then used my composted soil for other plants. Guess which ones thrived? My poor dad couldn’t grow much at his place with his nice dirt, while I my plants were doing great in my composted soil.

I was sold. So when I had to the opportunity to try a company that quickly transforms all kinds of food scraps into black gold, I jumped at it.

Composting at Home

While local businesses and some schools use Atlas Organics to convert food and paper waste into useable soil, families can also do the same thing.

When you sign onto to become a member of Compost House, depending on where you live, you either pick up five gallon buckets or have them delivered to you in order to start your own compost.

All you need to do from there is line with bucket with the bag that comes with it and start chucking leftover food – anything from half-eaten mac and cheese to spoiled fish – and food scraps, paper towels, newspaper clippings, and coffee grinds into it. Once you have it filled, you can either bring it to a drop off site or Compost House will come and get it.

Every month you can choose to receive 10 gallons of compost soil back or build up those credits and have it delivered (or pick it up) at a later month. For instance, say you compost all throughout the winter but really don’t want the soil until springtime rolls around. That’s fine – you can get up to two buckets of compost per week until you’ve exhausted your compost credits.

My Experience Using Compost House

I had lots of questions when I started using Compost House, namely, can I have the buckets picked up and delivered on a regular schedule?

Well, yes and no. Compost House does doorstep service for several zip codes in the Greenville area and they come at designated days. Unfortunately, my zip code didn’t qualify so I had to go to the Swamp Rabbit Café & Grocery to pick up and return my buckets, which, honestly, wasn’t terrible because I love the Swamp Rabbit Café and go there often.

But good news – Compost House is starting doorstep service to new zip codes, including where I live in Simpsonville, on November 27th! Big win.

My other initial question was about what you can put in the compost bucket. In my experience composting with my outdoor bin, putting leftovers, meat and dairy into the bin was a big no-no. Those things attract the wrong kind of outdoor critters.

Leslie Rodgers, the Education Director & Compost House Coordinator, patiently explained that while that logic is definitely true for outdoor compost bins and that they basically need to be treated like vegans, Atlas Organics “has a very large facility” and that they “see about 1 million pounds of food waste a month using a system that maintains a high temperature throughout the breakdown process. This sanitizes any meat products as well as kills off weed seeds etc.”

Being a parent of young children who would rather do anything but eat a full meal, I loved this concept. Knowing that I could turn leftover food into useable soil helped me to chill out and realize I didn’t have to fight my kids every, single meal. At least if they didn’t finish something in three days, I could use it for something else instead of throwing it in the trash.

Speaking of kids and trash, Leslie does lots of education about composting and informed me that some schools in Greenville County have started using their services, which makes me happy. If you’ve ever been in an elementary school cafeteria and watched uneaten food get trashed every day, you wonder if there is some way to use that for another purpose.

Integrating Composting Into Our Home

A five-gallon bucket is large and it took me over a week to fill it to a respectable amount to go drop it back off, which was super easy because I just dumped the contents into a big bin that was labeled at Swamp Rabbit Café (and then went inside and bought a bunch of stuff…).

The girl who gave me my buckets of finished compost had actually taken a tour of the Compost House in the recent past and was raving about the company, not knowing that I was writing a review. She said it was super cool how they process everything and essentially keeps tons of waste out of dumps and turns it into something usable.

I found Compost House to be something that could easily integrate into a family of any size, living pretty much anywhere. My kids know what composting is already and loved the idea of throwing lots of stuff into our bucket. It’s a terrific learning tool for them to understand life cycles and recyclables and plants and seeds.

Even if you just have a few herbs or plants on a balcony, using the composted soil for them would do wonders. You don’t need to have a huge garden at all.

The soil I got from Compost House was used towards the end of my fall planting for my garden and it worked beautifully. I had moved some very small arugula plants that I swore I was probably going to kill but miraculously they not only survived my amateur transfer but are currently thriving. They are pretty happy with the soil.

Worth it Financially?

When you choose to compost, you are putting your garbage to work, which is a great thing.

“Because we can compost so much of your typically kitchen/dining waste, that’s putting 30-60% (depending on home cooking and eating habits) of your household waste in our compost bucket,” said Leslie. “We create something else that you need – nutrients for your plants. The average family spends about $240 a year on plant care products. Compost is really all that you need. It has nutrients, water retention properties, root structure support and unlike fertilizer, it doesn’t just run out.”

Doorstep collection is $24/month and Compost House will drop off five-gallon buckets for you and pick them up weekly. They will return 10 gallons of composted soil per month at your request. If you choose to do the drop off and pick up yourself, Compost House charges $14/month.

There is no contract, it’s month-to-month on an automated payment for ease of use.

“For the customer on a tight budget, since you can plant directly in our compost, the compost back could be the sole source of soil for household plants or garden boxes,” said Leslie.

The environmental impact of composting creates healthy soil, which increases local food sources. More healthy food means more access for all members of the community. Healthier eating and gardening encourages more time outdoors, all around holistic health.

Want to Try?

The people at Compost House are super passionate about dirt, which is kinda crazy but also pretty awesome. They have taken on this movement and started it on a local level right here at Clemson.

“We all care deeply about spreading sustainability and to us the only way to make the massive impact we desire, is to make composting easy, affordable and accessible to all members of the community,” said Leslie.

For Kidding Around Greenville readers who want to try Compost House, they are offering a special promo code just for you. When you sign up, use the code “TRYME” for a free one-month trial. Go here to sign up.

Simpsonville service will begin the week of November 27th, in perfect time to catch post-holiday waste. If you sign up by Dec. 1st and live in Simpsonville, you are eligible for the free first month trial and an extra month’s worth of finished compost.

Has your family ever considered composting?

Things to do Indoors with Teens in Greenville

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While we know Greenville is a wonderful place for little kids, it’s also a town that has plenty of things to do indoors with teens, everything from laser tag and trampoline parks to volunteering opportunities and movies.

We’ve compiled some of the best things to do inside with teenagers in Greenville. If we missed something, let us know in the comments!

Things to do Indoors with Teens in Greenville

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Arcades, Laser Tag, Mini-Golf

Main Event is Greenville’s newest entertainment venue with bowling, laser tag, and arcade games, You’ll also find a restaurant, bar, and billiards. They run specials like kids eat free and all-you-can-play nights. Here’s our Kidding Around article on Main Event.

Main Event
225 Entertainment Boulevard
Greenville, SC

Frankie’s Fun Park is a mecca of arcade games, mini-golf, laser tag, and road courses, Frankie’s Fun Park is a great place to get out some energy with teens. There are plenty of activities for everyone to enjoy no matter what their interests are. Attractions are priced separately and there are food options as well: Mini golf ($8), go-karts ($7), indoor playground ($8), laser tag ($7), batting cage ($2), arcade, drop zone ($4), and bumper boats ($6).

45 Park Woodruff Drive; Greenville; 864.627.9888
Visit the website.

The Big E in Gaffney is another great place for indoor fun. They have arcades, laser tag, mini-golf, bumper cars, and a ropes course (outdoors). Check out our video tour here.

1100 Factory Shops Blvd, Gaffney (I-85 at exit 90 next to the Gaffney Premium Outlets); 864.489.1515
Visit the website.

Trampoline Parks

Greenville is home to Gravitopia and Sky Zone, both really fun trampoline park with ninja courses, foam pits and extreme. Gravitopia hosts a Club Night for kids 15 and older and Sky Zone has an event called Glow that is similar. And if you’re up for a little drive, Big Air Trampoline Park in Spartanburg just celebrated their 1st birthday and is super cool. They host Cosmic Nights, which is perfect for teens, every Friday and Saturday night.

Defy (formerly Gravitopia)
48 Brookfield Oaks Drive, Greenville; 864.715.2044
Visit the website.

Sky Zone
2465 Laurens Road, Greenville; 864.558.2400
Visit the website.

Big Air Trampoline Park
660 Spartan Blvd, Spartanburg; 864.580.6462
Visit the website.

Big Air Greenville
36 Park Woodruff Drive, Greenville; 864.626.5252
Website.

Create Art

If you’ve ever been to Artisphere, you’ll understand how vibrant the art community is in Greenville. There are mediums for any level of interest and talent in art – painting, pottery, felting, welding. It’s all here. These places below offer all kinds of art classes or the opportunity to paint your own potter.

Greenville Center for Creative Arts

Hummingbird Hill Art Studio

Uptown Art

Color Clay Café

The Glazing Pot

Creating Artists for Tomorrow

Maya Movement Arts (an aerial arts studio)

Wine and Design

Sassy Paints

Vino & van Gogh

Volunteering

There are tons of opportunities for teens to volunteer and give back to their community. There are soup kitchens, Meals on Wheels, and places like Project Host. The City of Greenville also accepts teen volunteers for their many festivals.

Here is a list of places to volunteer in the Greenville area.

Escape Rooms

For a unique experience, teens can try using their best investigative skills to break out of a room together in 60 minutes or less.

Greenville Escape Room
319 Garlington Road, Suite A-5, Greenville; 864.982.5083
Visit the website.
Teens under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Breakout Greenville
614 N Main Street, Greenville; 864.326.0190
Visit the website.
Teens under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

Escape Artist Greenville
217 East Stone Avenue, Greenville; 864.509.9305
Visit the website.
Teens under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Indoor Karting

What would a teenager like more than speeding in a car around an indoor race track? Let them get out those urges at a go kart facility. Kids under 18 can race during the week before 5 pm and on weekends before 2 pm.

Speed Factory Indoor Karting
1524 Roper Mountain Road, Greenville; 864.412.3323
130 E Daniel Morgan Avenue, Spartanburg; 864.447.4000
Visit the website.

Bowling

Bowling alleys have stepped up their game and aren’t the sketchy establishments of the 90s any longer. Greenville has some good options to bowling for teens.

Stone Pin Company
304 E Stone Avenue, Greenville; 864.412.7228
Visit the website.

Spare Time Entertainment
822 Congaree Road, Greenville; 864.412.0299
Website

AMF Star Lanes
740 S. Pleasantburg Drive, Greenville; 864.242.5724
Visit the website.

Peach Bowl Lanes
14515 E Wade Hampton Blvd, Greer; 864.877.8340
Visit the website.

Wade Hampton Lanes
3065 Wade Hampton Blvd, Taylors, SC; 864.268.4136
Visit the website.

Golden Park
108 Balcome Blvd, Simpsonville; 864.967.8551
Visit the website.

Rock Springs Bowling Alley
201 Rock Springs Road, Easley; 864.442.2057
Visit the website.

Movies

There are always the movies. And teens still love going to them.

Regal Cinemas Hollywood 20
1025 Woodruff Road, Greenville; 864.462.7342
Visit the website.

Camelot Cinemas
48 East Antrim Drive, Greenville; 864.235.6700
Visit the website.

Regal Cinemas Cherrydale 16
3221 North Pleasantburg Drive, Greenville; 844.462.7342
Visit the website.

Do you have a great place for teens to add to our list?

Meet Kristina, KAG Food Expert
Kristina_headshot 150 pixel Kristina Hernandez is a mom of two girls, freelance writer and photographer and New Jersey native who is thrilled to call the Upstate her new home. She loves cooking, trying new foods, and checking out all that Greenville has to offer.

Learn to Fence at Foothills Fencing Academy

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Thank you to Foothills Fencing Academy for sponsoring this giveaway on Kidding Around Greenville. Be sure to read this post in its entirety as the nice folks at FFA are giving away 4 weeks of beginner classes!

In college I was forced to choose between a multitude of courses worth only a couple credits to fulfill some obligation that I can’t remember now. But I do remember being psyched that Fencing was an option – so I signed up and couldn’t wait to wield my sword as a bad ass Medieval princess that I wish I was born as.

It was challenging but it was really, really fun. I had no idea the coordination and strength it took to learn the footwork, the proper way to earn points against your opponent, and the workout that every class entailed. I managed to pass the course, even toppling some of my male classmates in the process, and developed an unparalleled confidence that still lingers even today, long after my Russian instructor went back to coaching Olympians.

Here in the Greenville area, the Foothills Fencing Academy (FFA) is an awesome facility that teaches fencing to both kids and adults, even producing NCAA athletes and high-level fencers that go on to compete in worldwide tournaments.

Foothills Fencing Academy

The Foothills Fencing Academy is located in Piedmont, SC, only a 15-minute drive from downtown Greenville, and consists of a 4,000 square foot, air-conditioned facility with six tournament strips (they are like small runways but people-sized) which are on a raised wooden floor in order to provide better protection for joints than a concrete or tile floor.

The FFA offers open fencing time as well as classes and summer camps. The FFA is the finest fencing facility in the entire area and all their coaches are professional members of the USA Fencing, certified by the USFCA and have undergone background checks.

Why Fencing?

Fencing is a great way to develop coordination, agility, discipline, strength, balance and focus. Fencers must problem-solve quickly, assess situations, and learn how to think strategically – all crucial life-skills outside of the sport of fencing.

Fencing is also a wonderful activity to stay fit and healthy, work muscles from your feet and ankles all the way up through your shoulders and neck. It’s a sport of both mind and body.

Fall Classes

Whether you’re 8 or 38, Foothills Fencing Academy can introduce you to the fascinating sport of “Physical Chess” with their beginner classes for kids and their parents too! Beginner classes cover the basics – including the rules of fencing, footwork, blade work, and tactics. Fencers will develop coordination, discipline, speed, endurance and balance. By participating in three sessions of classes, students will learn the basic fundamentals of all three weapons. Oh yeah, its a fun sport in an air conditioned facility!

In addition to adult, family, and youth classesprivate lessons are available as well. Plus they host birthday parties, homeschool groups, after-school groups, or church groups.

They provide all the safety equipment for an introductory period but fencers must purchase their own gear after two months of training.

Beginner Classes

Beginner classes run in 4 week sessions and begin August 14th. But no worries if you’re not that quick because new classes will kick off again throughout the fall! All equipment needed is furnished for the first two month; all you need is the right clothing!  Cost is $75 plus a $10 US Fencing Membership.

For more details visit their website or call (864) 593 3684.

Adult Beginner Classes

Fencing is a sport for all ages!  The USA Fencing Association sanctions tournaments for adults, beginning with competitors as young as 13 years of age, as well as exclusive tournaments for specific age brackets ranging up to 70 years and over! This is also a great class to share some time for parent and teen.

Any new students should arrive for this first class at 6:15 for footwork preparation.  Class will last until 7:45.  The next three weeks class will meet from 6:45-7:45.

Youth Beginner Classes

Youth classes are for ages 8 years through 18 years. Class will meet for four weeks.

Beginner classes for age 8-10: A weekly one hour session introduces students to fencing while improving coordination and critical thinking. Coaches use a mixture of fun games and discipline teach your child the basic fundamentals they need to begin fencing.

Beginner Classes for ages 8-18: This hour-long class introduces your child to each of the three Olympic style fencing weapons. Students learn to move and hit safely. They are introduced to the basic rules, footwork, blade work, and tactics of each weapon.

Family Beginner Classes: these are a great chance to get the whole family involved and learn a new sport.

The USA Fencing Association sanctions tournaments for youth, beginning with 10 and under programs. Boys and girls participate together locally, but compete separately at national tournament events. The coaches will use fencing games and lots of fun to introduce your child to this exciting sport!

Register today

Foothills Fencing Academy
1004 Piedmont Hwy
Piedmont, SC 29673
(864) 593-3684
foothillsfencingacademy@gmail.com
http://www.foothillsfencing.com

Giveaway!

One lucky KAG reader is going to win 4 weeks of beginner fencing lessons with our friends at Foothills Fencing Academy!

This giveaway starts now and ends at midnight on August 31, 2017. Good luck!

Our giveaway rules:

  • You must be 18 or older and live in the USA to enter this giveaway.
  • You must use a valid email address to enter this giveaway.
  • One entry per person per day.
  • We will contact the winner via the email address provided within three [3] days of the giveaway ending. The winner will have three [3] days (72 hours) to respond via email. If the winner does not respond within the three [3] days (72 hours), the prize will be forfeited and another winner chosen. Directions for claiming the prize will be given via email. A valid photo ID and/or mailing address may be required.
  • For a complete list of Kidding Around Greenville SC’s giveaway policies and terms and conditions, see the Kidding Around Greenville SC policy page. By entering this giveaway, you agree to comply with Kidding Around Greenville SC’s terms and conditions.

Has your family ever tried Fencing?

Meet Kristina, Team Writer

Kristina_headshot 150 pixel Kristina Hernandez is a mom of two girls, freelance writer and photographer and New Jersey native who is thrilled to call the Upstate her new home. She loves cooking, trying new foods, and checking out all that Greenville has to offer.