Looking for a food pantry or food bank in Greenville, SC? Many families in the upstate are finding themselves jobless or with reduced employment hours. Fortunately, there are many churches, groups, food banks, and community organizations offering assistance. We’re collecting information about those places here to help our readers. If you know of someone offering assistance, please let us know!
Searching for “meat farms near me” or “local meats near me”? The Greenville area has a number of local farmers that sell their meat products directly to customers. In addition, there are a number of locally run stores that sell local meats. Here’s where you can find locally raised meat near Greenville, SC.
(more…)Local artist Brandi Grover has always loved art, developing her passion in elementary school and growing into a mixed-media artist here in South Carolina. And she’s turned that passion into a book, or really several books, that let others join in on the fun. Yep, we’re talking about coloring books, specifically Brandi’s newest coloring that will take colorers on a trip across the Carolinas.
Brandi dabbles in lots of art including minimalist portraits, digital art, and window paintings. In fact, if you visited Gio’s Pastry Shop, you may have seen her work there along with other Upstate businesses. But today, we’re talking about her coloring books. She has 10 in total.
Her newest book features scenes from across both North and South Carolina. Brandi says these pages illustrate some of the most loved places across the Carolinas, as they are the result of social media polls where her friends and clients weighed in to determine what should be included. The project grew from just scenes of local gems, to become an exploration of the most beautiful spots from Charleston, SC all the way to Hendersonville, NC, and lots of places in between.
The new coloring book, called Explore the Carolinas, is available for sale on Brandi’s website, as well as at several local spots including Steam Coffee and Cream and Gio’s Pastry Shop in Fountain Inn, SC.
You can also order Explore the Carolinas on her website. Actually, you can order several of her books on her website, including a cute coloring book with trucks and tractors, another with dinosaurs, and yet another with sweets and yummy-looking desserts. She also has a Mandala book for older colorers looking for a quiet way to wind down and relax.
The books can be purchased online directly from her and picked up locally in Gray Court, or shipped. But, you also have the option of purchasing her books from Amazon. Her website has a link to purchase on Amazon as well, so it’s easy to find exactly what you’re looking for.
Brandi’s books check all the boxes for a great local gift. Explore the Carolinas would be great for anyone who loves the outdoors, visiting the Carolinas, or maybe someone moving or new to the area.
We have the coolest bonus for Kidding Around readers. Brandi made a 6-page Greenville, SC Heritage Green coloring book for us, featuring our very own explorer, Golly! We know your kiddos are going to love them. We love them, too. The pages of this book are totally free for our readers!
Download your free 6-page Greenville, SC: Golly on Heritage Green Coloring Book
The download contains coloring pages for:
So, what are you waiting for? Print your free Golly Coloring Pages, then keep the fun going and go order one of Brandi’s coloring books!
Looking for a unique history lesson at textile mills in South Carolina? The Upstate of South Carolina has a rich history of textile production. Many cities and towns were heavily influenced by the presence of textile mills and the eventual closure of those mills. When the mills were at their prime, Mill Villages boasted homes, schools, baseball teams, and even vacation destinations. You can see evidence of this mill history and mill village life all around the Upstate if you know where to look.
Many previous textile mills in South Carolina are now home to parks where you can explore their history, as well as enjoy some time outdoors. Load up the kids and check out these historic textile mill sites for today’s history lesson and get some sun while you’re at it! It’s so much more fun than learning history in a textbook, right?
Here’s a map of where they are located:
Is your child about to enter kindergarten? TCMU Spartanburg is helping kids get ready to start school with totally free pop-up classrooms! Kids will have an opportunity to experience a classroom setting, learn and practice classroom skills, visit the museum, and the class includes take-home activities. The weekly classes are totally free. Below you’ll all the details about registration, what to expect, class requirements, and more.
The pop-up classroom program runs from June 5th -July 31st, 2023. Students and their caregivers will attend one 1-hour class one day a week. Classes are offered Monday -Friday at 1 pm or 3 pm. Attendance once per week is required to stay in the program.
The program is open to any rising kindergartener, both K4 and K5. In addition to the weekly classes, students and caregivers get free admission to the museum plus take-home activities.
“The transition to Kindergarten is both exciting and challenging! Research shows that only 27% of South Carolina public school Kindergarteners entered the school year with sufficient skills, knowledge, and abilities to engage with Kindergarten-level instruction (WestEd, 2021). Pop-Up Classrooms, which are based on the South Carolina Kindergarten Readiness Assessment, The Spartanburg Academic Movement’s Early Development Instrument (EDI), and South Carolina First Step’s Profile of a Ready Kindergartner, are designed to help children with this important life transition. Each classroom session focuses on a different skill necessary for young learners to be successful in a real classroom and is structured similar to a normal school day. TCMU-Spartanburg’s museum classroom will be set up like a real classroom, to help familiarize young learners with this new type of environment. Children will have the opportunity for structured and unstructured play and take-home activities each week to continue learning at home.
Pop-Up Classrooms at TCMU-Spartanburg are partially funded by South Carolina First Steps.
You’ll need to fill out this form to apply for the Pop-Up Classroom program.
Space is limited and not all students will be accepted into the program. Applicants will be told if they have been accepted into the program by May 25th, 2023.
For more information about the program, visit TCMU Spartanburg Pop-Up Classroom website.
Find out more about The Children’s Museum of the Upstate’s Spartanburg location!
Have you visited Zoo Atlanta in Atlanta, GA? The large zoo is home to some amazing animals to observe, like giant pandas, elephants, rhinoceros and tigers. Add in a wide variety of birds, giraffe, otters and a special children’s zoo section with farm animals and attractions, and you have a pretty fabulous day trip.
My family visited Zoo Atlanta when we were in the Atlanta, GA area. Here’s everything we loved, plus some tips to help make your visit super enjoyable.
(more…)Where can you bring the kids for an educational adventure close to home in Upstate, SC? From historic mill sites and battlefield hikes to nature observations and scientific discoveries, Greenville offers so many opportunities to learn while having fun. So, get out of the books and out for a family learning adventure! Even better, many of these adventures are free or very low cost.
The KABOOM Awards are Kidding Around’s annual best of contest. Readers say these are the TOP 5 Date Ideas in Greenville, SC
This article includes:
Educational Things to Do Near Greenville, SC
Educational Venues Near Greenville, SC
Educational Things to Do Outside of Greenville, SC
Battlefield Sites to Explore
Educational Things to Do in North Carolina
Educational Events Near Greenville, SC
See Hundreds of Raptors in the Air at Caesars Head: In the fall Caesars Head State Park is the place to be to see hundreds of raptors as they migrate.
Exploring Flight: Downtown Greenville Airport Park: Watch airplanes take off and learn about the amazing science behind flight.
Butterflies at the Roper Mountain Science Center Butterfly Garden: Enjoy a morning at the butterfly garden at Roper Mountain Science Center. Learn about the butterfly life cycle. Take some photos, count the butterflies, sort them, and make a chart or some artwork!
Historical Textile Mill Sites You Can Visit: Visit these textile sites to learn about the Upstate’s unique local history of textiles mills.
Watch The Trains Inbound From Charleston: Head to the Inland Port and see how cargo is moved across the country.
Head to Model Train Station at Taylors Mill to learn about the hobby of model trains and a little about the trains that run on the tracks right behind the mill.
Explore Space! Inspire your future astronaut or engineer. Find a dark spot of the sky to hunt for the International Space Station.
You can also learn more about the universe at the planetarium during Friday Starry Nights at Roper Mountain Science Center!
Birdwatch at Lake Conestee Nature Preserve: See how many different kinds of birds you can spot along the trails of Lake Conestee Nature Preserve.
Learn about electricity and how lights stay powered on at Duke Energy’s World of Energy near Lake Keowee.
Enjoy Shakespeare for free in the summer at Falls Park with Summer Shakespeare.
These facilities and venues in Greenville are wonderful places for families to learn together.
Day Trips to See Dinosaurs! Check out dinosaurs at Roper Mountain Science Center in Greenville or plan a trip to one of these fabulous places to see dinos in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
Hagood Mill Is A Free Historial Site In Pickens County: Check out an old grist mill, cotton gin, moonshine distillery, petroglyph site, and more at Hagood Mill.
Visit Stumphouse Tunnel for a look at a pre-Civil War tunnel intended to link Charleston, SC with cities in the Midwest by train.
Learn about alpaca at Lucky Acres Farm.
SC Botanical Gardens: Check out a huge variety of plants, nature trails, and more at the 300 acres SC Botanical Garden. You’ll also find the Campbell Geology Museum on site. Admission is free to both the garden and the geology museum.
Visiting Columbia? Make your trip fun and educational! Check out EdVenture, the city’s wonder-filled children’s museum. You can also check out the Woodrow Wilson Family Home before making a stop at the Riverbank Zoo or the South Carolina State Museum.
Head to Atlanta to explore black history at these historic sites and museums.
There are several battlefield sites near Greenville for you to explore.
Musgrove Mill State Historic Site: Learn about the Revolutionary War battle at Musgrove Mill State Historic Site.
Kings Mountain State Park: Hike through a Revolutionary War battlefield and living history farm.
Cowpens National Battlefield: Another Revolutionary War battle occurred nearby in Gaffney.
Bonus: If you like battlefield hikes and tours, take a day trip to Greensboro, NC to see where the Battle of Guilford Courthouse occurred. You can drive through the large battlefield and learn via signage at each stop. It was one of my family’s favorite Revolutionary War sites.
The Schiele Museum of Natural History offers guests a look at prehistoric creatures and living. There is a lot to see and do in Gastonia, NC where the museum is located.
Visit Anne Springs Close Greenway for nature and historical hikes, plus events, water sports, creek stomping and more.
Western North Carolina Nature Center– Check out animals native to Western North Carolina at the WNC Nature Center.
Carolina Raptor Center– See all kinds of hawks, Eagles, owls and more at the Carolina Raptor Center.
Carl Sandburg Home: The home of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and writer Carl Sandburg. Connemara is located in nearby Flat Rock, North Carolina.
Immerse yourself in the educational lessons found in nature at the Holmes Educational State Forest in Hendersonville, SC.
While in the Western North Carolina area, check out the Cradle of Forestry in Pisgah National Forest in Brevard, NC to learn about forestry.
may 2024
june 2024
Did we miss a fabulous educational experience near Greenville? Let us know in the comments!
Looking for More Adventures?
Check out Kidding Around’s
Guide to Educational Travel and Day Trips!
Love a good puzzle challenge with the family? The Escape Game at Concord Mills recently opened with 5 escape room challenges for your friends and family to conquer. All five rooms differ with regard to difficulty and the number of players able to play together, so groups big and small, and beginner or more seasoned escape room players, will all find a game that’s right for their group.
The Escape Game: Concord invited us out to try a game so we could share the experience with our readers.
Three of my kids, aged 10-13, and I got to play the Playground Escape Game and we had a blast! It was a very cooperative game and really required us to divide and conquer and help each other to solve all the puzzles in time.
The game was full of surprises and we won’t share all the details, so you can enjoy the game yourself. But here’s how our experience went.
The Escape Game is located between the movie theater and Dave & Busters at Concord Mills. If you head towards the movie theater parking lot and then keep going around towards Dave and Busters, you’ll see The Escape Game, painted black and white, on the exterior of the mall. You won’t need to walk through the mall to get to The Escape Game, but there’s an entrance in the mall, too!
When you arrive you’ll check in with your name, if you’ve made reservations in advance. This is recommended, by the way. Then, if you haven’t filled out a waiver, there’s a quick form to fill out on a tablet kiosk. Then, you’re ready to go.
Your guide will walk you to your game and welcome you to the space. A movie intro will play on the screen above the door and you’re off.
Our game, Playground, set us up as 4th-grade students on the very last day of 4th grade. But our teacher wouldn’t let us out until we had completed all the tasks on the report card. Each lit up as we completed them during the game, helping us keep track of where we were and how many more puzzles were yet to be solved.
Up to 12 players can play this game, so I was a little nervous about how the 4 of us would do. We’re not exactly expert escape room players. But our game guide helped us out from time to time with clues on the video screen and little tips to let us know if we were headed in the right direction or not. Which, was super helpful and helped keep the game enjoyable and not frustrating.
The puzzles we had to solve were all themed by school subject, fitting with the 4th-grade classroom experience. The way information was displayed and hidden for each problem varied greatly. Some clues had us bouncing between rooms as they were opened and some of it was hidden in plain sight and required some deduction and logic, and maybe a little math to find the solutions. Each problem worked together to get us the information we needed to escape that fourth-grade class.
There were lots of fun little surprises along the way, that I, at least, have never seen in an escape room before. My kids really enjoyed those surprises.
We had a great time playing Playground. Escape rooms are a great family activity for families, especially with hard-to-please tweens and teens and I would definitely would recommend playing a game at The Escape Game. Our game was really well done and we enjoyed working together to solve it and escape.
In my opinion, I don’t think kids much younger than 8 or 9 would be able to contribute much towards solving the puzzles and they might get bored. Although one nice thing about Playground is that there are a significant number of tasks that require collecting objects and younger kids could certainly help with that. But, suffice it to say, these are really geared toward older kids and adults.
We got to peek inside a couple of the other new rooms at The Escape Game!
Tickets are $34.99. Smaller groups may end up together, so if you’d like to book privately, for only your group, you can purchase the entire room beginning at $280. Of course, the other option is just to make sure you bring enough friends to fill the room.
Being located in Concord Mills, a large mall, you could easily turn your visit into a full day. Concord Mills has an aquarium, an arcade, movie theater, lots of shopping, and places to eat.
Our family went to the Lego Store and then decided to drive over to SunFlour Baking Company for lunch, which is a family favorite just about 15 minutes from the mall.
We also have a large list of family-friendly things to do in Concord, NC and Cabarrus County.
Have you visited the quaint Stone Soup Cafe in Landrum, SC? The restaurant has beautiful comfortable seating indoors and out. We love the pretty garden-like setting outdoors, as well as the cozy and comfortable indoor seating. And, we loved the relaxed ambiance and friendly service. Here’s why you should add this spot to your list of great restaurants for a date night, or a relaxing meal out with friends and family.
From the minute you pull into the stone parking lot, after your drive down Main Street Landrum, you’ll feel like you’ve entered a little mini-vacation spot in the mountains. Surrounded by mature trees and pretty hanging lights you can choose to either dine indoors or out. Either way, you can enjoy a leisurely meal in a beautiful setting.
This place is the total opposite of busy city, downtown dining in loud buzzing restaurants. My husband and I have visited a couple of times for a date night, and each time is just as good, if not better, than the last.
Outdoors, and tables are set under shade awnings and a pavilion. There are both fans and heaters so the space can be enjoyed in a variety of weather. Indoors, cozy and comfortable tables are spread throughout a couple of smaller rooms of dining space with great big windows, allowing for easy conversation and a relaxed ambiance.
It is rather unusual for my husband and me, especially leaving the kids at home, to enjoy a drink, then an appetizer, a meal, and also stick around for coffee and dessert. But at Stone Soup we do because it was just that beautiful and relaxing. We probably spend an average of 2 hours on our date night meals Stone Soup. The service was wonderful and we never once felt rushed. In fact, our waitress suggested at the end of our meal that we just keep sipping our coffee and take our time.
All that and we haven’t yet discussed the food. The menu at Stone Soup includes a wide variety of wood-fired pizzas, sandwiches, unique appetizers, and entrees, plus cocktails, and a small selection of the day’s desserts.
We ordered (and highly recommend) the Tuna Bites for an appetizer. It was gorgeous and delicious. The tuna bites are black sesame-crusted Rare Ahi Tuna, pickled ginger, wasabi cream, chopped red peppers, and green onions, on top of the lightest, crispiest wontons you’ve ever seen or tasted.
We ordered the tuna bites again on a second visit, and they were just as delicious!
For our meals, we’ve enjoyed sandwiches like their salmon BLT and a woodfired calzone. The bacon on that BLT was some of the thickest and tastiest I’ve had while the salmon was cooked perfectly. The calzone was massive and could have easily fed two people, which it didn’t because my husband loves calzones and ate the whole thing. It was just that good.
Dessert isn’t printed on the menu, but just ask your server for what they are offering that day. We intended to get one dessert and share it, but, on the day we went, they had both peanut butter pie and a chocolate flourless cake that may as well have been fudge. So, we got them both and we had no regrets.
Stone Soup also carries a selection of housemade baked goods, deli salads, and specialty items that can be purchased in their market. They also have housemade frozen casseroles to pick up and bring home.
Stone Soup
1522 E. Rutherford Street
Landrum, SC
864.457.5255
Tuesday through Thursday 11:30 am to 8 pm
Friday 11:30 am to 9 pm
Saturday 11:30 am to 8:30 pm
Have you visited the Climb@Blue Ridge gym before? Whether you are a seasoned climber or just starting out, you’ll fit right in at CBR. With classes for kids, homeschool events, parent’s night out events, high school hangouts, and lots more special events it’s a place for families, kids, adults, and everyone! Climn@Blue Ridge is one of the more affordable climbing gyms in the Greenville, SC area and has an extremely supportive, helpful, and personable staff. Here’s everything you need to know about Climb@Blue Ridge to plan your awesome climbing day.
This article is pretty much not necessary. Yep.
We said we’d tell you what you needed to know to have a great time at CBR. But the bottom line is, you don’t need to know much of anything. Really.
Want to climb? Total 100% complete beginners of all ages can have a great time climbing at CBR, and so can seasoned climbers. The gym has everything you need from harnesses to climbing shoes that you can rent for a small fee when you climb. Just show up.
The staff is awesome, and they’ll help you get the right size shoes and get your harness and point you in the right direction of climbing walls and bouldering spaces. I say this to you as a non-athletic and sometimes painfully introverted mom. (Really, I write so I don’t have to talk to people.) But seriously, at CBR they’ll teach you to belay for your kids and show you how to hook up to the auto-belays. There are no stupid questions. Your kids will be climbing before you know it, and so will you!
But, there are so many cool things happening at CBR, so, we’ll use the rest of this article to tell all about the programs for kids, families, and adults, plus those nitty-gritty details like hours and cost.
Climb@Blue Ridge has climbing spaces for bouldering, top roping, and lead climbing.
There are several places for bouldering at CBR, a cave area, a small tunnel area, and a room off the main gym. These areas do not require the use of harnesses or ropes as they don’t go high. These areas are about traversing across or up, around, or under obstacles.
Top roping is the style of climbing with ropes. Basically, this is what you’re doing when you are hooked to a harness with a rope up above you and either a human or auto-belayer. The gym has three auto belays so you can climb even if you don’t have a climbing partner.
Last but not least, lead climbing is more like outdoor climbing. You must have your own equipment to lead climb at CBR.
The climbing routes at CBR are changed regularly. This means in all of the climbing areas you’ll find new challenges and problems to solve. You won’t be bored once you’ve mastered a route or two!
Intro to Climbing Class: My kids have been taking an introduction to climbing class at CBR for homeschoolers since the fall. Each semester is 10 weeks of classes that cover top roping and bouldering, plus safety! The tuition is $200 for the semester and that includes harness and shoe rental plus a gym membership. That means your climber can climb for free anytime the gym is open.
Homeschool Climb: Every second Monday from 2 to 4 pm, homeschoolers can climb at CBR for just $12 which includes the harness. Shoes can be rented for $3 (but you don’t have to if you’d rather just use sneakers).
Every second Saturday from 6:30 to 9:30 pm bring the kids to CBR for parents’ night out. This parents’ night out is for kids ages 6 and up. They’ll have a blast climbing while you get a night out. The cost is $20 per child. Do sign-up in advance because the program only runs if there are at least 3 kids enrolled.
It’s CBR’s version of tot time. At Preschool Rocks, kids 2-6 get the gym all to themselves with their parent or guardian from 8 to 10 am on Tuesdays. The cost is $20 per parent/child team and that includes harnesses. CBR has full-body harnesses for little ones. And don’t forget, kiddos don’t need to harness up if they are bouldering. So, even if your little one won’t want to put on a harness, there’s still plenty of climbing fun.
High school kids climb at CBR on Saturday nights for just $10, including harness and shoes. It’s a great deal and a great way to spend a Saturday night.
Have kids who want to learn more about climbing? The climbing team meets weekly for beginning through advanced students. Kids learn climbing skills and encourage each other to be better. The team even takes outdoor climbing field trips!
Climbing team is $65 a month and also includes a gym membership. That means kids can climb anytime the gym is open for free. Gear rental is another $15 a month, or kids can purchase their own.
CBR also offers summer camps for kids, as well as camps during days off from school, and other special events.
In addition to climbing, CBR also offers weekly Yoga and Tai Chi classes. There’s also a ladies’ meet-up on Monday nights, plus special events, competitions, and more throughout the year.
CBR also offers a place for parties, lock-ins, and group events.
Do it!
When you climb at CBR you get full gym access for the entire day. You’re not limited to an hour or two, and you’re not limited to certain areas of the gym or certain routes.
Adult day passes are $12. Kids 10 and under are $10. If you want to rent harnesses and shoes, they are $3 each.
First-time climbers pay $24 and that includes both harness rental, shoes, AND some time with the staff for them to show you how to belay, ensure that you can do it safely, and make sure you don’t have any questions. Don’t worry about this, it’s really easy.
That’s it. You’re ready to go!
If you love climbing, you’ll want to check out the Climb@ Blue Ridge memberships. A family membership is just $75 a month. Individual memberships start at $50. This doesn’t include gear. You can buy your own harness and shoes, plan to spend a couple of dollars each visit to rent a harness and shoes, or add on to your memberships with a monthly fee for gear. ($15 a month for individuals or $25 for families.)
This is the section where I admit I am not athletic. I was the kid in gym class who kept sneaking to the back of the kickball line so I didn’t have to actually participate. I was also the kid who couldn’t climb to the top of the ladder in the elementary gym because I was terrified of falling. Yes, I went my entire elementary school career without my name on that PE ladder sticker chart.
So, here I am, with kids who are taking climbing classes and recently joined their climbing team. They’re at the gym a couple of times a week and are really loving it. I have a strong belief in taking an interest in your kids’ hobbies. (You’ll always have something in common and have ways to share quality time when you’re active in your kids’ interests.) So, that’s how I found myself in a harness and climbing shoes one afternoon for a little climbing myself, having never climbed before. This is how I can say with absolute certainty that total skill-less beginners are welcome at CBR!
If you’re worried about being embarrassed. I get it. Me too. Just go do it.
Let me just take this one moment to encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and try something new with your teens and preteens! The kids and I had a blast. I did get to the top of a couple of routes, if you’re wondering, along with some seriously ungraceful falls and trips down the auto-belay. But, the best part was having my 13 year-old son coach me through my attempts on the wall. It was priceless. And, so was watching him encourage and cheer on his younger sister. I’m looking forward to going again!
Climb@ Blue Ridge Regular Hours:
Monday: 4 pm–10 pm
Tuesday–Friday: 12 pm–10 pm
Saturday: 10 am–10 pm
Sunday: 4 pm–10 pm
Climb@Blue Ridge
301 Bulls Road, Taylors
864.895.1416