Have you made your New Year’s Resolution? No? Kidding Around is here to help. New Year’s Resolutions usually include some version of getting healthy and fit, eating better, blah blah blah. We won’t bore you with that kind of list. Nope, we’ve got a better one that we know you’ll want to steal. We asked our contributors at Kidding Around what they are resolving to do in 2025 and well, not to say we are really good at this resolution thing….but we totally are.
Happy New Year from all of us at Kidding Around!
Kidding Around’s Top 10 2025 New Year’s Resolutions
1. To re-heat my full cup of coffee only twice a day.
2. To get more sleep, to move more, and to make sure my kids wear socks with their shoes more often.
3. To only rewind a scene once instead of five times because I’m scrolling my phone.
4. To read more…books on my Kindle while neglecting all other responsibilities I have.
5. To spend less money….. we’re only going to HomeGoods once a week instead of twice.
5. To drink more water……hot water, that’s been poured over roasted beans.
6. Two words: Bacon Cleanse
7. To stop being such a perfectionist mom. No more homemade astronaut costumes for Space Day and non-GMO cupcakes for birthdays. Thank you Amazon and Target.
8. To exercise more… exercise my right to eat cake on the days it isn’t my birthday.
9. Try every donut in in town.
10. Try Yoga to justify wearing those yoga pants 24/7.
Tell us what your New Year’s Resolutions are! We’ll take real ones, or funny ones. (Not to say the funny ones can’t also be real….I mean, bacon should be eaten, right?)
We try to regularly feature one fabulous, locally-owned restaurant in Greenville, SC or Spartanburg, SC on social media. Here our readers will find all of the restaurants we have featured and the restaurants. Use our list to support local restaurants in Upstate, SC, and find something fabulous to eat!
Greenville, SC has partnered with local hotels and businesses for families to create their own ‘Yes Day’ and make fun memories together! Thanks to VisitGreenville for hosting us for Yes DayGVL.
As a parent, I want to say ‘yes’ to my kids as much as possible without spoiling them too much (and going broke). But most days, it’s no after no after no because of work, finances, time constraints, and just so many distractions.
When my kids and I watched the movie Yes Day starring Jennifer Garner, they immediately wanted a day like that. Of course they did. The parents in the movie rightly said no to lots of requests but they were also too busy with everyday life to really spend that quality time with their kids that they all deserved. At the behest of their kids, they decided to have a Yes Day where they said ‘yes’ to everything their kids asked (within reason). But I loved the movie, too, because it showed that taking that quality time with your kids is worth every minute, not just on fun and fanciful days.
So when I heard Greenville, SC put together their own Yes Day, I was in. What better way to make sure you’re connecting with your kids than planning out a whole day (or more) of dedicated fun with them right in our own hometown.
Watch! Here’s Our Yes Day GVL
My daughters and I had a full Yes Day in Greenville doing everything from playing arcade games to indoor mini-golf to making our own pizzas and enjoying an amazing pancake bar to topping it all off with artisan ice cream.
I’ll tell you all about how to create your own Yes Day and have a fantastic day full of fun in Greenville, SC while unleashing imagination, creativity, and making incredible memories together.
Building our own pizzas
How ‘Yes Day’ Works: Hotels
Greenville has a Yes Day website where they list out hotels and local attractions that are participating in Yes Day. There are several local hotels that have special packages for overnight accommodations – and many have indoor pools! For these special deals, the Yes Day website has codes you use or people to contact at each hotel to secure your accommodations.
Here are the local hotels and what they are offering:
Courtyard Greenville Haywood Mall is offering free s’mores and hot chocolate by the fire pit and 15% off the best available rate.
Hyatt Place Greenville Downtown is offering 20% off your rate, a free breakfast buffet, snacks from the market, and a $10 valet service. They have an indoor pool for guests.
Hyatt Regency has a package where kids enjoy their own Hyatt Yes Day grab bag that can be filled up with their favorite candy and snacks from the hotel pantry. You’ll also get the Roost breakfast buffet for two adults and two kids, which includes made-to-order waffles and omelets. This package is specially priced at $195.
Embassy Suites Greenville Golf Resort[SOLD OUT] is offering a two-room suite, indoor pool, and a special in-room kid-friendly snack pack upon arrival. You’ll have a build-your-own pizza night for dinner and a pancake party breakfast the next morning. You’ll also get a YES Badge to wear during mocktail (for kids) and cocktail Happy Hour. This package starts at $149/night and includes late checkout, complimentary Wi-Fi and 10% off for 2+ night stays.
Homewood Suites by Hilton Greenville Downtown is your choice if your family loves movies. They are offering unlimited movie browsing with an Amazon Fire Stick, Poppington’s Gourmet Popcorn, a free hot breakfast with waffle station, and a variety of candy and soda in-room. Reservations for this hotel and Yes Day deal must be booked at least 72 hours in advance.
How ‘Yes Day’ Works: Local Greenville Yes Day Attractions
Now that you’ve got the hotel taken care of, let’s move onto even more fun!
Greenville has put together a handy Yes Day print out where kids (and parents) can check off what they would like to do. There is everything from zip lining to a Swamp Rabbits hockey game to ice cream to art and golf experiences.
One great thing about Yes Day GVL is that you don’t need to reserve a hotel stay to take advantage of the Yes Day promotions. Pretty awesome!
Local attractions participating in some way – whether it be a free kids meal or a discount on admission or products – are listed here:
Group Therapy Pub & Playground
Flying Rabbit Adventures
Clare’s Creamery
Parlor Doughnuts
SC Children’s Theatre
Greenville Zoo
Main Event
3’s Golf
Escape Artist Greenville
The Children’s Museum of the Upstate
Up on the Roof
Signal Music Museum
Sparetime
TR Makers Co.
Kroc Center
O.P. Taylors
Yes Day really gives you a wide range of options to try out new places even right here in our hometown that you may not have explored yet. Greenville is such an amazing place with so many different things for families to do that it may take awhile to get through them all. Yes Day gives you an opportunity to check some of those spots off your list!
Our Own Yes Day in Greenville, SC
Our Yes Day was a full 24 hours of fun in Greenville that consisted of an awesome hotel, playing at places that my daughters had never been to, and spending that quality time together where I could say ‘yes’ to pretty much anything. Fantastic day, right?
Main Event
We started off at Main Event in Greenville where we played lots of fun arcade games. This is an enormous indoor fun park with bowling alleys, arcade games, food and drink options, and birthday party rooms.
The arcade at Main Event
We were here for almost two hours and walked away with some adorable little toys after trying to win as many tickets as possible. They have a great prize room with a ton of fun prizes to choose from.
The Main Event promotion is getting $20 in free play with the purchase of a $20 game card. We had a $50 game card and it lasted for about an hour and a half with my two daughters and I. We really had a lot of fun together.
Embassy Suites Greenville Golf Resort
Update as of early February 2025: This YES DAY package at the Embassy Suites Golf Resort is sold out but we encourage you to try to a different hotel!
Next up we checked into our hotel, the Embassy Suites Greenville Golf Resort on Verdae Boulevard. I’ve stayed in many Embassy Suites hotels in the past and really love them for their spacious rooms and awesome breakfasts. This hotel was even better than I expected.
Check-in was smooth and fast and when you book the Yes Day package, you get a big snack pack waiting for you in your room. My kids totally freaked out when they saw it because it had almost all of their favorite treats: popcorn, cookies, peanut butter cups, and hot chocolate. It was a really sweet treat and a fun surprise for them. My youngest daughter saw the snacks and literally jumped up and down and said, “best day ever!” She’s easy to please.
The kids snack pack in our room
Also part of your Yes Day package at the Embassy Suites Golf Resort is a happy hour with cocktails for adults and mocktails for kids. They have snacks like cheese and crackers and hummus and fruit during happy hour, which you can enjoy either at the bar area or outdoors next to the fire pit.
For dinner, it’s Build-Your-Own-Pizza adventure. My daughters absolutely loved doing this as they could choose whatever they wanted on their pizzas. The menu also has more mocktails for kids that are very pretty and especially tasty. The staff are very kind and helpful as well.
We headed to the indoor pool for some relaxation before hanging out in our room for movie night. It was such a great day!
Breakfast at the Embassy Suites offers an array of hot and cold breakfast items plus a made-to-order omelet and pancake station. It was the perfect way to start our second half of Yes Day.
The indoor pool at Embassy Suites
O.P. Taylors
After breakfast, we made our way downtown to the iconic toy store, O.P. Taylors. This store has everything you can imagine and more. I really love how they’ve curated such a unique array of toys, games, books, and puzzles to choose from. They have hilarious stickers that I highly recommend you check out.
One of our favorite toys are the Plus Plus puzzles, which are made right here in Greenville. With the Yes Day promotion, you get 10% off toys except for LEGOs, at O.P. Taylor’s.
Entrance to O.P. Taylor’s in Greenville
Group Therapy Pub & Playground
I’ve been to Group Therapy before but my kids have not and I was excited to show them what a cool place this is. It’s located in downtown Greenville at Camperdown Plaza and has indoor mini-golf, axe throwing, and duckpin bowling among other games. They have a full bar and restaurant as well and welcome kids before 8 pm.
We played indoor mini-golf, where every hole has its own unique theme. There’s the Titanic, E.T., Jaws, Toy Story, Jurassic Park, and Ghostbusters, among others. I think this is so creative and my kids really enjoyed playing and trying to figure out the theme for each hole.
Playing indoor mini-golf at Group Therapy
After a fun game of mini-golf, it was lunchtime. We had pretzel bites, the house salad, nachos, and their tomato pesto flatbread. Everything was delicious. We couldn’t even finish it all so we got to take home some Yes Day leftovers!
The Yes Day promo at Group Therapy is 20% off games and 10% off food.
Clare’s Creamery
We ended our Yes Day with a sweet treat from Clare’s Creamery. Oh my gosh, this place has some of the best ice cream I’ve had in my entire life. They had special holiday flavors when we were there and I was torn between Egg Nog and Gingerbread Man. My daughter got Peppermint Hot Chocolate and it was incredible.
We went to the shop on E. North Street and it’s so bright and cheerful – just the perfect way to end our fun Yes Day together!
This ice cream is amazing
The Yes Day promotion for Clares Creamery is an exclusive YES Sundae with one taster duo scoop, 3 toppings, whipped cream and a bordeaux cherry on top! Guests can mix & match their favorite flavor and toppings combinations.
Creating Your Own Yes Day
The Yes Day adventures are available in Greenville for all of January and February 2025 and include MLK Jr. Day and President’s Day Weekend so there are some great opportunities to take advantage of Yes Day.
This would be an awesome idea for an experience gift for Christmas, a birthday experience gift, or just a much-needed day of family fun after a busy holiday season.
Use the Yes Day website to book your accommodations and check off the things you want to do together. It’s where you can see the promotions offered by each attraction as well. Several require reservations while others are just walk-ins so be sure to check it out so you can adequately plan it out.
Wondering about teacher gifts in Greenville, SC? With a few mouse clicks, you can support local businesses and mark your kids’ teachers off your list. And, if you’re scrambling at the last moment, these are a perfect no-stress solution! All of the gifts below are offered by local businesses and can be purchased and delivered electronically.
Looking for service hours for teens in the Greenville, SC area? If you have a child in high school and it’s time to start thinking about volunteer hours, this the story for you.
While most public schools do not require volunteer hours, most private and charter schools do have a quarterly requirement. Whether your child attends public school, private school, or is homeschooled, volunteering looks very good on college and job applications, demonstrating a well-rounded and outward-looking individual. Ultimately though, we volunteer because there are people who need us, and it’s a wonderful way to give back when we have been given so much.
Be sure your teen keeps a notebook dedicated just about volunteering. Make sure to document hours and even have supervisors sign off on their hours. I have looked into local opportunities and have put these ideas together for you. If you have anything to add, please let us know and we’ll incorporate it into our list!
For volunteering events and opportunities,The United Way offers a wonderful search engine that showcases local volunteer opportunities and non-profits. Their site lists everything from calling BINGO at a nursing home to being a foster family for animals through a local animal rescue.
Ask others for advice.
Find out where other families and teens volunteer and ask why they like it. You or your child may be limited by the age requirements of some opportunities. The best way I’ve found to provide opportunities for younger children to volunteer is to volunteer as a family. Younger children are often welcomed as long as there is a parent there to supervise. You can also check our list of Volunteer Opportunities for Young Children for ideas.
My family’s favorite local places to volunteer
Several of these places provide perfect opportunities for homeschoolers or for families during the school breaks.
Meals on Wheels We have loved delivering food for Meals on Wheels as a family. Chatting with the clients is a favorite for my children. The great thing about this opportunity is that as long as there is an adult to drive the car, there is no age requirement for the people the driver takes along.
Habitat for Humanity Habitat for Humanity also provides opportunities to help and it doesn’t have to just be building houses. Our family served lunch at a work site once. It only took us a total of about 3 hours and it was a fun short term way to help out.
Y on the Fly Kids ages 8-12 can volunteer at Y on the Fly Food Program stuffing food into bags which will be distributed to local families in needs. Kids 13+ can volunteer without a parent. Volunteers just show up on Thursdays mornings at 9:30 am at St. Matthews UMC (701 Cleveland Street, Greenville) in Greenville and usually stay until around 11 am. Learn more about volunteering on the YMCA Greenville website.
The Ronald McDonald House The Ronald Mcdonald House is close to my heart because they helped out my family when my sister’s babies were born at 26 weeks. They provide beds, meals and so much more to families of children at the hospital. If this opportunity appeals to you, check out their website and you can find ways to donate items and help serve. One great way to help out is to be their chef for the night. They serve a hot meal to their clients every evening and this is done by volunteers.
Harvest Food Bank Another place we’ve enjoyed helping out in the past is Harvest Hope Food Bank. Here they have several different options to help out from sorting food in the warehouse to manning fundraisers at events. The age requirement here is at least 11.
Feed & Seed Feed & Seed in Greenville often needs volunteers to help pack their FoodShare boxes. Kids need to be at least 14 years old and need an adult to be with them while volunteering if they are 16 and under.
Don’t forget to look for opportunities in everyday life. If your children are part of an organization like Boy Scouts, Civil Air Patrol, Girls Scouts, American Heritage Girls, Beta Club, these organizations often schedule regular volunteer dates. Anywhere you give a service and are not paid, consider that “service hours”.
Here are some examples of service hours you may already be doing.
Church work day
Summer VBS Crew Leaders
Theater productions (handing out programs, ushering, stage crew)
Visiting nursing homes and singing or talking with the residents
Church nursery
Mowing lawns for a family that cannot
Visiting homebound neighbors and helping with household duties
We invite you to vote on the 2024 Best Decorated House in the Upstate! Any house included on our driving tours (including those listed outside of the tours) is eligible.
Step #1: Nomination. We require a nomination for a home to be listed on our voting ballot. All nominations must include a photo or video to be accepted on the voting ballot. Nominations must be received by December 3rd.
Step #2 Voting. The Voting Stage is from December 5-21. You may vote once per day. The top home and finalist will be chosen based on number of votes.
All nominations & votes before December 11 will be entered into a giveaway for 4 tickets to The Lost Christmas Eve with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra performed at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena on December 13 at 4 pm. A winner will be chosen and notified by email. They will have 24 hours to claim their prize.
Mauldin, SC Christmas is truly spectacular, as we look forward to their upcoming annual Christmas Kick-Off weekend. If you don’t have any Christmas-y activities planned yet, Mauldin has got you covered. We can’t wait to hear about which events you go to, don’t forget to tag us! Remember to pack your stadium chairs and blanket. Read on for tips on street closings and where to park.
Still looking for Christmas Things to Do? Gifts to give? Ways to give back?
Create the best Christmas memories and build your holiday traditions, make sure to go to Mauldin’s Annual Tree lighting ceremonies on Thursday, December 5th. Come see Santa do the honors of lighting the tree and be entertained by Christmas carolers at a specially prepared music program. We heard that there will be cookies and hot cocoa! This event is held at the Mauldin Outdoor Amphitheater which is behind the Cultural Center.
Note: They suggested bringing a stadium chair or picnic blankets to better enjoy the ceremony. Park at the Mauldin Sports Center and the Mauldin Cultural Center.
Mauldin Christmas Parade
Saturday, December 7th, 2024, 2-4 pm
Make sure to mark your parade viewing spot and let us know about your favorite Christmas float. With entries from various Chamber organizations, private groups, and local non for profits and Churches vying for the top prize, admire and be in awe of Christmas creativity!
The parade route is new this year… it begins at the Golden Strip Career Center at 1120 E. Butler Road, and goes along Holland Road, ending at BridgeWay Station. Mauldin High School Marching Band will be performing their favorite tunes marching down the parade route, followed by Santa, who traditionally closes the parade! For more info on the parade, check out Mauldin Chamber of Commerce’s website.
Sounds of the Season
December 13th, 2024, 7:30 pm December 14th, 2024 3 pm and 7:30 pm
A Christmas music concert performed by Mauldin City Singers Community Choir featuring old and new holiday hits at Mauldin Cultural Center auditorium. A wonderful treat for all ages. The show runs approximately two hours. Matinee and night showtimes are available. For tickets, go to the Mauldin Cultural Center website.
Wanting to go on a fun, winter weekend adventure snow tubing or skiing? We’ve got the best places to go within a couple hours’ drive of Greenville, SC for winter fun.
If you haven’t dreamed of sipping hot chocolate inside a ski lodge and cozying up in front of a hot fire while reminiscing about your time on the slopes, this is the year to dream and make it happen. And the good news is that you don’t need to go far at all from Greenville, SC to have an awesome winter adventure.
These recommendations are all places that we’ve been to personally and have enjoyed with our families. They are also all open after the hurricane and are truly in need of tourism. We need them to be there for years to come! So you can not only plan a great weekend with your family but also help WNC businesses to stay afloat.
Where To Have a Winter Weekend Adventure
Sapphire Valley in Cashiers, NC
The Sapphire Valley Resort hosts skiing and snow tubing usually starting in mid-December. Their target opening date is December 14th, 2024. They also have an amazing thing called the Great Outhouse Race, which consists of outhouses decorated in all kinds of interesting themes that race on skis down the mountain. It’s even more than it sounds, promise. That happens President’s Day weekend.
The resort itself is beautiful and every time I’ve gone, I have used AirBnB or VRBO to book a condo. You can purchase the amenity card for a few dollars per person and that gives you access to the warm indoor pool, sauna, fitness center, and game room. The Sapphire Valley Resort is only about 90 minutes from Greenville.
Snow tubing at the Sapphire Valley Resort
Maggie Valley, NC
Maggie Valley is right next to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and just beautiful. They have a main street area but it’s along a busy highway so you’ll need to use your car to move around to different shopping areas. The shops have all local goods and they are just adorable.
Maggie Valley also has great snow tubing and skiing at Cataloochee. At the time of writing this (2024), they are open for the season! We recommend staying at Buffalo Creek Vacations, a bison ranch 25 minutes away that has cabooses and cabins perfect for families. As if that’s not enough incentive for staying at such a cool place, Buffalo Creek participates in the Kids Stay & Ski Free program where kids ages 17 and under are able to ski for free with a paid adult on non-holidays Monday-Friday (they must stay on the property on a non-holiday Sunday-Thursday and ski the next day). For example, if two parents buy two lift tickets, then two kids get their lift tickets for free.
Caboose rentals
Beech Mountain, NC
Beech Mountain is known for their beautiful ski resort and amazing views. They will open for the season on November 28th, 2024. We especially love Beech Mountain for their family-friendly aspect. They have really awesome restaurants for families, an adorable general store in the middle of town with one of the best breakfasts you’ll ever have, and free/cheap activities around the mountain.
In the winter, they offer free snow tubing on a hill in the middle of town plus, of course, their ski resort. We stayed at the Pinnacle Inn Resort, a collection of condos and rentals right in the middle of the action at Beech Mountain, provided by Beech Mountain Chalet Rentals. We could walk to three restaurants, the general store, playgrounds, and the Visitor Center. It was the perfect location plus it has a warm indoor pool, sauna, steam room, and fitness room.
Nearby is Sugar Mountain, which also has a ski resort. We have not been there but it is another option in the area.
Skiing at Beech Mountain | Photo courtesy of Beech Mountain
Blowing Rock, NC
Another quaint mountain town, Blowing Rock has the Appalachian Ski Mountain nearby, which is perfect for families. They will open on November 27th, 2024. Classes taught by the French-Swiss Ski College at Appalachian Ski Mountain are beginner, intermediate, or private. After trying out the bunny slope and managing the stops and starts just fine on our own, we opted to not take the ski class but when we head back up this season with all of the kids, I’ll definitely sign the younger ones up for the class.
The hills at Appalachian Ski Mountain are not so intimidating that a beginner is terrified, but they are plenty challenging enough for when your son or daughter (or you) become a bit of an “expert” after spending a day on the slopes. It’s a small enough mountain too, with one main ending spot for all of the slopes, that you can feel confident allowing your older children the freedom to go down slopes without you if that’s more your speed as well. In fact, those facts make it an excellent choice for beginning skiers and skiing families.
We’d recommend staying at the Hemlock Inn right in downtown Blowing Rock. The rooms are so beautiful and cozy and the owner is very kind.
Hayesville-Highlands Outpost, NC
Even though the Magical Mountain Resort and the Highlands Outpost are about an hour apart, we still think pairing these two places for a weekend getaway is perfect because the resort is just that amazing. It’s a fairy tale-themed resort with Alice in Wonderland cabins, a Harry Potter Midknight double decker bus, and so many more amazing and whimsical cabins. Highlands Outpost has amazing snow tubing and a mountain coaster. They are currently open for the 2024 season.
Lanier Islands, GA
Just a two-hour drive from Greenville lies Lanier Islands in Georgia. You really don’t even need to leave this place for your weekend of fun since they have snow tubing, restaurants, and a game room and arcade all on site. Snow tubing happens at Margaritaville at Lanier Islands and the tubing run is an astounding 575 feet long! They also have ice skating and a play area where you can have snowball fights. All of the winter activities are now open for the 2024 season.
We visited in the warmer months and have all you need to know about the local area, best place to stay, places to eat, and things to do in addition to the snow fun at Margaritaville.
Snow tubing at Margaritaville at Lanier Islands | Photo courtesy of Discover Lake Lanier
Where will you go weekend adventuring this winter?
Hurricane Helene relief volunteer opportunities have been added to this list of volunteer opportunities in Greenville, SC.
Are you wondering about volunteer opportunities near Greenville, SC? If you and your family are looking for ways to give back to the community, do something to help the environment, or assist in the classroom, there’s no better time than the present! There’s a way for nearly every member of your family to pitch in and help make a difference. We have ways to volunteer, even if you don’t live in Greenville, South Carolina.
Volunteering: Special Needs Post-Hurricane Helene
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: We are pulling together a list of places to volunteer. Assume these are all teen/adult work unless otherwise indicated. Let us know of others in the comments!
Idlehurst Foundation in Woodruff is still occasionally asking for volunteers. They serve children and adults with equine therapy. Kids are welcome.
Clemson Experimental Forest Contact Rob Allen directly about volunteering, equipment needs, and other forms of support for trail restoration: rlallen@g.clemson.edu. Contact the Greater Clemson Mountain Bikers Club through their FB page. It has a running conversation including Rob Allen about where trail restoration activity is ongoing. So far, they are working on Oct 12 & 13 from 9 am-2 pm but no further details as of now. Follow their page: Greater Clemson Mountain Bikers Club
Volunteering With Young Kids: Hurricane Helene Relief
Want to show your kids how to lend a hand? Here’s where the area needs them.
Many of the larger relief efforts are asking that volunteers be over 12 or adults, but that does not mean your kids can’t get involved. Here are some ideas from our readers (and photos of their kids helping out!)
Clean up debris and branches in neighbors’ yards. If you don’t have neighbors who need help, tap into the online community or call a local church or relief organization and see if they have a person on their list that you can help.
Organize a food drive. Have your kids collect pantry, first aid, and other items from neighbors and friends to send to our local food pantries or the WNC relief efforts. Some people want to help but just can’t take the items themselves!
There are so many opportunities and needs right now. There is something for every age to do.
Below find year-round ways to help.
Volunteer Opportunities For Children
Our youngest family members often want to lend a hand and help others, but oftentimes safety and logistics become a barrier. There are plenty of ways in Greenville and Spartanburg for your child to donate their efforts, and we’ve got a list of them for your family to choose from.
Hub City Empty Bowls In Spartanburg, SC Children and their families can attend spring workshops to design clay bowls that will be finished and then sold at a soup luncheon later in the year.
Service Hour Ideas for Teens High school students are often required to accumulate service hours to receive their diploma. Here’s a list of opportunities for older children to donate their time and effort in the community.
Inspiring Charity in Young Children During the Holidays The holidays are the most popular time for charitable giving. While most non-profits need help year-round, there are always additional needs during the holiday winter months. These are some holiday opportunities to volunteer with your family.
Making A Difference In The Life Of A Shelter Animal
Local shelters present plenty of unique opportunities for families to make a difference. Things like gathering newspapers from neighbors to donate, creating enrichment toys from provided instructions, and other activities can make a huge impact. Here are just two of the unique ways your family can make a difference in the life of a shelter animal.
Greenville Animal Care Has A Great Way For Your Kids To Volunteer! The buckets brigade program at Greenville Animal care is a great way for school-aged children to make a difference in a shelter dog’s life, build their reading skills, and earn hours toward a veterinary career if that’s their dream.
Volunteering From Home
Volunteering from home, on your own schedule might be the only way to facilitate it happening. The good news is that there are opportunities in our community.
How to Volunteer at Your Child’s School When You Can’t Be in the Building We would all love to help our children’s schools more, but younger siblings and work hours sometimes prohibit the amount of help we can lend. This is a list of ways you can help from home, without being at school during office hours.
Donating Your Time And Efforts To The Environment
Volunteer Opportunities in the Great Outdoors If you are looking for more environmental clean-up volunteer opportunities this list has options across the Upstate, and into North Carolina.
Helping Deliver Meals On Wheels Delivering meals to homebound residents is a great project that can involve the whole family. Young children can create colored pictures to include with a delivery, and it will add a special personal touch to the food being delivered.
Packing Food Boxes at Feed & Seed Feed & Seed FoodShare needs help packing FoodShare boxes every other week. Volunteers need to be at least 14 years old and need an adult with them for supervision if they are age 16 or younger.
More and more, families are using the holiday season to spread kindness and teach children the spirit of giving. We have a number of ideas about how to include young children and volunteer as a family. Spread some cheer this season and give back!
A Local Family Finds A Way To Give Back To The Community
Our family celebrates the season leading up to Christmas with an activity-filled advent calendar, which includes fun Christmas activities, as well as acts of kindness, giving, or service. But with three children under 4, finding age-appropriate opportunities can be challenging. While they are too young to volunteer at soup kitchens, hospitals, or food banks, there are still many things they can do in the Upstate to help our community.
Even young children can be charitable
Last year when my son was 2, and we were looking for a charity he would both understand and be excited to help, we chose the Greenville Humane Society. After setting a budget, my son helped us choose food, beds, and treats for the dogs and cats waiting for homes. He loved helping load up the shopping cart and carrying the bags.
When we drove to the Humane Society building on Airport Road, he very proudly handed over the items we were dropping off. He got to meet some of the puppies and was so proud of himself for helping the animals. For more information and see the Greenville Humaine Society wish list.
Help with a Toy, Food, Clothing or Donation Drive
Young children can help collect items by asking neighbors, friends, or family members to donate. They can also sort items into boxes and help deliver everything to the designated drop-off spots. Families can also organize donation drives through several local charities. Items can be collected at Christmas parties, cookie exchanges, or even playdates.
Make Christmas Cards or Decorations
This is a great idea for little ones because the bulk of their volunteering can be done at home. Colorful paper chains, garlands, or pictures really brighten up hospitals, fire stations, retirement communities, children’s homes, or animal shelters. Be sure to call before delivering your cards or decorations. I’ve had several friends ask about sending Christmas cards to soldiers.
One of the more popular organizations is Operation Gratitude. This organization sends care packages and letters to those who serve. Additionally, they collect Beanie Babies for soldiers to give to children in combat zones, and they also run a Halloween Candy Give-Back program.
Virtually Adopt a Family or Child
The Salvation Army of the Carolinas has several opportunities for families to serve throughout the holidays including their Adopt a Family and Angel Tree Program. Adopt a military family through Soldiers Angels.
This is not a local organization; however, you can request families in particular states. Operation Christmas Child is an international charity that delivers shoeboxes filled with toys and necessities to children in need all over the world. Many of my friends with small children do this because it’s something the kids will understand and can help with at home. This Christmas, you can still donate and have them create a box for you online.
Help with a Toy, Food, Clothing or Donation Drive
Young children can help collect items by asking neighbors, friends, or family members to donate. They can also sort items into boxes and help deliver everything to the designated drop-off spots. Families can also organize donation drives through several local charities. Items can be collected at Christmas parties, cookie exchanges, or even playdates.
Spread Cheer and Good Will
Bake cookies and make decorations to drop off at your local fire station, police station, hospital, urgent care, assisted living facility, or doctor’s office. Be sure to call first to make sure there is a good time to do this. Write letters or draw Christmas pictures to give to your mail carrier, neighbor, or teacher.
My son is very shy, but one thing he has loved doing lately is handing out stickers to people he meets throughout our day. We recently bought a sheet of Christmas stickers, and so far he has handed them out to the cashier at the grocery store, the librarian, a friend who came over, and the UPS guy.
Make bird feeders hang in your yard to help birds through the winter.
Write a nice note or make a holiday card for a family member.
Make a batch of peppermint-scented play dough for a friend.
Buy a box of Christmas cards from the dollar store and leave them on windshields, in random mailboxes or hand them out to the Salvation Army Bell Ringers.
Ways Your Family Can Help Out Across The Upstate
Litter Ends Here | Greenville, SC
Oftentimes we wish we could do more, but the time left in our day just doesn’t allow it. There are easy things that your family can do, that will make a difference. There are also plenty of ways to help without making a huge financial commitment. For most parents, there’s no greater feeling than seeing your child helping another person, and we’ve included ways to help make that happen.
Local Organizations That Rely On Volunteer Efforts All Year Long
When your family has time to offer – these local non-profits have creative ways your entire family can lend a hand.
Upstate Food Not Bombs This non-profit group helps feed, clothe, and support the Upstate homeless population. They post updated needs weekly on social media. This summer my children and I purchased several tents to donate. It was eye-opening to my children that we would be providing shelter for people who had nothing to protect themselves from the weather. Putting together toiletry kits, snack kits or other needs in care packages is an easy and inexpensive way to get your children involved in giving the less fortunate a hand-up.
Ronald McDonald House Of the Carolinas For families with children who need medical care far from home, the Ronald McDonald home is a blessing. Every Ronald McDonald house thrives through the help of volunteers who generously donate their time. Children of any age can help collect soda can tabs for recycling to benefit the house. Have children decorate milk jugs, or 2 liter soda bottles and cut a slit in the top. Pass these containers out to family and friends and ask them to fill them with the tabs from aluminum cans. It costs nothing, and it will give children the satisfaction of helping out.
Spartanburg’s Humane Society The Spartanburg shelter is always looking for volunteers. Simple things like collecting and donating newspapers for puppy-training is something young children can do to help. View the Spartanburg Humane Society’s volunteer opportunities here.
Greenville County Animal Care This local shelter has a wish list, as well as the opportunity to sponsor an animal while they wait for their forever home. As well as a new program where school aged children read to shelter dogs, to help acclimate them to humans.
The Humane Society Of Greenville There’s a list of all different DIY projects that your family can put together to enrich the lives of shelter animals. Making no-sew fleece blankets, are a great way for your young child to help by tying knots in the fabric. If you can wrap rope around a wooden post, then you can construct a cat scratching post. Not only will your children be helping out shelter animals, but they’ll be learning useful skills. So it’s a win-win. Check out the complete DIY list from the Humaine Society.
Day Before The Rainbow – Animal Rescue This animal rescue is committed to saving shelter animals that would otherwise be euthanized. With the help of volunteer families, they place hundreds of animals in foster family homes and then go on to find them forever homes, They are always looking for loving families to foster these fur babies, and you can find the foster application online. If fostering isn’t right for your family, you can lend a hand at one of their adoption events at local pet stores. You have the satisfaction of helping a shelter pet find a forever home and the kids get to spend the afternoon playing with cuddly pups.
Local Non-Profits That Rely On The Generosity of Donations
Spartanburg Soup Kitchen donations can be made any day of the week from 9 am – 12 pm or online.
P.S. I Love You Ministries in Spartanburg accepts clothing donations, as well as wish list items and care bag items, which are given to children in foster care.
While monetary donations are accepted, Mobile Meals of Spartanburg is another way your family can volunteer.
Daily Bread Ministries runs Greer Soup Kitchen. They have a wish list of items they need to stock the kitchen pantry.
SAFE Homes Rape Crisis Coalition in Spartanburg collects items for children and adults. See their Program Wish Lists.
Upstate Family Resource Center keeps the Harvest Family Ministries Food Pantry needs list updated, which helps families in Boiling Springs and District 2.
Atheists Helping the Homeless does a giveaway of toiletries, clothing, food to go, and a hot meal on the third Sunday of each month at 10 am at Hub City Farmers Market, during which volunteers are always needed. AHH also maintains a wishlist.
Greer Community Ministries provides items for Meals on Wheels Pets, the Food Pantry, and Sharon’s Closest. They keep an updated current needs list and accept items Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4 pm.
DSS has a wish list for children in foster care in Region 1 (which includes Greenville and Spartanburg counties).
Lutheran Services of the Carolinas has wish lists for senior citizens, refugees, and foster care.
Thrive Upstate helps people with disabilities and special needs. They accept monetary donations, craft supplies, notebooks, DVDs, CDs, educational games and toys, and more.
Calvary Home for Children in Anderson has a list of items in need.
