Looking for a plant nursery in Greenville, SC to buy your fruit and vegetable plants? In my opinion, the only thing better than growing your own fresh fruits and veggies is to purchase them at a local plant nursery. The added knowledge of knowing how they were grown and processed is even more important during times of uncertainty. We’ve got all the info so you can visit a locally owned Greenville, SC plant nursery to grab some plants and start that garden.
Have you heard about all the marvelous things that the South Carolina Children’s Theatre in Greenville, SC has to offer? Maybe you are excited about an upcoming theatre performance. Or, perhaps you are curious if there are theater classes and camps for your children to immerse themselves in. Spark a little magic and wonder in your child’s life with a kid-friendly play, musical, class, or camp at SCCT! You will find all the information you need about the South Carolina Children’s Theatre below in our handy guide.
Theatrical Productions at the South Carolina Children’s Theatre
The South Carolina Children’s Theatre is pretty special, and their professional theatrical productions are a great way to entertain your children. Productions are all family oriented and designed to elicit wonder and excitement in your child (and you!) The SCCT events calendar is the best way to keep track of what’s to come. Below, you will find information we gathered about their Bell Stage and Younts 2nd Stage Performances, Weekday School Performances, and the SCCT Flex Pass.
Bell Stage and Younts Stage Performances
These are the big performances from the South Carolina Children’s Theatre held on the Bell Stage or the Younts Stage. These theatre productions are detail-oriented, bursting with color and costume, and bring to life and reimagine a popular story or play. Theatre productions run by season, with each season having around 8 performances spread out over several months. Each production has multiple showings, so you can plan a date night out with your kids! Both stages are also accessible, so productions can be enjoyed by everyone.
Bell Stage performances use large set designs, costumes, puppets, and anything else needed to help bring the story from the pages of the book or script onto the stage. You can find big musicals and plays on this stage. Bell Stage productions have longer run times with intermissions, some upwards of 2 hours or more long. So, plan accordingly. There are also assigned seating for Bell Stage productions, so make sure you purchase tickets early if you have large groups that want to sit together.
Younts 2nd Stage performances also offer the pop, color, and costumes that the Bell Stage productions do, but performances are more intimate and held on a smaller stage. This allows performers to really engage with the audience. These productions are shorter, approximately 45 minutes to an hour long, so they are an excellent choice for younger (with shorter attention spans) audience members. Tickets for Youths Stage are also cheaper than Bell Stage productions, so that’s great on the budget!
All theatre productions at SCCT have an age range recommendation, so be sure to check to see which performance best suits your child. SCCT does recommend that most productions are for children 3 and older. The majority of these theatre productions are held on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, with daytime and evening showings available, so they make an excellent parent/child date day! To find out more information about the upcoming Bell Stage and Younts Theatre performance season and ticket information, head to the SCCT website.
The Cat in the Hat at SCCT 2021-2022 Season
Weekday School Performances
Want to see a stage performance for a field trip? If you’re a teacher or homeschooling group, you can check out performances at SCCT through their weekday school performances on the Bell Stage and the Youths Stage. All students, teachers, chaperones, and bus drivers will need a ticket to view the performance.
SCCT Flex Pass for Performances
Looking to save some money while also seeing all of the amazing upcoming shows at the South Carolina Children’s Theatre? The SCCT Flex Pass program offers first-priority seating, unlimited free ticket exchanges, discounts on classes, and discounts to downtown stores. There are three price points to choose from, Blue, Green, or Orange, that allow for a specific number of tickets per package.
Free Performances at the South Carolina Children’s Theatre
One of the best things about SCCT is that they offer free performance events through their Tell-Me-a- Story Theatre and Once Upon an Orchestra programs.
Tell Me a Story Theatre is a high-energy telling of a popular children’s story or book that is engaging for younger children, think PreK to early elementary students. The event is completely free, and is located in the Prisma Health Lobby. The performance and story reading lasts around 30 minutes, great for squirmy kids. You can check out Tell-Me-a-Story once per month.
Once Upon an Orchestra is a partnership between SCCT and the Greenville Symphony Orchestra that brings children’s literature and music together through storytelling. Your child (and you) can enjoy Once Upon an Orchestra three times per year, for free! Performances last around 30 minutes and are perfect for children age K3 through 5th grade. You can find upcoming performances of Once Upon an Orchestra on the SCCT website.
Theatre Classes at the SCCT
Support your child’s interest in the performing arts with classes at The South Carolina Children’s Theatre! SCCT’s Theatre Arts Conservatory offers a variety of classes for kids interested in learning about acting, drama, stage management, directing, musical theater, and so much more! Classes use a lot of fun activities to strengthen your child’s imagination, self-expression, confidence, and self-discipline. These classes also build a foundation for theatre arts concepts. Classes build onto one another, so SCCT encourages parents to not rush their child through the classes, but to allow them to make natural progress. Classes are grouped by age, so even your budding three-year-old Broadway star can enjoy these immersive classes!
Ages 3-6: Children in this age range will play games, sing songs, explore characters, and engage their imagination in a low-pressure environment. Classes are typically once per week for one hour. Multiple classes are offered, with classes in theatre exploration, singing, and stage production available.
Grades 1-6: Children in this age range will explore theatre training through improv activities and high energy games. There are several classes available for this age range where they can learn about process acting, singing, musical theatre, or improvisation.
Grades 6-12: Classes for this age range become more technical and build on their knowledge of the performing arts. Kids can learn about process acting, singing, musical theatre, solo singing, and improvisation.
All The Colors of the Spectrum: For children in 2nd through 12th grade with developmental or processing challenges, SCCT offers All The Colors of the Spectrum! Through modified activities, children with special needs can engage in theatre arts through immersive storytelling, sketch creation, collaboration, and more.
Acting for Adults: SCCT offers FREE classes for adult’s college age and up! Classes are for both beginner and seasoned actors to engage in the theatre arts.
Workshops at the South Carolina Children’s Theatre
Sometimes you need a date night, or a morning out. Sometimes you even need some extra help when your kids are out for holidays. SCCT can help you out with through their workshops!
Workday Workshops occur during school break days when children are out of school on a random Monday or Friday for a teacher workday. These workshops engage children in group-based activities but are not usually themed.
Kids Night Out happens once per month, where parents can drop off their kids for a few hours. Kids Night Out is a fun night of themed activities, with theatre games followed by a movie and snack. Kids Night Out is from 6 pm to 10 pm, with pre-registration required.
Saturday Morning Mania is when parents can drop off their kids for a few hours of shopping or a fancy brunch in Downtown Greenville. Saturday Morning Mania happens once per month. There are themed drama games and activities with a picnic lunch. Parents should preregister ahead of time.
Summer Camp at SCCT
SCCT Summer Camp
SCCT’s Summer Camps are an excellent way to keep your kids busy over the summer! Summer camps are offered for ages K3 through high school. Each camp is designed to boost confidence while having fun learning about theatre. Parents can pre-register their kids for a variety of theme camps. Camps explore musical theatre, creative drama, improv, and more in a fun and engaging way! Camps are typically half day, with full day options available for older children by combining camps. Learn more about summer camps at The South Carolina Children’s Theatre on the SCCT website.
Have you visited the South Carolina Children’s Theatre?
2023 KABOOM Winner and Finalist: South Carolina Children’s Theatre
Did you know the South Carolina Children’s Theatre was a 2023 KABOOM Family Favorites 1st place winner for both the Family Theatre and Performing Arts and Theatre Program? SCCT was also a KABOOM finalist for Indoor Family Fun and Youth Organization! Check out all of the finalists and winners in Kidding Around’s 2023 KABOOM Awards Guide.
Looking for a pool membership in Spartanburg, SC where you can buy a summer membership for your family this year? Even if you do not have a pool in your backyard or neighborhood, several community pool memberships are available for Spartanburg families. Check out the list below of neighborhood pools offering memberships in Spartanburg.
Pools require time and maintenance in order to enjoy them. What if there was a way to enjoy a pool without all the testing chlorine, skimming leaves, and other work that comes along with pool access? There are several pool membership options in Spartanburg, SC that can have you floating in a lounger in no time, without any work involved!
Get a Pool Membership at These Pools in Spartanburg, SC
Searching for ‘pool memberships near me’? We get it. Luckily there are plenty of family pool memberships near Greenville, SC for you to choose from. And Kidding Around has done the work for you! Here’s a list of local pool memberships, along with the hours and amenities they offer.
Searching for ‘things to do with preschoolers inside near me’? You’ve come to the right place. We’ve rounded up some of the best things to do with preschoolers inside in Greenville, SC. Let the indoor fun begin!
I love kids. I especially love my kid. Want to know what I don’t love? I do not love sitting at home for hours trying to come up with a variety of activities that both entertain and accommodate his non-existent attention span.
Enter Kidding Around Greenville.
We have compiled a list of 25 things to inside to keep you and your preschooler busy! This list focuses on indoor and cold weather activities so stay tuned for a future sequel that focuses on the summer months. Of course, regardless of the weather outside unless the activity requires cold weather most of these activities are a fun choice any time of year!
Are you looking for things to do indoors with your preschooler in Spartanburg, SC? If so, local mom, Juliet has some fantastic ideas of nearby indoor activities your preschooler will love! Check out her suggestions for indoor preschool hang-outs and let us know others in the comments.
Let’s face it, walking in a winter wonderland or enjoying a warm, sunny day sounds great in theory, but not so much with your spirited preschoolers in tow! If extreme weather has nixed your usual outdoor activities and the dreaded cabin fever has hit your household like a ton of bricks, check out these low-cost, indoor activities in Spartanburg that are perfect for preschoolers. Keep it handy for rainy days, too.
Things to Do for Preschoolers Inside in Spartanburg, SC
The Children’s Museum of the Upstate – Spartanburg
Designed for children aged 5 and under, The Children’s Museum of the Upstate – Spartanburg is a cozy venue for letting little ones burn off some energy and explore. In addition to interactive exhibits for preschoolers, padded and contained areas on each of the museum’s two levels are designed for infants to crawl or cruise around safely while parents can keep an eye on an older, more independent sibling. The museum also has an active events calendar of drop-in events, such as Random Acts of Science, Open Art Studios, and Story Time & More. Admission is $7-9 and children under the age of six months get in free. Admission is also included with a TCMU membership.
The Spartanburg Science Center
Located on East Saint John Street in downtown Spartanburg, the John F. Green Spartanburg Science Center is a great way to spend a cold winter’s day. With interactive exhibits, a reptile room, and Legos galore, preschoolers can easily spend several hours playing, exploring new concepts, and observing nature.
Other exhibits include a robotic arm, a science mini-theatre with short films, and a 3-person Virtual Reality experience. Check out the Spartanburg Science Center website for current hours, admission fees, and holiday/summer camp opportunities.
Westgate Mall Children’s Play Area
Looking for some free entertainment for the kiddos? Look no further than the local Westgate Mall! An indoor play area- perfectly sized for little hands and feet to climb and jump- is located beside the Belk department store. Bring your extra quarters and send them around the tiny carousel nearby, too.
It’s rarely crowded during morning hours, and if you bring your stroller, you can even get in some fast-paced mall walking/exercise beforehand. Head to the food court for a special lunch treat or dessert afterward.
Storytime and Playtime
We all know how important reading is for preschoolers, and Spartanburg has great options when it comes to making reading fun. The Spartanburg Public Library Headquarters, located in downtown Spartanburg, has a fantastic setup of indoor play tables with puzzles, light boards, manipulatives, and drawing tables. Combine these self-paced play opportunities with a storytime full of songs, books, poetry, and the occasional puppet show and you have a preschooler’s paradise.
Check out Spartanburg Library Events for ALL the storytimes available in the county! Most storytimes follow up with a special child-led playtime – think of carts of toys! If you only get books at Spartanburg County Library, you are missing out!
Toddler Time at Big Air Trampoline Park Spartanburg
Every Wednesday and Thursday from 10 am -1 pm when Spartanburg District 6 schools are in session, Big Air caters to its littlest customers with their Toddler Time. Ages 6 and under have three hours to roam all of Big Air’s attractions without the intimidation factor of older children. Admission is $12 per jumper. Big Air even guarantees your little will play hard and nap harder!
Think outside the box
Looking for activities to get out of the house AND socialization opportunities for yourself and your preschooler? Join a local moms club – where activities like indoor crafts, parties, and playdates are scheduled on a weekly basis, check out church groups for Bible studies or MOPS that are kid-friendly. Join a gym with a childcare center or sign up for a weekly preschool gymnastics or music class.
What’s your favorite indoor activity for your little ones?
Are you looking for things to do this month or even this weekend in Greenville, SC? From concerts to shows to children’s programming, sporting events, festivals, and free events, there is almost always a great answer when you’re searching for things to do near you, at least there is when you live in South Carolina’s Upstate!
Never be bored and never miss an event your family will love! We’re highlighting some of the coolest, most unique, most interesting, and most popular events this month. But, don’t forget to check out our FULL event calendar for even more amazing options. Here’s what to do this month near Greenville, SC.
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.
Looking for events that provide childcare for parents and a kid’s night out? Greenville, SC and Spartanburg, SC have some fantastic options for kid’s night out events. Here are Greenville and Spartanburg area businesses that offer kids night out events. So, pick one for the kids and then schedule that date night, girls’ night or shopping trip. Every parent needs a break sometimes!
Have kids who love to make art? There are lots of places in Greenville where kids can create art. Children can benefit from local art teachers while parents keep all that paint, clay and glue off their tables, walls and carpets. Everybody wins! Here’s a list of places in Greenville where kids can make art.