Have you been to the Spartanburg Art Museum?
The FREE local museum has an amazing variety of things to do and art to see, some of which you’ll even find on display throughout downtown Spartanburg! They offer classes for children and adults, tours, and more!
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. Thank you SCCT for sponsoring this article!
The South Carolina Children’s Theatre is pretty special, and its 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.
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 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. You can find run time information on the SCCT website. There are also assigned seats 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 Younts 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 recommends that most productions be 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 SCCT performances on both the Bell and Younts stages, head to the SCCT website.
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.
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.
The South Carolina Children’s Theatre offers a “Pay What You Can” ticket program for select performances of select shows throughout the year.
You’ll find these performances labeled as a “Pay What You Can Performance” within each show’s schedule on the South Carolina Children’s Theatre Website. When you see a Pay What You Can Performance on the website, follow the directions on that link to purchase your tickets.
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.
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!
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 their workshops!
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.
Did you know the South Carolina Children’s Theatre was a 2025 KABOOM Awards Finalist winner for Best Performing Arts Theatre? Check out all of the finalists and winners in Kidding Around’s 2025 KABOOM Awards Guide.
Looking for more kid-friendly classes and activities in Greenville, SC?
Have you heard about Pinky’s Revenge in Greenville? Were you a kid of the 80s? Did you wear jelly shoes, listen to Thriller on your Sony Walkman, and eat rectangular-shaped pizza every Friday at school?
If you said yes, then hold on to your banana clip – because Pinky’s Revenge is the perfect arcade to get your 80s fix! If you have no idea what most of those things we mentioned are, it’s ok. We are going to tell you all you need to know to understand why you should be excited! Just know that the arcade is 21+ on Fridays and Saturdays after 8 pm.
Are you in need of some Group Therapy? Greenville has an indoor playground for adults that will bring out your inner child for a little fun. Group Therapy Pub & Playground is a great place to play, for everyone!
Sometimes you just need some space to chill out, play some games, and belt out some karaoke, or if you’re like me, just cheer on the brave souls who do. All of that and more is at the new Group Therapy Pub & Playground at Camperdown Plaza in downtown Greenville.
(more…)Too hot to enjoy the outdoors? If you’re searching for things to do on a hot day near me in Greenville, SC, we’ve got you covered. Kidding Around’s Kristina rounded up the best ways to stay cool, from indoor play and splash pads to sweet treats like ice cream. Whether you’re trying to beat the heat or just need fresh ideas for steamy summer days, this list is packed with fun!
For more things to do in the summer see our Ultimate Guide to Summer in Greenville.
When the temperatures heat up in the summer or drop to freezing in the winter, you can still have a really fun date night indoors in Greenville, SC. We’ve got the best ideas for indoor dates, from axe throwing to seeing a play to dancing and rock climbing.
If the idea of feeling sweat drip down your back while on a date outdoors this summer doesn’t sound romantic, we can sympathize. Summers, while fun in South Carolina, can be brutally hot, and planning a fun date together where you aren’t melting may take some creativity – and that’s where we can help you out. And on cold winter nights, you can stay warm indoors while having fun together, too!
Fortunately, there are lots of fantastic places in the Upstate to have a memorable and cool date night in the AC besides the standard dinner and a movie. You can enjoy some quality time together while also maybe even checking off some bucket list items. No matter your interests, we think you’ll find something on this list where you can plan a great summer or winter date night together.
Located in Camperdown Plaza in downtown Greenville, Group Therapy has an 18-hole mini-golf course, axe throwing, curling, ping pong, and tons more, plus an extensive bar and food menu. You must make reservations to play the games.
Solve puzzles together in themed rooms at Escape Artist Greenville or Trapped in the Upstate.
Throw it back to the 90s with an awesome arcade that has more than a dozen pinball machines, but old school games like Nintendo, Paper Boy, and Pac-Man. It’s $10/person for all-day play. Vaughn’s Food Hall is right next door, where you can grab dinner together.
Play Nintendo together at the bar while enjoying delicious craft beer or sodas made right in-house at Double Stamp Brewery in Greenville.
Get some 80s square pizza and play lots of fun arcade or video games together at Pinky’s Revenge.
Take a bat to some glass, an old car, or windows at Mad Smash Rage Room in Taylors Mill. You’ll absolutely love breaking stuff, we promise!
See who has the best axe throw at Craft Axe Throwing in Greenville
Gazing at pretty art is a great way to bust stress and relax. Head to the Greenville Center for Creative Arts on the first Friday of the month from 6-9 pm for free, or visit the Greenville County Museum of Art downtown, also free.
Maybe you’re trying to have a cozy, rainy day date that goes beyond the living room or playing board games. Go out and make something together! These make for a great romantic indoor date!
Make some art together at TReehouse Cafe & Art Studio, TR Makers Co., Vino & Van Gogh, or Wine & Design.
Get on the pottery wheel to create your own pottery pieces at Hollowed Earth Pottery or In the Potter’s Hands.
If you’d rather paint your own pottery than create it, go to Hearts of Clay in Spartanburg, Color Clay Cafe in Greenville, or Glazed in Clemson.
You can make your own soy candles together at Greenville Soy Candle Company in downtown Greenville.
These shows are a great way to enjoy time with each other, and are also the perfect excuse to catch your favorite comedy show, a tour through outer space, or even a rock concert.
Relax in the planetarium at Roper Mountain Science Center and gaze up at the stars and learn about our magnificent solar system at Friday Starry Nights. They also offer the Laser Days of Summer shows that feature rock music and lasers (in the winter, Holiday laser shows are quite fun too). You must buy tickets online ahead of time.
There are plenty of places to catch live theater and comedy in Greenville like the Peace Center, the Logos Theatre, Greenville Theatre, Warehouse Theatre, City of Greer Center for the Arts, and the Younts Center for Performing Arts. Some local comedy clubs include The Comedy Zone, Alchemy Comedy Theatre, and Cafe and Then Some.
If you love to dance – or want to learn – there are some great spots to do so. Check out country line dancing at Cowboy Up Greenville. Landmark Hall in Greer and the Blue Ridge Dance Lab in TR they have different dance nights so check their website.
You can also dance the night away at one of these local music venues (many of which are breweries, so you can grab a drink and relax or dance!)
Challenge your partner to see who can climb an indoor mountain at Climb at Blue Ridge in Taylors, BlocHaven in Greenville, ProjectRock in Easley.
Looking for more things to do as an adult in Greenville, SC? We’ve got your Ultimate Adulting Guide to the Upstate.
Find your next date night idea in Kidding Around’s Date Night Guide.
Did you know the Apple Store provides free classes and camps for kids? Classes include the free use of Apple technology plus instruction allowing kids to be creative with music, photography, art, video, and even coding.
Over summer break, the Apple Store even provides FREE Apple Camp for kids, which are class events that culminate in a final project. All this happens through a program called Today at Apple.
My own kids have participated in several of these camps and classes and have always enjoyed the programs, wearing their free Apple t-shirts, and sharing their creations with our family. Thanks to that experience, in this article we’re sharing everything you need to know about signing up and participating in these classes and camps at the Apple Store, plus a few tips.
This article includes:
In-Store Apple Classes for Kids
How to Sign-up for Apple Store Kids’ Classes
Apple Camp: Free Summer Camp for Kids
Sign-up for 2025 Apple Camp
Things to Know About Apple Events for Kids
The Roper Mountain Science Center in Greenville, SC is easily one of the coolest places you can visit in town. They have an astounding array of hands-on activities, exhibits, and even a dinosaur trail. Read on to learn all you need to know to visit.
Thank you to Roper Mountain Science Center for sponsoring this article.
Have you explored the Roper Mountain Science Center in Greenville, SC? You may have heard the name of the Roper Mountain Science Center and wondered what in the world this is or maybe your kids attended a field trip there. But really, do you know how cool this place is?
With a dinosaur trail, a living history farm, a Marine Ecology lab, and active classrooms you can explore, you can visit multiple times and find something new and exciting at each visit! Plus, RMSC has the only planetarium in Greenville, SC and a giant 23” refractor telescope that you can look through during special events. It doesn’t get much cooler than that!
Looking for more things to do near Greenville, SC? We’ve got you!
RMSC is part of the Greenville County School system and during the week they host classes for science exhibits and hands-on learning for the public school system. However, they have greatly expanded their offerings and hours for the general public in the last several years and there several wonderful opportunities to explore this gem in Greenville. Every season offers something new and exciting at the RMSC.
This article includes:
Summer Adventure | Summer Camps | Friday Starry Nights | Laser Shows at Hooper Planetarium | The Nature Exchange | Afternoon Explorations: September to May | Science on Wheels & Educator Tools | Membership
The Roper Mountain Science Center is absolutely the place to go for STEM activities in Greenville, SC that are fun and engaging. During special events throughout the year, Roper Mountain is open to the public, and it is truly worth a visit (or ten). From September through May, you can visit during Afternoon Explorations on Thursdays and Fridays.
You can also explore June through July during their Summer Adventure programming, during which an exciting traveling exhibit is set up. And don’t forget their year-round Friday Starry Nights at the Hooper Planetarium.
Kids of all ages will love the RMSC. There is so much for them to see and do from the Dinosaur Trail, the touch tanks in the Marine Lab, the rainforest with its small waterfall, the outdoor play area, the pirate and castle playgrounds, and traveling exhibits.
There is so much to explore at Roper Mountain Science Center that we promise you’ll need lots of visits to see everything. When you first arrive, you will enter through the Environmental Science and Sustainability Building. The building is dedicated to water ecology and sustainability practices and is filled with immersive experiences, a traveling exhibit (in summer), live animal displays, and more.
You can see a Timber Rattlesnake and Copperhead snake mere inches away and see a Hellbender up close as well. Kids love the interactive exhibits that teach them what not to flush down the toilet (parents like this one as well) and how to lower and raise the water level in a lake. Pretty neat stuff.
One of the most popular exhibits is the Nature Exchange. Here, your child can bring in items they found in nature, including moss, rocks, shells, lichen, or other items in exchange for points that they can use to spend on awesome items like crystals, fossils, and even owl pellets.
The Environmental Science and Sustainability Building is only open to the public during special events and Afternoon Explorations and Summer Adventure.
As you leave the lower level exit of the Environmental Science building, you can follow the path toward the Dinosaur Trail to the left or the Harrison Hall of Natural Science to the right. I am a huge ecology lover, so I immediately gravitate toward Harrison Hall. Here you will find multiple active classrooms to explore. There are live animals to meet and even touch like docile snakes, lizards, and sometimes even an alligator.
I love the permanent rainforest exhibit since it’s nice and humid and has a small waterfall, cocoa tree, and benches to enjoy the warmth, which feels especially nice during the colder months.
You can explore taxidermied animals, bone collections, specimen collections, and living animal exhibits. Your child can touch snakes, meet a skink, and learn about ecology and biodiversity during their exploration.
The Marine Lab is super popular because you and your children will be able to touch stingrays, starfish, and other sea creatures in the tide pool while learning about them.
The Ecology Lab showcases South Carolina habitats with their native animals, which include a Mountain Trout Stream, a Beaver/Turtle Pond, a Cypress Swamp (with an alligator), and a Salt Marsh. Guests can also check out a live honeybee hive at work.
Harrison Hall of Natural Science is only open to the public during special events such as Summer Adventure and Afternoon Explorations.
If you decide to head to the Dinosaur Adventure Trail first, then your dino adventure will start with a meet and greet with a Triceratops. All the dinosaurs are life-size models, so be sure to notice the awe in your young kid’s eyes as they notice them towering above them.
Be mindful of the ropes, as RMSC does not allow climbing on the majority of the exhibited dinosaurs. There is a big slide and play area that was designed to look like dinosaur bones coming out of the ground that kids can play on.
Don’t miss the animatronics T-Rex , which moves and roars. It’s motion-activated so you have no idea it’s going to move until you (or your kids) walk in front of it.
The Dinosaur Adventure Trail is open to the public during special events, Afternoon Explorations, and Summer Adventure.
Your kids will LOVE the two newer playgrounds: a large pirate playground for older kids and a smaller castle playground for toddlers.
Both are located next to Harrison Hall and are partially in the shade depending on the time of day. There are benches for parents to sit on as well. Kids really love these new playgrounds as they foster lots of imaginative adventures on the high seas and in the world of knights and ladies at the castle.
These playgrounds are open during Summer Adventure and Afternoon Explorations.
One of my earliest memories as a kid was visiting the Living History Farm when I was in Kindergarten. With authentic log cabins, a schoolhouse, a working barn, and a reconstructed former slave cabin, there is so much history that you can live the experience. Walking through the gardens, fields, pasture, farm pond, and farm animals certainly lend itself to easily imagining that time period.
The Living History Farm also has an incredible garden in the summer. You will find the Butterfly Garden on the outskirts of the Living History Farm. The garden has native plants that are frequently visited by butterflies, bees, and other pollinators.
The Living History Farm is only open to the public during special events and Summer Adventure while the Butterfly Garden is open during Afternoon Explorations, Summer Adventure, and special events.
If you are a lover of all things STEM, then the Symmes Hall of Science will be the highlight of your trip to the Roper Mountain Science Center. Though Symmes Hall is only open during special events, it is worth it when you get to explore chemical reactions through experimentation, explore Tesla coils and solar panels, and interact with robotics.
Last, but not least, the incredible Hooper Planetarium and Daniel Observatory. If you are wanting to spark a love for science in your child, this is a great place to start. The Hooper Planetarium is designed with a 360-degree dome with 4K projection and a truly immersive sound system.
The Hooper Planetarium offers special space-themed programming called Friday Starry Nights throughout the year. The planetarium is also equipped with a Laser Fantasy projection system, which is spectacular, to say the least! You can enjoy Laser Days of Summer, Halloween Laser Shows, and Special Laser Events throughout the year.
If you’re looking for a truly magical experience for adults and kids, then head to the Daniel Observatory after your planetarium showing to look through the historic 23’’ refractor telescope. The telescope is the 8th largest of its kind in the United States! You’ll be able to observe Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, and more as you climb the steps to look through the scope.
Friday Starry Nights at the Roper Mountain Science Center on Friday nights is a favorite activity for many. Shows sell out quickly and RMSC suggests purchasing tickets online beforehand. You can find out everything you need to know about Friday Starry Nights in our KA review.
Friday Starry Nights are offered on Friday evenings throughout the year at the Hooper Planetarium. Typically, there are three showings (4:30 pm, 6:00 pm, 7:30 pm), with each showing offering a unique feature film themed around space. The 4:30 pm show is excellent for younger children to attend and is recommended for ages 4 and older. The 6:00 pm show is also kid-friendly and features a film that is more exploratory of space in a kid-friendly way. The 7:30 feature showing is most appropriate for older children and adults.
Tickets to Friday Starry Nights are $8/adults and teens, $7/kids ages 3-12. The shows are generally not recommended for kids three and under (I can vouch for this – to my dismay, my toddler was scared when we visited the planetarium during an event).
The planetarium also features several special events throughout the year, including Laser Days of Summer, Halloween Laser Shows, Holiday Laser Shows, Pink Floyd Laser Shows, and more. I saw the Laser Days of Summer Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon a couple of years ago, and it was EPIC.
These events are fully immersive, and allow you to sit back and listen to classic albums of the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Stranger Things, and more while lasers tell a story across the 360 degree screen. Regularly check the Roper Mountain Science Center website for updates about their upcoming special events and laser shows.
Tickets for Laser Days of Summer can be purchased now, and the event will begin July 17th, 2025. Multiple showings are offered from Thursday through Saturday from 4:30 pm to 9:00 pm on most nights. Tickets for Laser Days of Summer are $8 per adult or child.
There are 12 Nature Exchanges in the country and they are like little shops for kids that focus on learning about things you find in nature and seeking out neat things that you may not otherwise see if perhaps you weren’t looking for them.
The Nature Exchange at the RMSC is the only one in the state but it’s connected to the other 11 through a database. When your kids sign up, they are entered into this national database. As they rack up points, if they visit another Nature Exchange on a trip, they can use those points to get something from that particular place they visit.
At the Nature Exchange at RMSC, there are lots of neat items already that kids can choose from if they earn enough points. Each person who signs up automatically gets 100 points plus they get points for their birthday, also. Kids can then choose something from the big Nature Exchange wall that is the same number or less than the points they have accumulated. Or, they can accumulate their points and save up for something super cool like a dinosaur fossil plate or a pretty stone or a big bug.
Kids will find everything from gemstones to intricate shells to mummified grasshoppers and tarantulas. The Nature Exchange is located on the top floor of the Environmental Science and Sustainability Building, to the left of the main entrance.
Afternoon Explorations is when RMSC is open to the public during the school year. They will open back up in the fall of 2025 likely on Thursday and Friday afternoons. Guests will have access to the Environmental Science and Sustainability Center, the Rain Forest Room, Marine Lab and Ecology Lab in Harrison Hall of Natural Science as well as the Living History Farm when weather permits.
You will also be able to hunt for dinosaurs on the Dinosaur Adventure Trail, play in Wildwood, visit the Butterfly Garden, and play on the Pirates of the Carolinas playground.
Tickets for Afternoon Explorations are $8/adults and teens, $7/kids ages 3-12. Members receive free admission.
Summer Adventure 2025 opened May 28th and ends July 26th. Visit during Summer Adventure Tuesday – Saturdays from 10 am – 4 pm. Explore all the exhibits RMSC has to offer, including this year’s traveling exhibit, Wild Kratts: Creature Power—only accessible during the summer.
The traveling exhibit changes every year, so it’s something special and unique to experience. Summer Adventure also offers special programs, including cockroach racing, the Eat a Bug challenge, farm animal interactions at the Living History Farm, period costume volunteers, and more to get children engaged and excited about science.
The Butterfly Exhibit is a favorite of ours and many of our readers. Butterflies are in a greenhouse and guests can go in with some Gatorade on a stick and butterflies will land on it. Or they will land on you! We learned that if you are sweating and wear bright colors, you have a greater chance of a butterfly taking up residence on you.
If you really want to get adventurous, you can earn your membership in the Eat-A-Bug Club on Saturday’s at 11 am or watch a cockroach race on Saturday’s at 11:30 am. Both are worth going for, even if you don’t eat bugs.
Admission is free for members, and tickets are $15 per adult and $14 per child 3 – 12 years of age. EBT cardholders can purchase tickets for $5.
The outdoor butterfly garden is located beside the parking lot in front of the Harrison Hall of Natural Science. It’s definitely something to check out, enjoy the beautifully landscaped garden, and see some butterflies. If you’d like to make it a homeschool adventure, try some of the books, ideas and activities below.
Math: Draw the butterflies with colored pencils (maybe take pictures with a cell phone to reference later) and keep a tally count of how many of each variety you see. Once you return home, turn your tally count into a bar graph. Siblings can compare their graphs and see how they differ.
Science: Use some butterfly books or websites to help you name the different species of butterflies you see. If it’s too much to manage “in the field” just take pictures and look them up when you get home. The following resources may be helpful.
Discuss the butterfly life cycle before or after your visit to the garden. Here’s a great freebie kids’ resource of the life cycle.
Language Arts: Come up with some super sentences about butterflies. Make them factual or fictional. Use the bright colors and textures of the insects and the garden to dress up your sentences with adjectives. Look at how the butterflies move and what they do to pick some great verbs for your sentences.
This website deals with butterflies specific to our area, and has pictures that may be helpful to you when trying to name species.
The Life Cycles of Butterflies: from egg to maturity, a visual guide to 23 common garden butterflies (J 595.789 Burris) by Judy Burris and Wayne Richards -This book shows the life cycle of butterflies, but also shows pictures of common butterflies and areas where they are found. The Greenville libraries have many other fine books on butterflies with photographs under the call number J 595.789.
If you’d like to know a little more about the purpose of butterfly gardens, or the specific plants and landscaping you see at the garden, check out this portion of Roper Mountain’s website. It lists the host plants and nectar plants found at the science center’s butterfly garden. Many of these plants are labeled in the garden. Spend some time examining these plants.
RMSC is focused on making STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics- fun for kids, and summer camps are no exception. But summer at Roper Mountain is more than just science: they also offer camps focusing on art, literature, moviemaking, mythology, photography and so much more. Summer camps at the Roper Mountain Science Center are available from K5 through Grade 12, and early drop-off and lunch stays are available for students attending separate morning and afternoon sessions.
Summer camp registration begins in March and camps fill up very quickly. Members will get first dibs on summer camp registration and if you really, really want your kid in a certain camp, you can get the concierge membership, which will ensure you will be able to register your kid(s) before anyone else.
If you are looking for a unique and science-driven demonstration for a school program or public outreach program Science on Wheels will bring the experimentation to you. They even have a portable planetarium! The program is perfect for school science days, preschools, library events, family audiences, afterschool groups, evening school events, summer camps, and community centers.
If you think RMSC’s Science on Wheels would be perfect for your group event, you can request more information by contacting the Roper Mountain Science Center directly. Educators can also utilize the many amazing programs Roper Mountain has to offer, including field trips, virtual field trips, e-learning Live From Roper, and more to boost their science curriculum for their students.
Speaking of membership to the RMSC, they have some worthwhile packages, especially if your family loves science and technology.
Memberships include free admission to Afternoon Explorations, Summer Adventure, and Friday Starry Nights, special pricing for special events and Laser Days of Summer, and early registration to summer camps. A family membership costs $125 and is easily paid for in just a couple of visits to the RMSC.
Additionally, members get free or discounted admission to over 300 science centers and museums worldwide. This is a great perk when traveling or planning day trips or summer vacations. Just know that the program only works if you live outside of a 90 mile radius of RMSC, so it would currently not work for free admission to the Schiele Museum in Gastonia or the WNC Nature Center.
Bottom line: A membership to the RMSC is a good investment in both learning and entertainment!
Libraries are great. They have free Wi-Fi, story time, free DVDs to rent, and you can read until your heart’s content. But all libraries are not created equal. The Five Forks library branch of the Greenville County Library System made all the other libraries jealous. Here’s why.
With it’s 28,000 square feet of floor-to-ceiling windows, bright colors and inviting decor, a fenced-in play porch for the little kids, a quiet room that is as peaceful as a spa, and a teen room with giant bean bag chairs, this library is incredible.
When you walk into this gorgeous glass-walled and colorful building, make a left and go straight to the massive kids’ area. Sectioned off by age group in the main space are reading tables, computers with games and headphones, and play tables with toddler games. Attached to the kids’ space is an entirely other room for story time, complete with enough space for kids to run circles around each other and parents to sit on the side benches and watch.
Off the kids area is also an outdoor play porch with stackable cubes and picnic benches. There is also a family bathroom and a nursing room.
*High-five* Greenville Library system.
Next to the kids’ space is an enclosed teen room that overlooks a field next door and is outfitted with private cubicles and giant bean bag chairs. There is art on the wall by local students and all the latest books that teens care about.
And it says “TEENS” on the door, so it’s cool.
The Five Forks Library has a huge meeting space for local groups to rent out plus an enclosed room on the other side of the library that can be used for crafts or homeschool groups (the floor is waterproof because….crafts).
You can bring your coffee and relax in the designated space near the front of the library where drinks other than bottled water are allowed and read or work. If you need a laptop, rent one out with your library card. You can use it throughout the building.
Near the giant windows is plenty of seating to work or read or ponder life. The quiet room has several tables and chairs with ottomans where guests can read quietly away from the rest of the library. It is decorated with really cute wallpaper and relaxing yellow and green colors. It’s my favorite room.
Returning books to the library is not usually exciting. It is at the Five Forks Library though. Head inside and immediately to your right is the cool returning-your-books contraption. Place your book in the slot and watch it go up a conveyor belt, be read by a machine, and then onto another conveyor belt where it is dumped into a giant bin of its friends where it will be returned manually to its proper place in the library.
Kids love watching this. Adults love watching it. And it gives you an incentive to return books that you should be returning anyway to avoid late fees.
Hours:
Monday – Thursday: 9 am – 9 pm
Friday -Saturday: 9 am – 6 pm
Sunday: 2 – 6 pm
Five Forks Library
104 Sunnydale Drive, Simpsonville
864.234.4904
Visit the Five Forks Library Website.
What’s your favorite thing about the Five Forks Library?
Here’s everything you need to know about Greenville County Library System.
Indoor Fun, great things to do inside in Greenville, SC
Are you looking for indoor things to do in Clemson, SC? Need to keep your kids busy and entertained on rainy or unbearably hot days? You’ve come to the right place. We’ve gathered up ten great indoor places to visit in and around Clemson, SC.
Feel like a day trip?
When it’s super hot in the summer or rainy, it’s hard not to default to staying at home. However, if you are like me, another day spent in the house might make you scream. I try hard not to let my child watch TV for hours on end, but there are only so many Pinterest ideas I am crafty enough to create with my little guy.
Here are some great ideas of things to do to get your cooped-up kids out of the house in and around the Clemson area.
Are you looking for more fun things to do in Pickens, SC? Check out our Kidding Around Guide To Pickens!
If your children love to paint, Glazed is one of the fun things to do in Clemson, SC with kids. It is a great way to bring out their inner Picasso. Located in Clemson, there is a wide array of paint-your-own pottery pieces at different price levels for your children to choose from.
Also, for a fun ladies night out, Glazed also offers paint-your-own canvas nights. Get a group of girlfriends together and enjoy a relaxed night out painting your very own picture. Be sure to follow their Facebook page for details.
Bowling is a fun and affordable day out for children of all ages. Oconee Lanes is located in Seneca, just a ten-minute drive from Clemson. They provide children’s sized shoes and balls, as well as bumpers for the lanes. This bowling alley also provides ramps for the littlest bowlers who need help getting the ball down the lane.
We are surrounded by some amazing libraries in this area. The Central-Clemson Regional Branch Library is one of many libraries in this area that offer children’s programs on a regular basis. Some examples of the programs include Wiggles and Giggles, Preschool Story Time, and Lego Story Builders.
The Oconee County Library System has similar programs for small children as well as teens. Be sure to check out your local library for specific times for these wonderful programs.
If a program doesn’t interest you let your little ones pick out a few books off the shelf, curl up in a comfy chair, and enjoy some precious moments on a cold or rainy day. Check out the websites for the Pickens County and Oconee County library systems for more information.
For breakfast, lunch, or dinner, visiting a restaurant with an indoor playground is a win-win for the family. Children love playing in the indoor playgrounds, and someone else gets to do the cooking!
There are a few choices in the greater Clemson area, including Chick-fil-A and McDonald’s. Speaking from personal experience, the Chick-fil-A playground is for younger children, and the McDonald’s playground is for older children.
Chick-fil-a Seneca also offers special date nights for you and your children as well as other special events.
Do your children love to swim? The Central Clemson Recreation Center offers day passes for families who enjoy swimming and they are available year-round. They have a lap pool, a therapy pool, and lifeguards on duty. Day passes for ages 6 and older are $7 and $5 for 3-5-year-olds. Kids under the age of 3 get in free.
This is an all-in-one family fun center, including laser tag, go-karts, mini golf, an arcade, and an ice cream parlor. It is located in Walhalla, just twenty minutes from Clemson. Laser tag and ice cream are the perfect combinations to get your kiddos out of the house and run off some energy.
They run daily specials as well, different ones for Monday through Thursday. You can find these specials, as well as updates on their Sweet Retreat Fun Center Facebook page.
Does your child want to be the next Van Gogh, or would love to try making clay pottery at the wheel? The Clemson Arts Center offers a wide variety of classes for the children in the community. There are classes for preschool-age children as well as several options for older children.
The Arts Center also offers after-school art classes for school-age children. Looking for something fun for your kids for summer break? Check out the summer art camps that they are offering. The classes and costs are all available on their website. Please be aware that preregistration is required for every class.
The World of Energy, located at the Oconee Nuclear Station in Seneca, is a fun way to teach your little ones about electricity. This is a free activity that will entertain your kids for hours. You can explore the Story of Energy, a self-guided tour with so many interactive exhibits that your children won’t even realize they are learning.
There is also a video game area that tests your children’s knowledge about electricity, as well as a play table for younger visitors. This is such a fun and free way to spend a rainy day with your kids.
If you have a train lover in your house, this is the place for you! The Central Railway Museum is located in downtown Central. It
This is a small building that is filled with running model trains and work crews working on new tracks and very elaborate scenes. Your children will be delighted to see the trains speed by! They have an annual train show in February that the whole family can enjoy as well.
This hidden gem sits across from the Tri-County Technical College Campus in Pendleton. The agricultural museum currently has all indoor exhibits which are perfect for a rainy or really hot day. It is of the funniest things to do in Clemson, SC with kids.
Some of the hands-on exhibits that kids can interact with include corn shelling, Clarabelle the milking cow, water pumping, weaving, and spinning. They are currently working on expanding their exhibits outdoors as well.
They focus on historic practices in agriculture, as well as the future of sustainable farming. The museum is open Thursday – Saturday from 10 am – 4 pm. Admission is $3 for anyone 6 years old and older, with a limit of $10 per household.
The Geology Museum, located inside the Botanical Gardens, is an extraordinary museum for children to visit. Filled with collections of gems and fossils, this is an affordable way to educate your children without them even knowing it. They offer children’s programs and tours as well. You can find out more about what to expect before your visit in our KAG review of the Bob Campbell Geology Museum.
The Campbell Geology Museum is open Monday – Sunday, 10am – 5pm. They are closed on Clemson University Official Holidays. There is no admission fee, but donations are appreciated. There is free parking.
Located in the Edgar A. Brown University Union building, the Clemson bowling alley can accommodate children with small shoe sizes, small bowling balls, and bumpers. The alley has ten lanes, and you must make a reservation if you want to bowl there Monday – Thursday.
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You’ve been checking out 10+ Fun Indoor Activities in And Around Clemson, SC for families to enjoy! These fun things to do are perfect for those really hot or rainy days.
This article was originally written by Marissa McFarland and has been updated by the Kidding Around Team.
