Can’t go to the library but need something new to read, watch or listen? The Greenville County Library System has a large offering of digital content. You can borrow e-books, audio books, movies and more right from your computer, phone or tablet. Find out about the apps the library uses and what you can borrow using them.
Looking for toddler or kid open gymnastics play? Local mom, Kristina, visited Acrosmith Gymnastics for family gym time where her kids got to play on all the equipment for an hour.
A great activity for little kids any time of year, but especially when it’s brutally hot, unbearably cold, or rainy, is Family Fun Gym Time at Acrosmith Gymnastics (formerly Tot Time) located just off West Georgia Road near I-385 in Simpsonville. It’s just $6 for one full hour’s worth of kid-friendly free time at the gym.
Family Fun Gym is offered Monday-Thursday at 9:00 am and 10:15 am and Fridays at 10:15 am. The 9 am time slot is for kids walking through six years old and the 10:15 am time slot is for kids up to age 12.
(more…)Double Stamp Brewery in Holland Park in Greenville, SC is a fun place to relax and have fun together while enjoying local craft beer and soda and playing Nintendo.
While I enjoy a good craft beer, I enjoy playing Nintendo even more, so when we got an invitation to check out the old-school Nintendo games at Double Stamp Brewery, it was an easy “yes!”. But to my surprise, not only was the Nintendo playing a ton of fun but the beer, which is made on-site with local ingredients, was top-notch.
Looking for more family-friendly breweries? We have a list for that!
Double Stamp Brewery is part of Holland Park in Greenville, which includes Flying Rabbit Adventures, Home Team BBQ, and Greektown Express. It’s pretty new, only having opened in 2021, but they are already making a name for themselves with a Sunday Market from Noon-4 pm and rave reviews.
Double Stamp is 90s-themed, which makes my heart happy. There are Vanilla Ice cards under the glass at the bar and posters of VHS tapes, which my kids were totally confused about.
The brewery doesn’t sell any food but you can take your beer and walk over to Greektown or Home Team BBQ and eat there, or bring food from either place into the brewery.
Indoor “sock skating” at the Schiele Museum is just the thing for kids to get out their energy during colder months. Located in Gastonia, NC, the Schiele Museum is only about an hour from Greenville, SC, or 35 minutes from Charlotte, NC.
Sometimes you just come across something so fun and unexpected that you have to share it – which is exactly what happened when we visited the Schiele Museum of Natural History in Gastonia, NC during a rainy day and to our great surprise, learned that our kids could go ice skating but with socks!
If you didn’t know sock skating was a thing, don’t feel too bad. We didn’t either until we happened upon it at the Schiele Museum. It’s exactly as it sounds: skating with socks on instead of use skates on ice. We’ll tell you more in this story, plus give you the dates when you can get free tickets to the museum.
Sock skating for the 2023-24 season opens November 24, 2023.
We have a whole Schiele Museum story about this amazing museum, which is worth a read. This museum has extensive exhibits on animals, plants, gems and minerals, and dinosaurs. They also have an outdoor farm and Catawba Village.
If you love learning about the stars, don’t forget to see a show in the planetarium. You can reserve your seat when you buy your tickets at the entrance.
During the wintertime, the Schiele Museum has a room dedicated to a winter wonderland of Sock Skating. The room is lit to look like it’s snowing, complete with a little snowbank and a wooden house with a Christmas tree in the window. We have a short reel if you want to see how it all works!
There are benches for parents to relax and watch their kids enjoy skating on a slippery floor. All kids need are socks and they need to be sure to bring their own as the museum does not have socks to lend out.
Sock Skating is for kids ages 2-10 years old and you need to purchase a wristband for $3 for each kid to participate. When we went, it was a busier day and the front desk ladies gave us a timed entry ticket, which was fine. We were basically able to go when we saw there weren’t many kids inside and it worked out great.
My kids absolutely loved this and I thought it was such a creative and unique idea for indoor fun. We spent a lot of time at the other museum exhibits as well, which were awesome. This is easily a great day trip from the Upstate.
Sock Skating at Winter Wonderland opened November 25th and runs usually through February.
Tickets to the museum are $7/adults, $6/kids 4-18 and kids ages 3 and under are free. Planetarium tickets are $5/each and farm tickets are $3/each.
There are certain dates every month where admission to the museum is free, thanks to the support of Duke Energy. Free museum admission is available the second Tuesday and fourth Friday of every month from Noon – 4 pm.
Do you have a Roper Mountain Science Center membership? The Museum is part of the same ASTC passport program as RMSC which means great news! If you have a RMSC membership, then you get in free to the Shiele Museum. The ASTC Passport program gets you free admission into partner museums all over the world. If you plan to travel, it can pay for itself in just one trip to a partner museum.
Schiele Museum of Natural History & Planetarium
1500 East Garrison Boulevard, Gastonia NC
October is National Fire Safety Month and as a part of raising awareness for fire safety, your kids can see fire trucks at Greenville library locations throughout the county. The library will be celebrating with their annual Firefighters & Fire Trucks storytimes. At these select storytimes (replacing the normal storytime event) children can learn about fire safety by not just reading about it but by also meeting firefighters and seeing a real fire truck.
Note: Fire trucks and firefighters will not be available if a fire emergency occurs.
On a related side note, my child informed me today that he thought he might want to be a firefighter someday. In his words, “Firefighters are really cool because they run fast, and I like to run fast. They also wear cool costumes, and I like wearing costumes. . . . Oh wait, they slide down poles. I’m not really into sliding down poles so maybe I don’t want to be a firefighter.”
Back on topic, here are the times for this year’s Firefighters and Fire Trucks storytimes. If you go we would love to hear back about what you think. Remember that special storytimes can be crowded, so plan on arriving a little early if you attend a smaller branch to allow time for parking.
Tuesday, October 3, 2023
10 am – Hughes Main Library
Monday, October 16, 2023
10 am- Five Forks Branch
10 am- Mauldin Branch
Wednesday, October 18, 2023
10 am – Fountain Inn Branch
Thursday, October 19, 2023
10 am- Augusta Road Branch
10 am- Simpsonville Branch
You will find more events on the Greenville County Library Events page for your little one to enjoy this October!
Have you been to the Greenville Library’s Firefighter & Firetruck storytimes before? What did you think?
The Greenville County Libary System has much more to offer than just books, and it’s all FREE! Check out why we love GCLS so much.
Searching for an indoor space for your kids to play or to host a party in Pickens, SC? Happy Kids Playhouse is just the place! The space is curated for entertaining ages 10 and under, with large inflatable slides, tons of toys, creative play stations, character appearances, and more. Happy Kids Playhouse has everything you need to have a memorable party for your little ones, or even just to enjoy the day with some indoor playtime. So grab your socks and get ready for a day of fun!
Thank you to Happy Kids Playhouse for hosting KAG for a review.
(more…)If you have a train lover in your family we have all the info you’ll need to make the most of an afternoon at the Hub City Railroad Museum! Our review includes a brief history of the Hub City, some history and details about this free museum, and when to go.
COVID-19 Museum Opening Update
According to the website, “After a year of being closed, the Hub City Railroad Museum is open again. Come by on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm and check out our recently added display about the Pullman Company. We also have a new order of tee-shirts that have just arrived. There are some restrictions in place due to the virus. We will request that you wear a mask and we will be limiting the number of visitors at one time. We will be periodically sanitizing the museum, especially frequently touched items. Your understanding is appreciated. The caboose is still undergoing a major renovation, but there has be significant progress made. Stop by and peek in to see how the construction is going.”
Are you looking for a fun and educational place to spend some time with the kids? Greenville, South Carolina is lucky to have a wonderful children’s museum. We will share all the info you’ll need to plan your day at this popular destination for Upstate families.
Thank you to The Children’s Museum of the Upstate for providing tickets to write this review for our readers.
Looking for more Children’s Museum fun for ages six and younger? Your Preschool-Aged Children are Going to Love TCMU’s Spartanburg Location
(more…)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 exactly what Greenville has been hoping for and more!
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…)If you’re wanting to introduce your children and family to one of the greatest playwrights of all time, then Summer Shakespeare should be on your bucket list this year. All shows are family-friendly, and they even offer a free accessible preview for those families who have people with disabilities or special needs. With performances throughout June and July in Greenville, SC, you’re sure to have a good time appreciating the arts and laughing with your family this summer.
