Are you looking for a way to sneak in a trip to the South Carolina coast with the kids, while also working in some educational content? There are so many opportunities for educational things to do in Charleston, SC! We’re sharing our recent educational trip to Charleston to help you explore, learn, and expand your knowledge.
Charleston is so rich with opportunities for learning. You, the parent, might even learn some fun things along the way. For example:
- Did you know a famous poet called one of the barrier islands home for a short time, prior to his fame?
- You might know that the Civil War started at Fort Sumter, but did you know what started it?
- Did you know that there is a certain behavior that the dolphin pods residing in Charleston Harbor teach their young that isn’t seen anywhere else?
See, right there we covered language arts, history and science. That’s just a drop in the bucket of the things you can discover in Charleston, not to mention getting to relax in a beautiful setting.
For more things to see and do, check out our huge Guide To Charleston, SC.
Accommodations for this trip were generously provided by The Hotel Indigo Mount Pleasant. All opinions are my own, honest and genuine.
Educational Things to Do in Charleston, SC
Here are some of the fun educational things we found in in Charleston, SC:
The Young Soldier Stationed At Fort Moultrie
Subjects: Language Arts and History
On May 26th, a young man enlisted in the Army because he was unable to afford the last three years of university and left without options. He lied about his age and his name and after just two short years of a five-year term, he “hired” someone to complete his term for him at Fort Moultrie.
That young man’s name was Edgar Allan Poe, and evidence of his short stay on Sullivan’s Island is all around you when you visit. If you are very clever, you can slip some Poe-related math into your lesson.
Learning Opportunities:
- Kid friendly Wiki-facts about Edgar Allen Poe for use in all sorts of DIY lessons
- Edgar Allen Poe board books for young children available at your local library. Better yet, you can visit the Edgar Allen Poe Library on Sullivan’s Island.
- Activity about “The Raven”, a famous poem of his. (2nd-4th grades)
- Reading and art activity based on “The Black Cat” (4th-8th grades)
- A free two-day, 14-question writing exercise based on “The Cask of Amontillado” (8th-11th grades)
- Poe was a huge fan of ciphers, and your kids probably will be too! The “Gold Bug” was inspired by his time on Sullivan’s Island and involves a treasure hunt.
You can also include lessons on the history of Fort Moultrie. If you’ve never been to this National Park location before, you can read this local mom’s review of Fort Moultrie, before you head out.
The Ellis Island Of Slavery
Subject: History/Social Studies
While you’re visiting Sullivan’s Island and Fort Moultrie, go behind the visitors’ center. There you will find a small black bench. Have a seat. That bench was placed there to memorialize the history of enslaved Africans, and provide a place for people to reflect. When seated on “The Bench By The Road”, the first of many installed since 2008, you’ll be able to look out onto the water where most enslaved people entered this country.
This provides you with a great opportunity to talk to children about what it must have felt like to be brought to a foreign land, and how they would feel.
Learning Opportunities
- Explaning slavery to children (K4- 5th grade) (6th-8th grades) (9th-12th grades)
- Slavery in the South cut and paste activity (3rd – 5th grades)
- Video quiz about the Atlantic Slave Trade (9th – 12th grades)
There are several black history sites in Charleston. One of my favorite “hands-on” opportunities is on Philadelphia Alley in the historic district. You and your children can stroll this brick-paved alley and find the handprints left behind by the slaves that formed the bricks at local plantations. Those bricks can are in the buildings at the local plantations like Boone Hall.
The Unique Dolphins Of Charleston Harbor
Subject: Science
There are so many things that are different ecologically in the Low Country than what we have around us in the Upstate. I love that in just a few hours we can go from a mountain ecosystem to a coastal one. This provides our children with so many opportunities to learn about the environment!
As a volunteer with a research laboratory in Florida while in college, I sat next to a Loggerhead Sea Turtle nest as it unexpectedly erupted. If I could somehow provide everyone on the planet with that magical experience I would. The next best thing is learning about them from afar, and maybe if you time your trip to the coast right, you can have a once-in-a-lifetime sea turtle experience, too.
A more common sight off the shores of Charleston are the pods of wild dolphins that call these waters home. But these aren’t just any dolphins, they are so unique they’ve been the subject of research studies. No one knows why, but the dolphins that are native to this area do something called strand-feeding.
Learning Opportunities
- Read all about strand-feeding along the South Carolina Coast.
- Kids can cut, paste, and color a dolphin fact spinner. (elementary grades)
- Look up dolphin research resources.
There is a good deal of eco-tours that will take you around the harbor, and some will even have an ecology expert on board. We recently took an eco-tour with Sandlapper Tours and would recommend it as a safe option to learn about the ecology of the coastal waters.
Another option for aquatic study while in Charleston is a visit to the South Carolina Aquarium. You can use a virtual aquarium field trip, or go in person and then do the activities shared online. The aquarium is a great way to learn about the ecology of our state!
Home Away From Homeschool
Hotel Indigo Mount Pleasant
The Hotel Indigo Mount Pleasant generously provided us with a home-away-from-homeschool for this article, and we loved our time there. Schoolwork is hard, and it’s nice to have a place you feel safe to kick back and relax afterward. The hotel has an on-site restaurant, a huge outdoor pool deck, and free on-site parking.
Eliza’s Bar + Kitchen has delicious options for any meal of the day. The kids loved having chocolate chip Belgian waffles for breakfast! My favorite was the wedge salad at dinner. Make sure you get the ranch dressing.
The rooms also include a properly functioning mini-fridge, something we find essential when traveling because there are always leftovers!
For those traveling with pets, The Hotel Indigo is pet-friendly too! There are several great travel packages that include meals, pet stays, and more on the Hotel Indigo Mount Pleasant website
We love staying in Mount Pleasant because it’s centrally located. The Hotel Indigo is just a short drive across the Ravenel Bridge to the downtown area, and you don’t have to pay downtown parking prices. In fact, parking here is totally free!
Travel times to popular destinations from Hotel Indigo Mount Pleasant :
- Patriots Point – 3 minutes
- The South Carolina Aquarium – 9 minutes
- Sullivan’s Island – 10 minutes
- Historic Charleston – 11 minutes
- Isle Of Palms – 14 minutes
- Folly Beach – 24 minutes
- Kiawah Island – 58 minutes
More Educational Stops in Charleston, SC
Planning a longer educational itinerary? Our friends at Kidding Around Charleston have detailed family guides for even more Charleston learning adventures:
- Fort Sumter National Monument — Where the Civil War began. Take the ferry from Liberty Square and explore the island with National Park Rangers. Great for ages 5 and up.
- Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site — Explore a 17th-century sailing ship, a natural habitat animal park (wolves, bison, otters!), and 80 acres of trails and history.
- Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry — Hands-on exhibits where kids can cook, build, broadcast the weather, and shop at a mini Publix. Perfect for toddlers through elementary age.
- Mace Brown Museum of Natural History — A free, self-guided fossil museum at the College of Charleston featuring a life-size megalodon jaw and a kids’ fossil digging station.
- Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum — Tour the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier and other historic vessels on Charleston Harbor (just three minutes from Hotel Indigo).
- Center for Birds of Prey — Learn about falcons, raptors, hawks, and owls, and see birds up close at this cool rescue and educational center.
Frequently Asked Questions: Educational Things to Do in Charleston, SC
What are the best educational activities for kids in Charleston, SC?
Charleston is packed with educational experiences for families. Top picks include Fort Moultrie on Sullivan’s Island (Edgar Allan Poe history and Civil War), the South Carolina Aquarium (marine life and sea turtle recovery), Fort Sumter National Monument (Civil War history), the free Mace Brown Museum of Natural History (prehistoric fossils), the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry (hands-on exhibits), and dolphin eco-tours with Sandlapper Water Tours.
Is there a free educational museum in Charleston for families?
Yes! The Mace Brown Museum of Natural History at the College of Charleston (202 Calhoun Street, downtown) is free to visit and self-guided. It features a life-size megalodon jaw, dinosaur fossils, and a hands-on fossil digging station kids can keep a find from.
What is strand-feeding, and can you see it in Charleston?
Strand-feeding is a rare hunting behavior unique to bottlenose dolphins in South Carolina’s Lowcountry, where pods work together to chase fish onto mudflats and briefly beach themselves to grab prey. It has been the subject of ongoing research studies. You can learn more about it on an eco-tour with Sandlapper Water Tours out of the Charleston Maritime Center (10 Wharfside Street).
How far is Hotel Indigo Mount Pleasant from historic Charleston?
Hotel Indigo Mount Pleasant (250 Johnnie Dodds Boulevard) is approximately 11 minutes from historic Charleston by car across the Ravenel Bridge. On-site parking is free, a real advantage over downtown parking rates.
Looking to make a longer trip? Here’s our Charleston, SC Visitor Guide with things to do, where to eat, and where to stay.
Take an educational trip to Charleston, South Carolina!
