10 Kid-Friendly Restaurant Options That Aren’t Fast Food in Greenville, SC

Have you been searching for restaurants that are a little fancier, but are kid-friendly? Greenville, SC has several that are both! If you’re looking for a nice restaurant to celebrate something special or just something a bit nicer than chicken nuggets, check out this list of the best restaurants for kids in Greenville, SC.

Kid friendly restaurants in Greenville, South Carolina that are not fast food.

Dining out with kids isn’t only for intrepid parents who’ve taken their kids to dinner since birth. Parents deserve some fun and creative dining experiences that don’t involve chicken tenders! To make it a more fun and memorable experience, in addition to providing you with a few dinner suggestions (not the usual suspects), we’ve also shared some of our tips below based on our dining experiences around town.

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Hands On! Children’s Museum in Hendersonville, NC is the Perfect Day Trip

Have you visited Hand On! Children’s Museum in Hendersonville, NC? It’s the perfect place for kids to play and learn with parents and grandparents. The small footprint of Hands On is great for a kid-size adventure without being too overwhelming. You’ll find Hands On! along Downtown Hendersonville’s beautiful Main Street, beside Black Bear Coffee.

Hands On! Children’s Museum

Hands On! Children’s Museum has a target audience of children aged ten and under. The museum is all located on one floor which is great for parents keeping track of multiple kids.

The smaller front section contains a fire truck play area, a dinosaur dig exhibit, an art area, and a Kilwin’s Ice Cream-themed pretend play area.

Fire truck at Hands On in Hendersonville, NC

Behind that, you’ll find the larger open play space where kids can pretend to shop at the grocery store, cook a meal, and pick apples. There’s also a pretend play doctor’s office with a baby care station, a dentist’s office, an engineering area, and a theater.

The middle of this Hendersonville children’s museum features a beautiful mountain play area with a fun stairway that leads to a slide in the rocks. The bubbling sounds of both a natural-looking waterfall feature and a fun water play area add to the natural mountain scene and fill the whole museum with the calming sounds of running water.

Babies and Toddlers at Hands On! WNC

There is a small area set aside just for babies and toddlers at Hands On! In this area you’ll find soft mats, a low table and chairs, many sensory toys suitable for toddlers and babies, plus blocks and puzzles.

Rocking chairs in this area overlook the mountain in the center of the museum.

Admission and Hours at Hands On! Hendersonville, NC

Your $10 admission allows you to enter and leave the museum for a full day. Every person pays admission – even adults. Infants are $4. Hands On! is open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 9 am – 5 pm. (Closed Sundays and Mondays, except for special holidays and seasonal breaks.)

Memberships are available and if you think you would make the trip to Hendersonville more than a few times a year, a membership could be the perfect option for your family. (Remind grandparents that museum memberships make great birthday and Christmas gifts!)

Kilwins play area at Hands On in Hendersonville, NC

Water feature at Hands On in Hendersonville

Classes, Parties, and More

Hands On! offers regular classes that are often free with your admission. Classes range in topics from science to reading to crafting. Summer is filled with weekly class options – and the convenient part for parents is that one child can attend a class while the other children play. Throughout the year there are weekly classes – such as storytime and science classes, plus other weekly options. Be sure to check their Hands On website or Facebook page for all the details.

Hands On! also offers an easy and enjoyable option for birthday parties. They provide a party room for the cake and gifts and then, of course, the museum is all the entertainment you will need for your birthday guests.

More to Do in Hendersonville, NC

Downtown Hendersonville has so many fun things to do. Hop out of the museum for lunch at one of the family-friendly Main Street restaurants. Options like pizza and sandwiches and an iconic soda fountain shop across the street can make Hendersonville a great day trip destination. Right next door to the museum is Black Bear Coffee Shop with great coffee beverages, treats, sandwiches and a lot more. And, McFarlan’s Bakery is right across the street. Pick up some donuts, cookies, pastries, or even a whole pie to bring home!

Gather a few of your girlfriends and strap the kids in their booster seats. A day at Hands On! will be a day the kids will really remember and love

Hands On! Children’s Museum
318 N. Main Street, Hendersonville, NC
828.697.8333

Has your family ever visited the Hands On! Children’s Museum?

Don’t miss our full guide to Hendersonville, NC Things to Do.

Yummy Treats to Celebrate the Season! All Things PUMPKIN!

Do you love pumpkin desserts? Greenville is lucky to have several excellent cafes and shops to indulge in yummy pumpkin treats that aren’t from a Little Debbie box! Here’s a list of some of our favorite places near Greenville to pick up pumpkin coffee, cookies, muffins, and other treats. Do you have something to add to this list? If so then please do so in the comments. After all, can there ever be enough Pumpkin goodies to enjoy?!?

Places to find pumpkin desserts in Greenville, South Carolina

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Celebrate the Best that Our Town has to Offer at Fall For Greenville

Are you looking for the best outdoor festival in Greenville? Fall For Greenville is an annual tradition and a celebration of our city that you don’t want to miss! Local mom Kristina gives us the details you need to plan a visit to this year’s annual Fall For Greenville!

The 2023 Fall for Greenville event starts October 13th, 2023, and runs through October 15th, 2023. There is also a kick-off concert on October 12th, 2023 if you’re too excited to wait!

Greenville has focused a significant amount of time and energy on making the small city a paradise for people who love to eat good food. And who doesn’t love good food?

Fall for Greenville is not only one of the region’s hottest food festivals but also one of the nation’s best fall festivals, according to Country Living. Cheers to that!

Want to check out more fall festivals? Here is our list of Fall Festivals near Greenville.

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Head to Asheville for a Fun Day at Eliada Corn Maze

Have you tried a corn maze yet this fall? The Upstate has many corn mazes to choose from, but local mom Lacey took her family up into North Carolina, near Asheville, for the Eliada Corn Maze. Her family had a fantastic time and she’s told us all about it here in this review.

The 2023 Eliada Corn Maze is open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays between September 29th and October 29th. We recommend checking the Eliada Corn Maze website for the most up-to-date information regarding ticket availability and available time slots. Media tickets were provided for this review in 2015, but we’ve updated it with 2023 information.

Nothing says autumn like rows and rows of corn. Every year, we try to make it to at least one corn maze. In years past we’ve tried a few mazes in Hendersonville, and we’ve always been pleased with our options. This year, however, our family took the corn maze game up a notch and drove a little farther north right up to our neighbors in Asheville, and visited the annual Eliada Corn Maze.

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Pick One of These Spots Next Time You Need to Study in Greenville, SC

Need someplace to study outside the house? Luckily there are plenty of places to study in Greenville, SC that are perfect for teens, homeschool families, and really…anyone. And we have a list of ideas for you!

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See Hundreds of Raptors in the Air: South Carolina Hawk Migration

Looking for something different to do outside this fall? How about a trip to observe an amazing hawk migration? Visit this fall to see these amazing creatures soaring across the sky. Join in the SC Hawk Watch at Caesars Head State Park or Sassafras Mountain. Kidding Around’s Maria visits each fall with her children and today she’s sharing some ideas for making the most of your visit.

Are my children the only ones with hawk fascination? They seem to have a knack for spotting them from the car, on a hike, at the park, all over. After our unit study on birds, I have to agree with them, raptors are pretty captivating birds. If you agree, you might want to head up to Caesars Head State Park this fall where you can see hundreds of migrating hawks.

The Hawk Migration at Caesars Head State Park

From September through November, Caesars Head plays host to thousands of migrating raptors who use the thermals coming off the rocky outcrop to soar upward, conserving their energy as they migrate to their winter ranges.

The peak of this migration is early to mid-September. During this time it’s possible to see a couple of hundred raptors in the air all at the same time. You can expect to see Broad-winged hawks, but other possibilities include Bald Eagles, Ospreys, American Kestrels, and many others. My children really hoped to spot the less common Peregrine Falcon, and we did!

You won’t need to go far from the parking lot area to see the hawks. Just head for the scenic overlook. We like to bring lunch and sit on the rocks with our binoculars. You’ll often find a ranger or knowledgeable bird watchers at the overlook who are happy to point out various raptors in the sky.

Sassafras Mountain

Sassafras Mountain is another great place to view the hawk migration. Sassafras is the highest point in South Carolina and you can access the beautiful observation platform without any hiking. Even better, there’s no admission for Sassafras Mountain so visiting is totally free.

You can find out more about Sassafras Mountain in our review.

Plan a homeschool field trip to the hawk migration at Caesars Head State Park

Check out Raptors! A kid’s guide to birds of prey (J 598.9 Laubach) at the Greenville Library. It is packed full of information about the habits of these birds from diets, to migration, to nesting habitats, and all in language accessible to kids. This book also features silhouettes of flying birds, so it might be a good one to bring along on your trip.

Once you’re back home, older children may appreciate examining data from past year’s hawk watches. You can find that information at Hawkcount.org by selecting Caesar’s Head Hawk Watch (South Carolina) in the Hawkwatch Site box. Select the year and month on the left-hand side to view the data for that month.

Consider letting students turn the data from the tables into pie charts or other graphs and compare the data across years or individual fall months. This is a great way to bring math into this predominantly science trip.

If you’d like to bring in a little history, check out some books about John James Audubon, who in addition to drawing beautiful pictures of birds and documenting their species and habitats, proved that when birds migrate they return to the same areas each year. What a fitting study after observing a hawk migration!

My children really enjoyed The boy who drew birds: a story of John James Audubon, by Jacqueline Davies (JB Audubon), which, of course, you can find in the Greenville Library System.

If this trip sparks some curiosity about birds, consider a full unit study. We really enjoyed Homeschool Legacy’s Once-A-Week Unit Study, Birds of a Feather.

If you’d like to view these magnificent raptors up close, check out the Carolina Raptor Center in nearby Huntersville, NC.

The Carolina Raptor Center is an awesome place to see raptors up close. Check out our review of the Carolina Raptor Center.

Looking for more educational adventures in Greenville? Here’s our list of educational things to do in Greenville, SC.
Want more ideas on homeschool activities or resources? Check out our Homeschool Guide.

Plan your own trip to Caesars Head State Park

8155 Geer Hwy, Cleveland
Website: Caesars Head State Park
Admission: $3 per adult; $1 children 6-15, free 5 and under
Hours: 9 am – 6 pm, daily

Enjoy your hawk watch at Caesar’s Head! Maybe we’ll see you there!

Guide to Hiking Near Greenville, SC: Trails for Little Kids, Big Kids, and Adventurous Families

Looking for a great hike to enjoy with your family near Greenville, SC? Check out our Guide to Hiking in the Upstate! You’re sure to find a new hike to try that’s just right for your family. This is your new go-to guide for hiking in Upstate, SC.

This article includes:
Trails to Hike Near You, Just Right For Your Family
Family Hiking Trails in Greenville, SC
Hiking in Pickens, SC
Hiking in Easley, SC
Hiking Trails in Mountain Rest, SC
Hiking Trails in Central, SC
Hiking Trails in Marietta, SC
Hiking Trails in Sunset, SC
Hiking Trail in Walhalla, SC
Hiking Trails in Cleveland, SC
Hiking in Clinton, SC
Hiking Trails in Spartanburg, SC
Hiking Trails in Columbia, SC
Hiking Trails in Western North Carolina

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Get into the Fall Spirit with a Visit to Sky Top Orchard

Fall is just about here! Time for corn mazes, fall festivals, and apple picking! One of the local favorites is Sky Top Orchard near Flat Rock, NC. Read on for local mom Jackie Vest’s tips and things to expect when you visit Sky Top Orchard, so you can make the most of your visit!

See our full list of Apple Orchards Near the Upstate. For more fall fun check out our Pumpkin Patch Guide and our Corn Maze Guide!

Looking for more fall fun? Here are over 30 things to do this fall near Greenville.

Experience Sky Top Orchard

The Sky Top apple season starts in August and runs through the Sunday after Thanksgiving, giving families plenty of opportunities to seek out their favorite varieties of apples. This orchard has over 22 different kinds of apples to choose from! They also churn out a regional sensation: apple cider donuts!

As soon as you pull up to the orchard and open your car door, you are drawn in with the delicious fried cidery-sugary smell wafting through the air. Plan on buying at LEAST a dozen. If you come on a busy weekend, you’ll need to wait in line for them, but don’t let that stop you!

Apple picking is an enjoyable activity for kids of all ages. While you may need to walk a bit to the row of choice, the picking is quick and easy work. Many apples are available low to the ground, easy picking for even the smallest kiddos. My boys (ages 5 & 7) hopped off the hayride, took off down a row, and filled up their bags before I even caught up with the little stinkers!

The orchard also offers plenty of play structures, Bee Train, a Gold Rush Gem Mine, a honeybee hive (in which kids can usually spot the queen bee behind the glass), a bamboo forest, some farm animals like sheep, chickens, goats, and peacocks, and plenty of delectable goodies in addition to the apples and cider donuts.

Pies, jellies, hot cider, fudges, and frozen apple cider slushies, to name a few! Outside food is acceptable and there are plenty of picnic tables or areas to spread a blanket – just be mindful of bees and limit sugary foods.

The orchard also does a great job accommodating large groups with hayride tours, apple picking, and educational programs which teach kiddos everything they could want to know about how apples grow through the seasons. This is a favorite field trip destination!

Tips for visiting Sky Top

Be sure to check out Skytop’s FAQs for tips before you visit.

Bring cash or check – while they do accept credit cards, their wifi can be spotty so their credit card processing system isn’t always working.

Try to go on a Monday or early week. The weekends can get pretty busy.

Wear sneakers or other walking shoes that are okay to get dirty.

Bring quarters for feeding the farm animals.

Sky Top has real bathrooms now. No more having to use a port-a-potty.

Apple varieties are planted in accordance of when they are in season. They plant the earliest apples closest to the entrance and it progresses further away as the season goes on. In other words, the later in the season you visit the orchard, the further you will need to plan on walking to pick apples.

There are plenty of already-picked apples to choose from if you want all the fresh flavor without the work.

You must pre-pay for apples and you are required to pay for at least one peck per 6 people (around 10 pounds). A basket is provided.

Here is their picking schedule (which lists available varieties).

Sky Top Orchard is open 7 days a week from 9 am – 6 pm.

The orchard is located above Flat Rock, NC and here are directions to Sky Top Orchard.

We love this place and like so many others, we have made it an annual Mecca. I hope this has been helpful, see you at the orchard! Find our tips on picking apples with kids here.

When visiting Flat Rock, NC, consider our day trip guide to Flat Rock for more suggestions on activities in the area, including all that there is to do in very near Hendersonville, NC. Nearby attractions include the Team Ecco Aquarium, the Carl Sandburg House, and the Western NC Nature Center.

Has your family experienced Sky Top Orchard yet?

Don’t Miss Boo In The Zoo This October At The Zoo In Greenville, South Carolina

Looking for a family-friendly Halloween event that even the littlest spooks in your family will enjoy? Mark your calendar because the annual Boo in the Zoo in Greenville, SC is coming up, kicking off on October 18th, 2023. We’ll give you all the details and some hints on what to expect so your family will be ready to enjoy this awesome event!

Halloween Guide, trick or treat in Greenville, SC

Check out our complete Halloween Near Greenville, SC list of great places to trick-or-treat, Halloween events, and more!

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10 Kid-Friendly Restaurant Options That Aren’t Fast Food in Greenville, SC

Hands On! Children’s Museum in Hendersonville, NC is the Perfect Day Trip