Are you looking for the perfect place to ride bikes as a family? Greenville is a wonderful place to get outside and do a lot of fun activities, including riding a bike. It’s a great activity that can involve the whole family – whether the kids are old enough to ride on their own or ride in a trailer or on a bike seat.
Here’s our list of family-friendly bike trails in and near Greenville, SC.
(more…)Are you looking for an in-person or virtual kid-friendly race in Greenville this season? Check out this list of some of the fun races for the whole family.
Greenville is a great place to go for a run, a jog or a walk. The weather is fairly cooperative, even during the colder winter months, to run outside all year round. But as the trees bloom and the milder temperatures are more predictable, getting in daily exercise is pretty easy and enjoyable. If you have little ones and a jogging stroller, running is a great way to get in a workout and entertain your kids. While you may not be as fast as you are without the jogger, entering a local race is a fun way to enjoy the great weather, meet other runners, and run your way around Greenville. Plus, if you choose one of the virtual options, you have the flexibility to choose when and where to run your race.
Where in Greenville can you make a snowman, bounce with a giraffe and possibly see a Penguin? If you couldn’t answer “The Pavilion Recreation Complex” then let me fill you in on one of the Greenville area’s greatest spots to play! With ice skating rinks, a bounce house, athletic fields, and more, there are plenty of activities for every age. We’ve complied all the details you need to know for a visit to Greenville County’s Pavilion Recreation Complex.
Looking for a new activity for your kids? Maybe one where they can climb, jump or hang upside down and its totally okay? Local mom Elizabeth Faulkner brought her daughter to Acrosmith Gymnastics and she is sharing their experience with us! Learn all about Acrosmith Gymnastics and the programs they offer, including classes for kids 3 and up, plus a drop in time made just for tiny tumblers!
Acrosmith provided a class in order to provide this review.
My daughter doesn’t exactly have the best track record for participating in and sticking with an activity. We’ve tried dance. We’ve tried gymnastics (a few years ago, in another state). We’ve tried soccer. Note the key word is “tried” – as in past tense. Because each and every time she hasn’t enjoyed the activity and after a few weeks of fighting with her to get ready and out the door and then hardly participating once we finally got there, I allowed her to quit. Okay so perhaps this post should be about when it is okay to let your child quit something and when it is not, but it isn’t!
Thank you to Foothills Fencing Academy for sponsoring this giveaway on Kidding Around Greenville. Be sure to read this post in its entirety as the nice folks at FFA are giving away 4 weeks of beginner classes!
In college I was forced to choose between a multitude of courses worth only a couple credits to fulfill some obligation that I can’t remember now. But I do remember being psyched that Fencing was an option – so I signed up and couldn’t wait to wield my sword as a bad ass Medieval princess that I wish I was born as.
It was challenging but it was really, really fun. I had no idea the coordination and strength it took to learn the footwork, the proper way to earn points against your opponent, and the workout that every class entailed. I managed to pass the course, even toppling some of my male classmates in the process, and developed an unparalleled confidence that still lingers even today, long after my Russian instructor went back to coaching Olympians.
Here in the Greenville area, the Foothills Fencing Academy (FFA) is an awesome facility that teaches fencing to both kids and adults, even producing NCAA athletes and high-level fencers that go on to compete in worldwide tournaments.
The Foothills Fencing Academy is located in Piedmont, SC, only a 15-minute drive from downtown Greenville, and consists of a 4,000 square foot, air-conditioned facility with six tournament strips (they are like small runways but people-sized) which are on a raised wooden floor in order to provide better protection for joints than a concrete or tile floor.
The FFA offers open fencing time as well as classes and summer camps. The FFA is the finest fencing facility in the entire area and all their coaches are professional members of the USA Fencing, certified by the USFCA and have undergone background checks.
Fencing is a great way to develop coordination, agility, discipline, strength, balance and focus. Fencers must problem-solve quickly, assess situations, and learn how to think strategically – all crucial life-skills outside of the sport of fencing.
Fencing is also a wonderful activity to stay fit and healthy, work muscles from your feet and ankles all the way up through your shoulders and neck. It’s a sport of both mind and body.
Whether you’re 8 or 38, Foothills Fencing Academy can introduce you to the fascinating sport of “Physical Chess” with their beginner classes for kids and their parents too! Beginner classes cover the basics – including the rules of fencing, footwork, blade work, and tactics. Fencers will develop coordination, discipline, speed, endurance and balance. By participating in three sessions of classes, students will learn the basic fundamentals of all three weapons. Oh yeah, its a fun sport in an air conditioned facility!
In addition to adult, family, and youth classes, private lessons are available as well. Plus they host birthday parties, homeschool groups, after-school groups, or church groups.
They provide all the safety equipment for an introductory period but fencers must purchase their own gear after two months of training.
Beginner classes run in 4 week sessions and begin August 14th. But no worries if you’re not that quick because new classes will kick off again throughout the fall! All equipment needed is furnished for the first two month; all you need is the right clothing! Cost is $75 plus a $10 US Fencing Membership.
For more details visit their website or call (864) 593 3684.
Fencing is a sport for all ages! The USA Fencing Association sanctions tournaments for adults, beginning with competitors as young as 13 years of age, as well as exclusive tournaments for specific age brackets ranging up to 70 years and over! This is also a great class to share some time for parent and teen.
Any new students should arrive for this first class at 6:15 for footwork preparation. Class will last until 7:45. The next three weeks class will meet from 6:45-7:45.
Youth classes are for ages 8 years through 18 years. Class will meet for four weeks.
Beginner classes for age 8-10: A weekly one hour session introduces students to fencing while improving coordination and critical thinking. Coaches use a mixture of fun games and discipline teach your child the basic fundamentals they need to begin fencing.
Beginner Classes for ages 8-18: This hour-long class introduces your child to each of the three Olympic style fencing weapons. Students learn to move and hit safely. They are introduced to the basic rules, footwork, blade work, and tactics of each weapon.
Family Beginner Classes: these are a great chance to get the whole family involved and learn a new sport.
The USA Fencing Association sanctions tournaments for youth, beginning with 10 and under programs. Boys and girls participate together locally, but compete separately at national tournament events. The coaches will use fencing games and lots of fun to introduce your child to this exciting sport!
Foothills Fencing Academy
1004 Piedmont Hwy
Piedmont, SC 29673
(864) 593-3684
[email protected]
http://www.foothillsfencing.com
One lucky KAG reader is going to win 4 weeks of beginner fencing lessons with our friends at Foothills Fencing Academy!
This giveaway starts now and ends at midnight on August 31, 2017. Good luck!
Our giveaway rules:
Has your family ever tried Fencing?
Kristina Hernandez is a mom of two girls, freelance writer and photographer and New Jersey native who is thrilled to call the Upstate her new home. She loves cooking, trying new foods, and checking out all that Greenville has to offer. Local mom Anna Artz heads out to the ball game to give us the inside scoop on what’s new this year for the Greenville Drive and Fluor Field. Also see our list of 5 tips for the perfect Greenville Drive game.
Summer is here and baseball season is at full swing with the Greenville Drive at Fluor Field at the West End! Renovated in the off season, we couldn’t wait to catch a few games and see the new enhancements to Greenville’s beloved minor league ballpark.
The first thing we noticed was the much grander North End entrance which featured a new digital Drive marquee sign and an expanded brick and stone paved plaza. Giant baseballs all in a row makes for an attractive and fun design element. Kids love to climb them and also a favorite spot for selfies.
In the middle of all this ruckus and seeming right at home, is the statue of “Shoeless” Joe Jackson which used to be outside a restaurant downtown. Did you know that before Jackson became a famous ballplayer, he was a mill worker at Brandon Mills in West Greenville? With his connection to Greenville’s past, “Shoeless” Joe’s new location is a great choice. The statue highlights the city’s mill town past and memories of old textile baseball leagues. Ballgames were already a popular form of recreation and community building back then.
On Augusta street, the East entrance has also been spruced up with the same vintage features and a marquee sign. Noticeably fresh from an earlier 2016 renovation is the renamed “The Iron Yard 500 Club.” You can sit by the bar or at the picnic tables and have a great view of the action behind first base. NOTE: In the weekends, inflatable attractions are usually located at the East entry, where junior players can hit a few balls for FREE.
New will-call ticket booths stand alongside the revamped Greenville Drive team store. Rolling barn doors offer more browsing space for souvenir shopping. Another piece of trivia, did you know that the store used to be a 1920’s firehouse? Shop and have a look at the original tin ceilings.
Fluor Field’s replica of Fenway’s famous Green Monster is now offering Green Monster views! The addition of 100 seats atop the Green Monster in the left field adds another Fenway Park touch to Fluor field. All season ticket holders will receive complimentary Green Monster seats for a game. For us regular folks, we can apply up to 4 Green Monster Seats up to 4 Drive games at $16. One thing for sure, bring sunscreen and a hat. Seats above the scoreboard are NOT covered. (Click on the link for more info).
Gone is the concrete bleacher-style seating of yore! Probably the most welcomed enhancement to the ballpark, sections 116 to 119 have new chair-back individual seating just like the rest of the stadium. A little bird told us that this is one of the best sections for catching foul balls.
Fluor Field has often been referred to as downtown’s “front porch.” As a nod to this, the Drive has turned its front office at the corner of Field and Markley Streets into the Front Porch lounge, a 2,700 square foot hospitality area for Drive ticket plan holders. The lounge offers comfortable indoor seating, a full-service bar, flat-screen televisions and other fun ballpark perks. Special tip: On Friday and Saturday nights, a special all-you-eat buffet packages are accessible to ALL game attendees. See website for more details.
One thing for sure, if you are catching a game, you can’t help but glance across the field and admire the Rooftop and wonder, “How did the people get up there?” The space is a new events venue atop the adjacent Fieldhouse building with its own express elevator. This area can accommodate up to 75 people, providing picturesque views of the ballpark and downtown Greenville. Another new venue is the all-new Champions Club. The Club offers over 3,700 square feet of space and can accommodate groups of 100-300 people.
Even with all the fancy renovations, ticket prices are still the most affordable family-oriented summer entertainment in town. Fridays are still the best time to watch with kids because of the fireworks. While Sunday is also fun because kids get to run on the bases at the end of the game.
The playground by the outfield is still there, but now thankfully sports a new sun cover. Picnic tables overlooking the grassy berm are still a hands-down favorite for stretching little legs and for foul balls behind third base. If ballpark food is your thing, the unique monthly themed hot dogs are a great twist. Tater tot dogs this June!
Finally, don’t forget to sign-up for Reedy Kid’s Club. Your child will receive a free cap, passport and other game day specials.
945 S. Main Street
Greenville, SC 29601
864.240.4528
See their season schedule here.
We hope we’ve enticed you to come see the new Fluor Field at the West End. Let’s root, root, root for the Greenville Drive!
A Greenville transplant, Anna, is a former fundraiser for art museums and charities in NY and NJ. Before heading south, her husband’s job brought them to Pune, Shanghai and her hometown, Manila. She and her family are happy to settle in Greenville and enjoy hiking the beautiful parks of the Upstate, visiting museums and historic places, and last but not least, hunting for the best BBQ in town.