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Posts Tagged ‘Preschool’

Eat and Play at These Kid Friendly Restaurants: Greenville, SC

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Are you looking for kid-friendly restaurants? Greenville, SC has several with play areas so your kids can burn off some steam while mom and dad might even be able to enjoy the food on their plates! We are sharing our list of family restaurants in Greenville, SC, and the surrounding area, including ones where your kids can make art while you eat, watch planes take off and land, or even get into a game of bowling.

Tight budget? Check out our list of Greenville Restaurants Where Kids Eat Free

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10 Great Ideas for Next Time Dad Has the Kids in Greenville, SC

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Planning some mom time and in need of kid-friendly things to do with Dads in Greenville, SC? We’re here to help with some Kidding Around and reader-tested ideas. Here’s a list of some of our favorite places in Greenville that would be perfect for Dad to enjoy with the kids. We have lots of free ideas and some low-cost options, too! 

Fun things to do with dads near Greenville, South Carolina
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Fun Things to Do with Your Preschooler Inside in Spartanburg, SC

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Are you looking for indoor things to do with preschoolers in Spartanburg, SC? If so, local mom, Juliet has some fantastic ideas of nearby indoor activities your preschooler will love! Check out her suggestions for indoor preschool hang-outs and let us know others in the comments.

Let’s face it, walking in a winter wonderland or enjoying a warm, sunny day sounds great in theory, but not so much with your spirited preschoolers in tow!  If extreme weather has nixed your usual outdoor activities and the dreaded cabin fever has hit your household like a ton of bricks, check out these low-cost, indoor activities in Spartanburg that are perfect for preschoolers.  Keep it handy for rainy days, too.

Spartanburg Science Center

Things to Do for Preschoolers Inside in Spartanburg, SC

The Children’s Museum of the Upstate – Spartanburg

Designed for children aged 5 and under, The Children’s Museum of the Upstate – Spartanburg is a cozy venue for letting little ones burn off some energy and explore. In addition to interactive exhibits for preschoolers, padded and contained areas on each of the museum’s two levels are designed for infants to crawl or cruise around safely while parents can keep an eye on an older, more independent sibling.

The museum also has an active events calendar of drop-in events, such as Random Acts of Science, Open Art Studios, and Story Time & More. Admission is $7-9 and children under the age of six months get in free. Admission is also included with a TCMU membership.

TCMU Spartanburg

The Spartanburg Science Center

Located on East Saint John Street in downtown Spartanburg, the John F. Green Spartanburg Science Center is a great way to spend a cold winter’s day.  With interactive exhibits, a reptile room, and Legos galore, preschoolers can easily spend several hours playing, exploring new concepts, and observing nature. 

Other exhibits include a robotic arm, a science mini-theatre with short films, and a 3-person Virtual Reality experience.  Check out the Spartanburg Science Center website for current hours, admission fees, and holiday/summer camp opportunities.

Westgate Mall Children’s Play Area

Looking for some free entertainment for the kiddos? Look no further than the local Westgate Mall!  An indoor play area- perfectly sized for little hands and feet to climb and jump- is located beside the Belk department store. Bring your extra quarters and send them around the tiny carousel nearby, too.

It’s rarely crowded during morning hours, and if you bring your stroller, you can even get in some fast-paced mall walking/exercise beforehand.  Head to the food court for a special lunch treat or dessert afterward.

Storytime and Playtime

We all know how important reading is for preschoolers, and Spartanburg has great options when it comes to making reading fun. The Spartanburg Public Library Headquarters, located in downtown Spartanburg, has a fantastic setup of indoor play tables with puzzles, light boards, manipulatives, and drawing tables.  Combine these self-paced play opportunities with a storytime full of songs, books, poetry, and the occasional puppet show, and you have a preschooler’s paradise. 

Check out Spartanburg Library Events for ALL the storytimes available in the county! Most storytimes follow up with a special child-led playtime – think of carts of toys! If you only get books at Spartanburg County Library, you are missing out!

Toddler Time at Big Air Trampoline Park Spartanburg

Every Wednesday and Thursday from 10 am -1 pm when Spartanburg District 6 schools are in session, Big Air caters to its littlest customers with their Toddler Time.  Ages 6 and under have three hours to roam all of Big Air’s attractions without the intimidation factor of older children.  Admission is $12 per jumper. Big Air even guarantees your little will play hard and nap harder!

Big Air Trampoline Park

Think outside the box

Looking for activities to get out of the house AND socialization opportunities for yourself and your preschooler?  Join a local moms club – where activities like indoor crafts, parties, and playdates are scheduled on a weekly basis, check out church groups for Bible studies or MOPS that are kid-friendly.  Join a gym with a childcare center or sign up for a weekly preschool gymnastics or music class.

What’s your favorite indoor activity for your little ones?

Indoor things to do in the Upstate, SC

For more things to do inside, see our Kidding Around Indoor Guide to Upstate, SC.

McPherson Park Has a Free Mini-Golf Course in Downtown Greenville, SC

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Have you been to McPherson Park? This popular park is one of the only parks to have mini-golf in Greenville, SC, and it’s FREE! Be sure to pack your own putters and balls and get ready for a great time. The park is located in downtown Greenville and has long been a family favorite. Find out all you need to know about McPherson Park below!

McPherson Park Mini Golf in Greenville SC
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Vacation Bible School Near Greenville, SC| VBS 2023

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Are you looking for VBS? Greenville, SC and Spartanburg, SC have dozens to choose from. Maybe you’re looking for the VBS closest to home, or maybe you’re looking to visit a Vacation Bible School that fits your vacation schedule! Either way, we’ve got the list of the 2023 VBS Greenville, SC, and Spartanburg, SC programs from June through August.  All of these have a link to the church so you can get all of their contact information, directions, and information.

This list is currently being updated for 2023.

For accuracy and to ensure that the programs were open to the public, we only listed VBS programs that were publicly listed online or submitted by the coordinator of the event. If you would like your church’s VBS program added or modified, please email [email protected].

While we try our best to provide accurate information, we always encourage our readers to check original sources before making plans. Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement.

This article includes:
June 2023 VBS in Greenville, SC
June 2023 VBS in Spartanburg, SC
July 2023 VBS in Greenville, SC
July 2023 VBS in Spartanburg, SC
August 2023 VBS in Greenville, SC
August 2023 VBS in Spartanburg, SC

Columbia-VBS-2-min

Looking for VBS programs in Columbia, SC? Here’s our 2023 Ultimate Guide to
VBS in Columbia, SC.

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Pop-up Classrooms at TCMU Spartanburg: Get Ready for Kindergarten FREE!

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Is your child about to enter kindergarten? TCMU Spartanburg is helping kids get ready to start school with totally free pop-up classrooms! Kids will have an opportunity to experience a classroom setting, learn and practice classroom skills, visit the museum, and the class includes take-home activities. The weekly classes are totally free. Below you’ll all the details about registration, what to expect, class requirements, and more.

About the Pop-up Classrooms at TCMU Spartanburg

The pop-up classroom program runs from June 5th -July 31st, 2023. Students and their caregivers will attend one 1-hour class one day a week. Classes are offered Monday -Friday at 1 pm or 3 pm. Attendance once per week is required to stay in the program.

The program is open to any rising kindergartener, both K4 and K5. In addition to the weekly classes, students and caregivers get free admission to the museum plus take-home activities.

Why Get Ready for Kindergarten at TCMU?

“The transition to Kindergarten is both exciting and challenging! Research shows that only 27% of South Carolina public school Kindergarteners entered the school year with sufficient skills, knowledge, and abilities to engage with Kindergarten-level instruction (WestEd, 2021). Pop-Up Classrooms, which are based on the South Carolina Kindergarten Readiness Assessment, The Spartanburg Academic Movement’s Early Development Instrument (EDI), and South Carolina First Step’s Profile of a Ready Kindergartner, are designed to help children with this important life transition. Each classroom session focuses on a different skill necessary for young learners to be successful in a real classroom and is structured similar to a normal school day. TCMU-Spartanburg’s museum classroom will be set up like a real classroom, to help familiarize young learners with this new type of environment. Children will have the opportunity for structured and unstructured play and take-home activities each week to continue learning at home.

Pop-Up Classrooms at TCMU-Spartanburg are partially funded by South Carolina First Steps.

How to Apply

You’ll need to fill out this form to apply for the Pop-Up Classroom program.

Space is limited and not all students will be accepted into the program. Applicants will be told if they have been accepted into the program by May 25th, 2023.

For more information about the program, visit TCMU Spartanburg Pop-Up Classroom website.

School bus

10+ Story Times: Greenville SC’s Fun Way to Instill a Love of Reading in Your Kids

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Are you looking for local story times? Greenville, SC has some wonderful options for story time with your kids. You’ll find story times at libraries, bookstores, museums, and more! Plus, there are also some wonderful virtual story times you can check out from home. Many of these events are completely free, and others like museums require regular admission.

You’ll often find these organized by day on our Kidding Around Greenville calendar, so don’t forget to check that when you are looking for something fun and educational to do.

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25+ Indoor Things to Do with Your Preschooler in Greenville, SC

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Searching for ‘things to do with preschoolers inside near me’? You’ve come to the right place. We’ve rounded up some of the best things to do with preschoolers inside in Greenville, SC. Let the indoor fun begin!

I love kids. I especially love my kid. Want to know what I don’t love? I do not love sitting at home for hours trying to come up with a variety of activities that both entertain and accommodate his non-existent attention span.  

Enter Kidding Around Greenville.

We have compiled a list of 25 things to inside to keep you and your preschooler busy! This list focuses on indoor and cold weather activities so stay tuned for a future sequel that focuses on the summer months. Of course, regardless of the weather outside unless the activity requires cold weather most of these activities are a fun choice any time of year!

Things to do in Greenville with preschoolers
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