Places
I am slowly adding all of our favorite places in Charleston – kid and adult friendly. Check back as this page will grow! Last updated 2/4/2018
This is quite possibly my favorite place in the Lowcountry. It is a must. I went here as a child with my family. My main memory is collecting bags and bags of sand dollars and coming home with hair that was so tangled my Dad had to brush it out which was not a normal Dad activity in my family. Before Luke started his own business 8 years ago, he captained the ferry boat that takes people to the island. I would go out with him on my days off. We explored all over and saw so much amazing wildlife like alligators, a huge egret rookery, a roseate spoonbill which are super rare and even a fox one time. We’ve been wanting to take the kids here for years but it’s not necessarily an easy trip with kids. You can get to the island by riding the ferry or taking your own boat. We trailered our boat to Garris Landing in Awendaw. The trip to the island is very tidally influenced so if you take your own boat, be careful. The ferry is the simplest way to get there.They have a naturalist on board who has lots of great information. The trails are passable with a stroller but a child carrier would work too. The hike to the beach is a little over a mile. It’s a little further to the boneyard beach which is my favorite part of the island. You can hike back through alligator alley and get to see tons of gators. Don’t worry, no one has ever been eaten:) We took our bikes so that we could get to see as much as possible. Elle rode in a child seat on Luke’s bike and the baby rode in a carrier on my back, which I felt okay about since the ground was soft everywhere. I”d also recommend this trip before it gets too hot and the bugs come out. If you’d like some more details or tips, message me at laurenskijones@gmail.com or through the comments at the bottom of the page. It is truly a special place. Very pristine.
DHP is over 600 acres of swamp and upland forest near Hollywood, SC. It’s about a 45 minute drive from Charleston and well worth it! We took the kids here the day after Christmas and hiked all around. It was perfect for us because the trails were very easy to navigate with a stroller. We hiked about 1.5 miles down to a beautiful swamp area with a dike running through it. The entire trip was pretty but the swamp was really stand out. This is a super easy day trip to do with kids. Pack a lunch, picnic blanket, first aid kit, stroller and any other necessities. On the day that we went, we saw about 4 other sets of people. The parking lot is small so I’m thinking that it is probably never crowded. I’d also suggest going when it’s cool enough that the bugs aren’t bad. This is definitely an “off the beaten path” trip.
Open October 7th – October 29th
This pumpkin patch is on a working a farm which makes it very cool and interesting but also a little messy. Wear long pants and boots and prepare to get either muddy or dusty. The best part of this farm is the hay ride where you are taken to the cow field and given pellets to feed the cows. Again, it’s awesome and disgusting. Cows have long, slobbery tongues. They will suck your whole hand into their mouths when you try to feed them but don’t worry because they aren’t born with top teeth so they don’t bite. Fleet (7yo) had the most fun feeding the cows. Luke (6yo) enjoyed throwing the food onto the ground for the cows to eat. Elle (2yo) didn’t want anything to do with it! After the hayride you can feed a variety of goats, sheep, donkeys, rabbits and pigs. They pigs and cows seem to have free reign over the property, or at least they did when we were there. Elle was terrified when a cow walked up as she was on her way to the bathroom with her brothers. They also have a playground and plenty of space to run around. There are plenty of pumpkins to chose from and even some concessions.
Strawberry Picking at Ambrose Family Farms
This is one of my favorite spring time activities. For all the details about our most recent visit click here.
There are several historic plantations along HWY 61 including Magnolia, Drayton Hall and our favorite, Middleton Place. The grounds here are amazing. They also have farm animals including sheep, horses, cows and water buffalo. While your here, plan to do a kayak tour with my favorite person ever via Charleston Kayak Company.
The Aquarium never ceases to amaze. From the spectacular views of the harbor to the albino alligator, loggerhead sea turtle rescue center, sting ray touch tank . . . this place never disappoints. It’s expensive but worth it. If you think you will go more than one time in a year, buy a pass. Right now they have a pretty cool lego display going on as well. There are little stations all over the place for kids to stop and play for a few minutes like logs to climb through, a pirate ship to play on and a lego station. My kids are always awed and I love watching their little faces.
River Dogs at Joe Riley Stadium
River Dogs games are a blast. They are fun for everyone, seriously, college kids to families. Read here and here for some of our favorite things about the games.
The Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry
The Children’s Museum has something for all ages. They have a sweet little baby and toddler room with soft toys and small jungle gyms. They have a pretend grocery store, pirate ship, building room with real tools, art room, water room and castle. It’s pretty awesome. It does get crowded but my kids have a blast here. Tip: Friday afternoons are very quiet. I’ve just learned about a program where you can get a free pass to the museum through the library but the wait list is pretty long so go ahead and sign up! If you have an aquarium pass you can get $10 off your museum pass.
Charlestowne Landing
SK8 Charleston
Parks Around Town – that have playgrounds
Sunrise Park
James Island County Park
Palmetto Islands County Park
Folly Pirate Park
Folly Surf Park
Park Beside Aquarium
Riverland Terrace Park
Brittlebank Park
