Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in Charleston, SC

Many of our out-of-town visitors have been surprised to learn that Charleston doesn't have a real zoo. (The state's large zoo, Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, is located about two hours away in Columbia.) However, that doesn't mean there is a shortage of wildlife to be found. With our coastal location and love of all things maritime, it makes sense that the best place for spotting animals in Charleston is found by looking under the water (without getting wet) during a visit to the South Carolina Aquarium!

Prepare for your visit by learning about the different animals you'll see on exhibit. The aquarium website hosts a wealth of resources to help you plan your visit, including information about all of the habitats featured there, as well as the shows scheduled throughout the day.

Admission to the aquarium isn't cheap. At $17.00 per adult and $10.00 per child ages 2-11, a family of four would spend $54.00 on a single-day's visit. However, if you get a membership ($80 for an annual family pass), you'll pay for it in just one or two trips. Membership also gets you discounts in the gift shop, information about members-only programming, as well as the ability to head for the car mid-tantrum without feeling like you just dropped fifty bucks for the privilege of wrestling your toddler in a public place.

There are two places in the aquarium you should plan to linger. First up, the touch tank, where you can stick your hand in the water and get personal with a decorator sea urchin or a hermit crab*. The volunteers who staff this space really know their stuff, and if you hang around and ask questions, you'll be surprised how interesting and durable! these little critters are.

The other place we like to hang out is in front of the Great Ocean Tank, where sharks cruise by and Caretta the loggerhead sea turtle paddles along. Stand on the ledge at the front and look in. How many different kinds of fish can you and your child spot? Lessons on camoflauge, the food chain, and animal classification naturally emerge as you observe the ocean habitat.

There are also shows throughout the day, but a few favorites I'd recommend: Breakfast with the Otters at 10 am, and either of the two interactive Ocean Tank diver shows at 1:30 and 3 pm. (The first time she saw a diver in the tank, my daughter's head almost exploded. There was a diver! In the tank! And he was talking to us!)

Don't forget to stop on the terrace on your way in or on your way out for a killer view of the Cooper River Bridge and a chance to spot dolphins playing in the harbor!

*My favorite joke about hermit crabs, for the grown-ups, courtesy of comedian Demetri Martin: I'm going to buy a bunch of hermit crabs and make them live together. If people ask me if they're hermit crabs, I'll tell them, Not anymore. Now they're mingling crabs.'