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

Urban Wildlife: Bee City

by Nicole Teed

April 13, 2009

Take a family with a good-sized piece of land and a thing for honeybees, mix in some domestic and exotic animals in a petting zoo, and throw in a restaurant and gift shop for good measure -- that should give you a good idea of what to anticipate for a day trip to Bee City.

Getting There: Follow the directions on the website and it's surprisingly easy to find. If you're leaving from West Ashley or downtown Charleston and want a nice drive in the country, you can take Hwy 61 (Ashley River Rd) the whole way there.  They're only open to the general public on Fridays and Saturdays most of the year.  Parking can be a bit of a bear if it's a busy day. Get there early to avoid crowds.

Main Attractions: While a name like "Bee City" might make you believe that bees will be the focus of your visit, the observable hive and bee-related education classroom actually sit off from the main building.  Be sure to go there, though -- it's a great window into bee life.  If your children are like mine, however, you'll spend most of your time in the petting zoo.  There are the usual suspects, to be sure: goats, bunnies, donkeys, even llamas and alpacas.  But my daughter loved the monkeys and lemurs the best, with their gentle little hands that steal "Monkey-Os" and (occasionally) shiny objects from your hand. There were also wallabies, the largest hares I've ever seen, a collection of gorgeous pheasants, and a koi pond. The petting zoo costs $3 admission for everyone ages 3 and up, plus you'll probably want some animal food for the tour ($3 as well).  I can honestly say that our outing there last Friday was the most fun my children and I have had for under $10 in a long time!

Food and Drink: You are welcome to bring a picnic lunch and enjoy it at the tables outside.  There is also a cafe inside the main building that serves up delicious home cooking.  We ate at the cafe during our visit, and I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the food and absolutely thrilled with the family-friendly service.

Groups:  If you are a member of a playgroup (or you just have a lot of friends), plan ahead for a group program.  Costs range from $3 (petting zoo and talk only) to $10 (petting zoo, program, plus honey and beeswax crafts to make and take).  You'll need 15 kids minimum to pre-schedule, but if you can make it happen your group can have the place to itself during the week.

Making Spring (Break) Special: Day Trips and Activities

by Nicole Teed

March 30, 2009

Most of the local preschools and all of the Charleston County Public schools have spring break coming up this month. I look forward to spending those extra hours with my kids, but know that I need to plan some special outings in order for all of us to maintain some excitement and prevent the cries of, "I'm boooooored." Here are a few of the half-day trips and activities I'm considering for that week. (If you don't have a spring break to plan, consider these ideas for spring weekends!)

Tuesday Top Five: Local Ways to Get Your Farm On

by Nicole Teed

March 10, 2009

I really wanted the farmer's market to be open last Saturday.  The weather was perfect to head downtown Saturday morning and pick up some fresh produce while enjoying lemonade and boiled peanuts.  Sigh.  Soon, though, the markets will be returning and the produce will be flowing from local farms.  Here are some great ways to bring the farm home to your family, and to get your family out to the farm!

Tuesday Top Five: Five Savvy Ways to Entertain Your Child on a Roadtrip

by Nicole Teed

March 03, 2009

We're heading out of town this weekend for a little beach-to-mountain family vacation, which means we'll be spending hours on the road with two small children.  I'm one of those rare people that looks forward to roadtrips, probably because they satisfy a greater wanderlust.  While I'd be happy to chat with my husband, listen to CDs or read a book during the time on the road, my children are not quite so easily entertained.  While we do indulge in some DVD-watching (on the iPod -- lightweight and easy to manage), you can't do that the whole time.  Here are a few roadtrip hacks collected over the years that might inspire you next time you strap them into carseats and head out of town!

Holiday weekend fun!

by Nicole

November 28, 2008

I think everyone must be out shopping, because there aren't a lot of scheduled events for families this weekend. The James Island County Park Holiday Festival of Lights continues nightly this weekend. Don't miss it! Usher the holiday season in with Santa's arrival at the Mount Pleasant Town Centre, TODAY, Friday, November 28 at noon. Free. Several of Charleston's main family  Read more...

It's time to go to the fair!

by Nicole

October 08, 2008

Fried dough, spinning rides and blue-ribbon pigs -- it must be time for the fair! The South Carolina State Fair opens today in Columbia, running from October 8 through Sunday, October 19. Opening day hosts a special price on admission -- just $1 gate entry for everyone! After that, regular admission is $8 for ages 6 & up and $2 for kids ages 2-5 (with kids under 2 free). There are daily  Read more...

Fall fun on the farm!

by Nicole

October 02, 2008

If you want to pick your own pumpkins, get lost in a corn maze, or just enjoy good clean (or dirty, as the case may be) fun at a farm, then fall is going to be YOUR SEASON. Here's a round-up of the local farms offering ways to enjoy some beautiful fall weekends. Legare Farms -- The ninth generation of the Legare family still operates this working farm on Johns Island. In October, they open the  Read more...

Day trip: baby does beaufort

by Nicole

September 22, 2008

What do you do with a free Sunday, a tank full of gas, and a wanderlust? Why, you go for a drive, of course! About an hour and a half south of Charleston lies Beaufort, SC -- tucked between the quiet of Edisto and the resort of Hilton Head, with a personality somewhere in between, just as the location might suggest. We went yesterday for the first time and had such a fabulous day I  Read more...

Daytrip adventure: bear island wildlife management area

by Nicole

August 25, 2008

My husband has a remarkable wanderlust -- one that has taken him to several continents and that seems to take our family in search of hidden corners of the Lowcountry. This weekend we headed south to the Bear Island Wildlife Management Area . What a gem! This place is a beautiful wetland refuge low on facilities but full of wildlife spotting opportunities. We drove back into the marsh along the  Read more...

Field trip: angel oak, johns island

by Nicole

August 21, 2008

Picnics in the park are great. Picnics in the park under a tree older than the United States are awesome and provide a kickin' backdrop to talk about ecology, reflect on history and play hide-and-seek in the branches! The Angel Oak Tree sits in a humble park set off the road near the intersection of Maybank Highway and Main Road on Johns Island, about 40 minutes from downtown Charleston. There  Read more...

Three days in Charleston: day 3 choose your own adventure!

by Nicole

July 10, 2008

You've got one last day in Charleston. So many options, so little time. Unless you can extend your stay (or simply move here), you're going to have to make some tough choices about how to spend your last day in the beautiful Holy City. Which adventure will you choose: Look for gators in the swamp? Set sail for history? Or see the glory of the old South at a plantation? Only you can decide.  Read more...

Three days in Charleston: day 1 downtown Chucktown

by Nicole

July 08, 2008

While some of us are lucky enough to live here in Charleston, our fair city also has a fair number of people smart enough to have chosen it as their destination for a vacation. For the next three days, we're going to be talking through a plan to make the most of three days vacation in Charleston with preschool children. Today, I'll make some recommendations for downtown, tomorrow we'll get wet  Read more...

Sail Away: Boat Safety for Kids

by Nicole

June 26, 2008

We're meeting some friends in Edisto this weekend for some summertime fun. They are some of our best friends, not just because we like them a lot, but because they have a boat. (Just kidding!) But while boating can be a great outdoor activity for the whole family, it's most enjoyable when done safely. If you're getting out on the waterways this summer in a watercraft (does anyone besides the  Read more...

Tales from Four Holes Swamp

by Nicole

June 25, 2008

We had a family outing this weekend to Four Holes Swamp/Francis Beidler Forest , as we wanted to share this special place with my in-laws visiting from Arizona. A short drive from Charleston just off of I-26, this swamp boasts the world's largest stand of virgin cypress-tupelo forest. And that forest is home to lots of critters: snakes, birds, and turtles have been seen on every visit we've  Read more...

How to Cultivate the Tiniest Green Thumb

by Nicole

May 26, 2008

I'll be frank: I'm a vegetarian, cloth-diapering, thrift-store-shopping mother who has been dubbed the "recycling Nazi" for berating certain family members for tossing out plastic bottles. While folks in Berkeley or somewhere equally self-important might call me a lightweight, around these parts, I'm about as crunchy as they come. This spring and summer, we've been really focused on food --  Read more...