Fall Fun for Families
Whether you want to teach your toddler about nature or learn to catch a crab, we have a slate of new family and kid-friendly programs coming up this fall. We want to grow our park and nature lovers early and there’s no better way to instill an appreciation of the great outdoors than by spending family time learning in the parks.
So grab the family calendar and mark these dates:
Garden Sprouts: A Nature Series for Toddlers and Their Parents
9:30-10:15 a.m. Tuesdays, Nov. 1, Nov. 8, Nov. 15, Nov. 29
Hazel Parker Playground, 70 E. Bay St., Charleston
Cost: $40
Toddlers will learn about gardening and nature through cooperative play and sharing time. Each class will include a lesson with songs and stories, a nature walk, parachute play and an insect or animal interaction. The indoor play area has four stations: a farmer’s market, gardening area, educational puzzles and blocks and an art center. This is not a drop-off class. Payment includes one child aged 18 months to 3 years and an adult chaperone. Infant siblings welcome.
Garden Shoots: A Nature Series for Preschoolers and Their Parents
1:15-2 p.m. Tuesdays, Nov. 1, Nov. 8, Nov. 15, Nov. 29
Hazel Parker Playground, 70 E. Bay St., Charleston
Cost: $40
Toddlers will learn about gardening and nature through cooperative play and sharing time. Each class will include a lesson with songs and stories, a nature walk, parachute play and an insect or animal interaction. The indoor play area has four stations: a farmer’s market, gardening area, educational puzzles and blocks and an art center. This is not a drop-off class. Payment includes one child aged 2-5 years and an adult chaperone. Infant siblings welcome.
Feeling Crabby? Beat the Blues on Daniel Island
3:30-4:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 9
Daniel Island Waterfront Park and Trails, adjacent to 101 River Landing Drive, Daniel Island
Cost: $10 per adult/child pair; $10 each additional child
Get the family out in the sunshine with the Charleston Parks Conservancy for a nature walk and crab talk at Daniel Island Waterfront Park and Trails. Get up close and personal with blue crabs, South Carolina’s “beautiful swimmers.” Learn about the salt marsh and net fiddler crabs. Suitable for children aged 4-10. Registration includes one child and one adult. This is not a drop-off class. Meet at the fishing pier on Daniel Island Waterfront Park and Trails (adjacent to 101 River Landing Drive).
History and hot chocolate bicycle tour of Daniel Island
3-4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 13
Daniel Island Waterfront Park and Trails, adjacent to 101 River Landing Drive, Daniel Island
Cost: $10 per person in advance; $15 day of the event
Bring your bike and join the Charleston Parks Conservancy for a historical bicycle tour of Daniel Island. The childhood home of master blacksmith Phillip Simmons, the area has a rich history in the timber, brick making lime, and truck farming industries. The tour will have breaks at the Lesesne graveyard and at the Conservancy’s pocket garden in Etiwan Park. Meet at 3 p.m. at Waterfront Park, adjacent to 101 River Landing Drive, Daniel Island. To pay by check in advance, contact Mary Horton at mhorton@charlestonparksconservancy.org.
Learn to Crab
10 a.m. to Noon Saturday, Nov. 19
Daniel Island Waterfront Park and Trails, adjacent to 101 River Landing Drive, Daniel Island
Cost: $20 per person
Did you know fall is the best time to harvest large blue crabs in South Carolina? Join the Charleston Parks Conservancy for crabbing. Each participate will receive one drop net to use and take home. We’ll supply the bait. The class will be set up for catch and release; however, if you choose to keep your crabs (larger than 5 inches), please bring a cooler (with ice) or a bucket. We’ll have crab recipes on hand.
Holiday in the Garden: A Craft Program for Children Ages 6 to 11
9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 17
Hazel Parker Playground, 70 E. Bay St., Charleston
Cost: $40
Finish up your shopping while the kids make a few gifts of their own. We will create garden-themed holiday crafts, including botanical bobbles and nature-inspired cards. When we’re not crafting, we’ll play reindeer games, sip on hot chocolate and enjoy some holiday cookies.
For more information on any of these events, contact education coordinator Mary Horton at mhorton@charlestonparksconservancy.org or 843-724-5003.