Area attractions for young children? (Fort Mill, Welcome: amusement park, new home, camping)

[Seattlemom]

Hi All,
We just moved to the area. Any suggestions for fun outdoor activities or attractions for young children? I want to advantage of these warm but mild sunny days

Thanks much!

[FortMillBound]

Try Zuma Adventure center. Has indoor arcade, outdoor carnival type rides (good for very young kids), go-carts, bumper boats and miniature golf. They are in Pineville. My 3 year old loves it!

[lovethecarolinas]

Originally Posted by Seattlemom

Hi All,
We just moved to the area. Any suggestions for fun outdoor activities or attractions for young children? I want to advantage of these warm but mild sunny days

Thanks much!

Well, if you just moved to Baxter Village....you now have something that's pretty much in your own backyard (okay well not really...but it is close ). In my opinion it is one of the highlights of Fort Mill...it is the Anne Springs Close Greenway.


....Go for a hike
....Go horseback riding
....Check out the nature center
....Take the kids up the silo behind the dairy barn and look out over the top
....Or go Camping
....Or Cycling
....Take them on the swinging bridge
....Check out the animals (horses, goats, cattle, etc.)
....Search for tadpoles around the lakes
....Pack a picnic lunch and just enjoy!

Anne Springs Close Greenway

[kellyandmike]

I agree with lovethecarolinas about the greenway. Gorgeous way to spend an afternoon!!!

[MilesBFree]

Tega Cay has a lot of parks, a few public beaches, and a pool:

http://www.lakeshoreonlakewylie.com/amenities.php

I think this is the nature center to which lovesthecarolinas is referring:

http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Park+and+Rec/Inside+The+Department/Divisions/Stewardship+Services/Nature+Preserves/McDowell.htm (broken link)

Lots to see and do there.

Also, even little kids like the Stowe Botanical Gardens, even if just because of the space to stretch their legs. They have special events such as the one last fall when they had a lot of displays and activities for younger kids such as pumpkin painting, a maze, and educational displays.

http://www.dsbg.org/

I took our 3-year old to a Knights game (AAA baseball) and she loved it! The mascot, a dragon, was a big hit, as was the merry-go-round they had there.

http://www.charlotteknights.com/

Carowinds is supposed to have a lot of things for even the smaller ones, but I have note been yet:

http://www.carowinds.com/

There is tons more to do, but those are the big ones that come immediately to mind.

Water ski shows in Tega Cay:

http://www.carolinashowski.com/

[lovethecarolinas]

This is a very nice post MilesBFree but I would like to make a couple of corrections:

While Tega Cay does have quiet a few parks, pool and a couple of beaches...they are not all open to the public. My advice would be to make sure to look for signs as some areas are permit parking only (for example: Windjammer Park) or you run the risk of receiving a ticket.

Now not trying to squash the party here...so I would also like to add that any events that are held within Tega Cay are always open to the public. For example: Waterski shows (these are a blast, and free...although get there early because parking fills up fast), Summer Concerts, Fourth of July events, Fall Festival, etc.

In regard to the nature center (while McDowell is nice) the one I was speaking about is located within the Anne Springs Greenway located in Fort Mill (while not as big as the McDowell center...it is there )

Originally Posted by MilesBFree

Tega Cay has a lot of parks, a few public beaches, and a pool:

Find a new home in the Lake Shore on Lake Wylie community.

I think this is the nature center to which lovesthecarolinas is referring:

McDowell (http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Park+and+Rec/Inside+The+Department/Divisions/Stewardship+Services/Nature+Preserves/McDowell.htm - broken link)

Lots to see and do there.

Also, even little kids like the Stowe Botanical Gardens, even if just because of the space to stretch their legs. They have special events such as the one last fall when they had a lot of displays and activities for younger kids such as pumpkin painting, a maze, and educational displays.

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

I took our 3-year old to a Knights game (AAA baseball) and she loved it! The mascot, a dragon, was a big hit, as was the merry-go-round they had there.

Welcome to charlotteknights.com

Carowinds is supposed to have a lot of things for even the smaller ones, but I have note been yet:

Carowinds | North and South Carolina's Themed Amusement Park

There is tons more to do, but those are the big ones that come immediately to mind.

Water ski shows in Tega Cay:

Carolina Show Ski Team