Rounding up our favorite things to do in Charleston with kids today! Nic and I lived down here for about 2 years and of course have our favorite spots – but we took the girls with us the last time we visited and so we adjusted our itinerary a little bit. I thought I’d share some of our trip favorites with you today in case you’re venturing to Charleston with kids, too!

1. Explore Downtown + Rainbow Row

No visit is complete to Charleston without a walk to take in the beautiful, historical homes. Bonus: Make sure to visit the iconic Rainbow Row – a collection of colorful Georgian homes – there’s also a lil’ playground, the Hazel Parker playground, across the street. Start around East Bay Street and venture from there – There are so many special lil’ places both adults and kids will love to explore. Gas streetlights, cobblestone streets, and old oak trees are aplenty!

2. Shem Creek

This spot is a lil’ gem of Charleston. Eat at Red’s + watch the dolphins swimming in the creek! Or better yet, rent a kayak and explore the creek on your own.

3. Put your Toes in the Sand.

In my opinion, Sullivan’s Island is the best Beach in Charleston for families. There’s plenty of beach space, the waves are low, and you’re close to a ton of fantastic restaurants. We visited Sullivan’s every day during our last trip to Charleston. We also have a special place in our hearts for Folly Beach as this was the beach we’d visit nearly every weekend years ago. Or, you could venture out to Isle of Palms, a popular family spot.

4. Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry

We spent an entire morning at the downtown Children’s Museum and we had to peel the girls away when we were ready to leave. Their favorite exhibits were the art studio, Publix Market, and the pirate ship.

5. South Carolina Aquarium

On a super hot or a rainy day, you can’t beat the South Carolina Aquarium. Be sure to visit Liberty, their resident bald eagle, as well as the touch tank!

6. Kid-Friendly Food

Charleston has no shortage of amazingly delicious restaurants! It’s a major foodie city with a vibrant culinary scene. However, as we’ve found with kids, it’s not always easy to find a place that offers something for everyone as well as menu options that are family budget-friendly.

Hands down, our favorite meal that checked all of the boxes was at Basic Kitchen. The girls LOVED their kids’ menu (salmon + the pb&j were hits) and we not only loved our food but also the laid-back + cool atmosphere. We actually went here twice during our trip we enjoyed it so much! We also loved The Daily for breakfast (again, went here twice), Miller’s All Day, and Taco Boy on Folly Beach! They had live music that night and Ava still talks about it.

7. Eat Ice Cream

Is it even family vacation if it doesn’t involve ice cream? Standouts for us were Beardcats on Sullivan’s Island, Off Track in downtown Charleston, and of course our beloved Jeni’s.

8. Explore Charleston’s parks + playgrounds.

We are huge fans of finding parks + playgrounds while on vacation. The girls love exploring new places, it’s free, and it gives us a little downtime from entertaining them, too! Charleston has a ton of great options – our favorites are Alhambra, Pitt Street Bridge Park, and Colonial Lake Park. This is a fantastic round-up of all of the area’s best playgrounds.

9. Swim at a hotel pool.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at The Beach Club, which is just over the bridge from downtown in Mt. Pleasant. They had multiple pools, on-site restaurants, their very own lil’ beach, and gorgeous, spacious rooms. This place books up quickly though! For the second half of our trip, we stayed at the historic + newly renovated Mills House Hotel, a gorgeous pink hotel in the heart of the city. They had a pool, too! It was kid-friendly but I’d say The Beach Club was the better option for kids between the two.

10. Take a tour.

Last but not least – take a tour! Charleston offers so many different tours – ghost tours and carriage tours are a good way to explore the downtown area. For education and history, hop on a boat to see where the first shots of the Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter, the USS Yorktown, and multiple plantations, including Magnolia, Boone Hall, and Middleton Place.

We had a fantastic trip and can’t wait to back!!! You can read more of our travel posts, here!

The post 10 Things to Do in Charleston with Kids first appeared on amanda party + home.

The post 10 Things to Do in Charleston with Kids appeared first on amanda party + home.