Fun Things To Do With Kids In Charleston SC

Beautiful, oozing with history, and with great food to boot, the top things to do with kids in Charleston SC are possibly even more fun than the things you’d do here without them! Charleston SC is easy to navigate, the weather is (usually) great and it’s a friendly city that welcomes smaller visitors.

As a teacher I’m always on the hunt for fun things to do with kids in cities I visit, and we’ve put together the best things to do in Charleston with kids, that will be great fun for adults and children alike! The perfect holiday to do list for a family visit to Charleston SC.

Quick List For Things To Do With Kids In Charleston SC

the riverside is one of the best places to visit with kids in charleston sc — The best things to do with kids in Charleston SC – *This post contains affiliate links*

Great Charleston family museums and attractions

Getting outdoors with kids in Charleston SC

Free things to do with kids in Charleston SC

Charleston Family Museums And Attractions

Museums in Charleston SC — Museums – Top things to do with kids in Charleston SC

Top Tip: If you plan to visit more than one of the attractions listed below, you should consider getting a Charleston tour pass, which will save you heaps of money on entrance prices and includes lots of special features!

The Charleston Museum

One of the top things to do with kids in Charleston SC has to be a visit to the Charleston Museum. They have really catered to the engaged and open minds of children with their numerous children’s programs. Kids can take part in special themed events, tours dedicated to kids, history workshops and even special toddler groups for children up to three.

You could easily spend half a day here exploring the exhibitions and you’ll love it just as much as the kids!

South Carolina Aquarium

a little kid exploring charleston aquarium — Explore Charleston Aquarium

Dive into the South Carolina Aquarium for a real break from the norm (Charleston isn’t just pretty houses and incredible cuisine!) Kids will absolutely love this aquarium, with a dedicated kids area that teaches them how the aquarium works in a hands on way and most importantly, a touch tank where the kids can get up, close and personal with some of their favourite sea creatures!

Perhaps the most exciting feature of all is the absolutely huge tank where you’ll be rubbing noses with sharks and other majestic sea animals found in our oceans. It will be a day your kids will remember for a long time to come!

Top Tip: Weekends and holidays book up quickly so you’ll want to buy your tickets in advance.

Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry

This is an absolutely awesome place for kids – they really have thought of everything. They aim to encourage learning through play (something I’m a huge believer in). They have an art room, a sensory play area, a garden, and even some great role play areas including a pirate ship! There’s an infant and toddler room too so all ages are guaranteed to have fun here.

Fort Sumter National Monument

the canons at fort sumter in charleston sc — A fun thing to do with kids in Charleston SC

This is a must do trip to take for both adults and kids in Charleston SC. Fort Sumter is one of the most iconic places, where America’s most deadly war began, and makes for a really interesting trip. Kids are sure to love the ferry ride over where you’ll be able to keep watch for dolphins and sea birds.

Historical Walking Tour With Storytelling

For slightly older kids this walking tour is a great option for things to do with kids in Charleston SC. As Charleston has such a vibrant history, with looting, pirates and patriots, learning about what happened here years ago is fascinating. Throw in some exciting stories and the kids will be just as interested as you are.

Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon

the charleston sc dungeons! — Just don’t visit right before bed!

Kids love to be told spooky tales of times gone by and what better place to hear them than in a real-life dungeon! Take a tour of Charleston’s Old Exchange building in historic downtown, including the dungeon where pirates and Revolutionary War prisoners were held. This is fantastic to get their imaginations all fired up – but you might want to give it a few hours till bedtime after this spooky tour!

North Charleston Fire Museum

This is the perfect place to take fireman Sam obsessed boys and girls. The museum houses a huge range of vintage firetrucks and has some great hands on exhibitions especially designed for wanna be fire men and women. Entrance is included in the Charleston tour pass.

Getting Outdoors With Kids In Charleston SC

old gardens in charleston sc — Fun things to do outside with kids in Charleston SC

Pirate Cruise

This pirate adventure cruise is a thrill-seeking voyage into the Historic Ashley River. Before setting sail on the Black Ghost every child will be transformed into an official member of the Black Ghost Crew, and will have treasure maps to read and sea shanties to sing. It’s the perfect activity for any tiny Charleston tourist.

Nature and Wildlife Boat Tours

One of the best ways to get outdoors in Charleston is by the sea, and there’s no better way of doing that by booking onto one of the many fun and informative nature and wildlife tours. The professionals know all the best places to spot the wealth of creatures that live in this diverse eco-system (and they know how to make it great fun for kids of all ages!) We’ve got some great choices for you below.

Cruise through Lowcountry tidal creeks and marshes en route to the uninhabited Morris Island on this eco boat cruise from the Charleston area. A private boat company launches from Bowens Island for the scenic ride through an estuary rich in biodiversity before a soft landing on Morris Island. Spend free time to taking photos of the historic Morris Island Lighthouse, combing for seashells, and looking out for birds, sea turtles, and dolphins before your return.

a shell on the beach — Do something different with your kids in Charleston SC

Shell hunting has been taken to the next level in this Charleston shell hunting exhibition. After a relaxing boat ride along the beautiful Charleston waterfront, disembark onto this unspoiled barrier island while our naturalist amazes you with historical facts, ecology, tideline critters, and tips on finding wonderful seashells, sharks teeth, and more.

Dolphin Safari Stand Up Paddleboarding

a child on a stand up paddleboard in charleston sc — The perfect activity for older kids

For kids over 8, this is a great activity to do with children in Charleston. Stand up paddle boarding is challenging enough to not be boring but easy enough that kids will be able to pick it up quickly. With the beautiful countryside surrounding Charleston you certainly won’t get bored of the views, and this dolphin safari paddleboarding experience is the dream trip for any kid – even if you don’t end up spotting one. Perhaps it will even tire the kids out enough for them to get an early night! Here’s hoping!

High Ropes Adventure Course

a high ropes course in charleston sc — Test your limits as a family!

One of the scariest things to do with kids in Charleston (especially if you’re afraid of heights!) has to be this high ropes adventure course! Bond as a family as you make your way around this play gym in the sky and test each other’s limits as you take on obstacles while suspended from ropes. This is suitable for kids above 4 years of age and is the perfect way to run off some steam in Charleston SC.

Charleston Speedboat Tour

For adrenaline junkie kids, this is the perfect thing to do in Charleston SC! Only suitable for kids over 3 years old, but ideal to get the blood pumping and an experience they won’t ever forget. This speedboat tour of the beautiful harbour of Charleston is run by a professional instructor and all safety equipment is provided.

Free Things To Do With Kids In Charleston SC

Head To The Beach

a pair of sunglasses on a south carolina beach — One of the best free things to do with kids in Charleston SC

Charleston is surrounded by big, beautiful, sandy beaches which are perfect for family picnics, games of volleyball and building sandcastles. The closest public beaches (about a 20 minute drive away) are on the Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island. Isle of Palms has the better facilities of the two with public restrooms and some nice options for snacks! Sullivan’s Island is beautiful but a little more ‘rough and ready’ – only in comparison, it’s still a fantastic beach option!

Waterfront Park

There is lots to see here for kids and parents – it’s a must-see spot when visiting Charleston and is especially nice in the sunshine when you can make the most of all those pretty water features! Kids will enjoy swinging on the giant swings on the promenade and looking for fishes off the pier.

As you can see, Charleston is bursting at the seams with things to do with kids and it’s a fantastic place to head on a family holiday. If you’re planning a trip here then we’d love to know how you get on, or if you have more ideas for great things to do with kids in Charleston then let us know in the comments section below!

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