By Sarah Ostergaard
Oh yay, it’s summer vacation. But oh my, I’m tired already. Looking for engaging ways to keep the kiddos occupied, experiencing new things, and off the electronics as a default? Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, big sibling, or sitter, even if you work full time, our children have much more free time in the day and evening in the summertime than during the school year. Free time can be glorious, full of creativity and exploration. It can also be exhausting or expensive to fill. What to do? Three no-cost options are below.
Check out the local library summer reading events. Both Lexington and Richland county libraries host wonderful programs that are free for anyone to attend. Sometimes registration is needed to make sure there are enough supplies for everyone, so make sure you look on the library website, call, or visit for the calendars and details of events that include balloon twisting, jewelry making, Carolina Wildlife, pajama storytime, and more. You don’t need a library card to attend, but while you’re there you may want to get one so you and the kiddos can borrow books. Children (and adults.) can earn prizes for reading; track reading time on the summer reading app or on a paper chart.
Have you heard about geocaching? It’s the world’s largest treasure hunt, a free outdoor activity that everyone can enjoy. Go to the website – https://www.geocaching.com/play – to create an account. Then you can search for a few geocaches every day for free. Geocaching is an outdoor treasure hunt that uses your phone’s GPS. In geocaching, participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the “geocache” (usually a container or marker) at that location. Some of the larger geocaches may allow you to swap trinkets and sign a paper log; some geocaches are tiny. Download the free geocaching app, read descriptions of some geocaches in your area, and go for a walk or a drive and track them down. Log your finds in the app and the location is saved on the map with a smiley face icon. Geocaches are ranked by size, terrain, and difficulty levels; some of the more difficult geocaches can be downright sneaky. Go for a walk: Saluda Shoals Park (entrance fee $5 per vehicle) maintains some excellent and fun geocaches. Go for a drive: there are geocaches hidden all over the Harbison Boulevard shopping areas, right under your nose.
The Columbia Museum of Art is free for all SC residents through September 1, thanks to a grant. Show proof of residency and you can tour the galleries at no cost. If the kiddos aren’t super excited about an art museum, you can show them how magical it can be. In the air-conditioned galleries, you can encourage younger children to spy something yellow (for example) and the older kids can read descriptions to find works of art from a European country or right here in South Carolina (for example). Or take paper and pencil and children can create their own works of art inspired by what they see and feel. There is also a play area inside the museum and there are ready-made scavenger hunts (just ask.). Take the visit in small chunks: wander around a gallery; go outside to the plaza for a bite to eat from a local restaurant or packed from home; wander through the galleries some more; take time to go outside and run around. For the littles, there is storytime at the museum every Wednesday at 10 am. If you work during the day, the museum is open until 8 pm on Thursdays and weekends from 10 am to 5 pm. Learn more here: https://www.columbiamuseum.org/.
These are just a few free summertime activities for all ages. What are some of your favorites? Look for this article on the New Irmo News Facebook page and comment with more suggestions for local, no-cost summertime fun. Let’s start a dialogue.
