Things To Do With Kids
Rain or shine and whatever your interests, the NC Triad has countless outdoor adventures to educate and excite every child. Tour a children’s museum or zoo and explore the local state parks offering a wide range of fun activities — the NC Triad is unparalleled in its ability to offer experiences that will last a lifetime.
Lionfish and Tigers and Bearded Lizards—Oh My!
The Triad is home to a couple of animal-filled attractions ready to welcome you and your kids.
With an on-site aquarium, museum, and zoo, the Greensboro Science Center is an exceptional all-in-one location for education and conservation. Don’t miss the African penguins in the Wiseman Aquarium or the museum’s “touch labs,” where kids are encouraged to conduct hands-on learning about lizards and snakes. It’s a great place for outdoor and indoor activities when rain is forecasted.
If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind experience with the animals at the Greensboro Science Center, be sure to sign up for a VIP Experience or Inside Tracks session. These allow kids to meet keepers at the center, observe training and enrichment sessions held away from public view, or even assist with feeding the animals! There’s also a theater and carousel your kids will love.
Add the North Carolina Zoo to your family trip itinerary, and prepare for a memorable journey through the “largest natural habitat zoo” worldwide. The Asheboro attraction is home to more than 1,800 animals and around five miles of walking trails that lead to animal exhibits, including the giraffe deck, a carousel and butterfly garden, and the Treehouse Trek, which includes a ropes course.
A Kaleidoscope of Possibilities for Play
With two convenient locations, one in downtown Winston-Salem and another just north of the city, Kaleideum North Carolina offers your child the chance to get lost in the arts and sciences.
There isn’t a single corner of the sciences that your child can’t discover at Kaleideum North, with hands-on exhibits that allow kids to build their own molecules, create optical illusions, map the solar system, engineer buildings, and experience hurricane-force winds. If an afternoon at the museum isn’t enough, Kaleideum North also offers overnight camp-ins.
Kaleideum Downtown offers children the chance to engage their imaginations with an Enchanted Forest exhibit featuring over a dozen themed play stations, a doughnut factory that encourages cooperative play, a community art space, and a child-sized supermarket.
The History and Beauty of the NC Triad
For kid-friendly outdoor adventures, the NC Triad offers an assortment of parks and playgrounds with families in mind.
The Tanger Family Bicentennial Garden in Greensboro features over 7.5 meticulously maintained acres, including a Sensory Garden that encourages children to engage all of their senses to experience the beauty of nature.
In Winston-Salem, get in touch with nature and early-American history at the Old Salem Museums & Gardens through hands-on activities, music, and artifacts. While there, visit the Winkler Bakery, established in 1807 and known for its fresh Moravian cookies.
Waking Up With Nature
For families looking to get further into the natural and historic beauty of the NC Triad, the Uwharrie National Forest offers near-endless options for overnight camping. Bring a tent and sleep under the stars or park your RV near electrical and water hook-ups.
In addition to spots for fishing and kayaking, there are several kid-friendly hiking trails. Still, other kids might like to try their hand panning for gold, which is allowed on most rivers and streams throughout the national forest!
