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Free fun for families

Charleston Family Life Examiner 

There's nothing worse than having two kids, stuck at home on the weekends with no plans in place, tons of arguing over what to do next and how little it'll cost to do whatever it is you finally decide upon doing.

 

Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for flying by the seat of your pants, but in Charleston, it's not like you can just pick a free spot and hope for the best. Or can you?

 

Actually, you can. If you ask me, Charleston in the fall is the perfect time of year! There's so much to do and the weather is refreshing with temperatures in the 60s and the humidity level well below 90 percent. So, what to do? 

 

I say just get out there. No matter what part of Charleston you live, there's plenty to do outside. Everything here is 15 to 20 minutes away and depending on the age of your kids, there are plenty of parks which offer something for different ages.

The Battery and White Point Garden is a great place for starters. What's better than climbing on the historic cannons, walking along High Battery looking out at Fort Sumter or feeding the pigeons popcorn? Nothing if you ask me. And if you bring a picnic and a frisbee, you've got the perfect afternoon in the fresh air.

 

Now, if you're not up for crowds of tourists, another great park where you can have some free family fun is Hampton Park by The Citadel Military College. Just substitute the pigeons for ducks and the cannons for hundred-year-old oak trees and you have a park meant to be shared by the family. If you're lucky and there's a football game going on, you can get cheap tickets to a great game with Air Force jets doing a flyover in the beginning and cannons firing after every touchdown. If they're not having a home game, go hang out on the parade ground at The Citadel and bring a soccer ball or football. It's open to the public and it's great fun watching the kids play around outside with the old tank, helicopter, rocket and fighter jet as a backdrop to some fantastic pictures.

 

Another spot that's free and open to the public is the beach. "The beach?" you say. "In 60 degree weather?" Now I'm not advocating taking a swim (unless you have a wet-suit), but it's great for fresh air and  there are plenty of treasures to be found if you're lucky enough to spot a few sand dollars or even a washed up horseshoe crab. Add that to the fact that walking in soft sand is great exercise, you can have plenty of rounds of catch football going on while running up and down the beach.

Sure there are plenty of parks that are open to the public for a nominal fee, but for what it's worth in this economy, there's nothing better than some fresh air and family fun, free of charge. Best of all, your kids come home exhausted and if you're really lucky, you'll get to go to bed early yourself!