Here’s our list of places to get free birthday treats in Greenville! This list is for informational purposes only. Please double-check with the places listed here to ensure that these deals are still current.
Birthday coming up? There are lots of free eats and treats available to help you celebrate! Most places require you to sign up for their applicable rewards program or subscribe to their e-mails to receive these birthday offers. Here’s our list of free treats and what you have to do to enjoy them. Happy Birthday from all of us at Kidding Around!
Free food on your birthday when you sign up for their club.
Bruegger’s Bagels
Join Bruegger’s eclub for a free birthday treat, and a free bagel and cream cheese when you sign up.
Chili’s
Chili’s rewards members receive a free dessert on birthdays.
Culvers
Sign up for e-mails and receive a free one-scoop sundae, which expires 2 weeks after your birthday.
Dunkin Donuts
When you sign up for DD Perks, you get 3x points on your birthday AND the days surrounding your birthday.
Firehouse Subs
Sign up for Firehouse Rewards and receive a free medium sub on your birthday.
Nothing Bundt Cakes
Join the eclub and get a free bundlet on your birthday.
Olive Garden
Join Olive Garden EClub for a free birthday dessert.
Red Lobster
Members who join the Fresh Catch Club at least 7 days before their birthday, will receive a special offer.
Sephora
Choose a free birthday gift from Sephora when you sign up for their Insiders club.
Sidewall Pizza
Free dine-in pizza (or $10 off your take-out pizza) on your birthday when you sign up for the Birthday Club.
Steak ‘N Shake
eClub members at Steak ‘N Shake will receive a birthday coupon.
Texas Roadhouse
Subscribe to Texas Roadhouse for free deals and birthday offers.
Do you know of any other free birthday treats in Greenville? Let us know in the comments!
About the Author
How does Kidding Around® bring readers high-quality and up-to-date content month after month and season after season? We have a dedicated team of writers and editors who regularly update our fabulous content to keep it current and relevant for our readers. This team combs lists of events, heads out into the community to experience new Upstate offerings, and communicates with local businesses. Many of our updated articles and event lists, like this one, reflect the contributions and hard work of multiple Kidding Around® team members.
You know those days when you are awakened by your kids at the crack of dawn and it’s raining or it’s too hot or too cold outside and there is just no way you are dealing with energetic little people in your house all day? Kangaroo Jax, an indoor bounce house complete with a ferris wheel, carousel, arcade games, and concessions can help you out. Read on to learn all about this new, indoor play place your kids will love!
About Kangaroo Jax
I first heard of Kangaroo Jax through a friend and honestly did not believe it to be as cool as she said. Kids can bounce around for as many hours as they like for one admission fee? And they can ride a carousel and ferris wheel for no extra charge?
This place does exist and it’s as neat as you’ve probably heard. Not only do they have an enormous space filled with things to help your kid get out energy, they also do birthday parties!
Admission Pricing
Monday through Friday, kids 2-12 are $12 each and Saturday and Sunday $15 each. There is no limit to how long your child can play. Kids up to 12 years old are welcome to play at Kangaroo Jax.
But what about the little kids? During the week, children ages 2-5 can play for just $9 from 10 am – 2 pm.
What about kids under the age of two? Can they come? Yes! There is actually an entire space at Kangaroo Jax dedicated to kids under four years old. As a parent of a child in this age range, I love this feature because it helps my peace of mind to know that no big kids will accidentally be knocking around my little one.
Kids under 1 are free with another paying child. If you don’t have another paying child, or if you have multiple children under 1 years old, you’ll have to pay $9 for at least one child.
Birthday Parties
A good birthday party is one where parents have little to no work to do and kids have all the fun. That’s the secret sauce at Kangaroo Jax. They do everything for parents, from setting up the room with balloons and table settings to ordering and serving the food, which comes with the Mega Party and Ultimate Party packages.
The baseline Jax’s Birthday Party includes 10 guests, 1 hour and 45 minutes of party room use, online invitations, paper goods and balloons, 2 pizza slices, and a soda or juice per paying child. This party package is $349 Friday – Sunday and $269 Monday – Thursday.
The Jax’s Mega Party includes all of the above in addition to two slices of pizza plus one soft drink per child and is $279 Friday – Sunday and $199 Monday – Thursday.
The Jax’s Ultimate Party includes all of the above plus party favors. This party is $380 Friday – Sunday and $299 Monday – Thursday.
Parents can add more than 10 children for a party to each package for an additional fee. If they want more pizza or extra balloons or extra drink pitchers, those options are available as well.
Parents can also bring your own birthday cake/cupcakes, your own goodie bags, fruit or veggie trays, individual bags of chips/pretzels, and additional decorations. No other outside food or drink is permitted. When the party is over, all of the guests are able to play on the main floor until closing time.
It’s recommended you book your date ahead of time, especially on weekends, since they tend to fill up fast.
Tips When You Go
I took my kids to Kangaroo Jax on a big school holiday so there were a lot of kids, but it never felt too crowded or overwhelming since the place is huge and there are lots of things to do. I love that this place is open on most school holidays and breaks (and even snow days) and all summer when the kids are out of school. It has gone straight to the top of my “things to do with kids” list.
One thing to note is that your kids will need socks, so be sure to bring them or have an extra pair or two in your car.
Also, fill out your waiver online to save time so when you get to Kangaroo Jax you won’t have anxious kids waiting to play!
Kangaroo Jax has concessions including pizza, pretzels, and even coffee, which makes it pretty easy to spend a good chunk of time there. The owners were insightful about the needs of families when they designed the place.
So when you need a break and the kids need a place to get out their enormous supply of energy, try Kangaroo Jax!
Kangaroo Jax 2437 Laurens Road, Greenville Monday-Thursday: 10 am – 6 pm Friday-Saturday: 10 am – 8 pm Sunday: 11 am – 6 pm 864.902.5297
What’s your child’s favorite thing to do at Kangaroo Jax?
Are you looking for cheap birthday party options or free places to have a birthday party for your child in Greenville, SC? Birthdays on a budget are totally possible. Here’s a list of local birthday party venues and services that cost less than $100 (some are even free).
Do you feel overwhelmed by the work involved in throwing a birthday party completely by yourself at home but don’t have the budget to spend hundreds on a venue or entertainment?
No worries! Here’s our list of cheap and inexpensive birthday parties to the rescue. We have several ideas for venues and entertainers that offer budget options under $100. Some of these parties are almost free and others include a venue and entertainment for a low fee.
This article does include information about our sponsors as well as other reader-recommended businesses in Greenville. Prices and details may change without notice.
Cheap Birthday Party Ideas: Greenville, SC
Mini Golf Party Package at McPherson Park
McPherson Park has a free and beautiful mini-golf course. So gather a few friends, some putters, and balls, enjoy the park, and make party planning easy. And, for just $75 you can have the City of Greenville help out with their Mini Golf Party Package! The package includes 20 putters, 20 balls, scorecards, and pencils. You can reserve your package on the City of Greenville reservation website. There are also shelters to rent, or if your party is small, there is ample shade to spread some blankets for a birthday picnic or tea party.
Local Parks
A popular way in the warmer months to save money on a birthday party is to rent a picnic shelter near a fun playground. The price is typically dependent on the area and the size of the pavilion, so a good way to save money is to look for small shelters at the nicer parks. Some great choices are:
Runway Park – Greenville’s Downtown Airport’s Runway Park shelter is popular due to its location right beside an active runway and its airplane-themed playground. The small shelter rents for just $90 for a two-hour rental on Fridays-Sundays to $60 for a three-hour rental on Mondays-Thursdays.
This playground is very hot and has little shade though so plan an evening party if your party is in one of the hottest months of the year, otherwise, you may find it too hot to really enjoy the play equipment.
Kids Planet at Century Park in Greer is also a great park to have your next affordable birthday party. They rent several picnic shelters in various sizes that are budget-friendly, all of which are located beside all the playgrounds. Your kids can play around the parks and come back for pizza and drinks at the picnic table. Shelter rental prices range from $20-$30 for small or large shelters if you are a resident of Greer, and $30-$40 for nonresidents. Rentals are for 2-hour time slots and must be reserved ahead of time.
Of course, there are many, many more picnic shelters available in town. You can find a complete list of the websites for information on these shelters in our Birthday Party Guide to Greenville.
There are also several Community Centers available for not much more than $100. One reader mentioned that the Bobby Pearse Community Center was great and even came with a kitchen and easy access to a playground.
Fire Stations
Some fire stations offer birthday parties for free, though a donation is typically requested. The best way to determine if your local fire station offers this benefit is just to call and ask. Plus, what kid doesn’t love a firefighter birthday party theme? Please note that this list is subject to change, but these local fire stations have allowed birthday parties in the past, though pricing is unknown.
Pepsi Party Pack
If you have a child turning 6, don’t forget to pick up their Pepsi Party Pack. This free special package is filled with tickets to area attractions and also includes supplies for a Pepsi Party. It’s completely free but there are only specific days that you can claim it. It comes with some simple party favors like soda, pencils, tattoos, and balloons to create the perfect birthday party at home.
Climb@Blue Ridge
KAG-Reader-recommended Climb@Blue Ridgeoffers parties at $12 per person with a minimum of 8 people. Bring your birthday cake or ice cream and party decor and enjoy 1 hour of climbing and 30 minutes of cake and presents at your kid’s next birthday bash!
Greenville Zoo
Though the Greenville Zoo is currently restructuring its birthday party packages, a cheaper and more informal option for a birthday is to purchase Greenville Zoo tickets. You can purchase adult tickets for $12 each, and children’s tickets for $9 each online. For a small birthday party of 5 kids and 4 adults, the total would be less than $100, and the zoo activities will make for a special day.
The adjoining Cleveland Park also has several small shelters (not the large ones right beside the big playground) available to rent for as little as $60/day or $40/half day.
Craft Stores
If you have a group of craft lovers looking for a place to create, then ReCraft Creative Reuse Center may be a good option for your kid’s birthday party. The center does not have birthday party packages specifically, but for a nominal fee of $7 per crafter, your kids can create from a collection of over 100 loose parts materials. Reservations can be made for up to 10 crafters by calling ahead of time.
Restaurants
Several fast-food restaurants offer party packages or will allow you to reserve a table and bring in a cake if you make prior arrangements for a simple birthday celebration.
Birthday Party policies and offerings vary from location to location, but Chick-fil-A is also a popular place to host a kids’ birthday. Their Taylors, SC Wade Hampton location has an indoor playground, which would be a good option for smaller parties.
SC State Park
An interesting birthday party idea for families who love the outdoors is visiting aSC State Park! You can have a huge picnic, and in the summer months play on the sandy beach at places like Paris Mountain State Park or Table Rock State Park.
Admission varies by location, but it is typically less than $20 for a family of 4. Plus, if anyone is a SC All Parks Passport holder, you can get your carload in for free! Paris Mountain State Park is a great option! It has a sandy beach, playground, large green space, easy hiking trails for kids around Lake Placid, and even volleyball. You’ll have the perfect birthday party relaxing in the sunshine and enjoying your friends and family.
Carolina Cheer
This indoor gym offers birthday parties for a gym venue rental fee + $6/child so if you have 10 kids, the cost is less than $100. Parents can bring in anything they like and Carolina Cheer provides tables, chairs, and tablecloths. They are located in Greer. *Note: We are still waiting on pricing confirmation or changes for 2024. Please contact Carolina Cheer directly for pricing.
What inexpensive birthday party packages would you recommend in Greenville?
What’s even better than birthday cake? Seven tiers of birthday cake, of course.
Princess Charlene of Monaco rang in her 46th birthday Wednesday with just one such very large, very lucky confection. Alongside husband Prince Albert and their 9-year-old twins, Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques, Charlene visited a bakery in Monaco’s historic Condamine Market, which has been open since 1880. The cake was decorated with white frosting and red ribbons, with some tiers featuring butterfly adornments and gold gilt accents, as well as sprays of fresh flowers.
The cake wasn’t the only festive touch for Charlene’s special day. She and daughter Gabriella had a little mother-daughter twinning moment for the outing, wearing similar but not identical outfits. Gabriella wore a camel-colored overcoat atop a heathered gray turtleneck sweater, while Charlene had opted for a long quilted Max Mara puffer vest with a hood in the same tan hue, with a gray sweater and loosely wound gray scarf underneath to keep warm.
Monaco’s royal couple have made headlines over the past several years over speculation around the state of their marriage. In September 2023, Albert issued a statement asking for an end to what he characterized as the “lies” around his relationship.
“She supports me in leading the Principality, but we’re not attached to each other 24 hours a day,” he said of Princess Charlene. “We’re a working couple and sometimes that only allows us to see each other at the end of a long day full of appointments.”
Charlene, too, has denied rumors of a divorce, and told outlets around the same time that she would no longer comment on the state of her marriage, in hopes that she would no longer be asked.
The royal couple welcomed some 680 children to their palace in December for the traditional Christmas party, complete with a signature hot chocolate recipe, an event which is meant to foster a relationship between the royal family of Monaco and the public, a tradition started in the early 1960s when Princess Grace was in residence. The couple’s twins were not in attendance at the party this year due to illness.
According to a Gallup poll, 94% of Americans reported celebrating Christmas in some way, both with secular and nonsecular traditions. What are you doing on Christmas day?
“Shouting at every passing boy to buy me a fine plump goose until one does.”
Samuel Portman, Pet Photographer
Ho, Ho, Ho! I Saw You Masturbating!
“Feeling persecuted by the 6% who aren’t celebrating.”
You have found our giant list of experience gifts! Greenville, SC and Spartanburg, SC offer a lot of ideas. If your closet, toy boxes, and toy shelves are a little full, we get it. So, we’ve created a list of experience gifts available in Greenville, Spartanburg, and surrounding areas that families will love. You’ll make memories, learn new things, and they won’t take up any space in the toy box, either!
Being a mom, I hang out with lots of moms and one topic of conversation comes up pretty frequently, the massive amounts of “stuff” that our kids accumulate. Over Christmas, there is one solution that I think is brilliant: buy a gift that doesn’t take up space. Creating a memory is priceless. Spending time as a family is essential. These are experiences that will bring smiles, build up families, and won’t end up in a donation bin. You’ll also find some great ideas (Culinary Tour, anyone?) for the grown-ups in your life too!
Roper Mountain Science Center
Disclaimer: This list does include advertisers, partners, in addition to other businesses that we recommend. This list contains affiliate links at no cost to you.
Membership Gifts
We have some pretty amazing membership options in the Upstate. Many memberships provide unlimited visits during the year. Trust me. Parents love these as gifts for their kids! Remember, this list is just for informational purposes, and we can’t guarantee pricing. We have provided links to the original sources where you can find the most current information.
The Children’s Museum of the Upstate – TCMU is a favorite among many Upstate families and offers so many kid and family activities throughout the year that a membership would be a great gift. Also, don’t forget that in addition to their Greenville campus, they also have a campus in Spartanburg that is designed for children aged 5 and under!
Greenville Zoo – Greenville Zoo memberships include extra perks such as guest tickets and it’s a reciprocal membership which means that you can use your membership to get into other participating zoos at a discounted or free price.
Roper Mountain Science Center – RMSC memberships include admission to weekly planetarium shows, Summer Adventure, Afternoon Explorations, and discounts on other services. Memberships for a family are $95 (homeschool families can take advantage of the teacher price of $90). This membership is also reciprocal. You can read about how my family saved over $100 on vacation one year by using ours.
Greenville Water Parks Season Passes – These memberships include Greenville’s water parks. Individual memberships for parks start at $62 and go up to $95 per person. The Rec ‘N Crew pass, priced at $155, gets the pass holder admission to all three water parks plus year-round admission to The Pavilion’s Ice Rink and Bounce House.
Flying Rabbit Adventures Annual Pass– You can get an annual pass ($395) and play on the big aerial course for 2.5 hours a day when the adventure course is open. Super fun!
Family memberships to local gyms and recreational facilities offer not just access to exercise equipment and swimming pools but also discounted prices on classes, sports, and more. Joining fees and monthly fees vary on the specific facility in Greenville.
Upcountry History Museum – A membership at the Upcountry History Museum not only includes unlimited visits but also access to their Family Fun Days, UHM Kids Book Club, and more! A family membership is $105 for the year.
If you live in Spartanburg or don’t mind driving 30 minutes from Greenville, Hub City has plenty of family fun to offer!
The Children’s Museum of the Upstate – While this museum’s Spartanburg location is geared for younger children (5 years and under), the membership is reciprocal and can be used at both the Greenville museum and the Spartanburg museum.
The YMCA of Greater Spartanburg – Any kid and their parents will be thrilled with a YMCA membership because it means they have access to all the YMCA fun!
Big Air Trampoline Park – The indoor trampoline park in Greenville and Spartanburg is a super fun place to visit, but it can add up quickly. That’s why families love the monthly membership packages that include daily two-hour jump sessions.
Shipwreck Cove – Go ahead and purchase a season pass to Shipwreck Cove waterpark in Duncan and parents and kids will be thanking you for making summer wet and wild.
Event Tickets as Experience Gifts: Greenville, SC & The Upstate
I don’t know about you but my kids absolutely love being spectators. Sometimes I catch them in a state of wonder or amazement when I take them to sporting events, plays, music performances, and even monster truck rallies. Not only do event tickets make a great gift for children but they can also be a great way to treat a whole family or plan for a special date for the grandparents and kids.
Ticket Gifts in Greenville
Swamp Rabbits Hockey – My kids absolutely love hockey. It’s a fun, family-friendly environment. Check the schedule for fun promotional night events.
Clemson Tigers – Clemson football fans would love tickets to a home game.
Greenville Theatre – The Greenville Theatre features musicals, dramas, comedies, and more throughout the year.
South Carolina Children’s Theatre – The SCCT has performances for everyone. They also offer programming for younger audiences via their Tell-Me-A-Story Theatre. During the summer months, kids can take advantage of their classes and summer camps. And it all takes part in their bright and shiny theatre on Augusta Street!
Greer Cultural Arts Council – In addition to productions by the Greer Children’s Theatre, the Greer Cultural Arts Council also offers courses in the arts, dance, drama, literature, and music.
Peace Center – The Peace Center has many offerings including Broadway shows and music performances.
The Well also has a fun round-up of family-friendly events. (Tip: The Well is home to Monster Jam!)
Monster Jam at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena
Greenville Drive – Baseball games are always fun, especially at the family-friendly Fluor Field, where they even have a playground on site.
Ballet Spartanburg – Performs beautiful ballet at Chapman Cultural Center
Greer Cultural Center – Venue for music concerts and Greer Children’s Theatre performances. It also hosts classes in a range of arts, dance, drama, literature, and music.
College Sports Tickets – Cheer on a hometown team with tickets to a local college’s sporting events. Local schools include Clemson, USC Upstate, Wofford, and Converse.
Local Classes as Experience Gifts: Greenville, SC & The Upstate
Purchasing a class is a great way to have fun learning. While this list is not comprehensive it includes several of our favorite options.
Class Gifts in Greenville
Dance Without Limits– Dance Without Limits offers dance classes beginning as young as 18 months in their Mommy and Me Dance Class all the way through advanced dance classes. Ballet, tap, lyrical, and tumbling classes are available as well as summer camps. Dance is for everyone at Dance Without Limits.
Color Clay Cafe – This pottery studio offers painting and other art designs for both adults and children. You can also enjoy Open Studio times outside of classes.
I9 Sports – This youth sports league offers a range of different sports options for children.
Sylvan Learning– For kids who enjoy an extra challenge, Sylvan Learning provides a full range of interesting classes including classes on robotics and coding.
The Little Gym – This local children’s gym is a favorite of our readers!
Roller Time Skating Academyoffers roller skating lessons and summer camps for beginners through advanced skaters.
Goldfish Swim School offers a holiday package deal for a gift of swim! They have gift bundles with 3 months of lessons, 2 months of lessons, or $100 gift cards.
Climb @ Blue Ridge has gift cards in just about any amount, so the climber in your family can learn how to excel at the sport.
Vino & Van Gogh has gift cards available for 2-hour classes (adult and children), summer camp, after-school camps, couples painting classes, and parent/child painting classes!
Local Experience Gifts: Greenville, SC & The Upstate
Making memories through shared experiences and new adventures is always a win! Whether for yourself, you and your significant other, or the whole family, the Upstate has plenty of neat experiences to explore. Nothing is easier than handing over a gift voucher to something exciting!
Experience Gifts in Greenville
Greenville Culinary Tours – I was invited to experience the Greenville Culinary Tour myself and hands down, it’s an absolutely awesome gift idea. The price is an excellent value and I would definitely do it again. Tickets include food and a drink at each location.
Escape Artist Greenville – Our team here at Kidding Around has done three of the escape rooms and had a blast. This is a perfect date night activity or just for fun with friends.
Wine & Design – This art studio offers canvas painting classes for adults and even has an Art Buzz kids line of classes for children.
Trapped in the Upstate – This escape room in Greer will test your problem-solving skills while delivering a fun night of entertainment.
Ice on Main – Ice skating on Main Street would make the perfect treat for the kids (or a special someone).
Topgolf Greenville – Take a few swings and have a great meal together. Fun for the whole family (they even have kid clubs available).
Mad Smash Rage Room – Get out your frustrations by smashing a whole bunch of stuff in a smash room. Kids ages 8+ can participate.
Moo Cow Farm – Enjoy cuddles with cows at this farm in Simpsonville. It’s a great gift for the animal lover.
Flying Rabbit Adventures – They’ve got two huge ropes and obstacle courses with zip lines plus a pump track. This is a really fun experience for the whole family.
Denver Downs Farm – Get your family Denver Downs tickets for an awesome fall experience!
The Pavilion– You can get a 10-visit pass for the bounce house at The Pavilion in Taylors, SC for just $85. You can also get a youth ice skating 10-visit pass for only $65 and an adult one for $85!
Speed Factory Indoor Karting– With locations in Greenville, SC and Spartanburg, SC, this indoor karting place offers gift cards starting at $5.
Big E Gaffney – Movies, putt-putt, bowling, ropes course, and more
East Main Arts – Offers a variety of adult paint and wine parties, as well as family arts and costumed character appearances
Hearts of Clay – A Spartanburg local favorite. This is a spot to make personalized art and pottery.
Spartanburg County Historical Association – Support your local historical association by purchasing a membership, which will provide you with free or discounted admission to properties and special events
While the Upstate has plenty to offer, there are plenty of good clutter-busting and memory-making gifts to be found in almost any community.
South Carolina State Park Passport– State Park Passports are great for families who love the outdoors. The All Park Passport is $99 and gives you access to all 47 state parks, including some lighthouses. And if you’re shopping for someone who doesn’t live in South Carolina, there is surely a similar program for their home state’s park system!
Nail or Spa Gift Certificates – A spa gift certificate is another excellent choice – especially for busy moms. One of our local favorites is Drift Float! Buy a float for someone in your life who needs to relax (or yourself, no judgment here). We did it and it was awesome.
Drift Spa
Pool Memberships – Even though it is too cold to swim right now, you can always plan ahead. Purchase a family pool membership so the kids can enjoy the pool all summer long.
Photography – Book a local photographer to capture photographs of your family – and don’t forget to print them out to give to the gift recipient!
Indoor Play Ideas (check our rainy day guide for a massive list of places that offer bouncing or play during the day)
Meal Delivery Services / Grocery Delivery– Help out a busy family by paying the fee for a meal delivery or grocery delivery service such as Shipt (for groceries) or Hello Fresh (for meals). Need inspiration? See how you canGet Those Groceries Delivered in Upstate, SC!
Gift cards to local restaurants – My family always loves receiving gift cards to local restaurants since we don’t eat out often. In addition to the many chain restaurant gift card options, most local Spartanburg restaurants offer gift cards as well.
Subscription Boxes – Subscription boxes are all the rage and there are a ton to choose from! Most subscription boxes allow you to choose the increment (monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly). Plus, they offer them for kids (i.e., books, arts & crafts) and adults (i.e., coffee, adult beverages, to name a few). While I’ve never tried it, I’ve heard other parents say that they love Kiwi Crate and try Tinker Crate for older children. There are also local subscription boxes you can pick up directly, like Big Play in a Box.
Streaming Services Subscriptions (Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Sling) – Help a family cut the cord by paying for a subscription to a streaming TV service.
Summer Camp – Summer camp is an amazing gift. Many places will soon open their registrations. My child had a blast last summer at Conestee Camp with Greenville Rec and Space Camp at The Children’s Museum of the Upstate. If you need inspiration, check out our massive Summer Camp Guide!
Attractions Dining & Value Guide – One of my absolute favorite ideas is the Attractions Book. You can purchase them online and they are offered for Greenville, Spartanburg, and several other parts of South Carolina. It supports local businesses and the coupons are quite good. It would make an excellent stocking stuffer! Ask around as many schools and non-profits sell this book as a fundraiser.
One of the benefits of living in the Upstate is that we’re sandwiched in between several cities that offer plenty of family fun activities–many of which are easily worth an hour or so of driving!
The Georgia Aquarium – We took our child to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta several years ago for his birthday and he still talks about it!
The Biltmore – An annual pass at the Biltmore includes not only admission to the house but also to the farm where kids can pet chickens and goats, the winery, and discounts on tickets to Dollywood and Tweetsie Railroad.
The Biltmore
Dollywood – The beloved theme park is only three hours from Greenville and is fun for the whole family, especially during special holiday events like the nightly Christmas parade or the fall Pumpkinfest. Dollywood’s Splash Country is also amazing in the summer. Plus, preschoolers can get a free season pass! (Read our review!)
Anakeesta – Also in East Tennessee, this mountaintop village is just magical. The views are stunning and you can eat dinner or watch an outdoor movie overlooking the Smoky Mountains. They have seasonal events and offer year-round passes.
WNC Nature Center – Located in Asheville, the WNC Nature Center focuses on animals and plants in the southern Appalachian mountains. The center includes lots of shade, walkways, and natural playgrounds and is perfect for a day trip with little children.
Discovery Place – A hands-on science museum located in Charlotte
Ellaberry Llama Farm – This farm in Hendersonville is amazing. You can play with llamas!
Carowinds – A theme park located in Concord (Charlotte area) with tons of rides designed for their littlest visitors!
Hands On! Children’s Museum – A children’s museum located directly on Hendersonville’s charming Main Street, the Hands On! Children’s Museum has a target audience of children aged ten and under.
Mountain Play Lodge – An indoor play space for children in Arden that features two large climbing areas, complete with steps, multiple slides, and overhead tunnels with obstacles to climb over, around, and through.
Does your child have a birthday near Christmas? Have you found yourself celebrating a birthday sitting around a Christmas tree in the living room? How can you celebrate a Christmas birthday or a birthday near Christmas and still make your child feel special? What’s the secret to making December birthdays special amid all the Christmas presents and Christmas decorations? Should we add birthday decorations to the party, too? What do birthday traditions look like mixed in with Christmas?
If you are looking for ways to celebrate birthdays near holidays, you’ve come to the right place.
Make Your Child’s Birthday Memorable
The holidays are usually a busy time of the year for everyone, which can make birthdays near Christmas difficult to celebrate with a group.. From traveling out of town, having family over, decorating, cooking, and wrapping presents, it seems like your ‘to-do’ list just doesn’t end. Throwing a birthday party for your child into the mix can make things even more overwhelming. Nevertheless, it’s important to make your child’s one special day of the year, just that…special!
Here are some ideas to help make the day all about them, and others you may want to avoid.
Plan Something Special Instead Of A Party
Sometimes, all the planning in the world won’t allow you to plan a birthday party that your child’s friends can attend. An actual party isn’t always necessary. Your child will be excited to have a day dedicated just to them with only having their immediate family involved.
Take them out on a day that works for your family, let them pick a fun place they would like to go (or surprise them). Try an entertainment center with games, bowling, or laser tag. Let them choose which restaurant you will go to for lunch or dinner, and take them out to pick out their birthday gift. This is an easy option that requires little planning but still makes your child feel special.
Throw A Holiday Time Birthday Celebration: Close to Christmas Birthday Party Tips
Figure out the best timing
If you want to do a party, schedule the party a week before or a week after your child’s actual birthday. This is especially a good idea if your child’s birthday falls on the same date as the holiday. If your child’s birthday falls on Thanksgiving, consider celebrating the weekend before. The weekend after Thanksgiving tends to be a busy time for most people, as they are traveling home, bidding their holiday guests farewell, or starting their holiday shopping. If your child’s birthday falls on Christmas, consider scheduling their party even earlier than one week ahead. Some families travel for the holidays and head out of town as soon as the school winter holiday begins.
Get invites sent out early
If you plan on inviting friends and/or family to your child’s birthday party, give as much notice as possible. At any other time of the year, a one to two weeks’ notice would suffice; however, with people traveling or scheduling family holiday photos, it’s a good idea to give as much notice as possible. This will also help if a majority of your potential attendees can’t make it to your party date- and gives you the opportunity to change it to a date that works for both you and your guests.
Decorate a ‘birthday only’ room
If you plan on having your child’s birthday party at home, and you have already decorated your house for the holidays, designate a room that is free of holiday decorations. Have your child pick a theme, whether it is a specific charter or color scheme, and decorate with balloons and streamers- away from all the snow globes and Christmas trees. Party City, offers a variety of themed birthday party supplies throughout the entire year.
Celebrate their half birthday
The holiday months tend to have cooler weather, so it may leave limited options for ways to celebrate your child’s birthday. Consider celebrating their ‘half birthday’ in the summer. The warmer weather opens up more outdoor options to celebrate, and schedules may be easier to coordinate since children are on school vacation. Try a local waterpark. You can still have a cake and sing happy birthday with the family on their real birthday, but wouldn’t it be a nice surprise for your child to celebrate their birthday by splashing around in the pool?
Choosing The Right Gift: Birthday Presents Dos and Don’ts
Don’t use holiday wrapping paper
You may already have a closet full of holiday wrapping paper, and how convenient would it be to just grab part of a leftover roll and wrap your child’s birthday present in it? Although convenient, something as simple as ‘Happy Birthday’ wrapping paper can help separate their birthday from the holiday.
Don’t give holiday-themed gifts
During the holidays, themed or special addition toys often become available. As much as you think giving your child an Elf on the Shelf might be a good idea (since you need to buy one anyway), stick to something that doesn’t need to be put away after the holidays are over.
Get seasonal appropriate gifts
With keeping the last recommendation in mind, it’s important to stick to gifts that your child can use now. If their birthday is in December, don’t get them a blow-up swimming pool and slide for the backyard or diving sticks for the pool. While you want to separate the holiday from their birthday, it’s a good idea to get them something they can enjoy without having to wait to use it.
Skip the joint birthday/holiday gift
It sounds like an easy thing to do- two birds, one stone. It may seem like the opportune time to get your child that expensive gift they have been asking for, and make it a combined birthday/holiday gift. While it may be exciting for them for a moment, it takes out some of the fun and surprises that birthdays and holidays deliver to children.
Embrace The Holiday Birthday
As stressful as they can be, the holidays really are a fun time of the year. A holiday theme may not be a bad idea after all, if your child likes the idea. Have a birthday party where your child and their friends build gingerbread houses or decorate cookies, which they get to take home instead of a goody bag. Play ‘pin the nose on the snowman or make homemade ornaments. Michaels arts and crafts store is a great place to get seasonal crafting kits for children to make it easy to plan holiday crafts for the party. While this might not be something you want to do every year to celebrate their birthday, it’s a fun way to mix it up and embrace the holiday season!
PORTACOMARO, Itatly — Pope Francis returned to his father’s birthplace in northern Italy on Saturday for the first time since ascending the papacy to celebrate the 90th birthday of a second cousin who long knew him as simply “Giorgio.”
The two-day visit to Francis’ ancestral homeland to renew family ties touched on keystones of his papacy, including the importance of honoring the elderly and the human toll of migration. Francis’ private visit Saturday will be followed by public one Sunday to celebrate Mass for the local faithful, where he could well reflect on his family’s experience migrating to Argentina.
The pope’s father, Mario Jose Francisco Bergoglio, and his paternal grandparents arrived in Buenos Aires on Jan. 25, 1929 to reach other relatives at the tail end of a mass decades-long emigration from Italy that the pope has honored with two recent saints: St. Giovanni Batista Scalabrini and St. Artedime Zatti.
The future pope, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was born nearly eight years later in Buenos Aires, after the elder Bergoglio met and married Regina Maria Sivori, whose family was also of Italian immigrant stock, hailing from the Liguria region. Francis grew up speaking the Piedmont dialect of his paternal grandmother Rosa, who cared for him most days.
The elder Bergoglio was born in the town of Portacomaro, 10 kilometers (6 miles) east of Asti, an agricultural town that lost population not only to emigration abroad but also to nearby Turin as it became an industrial center.
Today, the town has 2,000 residents, but it numbered more than 2,700 a century ago, and dropped as low as 1,680 in the 1980s.
The pope’s family emigrated after the peak, which saw 14 million Italians leave from 1876 to 1915 — a movement that made Italy the biggest voluntary diaspora in the world, according to Lauren Braun-Strumfels, an associate professor of history at Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Often citing his own family story, Francis, now 85, has made the welcoming and integration of migrants a hallmark of his papacy, often facing criticism as Europe in general, and Italy in particular, are consumed with the debate over how to manage mass migration.
The pope has recognized the historic significance of the emigrant experience with the recent canonizations of St. Giovanni Battista Scalabrini, an Italian bishop who founded an order to help Italian emigrants at the end of the 19th century, and Artemide Zatti, an Italian who emigrated to Argentina in the same period and dedicated his work to helping the sick.
He used the occasion to again denounce Europe’s indifference toward migrants risking their lives to cross the Mediterranean Sea and what they hope will be better futures.
Francis began his visit to Portacomaro on Saturday with lunch at the home of a cousin, Carla Rabezzana. Photographs released by the Vatican showed Francis clearly enjoying himself, hugging Rabezzana and sitting at the head of the table.
“We have known each other forever,’’ Rabezzana told the Corriere della Sera newspaper in the runup to the visit. “When I lived in Turin, Giorgio — I always called him that — came to stay because I had an extra room. That is how we maintained our relationship.
“We always would joke. When he told me he would come to celebrate my 90th birthday, I said it made my heart race. And in response I was told: ‘Try not to die.’ We burst out laughing.’’
The pope has many more third and fourth cousins still in the area.
“It was a large family, and in the area there are still many distant cousins,’’ said Carlo Cerrato a former mayor of Portacomoro. He said it was a “big surprise” for everyone in the town when Francis was elected pope nearly a decade ago.
“Everyone knew there was a prelate who had become the cardinal of Buenos Aires, but it was something that the relatives knew, not everyone in town,’’ Cerrato said.
After nearly 10 years as pope, Francis has yet to return to his own birthplace in Argentina . He hasn’t really explained his reasons for staying away. He recently confirmed that if he were to resign as pope, he wouldn’t go back to Buenos Aires to live but would remain in Rome.
I crouched onto the damp grass and picked at the weeds sprouting around my dad’s headstone. I struggled for the words — and the courage — to tell him what I couldn’t in his living years. I had flown thousands of miles to Sacramento to visit my dead father and reveal the secret I have held close for most of my 57 years.
In life, my father wasn’t the type of man who had heart-to-heart talks with his children. And I’m not the type to confide his deepest-held emotions with family, not even with my closest siblings. I held my deepest torments tight inside me.
I stammered as I spoke to his grave. It took a half hour before I could utter a complete sentence as I continued pulling weeds and rearranging the flowers I brought him. “Daddy, I gotta tell you something. I wanted to tell you this for a long time.”
In a halting and hushed voice, in case the breeze carried my secret to eavesdropping ears, I broke the news to my father, dead 24 years:
“Dad, I’m gay.”
———
I am the eighth of nine children, the bookish one who did well in grade school without trying. We were from a working-class, maybe even impoverished family. My dad milked cows at a corporate dairy on the other side of the Ko’olau Mountains from Diamond Head. Our house was among about a dozen in an enclave of mostly immigrant families adjacent to cow pastures. My mother worked at hotels in Waikiki.
I didn’t have many friends outside my dairy farm community. I liked spending time alone, sometimes building tree houses at the foot of the nearby mountain. I often roamed the pastures or hiked alone among the trees, or walked along a creek to scoop out guppies and crayfish.
There are certainly out gay people in my culture. But the visible ones are often jesters to be laughed at. The words I grew up with to describe gay people — “bakla” in Pilipino and “mahu” in Hawaiian — were synonymous to “faggot,” derisive terms that I would never want to be called.
In Asian culture, we have been taught not to shame the family. Being gay, I thought, would have brought embarrassment and ridicule.
I knew I was attracted to other guys when I hit puberty. I tried fooling myself and others into thinking I was attracted to the opposite sex.
I remember fretting about having to get naked with other boys at my school’s communal shower after P.E., worried that somehow I’d be found out. So I would get under the spray of water quickly and towel off as fast as I could. At gatherings, I tried to be the flirtatious life of the party. But whenever a girl showed the slightest interest, I would recoil.
As a young adult, my resume was fragmented, leading some to wonder if I could hold a job. The truth was that I quit jobs I enjoyed because I was running from my sexuality. I once had a crush on another guy — a straight guy — and I quit when it became unbearable. I perpetuated my own big lie.
Coming out seemed so easy for other people, especially today’s young. I sometimes wondered how different things would have been had I came out sooner. Perhaps I would have planted roots in a community instead of jumping from job to job, hopscotching from one city to the next.
How orderly my life could have been.
———
As a journalist, my job is to report the truth. Yet I had been lying all these years, purposely hiding the truth to protect myself. It was an ethical lapse that tortured me.
My journey out of the closet has taken decades. I am still sharing my truth about my sexuality — something that, before my confession to my father, I had shared with only a handful of friends.
The first friend I told took me to a gay bar across the Potomac from Washington, to help ease my coming out. I was still full of shame and awkwardness. I kept myself from making eye contact with other men. While my friend was outside having a smoke, a hand slid across my back.
“Congratulations,” the stranger told me.
“Huh? For what,” I asked.
“For having the courage to come out,” he replied.
I felt violated. How dare my friend out me to a stranger! I had lost control over my secret, even if I knew my friend was trying to be helpful. We failed to realize then that coming out would be far more complicated and onerous.
Four years passed before I told another soul.
———
Holding in my secret was excruciating. It nearly took my life.
During one of my melancholy days, I took a drive through Glacier National Park in Montana to help lift my mood. I stared down sheer cliffs as my Subaru lurched up the cliff-hugging Going-to-the-Sun Road. I could feel my car drifting closer to the edge. I felt no inclination to steer back on course.
Regret filled my mind. I thought about how much simpler it would be if I started over in the afterlife.
A siren’s wail jarred me back into reality. An ambulance was speeding up the road. I would later learn that a hiker had fallen to his death. The piercing sound might have saved me from a similar fate.
After wandering the country that summer, I resolved to begin stepping out of the closet again.
One of my best friends and his wife were visiting New York City from Paris for the new year in 2018. It was time to tell Kevin, I told myself. But when the first chance came, I couldn’t go through with it.
The next day, I met a couple of buddies for drinks and dinner at a restaurant in Manhattan’s Koreatown. I hesitated to tell them, but thought I’d use the experience as practice for when I would tell Kevin.
My heart pumped. My nerves jittered to my fingertips. My knees bounced with nervousness. Looks of concern came over my friends’ faces as I tried to tell them. I could not use the word gay, and they wondered why I was in such distress.
“It’s about my sexuality.”
“That’s a relief,” one friend said. “I thought you were going tell us you had cancer.”
The next morning, I sat down with Kevin, my best friend, and told him I had something important to say.
“Remember when you asked me to be your best man?” I said. “I really wanted to tell you then, so you could change your mind.”
“What are you talking about?” he asked.
Again, I couldn’t use the word gay. Again, my knees bounced. I was sweating. My eyes turned glassy.
I saw worry in his wife’s eyes. “What’s wrong?” Kevin asked. He started guessing.
I gave him a clue.
“You’re gay?” he finally asked.
I nodded. He chuckled in relief.
“I’m sorry. It’s not funny — but is that all?”
He told me: He would have asked me to be his best man anyway.
———
Most of my life, I had suffered from migraines. With my truth finally coming out, that pain has mostly disappeared.
But I still couldn’t share my secret with my siblings.
During a visit to California, I had taken a nephew aside. All these years, I had wanted to tell his mother that I was gay. But I hadn’t mustered the courage. Just days before, I nearly suffered a nervous breakdown in her car trying to tell her; I dismissed my fraying nerves to stress at work.
Upon hearing what I had to share, he asked why I hadn’t told anyone sooner. “Uncle Bobby, you could have been so much happier.”
Many months later, I would tell a younger nephew. I recalled how after a football game — he was the star quarterback — he quizzed me about my love life, or the lack thereof. He noted he never saw me introduce any women to the family, that he didn’t know me to have been dating. He wanted to know why.
So did a sister, who would later confide: “I wanted to ask, but I didn’t want to embarrass you.”
When I told her my secret just months ago, she shrugged. “I kind of figured,” she said.
I was more apprehensive about telling my two oldest sisters, twins, who were devout Roman Catholics.
I didn’t know what to expect when I started to share my secret with one of them. I was practiced and calm. I spoke to her about my depression and the medication that had helped lift me. As a nurse, she quizzed me about how I was feeling.
Then I told her the source of my many years of depression. I recounted how, not too many years before, I nearly drifted off the road to my death.
“Oh, my God,” she said. “Don’t worry about those things. God still loves you.”
Then she recommended that I hold back in telling more of my siblings. They had too many worries of their own, she said, to handle such news.
———
I’ve been told I look a lot like my father. When I’m feeling sociable, I take on his personality — a backslapper, a schmoozer, a happy-go-lucky guy.
In truth, I’m more like my mother — someone who can be comfortable around others but who couldn’t always get along with them. Moody. Sometimes gruff.
I was closer to my mom than I was to my dad. Both were fiercely proud of me, even if I hadn’t achieved the dream they had for me — a family, fancy cars and wealth. I never aspired to have any of those. But they found prestige in my college education and, eventually, the profession I pursued.
My father loved reading the newspaper, watching the evening news and following politics. How proud he would have been to know that I stood just feet from a U.S. president or that I covered Congress.
Weeks before I would depart to cover the war in Iraq, we gathered in our hometown in the Philippines to fete my mother for her 80th birthday. Neither she nor any of my siblings knew I was heading into a war zone. I thought about telling her my secret — should something go awry during my assignment.
As I bid her goodbye in the Philippines, little did I know: That chance would never come again.
My mother died on Thanksgiving 2007, barely two months after her birthday, just as I was preparing to join troops in Iraq for wartime holiday celebrations.
———
When I told my father at his grave about my secret, I made a request: Don’t tell my mother. I wanted to retain ownership of my secret until I chose to share it with her.
My mother and I had a turbulent relationship. She thought I was too free and wayward. Little did she know that I had built a cage around me — one that grew more constricting as I aged. So there I was at her grave, hoping to break through.
I waited until the final day of my trip, even as it gnawed at me. Surely she must have known; there must be such a thing as mother’s intuition. Maybe my father had already shared my secret. No matter. I needed to go through the exercise of telling her, as if she were still alive.
At her grave, I lingered. I peeled away hardened pools of candle wax. As I sweltered under a fierce sun, I hoped to let the truth uncage itself. I hoped to marshal the same courage I had mustered months earlier while standing before my dead father.
But I found no words to break my uncomfortable silence. I simply could not say what I wanted to — not here, not now.
I turned back and returned home full of regret. My journey was — is — not yet over.
———
Bobby Caina Calvan is a reporter in the New York City bureau of The Associated Press. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/BobbyCalvan
