Five on Friday: 5 must-visit exhibits

Here are five highlights to visit with kids this summer here in Greenville, SC!

1. Curious George: Let’s Get Curious! at the Upcountry History Museum

Not even two weeks old, the newest exhibit at UHM is geared towards children ages 2-8 and emphasizes early STEAM concepts: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math. Children explore familiar places from the Curious George books and television series, and are led on a fun, interactive adventure along with George, the Man in the Yellow Hat and other friends. My boys (ages 2, 5 and 7) all enjoyed the exhibit, and on our most recent visit we spent about two hours there. The exhibit runs through September 24^th.

2. Future Park: Art + Technology at The Children’s Museum of the Upstate

This one-of-a-kind exhibit combines technology and art for a digital playground like none other! In Sketch Town we drew pictures of cars, buildings and spacecraft to populate an amazing, interactive virtual town projected on the exhibit wall. Hopscotch for Geniuses allowed visitors to traverse a digital hopscotch course complete with colorful (and changing) art and patterns. In a separate (dark) room, Light Ball Orchestra was a sensory experience; the kids rolled oversized balls that change color when they come into contact with other balls. Finally, in Connecting! Train Block, blocks are used to create digital thoroughfares for cars, boats, trains and planes. Note: on our recent visit Connecting! Train Blocks was out of order. Future Park runs through September 4^th.

3. Granger McKoy at the Greenville County Museum of Art

Renowned artist and carver Grainger McKoy grew up in Sumter, South Carolina, and attended Clemson University. McKoy carves gravity-defying sculptures of birds rendered in incredible detail; my boys loved pointing out all the different birds in the exhibit, and speculating on how they are held up! This exhibit runs through the end of the year. Remember, this Sunday is Family Art Adventure at the museum; the free activity will involve creating a work of art exploring what lies beneath the ocean's surface.

4. Butterfly Adventure at Roper Mountain Science Center

Step into the butterfly adventure habitat with hundreds of butterflies flitting around! Plan to spend more than a few hours as you’ll want to explore the rest of Roper Mountain as well, including the Ecology and Marine Lab, the Living History Farm, and WildWood. See the post Butterfly Adventure for my review and more info!

5. First Friday at Greenville’s Center for Creative Arts

You can meet the 16 studio artists who have studios on the second floor of GCCA during their First Friday events in the Village of West Greenville. In addition to the art exhibit there is a kids area with a craft (which varies month to month), and a local food truck will usually offer dining options. Check out the art class and camp options for kids!