Kids Stuff

Classic City discoveries for younger visitors

Roam

Sandy Creek Nature Center

East Side

The nature center features reptiles, amphibians, marine and freshwater aquariums, interactive natural history museums and a resource library. Kids are able to learn about the outdoors while immersing themselves in all the interactive activities. The Frog Pond gift shop carries locally made educational toys.

Bear Hollow Zoo

Five Points

This zoo, located within Memorial Park, offers care and rehabilitation for native creatures that cannot survive in the wild due to medical or other challenges. Take a walk through the zoo and be sure to read the information-packed stories about each animal resident, or attend a special event for hands-on encounters. Admission is free.

State Botanical Garden

South Milledge Avenue

The Alice H. Richards Children’s Garden is an interactive space that features edible landscapes, hands-on garden plots and themed gardens for kids to learn about nature and have fun while doing it. Key components include a canopy walk with observation decks, the Theater-in-the-Woods, an underground adventure area and a bog garden.

Washington Farms

Oconee County

Washington Farms, about 25 minutes from downtown in Bogart, is a kid-favorite destination. From mid-April to early June, pick buckets of strawberries and enjoy strawberry ice cream. Afterward, spend hours checking out the playgrounds, ziplines, a petting zoo and popular jumping pillows.

Visit

Athens Regional Library system

Multiple locations

Each of the Athens libraries carries a wide selection of children’s books. At the main branch, on Baxter Street near campus, they offer Preschool Storytime on Wednesday and Thursday mornings.

Avid Bookshop

Five Points

This Five Points indie store has a section called Avid Kids. The staff carefully pick popular books from all around the country to stock their shelves with the most engaging literature. Every year it hosts hundreds of events to get young readers involved.

Georgia Museum of Art

East Campus

The state’s official art museum offers multiple events for kids and families. “Backpack Tours” can be set up through the front desk. Young visitors get a backpack that includes touring tips, activity cards and a bag of goodies that can be used in any gallery. During the monthly Family Day events, families can come in and make art together while learning about art techniques.

Treehouse Kid & Craft

West Broad Street

If you’re looking for somewhere to buy books, art projects and toys, Treehouse Kid & Craft has all of the above. The in-shop studio has a DIY station and offers classes to learn some new techniques.

Eat

Buvez

Newtown

While the kids enjoy snow cones and watch the train go by, adults can sip a cocktail at this quirky railroad-side joint, which often hosts live performances in the evenings.

Cali N Tito’s/La Puerta del Sol

Five Points/East Side

These sister restaurants offer up casual Latin fare in lively environs. The East Side location resembles an indoor amusement park, with dime-store carousels and rides.

The Rook & Pawn

Downtown

This London-style cafe offers a wide selection of board games and books.

Ted’s Most Best

Downtown

The giant sandbox and spacious shady patio is the draw for families at this casual Italian spot with thin-crust pizzas and draft beers.

When it comes to sports, UGA is best known for football, which draws 92,746 fans to Sanford Stadium on Saturdays in the fall. But Athens is a great town to both play and watch a host of other sports. Here’s our list of how and where to get sporty this spring and summer.

What To Watch

Georgia GymDogs

The Georgia GymDogs are the official women’s gymnastics team for the University of Georgia and draw major crowds to Stegeman Coliseum to watch them tumble. Their schedule runs through March.

Equestrian

The UGA Equestrian team is a seven-time National Championship winner. spectators can watch both English — including jumping — and Western riding disciplines at the Equestrian Complex in Bishop, 12 miles south of Athens.

Baseball and Softball

The Bulldogs baseball and softball teams are known for high-energy games each week, as fans from all over come to watch them play at Foley Field, a stadium that has hosted four NCAA Tournaments since 2001. The softball team plays at Jack Turner Stadium