TIME TO
PLAY! BY ALLYSON JONES PHOTOS BY ROB KAUFMAN
Since 2005, The Sandbox, An Interactive Children’s Museum, on Pope Avenue has been the premier destination for hands-on play and learning for young children and their caregivers with interactive exhibits, family-focused activities, summer camps, special events, Sensory Days for those on the autism spectrum, virtual school and school readiness programs, as well as community outreach. In 2019, a 3,500-sqare-foot satellite location opened at the Tanger 2 Outlets in Bluffton. This spring, the Museum moved down the street to a brand-new, larger LEED Gold-certified building in Lowcountry Celebration Park. A 10-acre site close to Coligny Beach, Hilton Head’s newest park features various attractions to engage both visitors and locals, including a stage, pavilion and expansive lawn for festivals, walking trails, exercise stations, restrooms, WiFi and recharging stations, the Adventure Playground – a reimagined version of the ship Captain William Hilton was aboard when he spotted the Island in 1663 – and The Sandbox. According to Executive Director Nancy E. Fish, some of The Sandbox’s most beloved interactive exhibits will make the move with enhancements while new ones will be introduced. For instance, the Pirate Ship has transformed into a Shrimp Boat and Gulfstream is donating a new jet cockpit to replace the one at 56
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the previous location. A new Gullah exhibit will introduce children to this unique sea island culture; The Sandcastle will house a Shadow Room, a castle-themed dress-up area and slide; a larger interactive LEGO wall will be available; and, eventually, an experience called the 3D Holographic Sandbox will be unveiled. These exhibits offer “the same types of components in STEAM [Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics] and creative play, but upgraded because we are expanding our reach to children through age 12,” notes Fish, who has a background in Montessori learning and a Master’s in Education. She is especially excited about the Museum’s new dedicated outdoor exhibit space which will ultimately house a kayak simulator, rock wall, outdoor music wall and Pool Noodle Forest. In addition to providing a place where children and their caregivers are encouraged to learn together through play, both the Hilton Head Island and Bluffton Sandbox locations offer special summer programs, such as Imagination Hour, Kid’s Night Out and Summer Camps. Geared to ages five and under, Imagination Hour is a weekly story time followed by a related family
