THE SANDBOX

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 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

arts and crafts project. Kid’s Night Out is a chance for children ages 4-12 to spend a playful evening at the Museum with special supervised activities and a pizza dinner while their adults can enjoy a few hours to themselves or out on the town.

Summer Camp starts on June 14 with eight weeks of specially designed half-day and full-day programs for ages 4-12 at both sites. Weekly themes vary from “Life in the Lowcountry,” “Space Exploration” and “Water, Water Everywhere” to “Sun and Sand,” “Chemistry Camp” and “Art for Everyone” depending on the location, but all offer integrative, hands-on learning with STEAM activities, as well as daily staff-supervised play in the Museum’s exhibits. Healthy snacks will be offered to all children and full-day campers should bring a lunch. Both the popular Kid’s Night Out and Summer Camps require pre-registration.

The Museum’s new location has been years in the making. The Sandbox began a Capital Campaign in 2016 which was then shelved due to Hurricane Matthew. Fundraising restarted in 2018, before COVID-19 turned the world upside down. The Town of Hilton Head Island provided the new building in Lowcountry Celebration Park, as part of the Coligny Redevelopment Project, while The Sandbox raised money for the new and updated exhibits, as well as expanded programming.

Current protocols require cleaning everything in the Museum after each two-hour session and online reservations are recommended to guarantee admission due to capacity restrictions, although walk-ins are accepted if space is available. If restrictions ease over the summer, capacity and the number of daily sessions may increase with additional programs, such as Sensory Saturdays, and special events like the Fourth of July party added back to the schedule.

For Fish, exciting elements of the move include the new and upgraded hands-on exhibits, as well as the opportunity to expand programming, especially for the local community.

“Last fall, we did a Museum school – a virtual program for Beaufort County students that was a HUGE success,” she notes. “Those kids didn’t want to leave The Sandbox! So, I think programming that is designed for local communities, that they can utilize, is going to benefit the children is our area. That’s what I’d really like to focus on, and programming for the times when we’re not in season.”

“I think kids now, more than ever, need play – that kind of free play, imaginative play. I think it’s a really important resource for them to have. And I want to make sure that all the children in the community can take advantage of it. Not just those who can afford it.”

“Learn to Play and Play to Learn” this summer at either the Hilton Head Island or Tanger 2 Sandbox locations. These hands-on, interactive children’s museums cater to toddlers through 12 and their caregivers. Online reservations are recommended for daily sessions and pre-registration is required for Summer Camp and Kid’s Night Out. Visit www. thesandbox.org or call (843) 842-7645 on Hilton Head or (843) 705-6235 in Bluffton for details.