Kids

There is no better place to have fun with your family than the Cape Fear region. Whether you are here on a fun getaway or are fortunate enough to live in this beautiful coastal area year-round, you will find much to see and do together. Featuring an abundance of kid-friendly attractions and activities, the area provides many services to keep your kids healthy, happy, educated and entertained.

Whether it’s running on the beach, taking the stage or splashing at Long Leaf Park's splash pad, the Cape Fear area affords endless opportunities for children of all ages to have fun.

FUN-FILLED EVENTS

In addition to the many wonderful staples mentioned in this chapter, kids will enjoy a range of one-time events throughout the year. The North Carolina Azalea Festival, the hallmark event of the spring, features a lot of fun activities for kids, including a parade and children’s area within the street fair.

In early October, children will love the activities at RiverFest, such as the pirate treasure hunt and costume contest, fireworks, skateboard contest and children’s zone. Additionally, Halloween celebrations abound in Wilmington. Battleship North Carolina’s Batty Battleship Bash is always fun for children.

THEATRE FOR KIDS

Wilmington is extremely fortunate to have the Thalian Association Youth Theater (TAYT), which offers theatrical training and performance opportunities, with most auditions open for children ages 7 through high school seniors. TAYT remains dedicated to “the enrichment of arts education for our community’s youth.”

Children may choose to be involved on stage as actors or back stage as part of the technical production team. Five productions each year are held at the Community Arts Center, 120 South 2nd Street, in the Hannah Block Historic USO building. The TAYT productions are regularly honored with Wilmington Theater Award for Best Children’s Production.

TACT Academy offers an opportunity

for young people to create and explore the arts in a non-audition based setting for students ages 4 through high school. Designed to help students better understand theater in all its facets, an array of classes, taught by a large group of talented instructors, enables students to discover their strength, learn new skills and build self-confidence within a nurturing atmosphere. TACT Academy offers fall and spring semesters with a showcase for students at the end of each session. The classes are held at the Hannah Block Historic USO Building and at First Baptist Activity Center on Independence Boulevard. The classes are affordable and scholarship opportunities are available.

GORGEOUS AIRLIE GARDENS

With breathtaking formal gardens, wildlife, historic structures, walking trails, sculptures, lakes and a 467-yearold live oak, Airlie Gardens has something to offer the entire family. Children will especially enjoy the Tranquility Garden, a 2,700-square foot native butterfly house.

Rock saltTregembo Animal Park

Southeastern NC’s Oldest Zoo With Over 130 Types of Animals

Fun for the whole family!

5811 Carolina Beach Rd Wilmington NC  tregembo@yahoo.com |  910-392-3604  TregemboAnimalPark.com From April 15 to October 15, hundreds of butterflies can be seen flying around this open-air, screened structure.

During the summer, Airlie hosts a concert series on their beautiful Oak Lawn on the first and third Friday of every month. Visitors can pack a picnic or buy food from the on-site concessions and enjoy live music.

Another fun seasonal event is Enchanted Airlie, when the gardens are transformed into a festive holiday light show beginning the Friday after Thanksgiving and running until just before Christmas.

CHILDREN’S GARDENS

Very near Airlie Gardens is the fascinating New Hanover County Arboretum, exhibiting seven acres of plants that grow in the region. Kids will delight in the Children’s Garden, where everything is built on a kid-size scale. The Children’s Garden features a cottage, a colorful plant and flower garden, and a seating area. Bring plenty of quarters so kids can feed the fish in the koi pond.

The Arboretum is also open daily and year round. Admission to the Arboretum is free.

JUMP. SWING. CLIMB. FLIP. FLY.

Does an indoor park with 28,000 square feet of wall-to-wall trampolines sound like fun? How about trick walls, trapeze swings, a ninja course or black light dodgeball with your closest adrenaline-seeking pals? Flip N Fly isn’t just a place to go, it’s Wilmington’s destination for high-flying, no-fear fun. Let the little ones safely zoom around in their own kids court while you and the other big kids let loose and take flight.

PLACES TO PLAY

The greater Wilmington area boasts 36 city and county parks and 17 neighborhood parks, plus many green spaces and biking trails. With such a wide variety of parks available, there is no excuse not to get outside and stay active. Long Leaf, one of the oldest and bestknown parks in midtown Wilmington, offers a playground, several picnic shelters, ball fields, a seasonal splash pad and a tranquil pond. On the north end of town, the 125-acre Ogden Park includes playgrounds, walking/ jogging trails and baseball, football and soccer fields. Halyburton Park, on the southwest side of Wilmington, has a 1.3-mile walking and biking trail where undisturbed plant collections can be observed. In addition to playgrounds and picnic shelters, Halyburton has a community building where children can visit reptiles and fish and take fun and educational classes.

Hours vary by park and season. A fee is required to reserve picnic shelters.

FOR THE LITTLE ONES

If you have children ages 5 or younger, you'll love the Fit For Fun Center located on 10th Street near historic downtown Wilmington. The center is designed to promote interaction between you and your child through age-appropriate activities including an art room, water tables, home-made play-dough, a ball pit, slides, tunnels, ride-on toys, dress up stations, a train table, a play kitchen and more. The center's outside space offers a fully fenced playground and room to run. Weekly activities include bubbles, parachute play, musical instruments, obstacle courses and more. You and you're little ones will love every second. Entry fee is $5 per child/ per session 