Once summer rolls around, families pack up the minivans and head south to Georgia’s numerous beaches. St. Simons Island is becoming a hotbed of family-friendly activity; from clean beaches to educational exhibits, here are six reasons why St. Simons Island should be your family’s summer destination.
- Neptune Park & Fun Zone
There are times when children tire of the beach and need something different. That’s where Neptune Park & Fun Zone comes in. An 18-hole mini golf course is open year round, as is the state-of-the-art playground. During the spring and summer months, the pool is open. But this is no ordinary pool – there are fountains, slides, zero-entry points, and lap lanes, not to mention a water gym. Additionally, there is a fishing pier nearby, as well as a bandstand where numerous live events are held throughout the warmer months. The kids will love the park and pool, and chances are, won’t want to go home.
- Massengale Park
Your kids will love Messengale Park. Not only is there beach access, but there are also picnic tables, grills, a playground, and plenty of room to run around in the shade provided by ancient oak trees. If you want to spend a quiet afternoon out of the hot sun but still outside, visit Massengale Park.
- Day Camps
Frederica Academy, a local school, offers numerous day camps, including Football Camp, Equestrian Experience, Summer Sailing, and several other sports themed adventures. If your child isn’t into sports, Coastal Outdoor Adventures also offers day camps on subjects such as shark fishing, water sports (such as kayaking and paddleboarding), fishing, and a Junior Biologist camp.
- St. Simons Trolley
It’s a well known fact: children (of all ages) love things on four wheels. Trains, cars, trucks – and trolleys. So when you visit St. Simons Island with your family, make sure to buy a ticket for the St. Simons Trolley. You’ll get a 90-minute tour that allows you to see the sites and hear the stories about numerous historic pieces of St. Simons Island from the comfort of St. Simons Island’s very own historic trolley.
- Honey Creek Coastal Encounters Nature Center
If your kids are hands on (and let’s face it, what kid isn’t), then a visit to the Honey Creek Coastal Encounters Nature Center is a must-stop destination. Described as a “hands-on environmental education center,” the nature center offer both outdoor and indoor activities such as beach and salt marsh ecology walks, labs, and much more.
- Tree Spirits
If you have a free afternoon, you should spend it amongst the oak trees. Why? Because there are several faces, or Tree Spirits, carved onto select oak trees all over St. Simons Island. Akin to an exciting scavenger hunt for the kids, the search could be made easier by using the available online map. These faces were carved by hand to commemorate the many sailors who died while sailing on ships made from St. Simons oak.