Growing up, it was just my mother and me, and I loved coming up with mommy-daughter date ideas. So as a mother of one girl and two boys, I enjoy having some girl time with my daughter. (Also … because you know … boys are gross!) My daughter and I always look for fun things to do together, and sometimes we make a day out of it.
Painting
We have done this twice through our PTO at the kids’ elementary school. A local art studio brought in canvases and gave instructions on how to paint a picture. This could easily be done at home too with a quick stop to the local arts and crafts store. Places like Studio Cellar offer free style paint kits to go you can complete at home. Or Richland County Library offers Hands on Art classes for little ones and the teen center has painting options in their STEAM studio for free!
“Spa” Day
My daughter loves anything that has to do with pampering or going to the “spa” aka the nail salon. Again, this is one of the things you could do at home too. Stop by the dollar store and pick up some flip flops, nail polish and plastic bucket and you are set.
Sweets
My daughter definitely has my sweet tooth. Whether it’s a milkshake from Sonic, frozen yogurt from Menchie’s or a SnoBall from Pelican’s, anytime is a good time for a treat. We’ll even have a coffee/hot chocolate date at Starbucks.
Aerial Yoga
I have not done this with my daughter yet but it’s on our to-do list. I have done an aerial yoga class with friends and it was so much fun! You can schedule sessions at Fit Columbia in Five Points for girls ages six and older.
Soda City
My daughter is an early riser, so some Saturdays we’ll just leave the boys at home and head out to Soda City Market downtown. We walk around and look at all the vendors, get a bite to eat or snack on and enjoy each other’s company. We always find something different and unique every time we go to the market.
Movie or Show
Sometimes the boys don’t want to go to show or a movie, especially if it’s mostly princess themed. So my daughter and I will take that opportunity to spend some girl time together.
Day Trip
Sometimes, you just need to go somewhere, even if it ‘s just for the day! So grab your daughter(s) and take a day trip to the beach. We’ve often packed up the car for the day and headed to the Isle of Palms Beach Park. The beach park has a playground, picnic areas, changing areas and restrooms. Stopping by the outlets after the beach is also a plus!
Or take a trip up to Charlotte to the American Girl Doll Store. We took a trip to Atlanta recently (obviously longer than a day trip) where we planned lunch at the American Girl Doll store with my daughter, sister-in-law, mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law (and of course Isabelle, my daughter’s American Girl Doll). That was a really fun ladies outing with multiple generations in the family.
Kids Workshops
Home Depot has a kids workshop on the first Saturday of every month starting at 9 a.m. There is a different project each month that kids can build (with adult help if needed) and paint. I wish they had these when I was younger. It is a great way to introduce girls to home improvement projects and teaching them how to use different tools.
“Glamping”
We recently went to Girl Scout Night at the Columbia Fireflies stadium with my daughter’s brownie troop and spent the night on the field. After watching the baseball game and enjoying the fireworks post-game, we brought in our tents and sleeping bags and watched a movie on the big screen and “camped out” on the field. What a neat experience!
