A hidden gem! Friendly, knowledgeable staff, excellent exhibits, great kid section on the top…read morefloor, neat options in the gift shop. All with no admissions fee!

What a well done museum in an unexpected place!! We were looking for a day trip from our home in…read moreNorfolk and saw this one on TripAdvisor. Since it is only about 20 miles from the bridge tunnel up the shore (one of my favorite places on earth!), we decided to check it out. SO glad we did! And since admission is free, it made the bridge tunnel toll worth it! When you walk in you are greeted by the most friendly docent who gives you a brief background of the museum and what it's about. She told us they have several films and asked if we wanted to watch any of them. We did - "Our Island Home" gives you a terrific view of what life on Hog Island was like before it was abandoned from people who were actually born there. After whatever movie(s) you want to watch, you are "free range" to explore the museum. It is SO well done. I could have roamed around for longer than the 2 hours we were there (but I'm a museum reader - I have to check out everything!). Definitely allow yourself a couple of hours to explore. The exhibits are fantastic and laid out well. All artifacts were donated or on loan from actual island families - they don't purchase their artifacts. I like that. Shows the love for the community that these people have. Definitely check out the attic! There are hands on things for the kids - it's hot up there in the summer though! I was fascinated by the twisted chimney (not going to tell you why it was built that way - you'll have to go find out for yourself!). This is a GREAT little stop if you are looking for something cool to do on your way up or down Rt. 13 on your way to your vacation or a great day trip from the VA Beach area. With all their many activities and programs, we will definitely be back!

have never had a better experience than this one right here they give the kids a chance to express…read morethemselves and gives them a chance to be independent

This is a solid place. If you are looking for a place to camp, you must check this place out. I…read morehave been here twice and would go back again in a heartbeat. Not a great place, but definitely center of the fairway. The first time we came, our Pack stayed in the upper area. This past weekend, we stayed in the main field. We had plenty of room, the staff were extremely accomodating/nice and the facilities were great. The location on the river was nice. The entire Pack had a great time. We didn't really know where to get water and they basically said - go to that field and it was the end of our interactions with the check in. The kids did the climbing wall, which was kinda ok as well as the low ropes which was definitely lame and you shouldn't waste your money. They were nice and it was interesting, but not worth the money. Basically, it was a teambuilding exercise. The Scouts had the usual incredible time, but that comes any time you put a bunch of young kids on a field and camp out. We had fun, have been before and will probably come again in a couple years. If you are looking for a place for your Cub Scouts to camp, come here. Just don't waste your money on the "extra" activities.

I went to this camp for 2 years and the hole time I was there I had a blast they have grate…read morecounselors, cabins and pools. They have an open dock a boat . The activities consist of water skiing, swimming knee boarding, archery and more. I do recommend this camp

My daughter spent the best week of summer ever here. She learned about marine biology, got her feet…read morewet & her hands dirty & can't wait to do it again.

From the owner: Chincoteague Bay Field Station is an environmental education center and field station that offers…read moreprograms for youth, families, and adults. Programs at CBFS are hands-on and introduce people to the coastal environments on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Examples of programs include: half-day family activities, summer camps, family camps, school field trips, and adult programs like birding, biking, kayaking, and nature photography. Check out our website for a full listing of ways to get involved!

We had a fun ride! They were able to accommodate a next day trail ride in off-season today. It was…read morejust my daughter and I, and we were greeted by a cute dog on arrival. We did a practice ride in the ring before setting out on the trail. Since my daughter is young, they graciously led the horse on the trail. Both horses were calm and no issues on the trail. Mine tried to eat grass at the beginning, but I had already been warned and knew what to do! The trail goes back through the woods and then around the fenced in portion of the farm back to the barn. It was about 30 minutes of riding with a couple minutes on either side for getting instructions and putting the horses away. Afterwards, we said hello to the cat and bunnies, and the goats. It was a mild day and beautiful skies so the perfect winter day for a ride! We will be back when we are in town again.

We took our grandchildren 4,5 and 13 to this lovely farm. All went well. The kids enjoyed the ride…read moreand visiting the horses in their stalls. . .then, in an attempt to cool down the car before getting the kiddos loaded up, I locked the keys inside with the car running. One of the employees kindly called a friend who unlocked it for us and neither wanted any compensation. Of course, we insisted and we all left happy and grateful. So sweet! Highly recommend these folks!

Cute little building that does, on a smaller scale, what the Visual Arts Center does in Richmond…read more They have supplies and classes. I know a lot of ladies who live in Mathews and have a great time taking one or two classes here. It's a great way to meet folks in Mathews. It's led to my mom's year or so long obsession with making "toothbrush rugs" which are not made OF toothbrushes, but with a needle-thing that looks kinda like a toothbrush. Great little place, I would totally recommend it. How awesomely fun would it be to come to Mathews for a summer and take a class here in between visiting the shops/restaurants and going to the beach?!

From the owner: The Bay School offers art classes and workshops for adults and children. Classes are offered in…read morePainting, Drawing, Basket making, Mosaics, Jewelry Making, Rug hooking, Pottery and much more! The Art Speaks Gallery is a bright, airy space showcasing local and regional contemporary art and craft.

I was excited when I saw a new small business, Kidcreate Art Studio was opening in the spring '21…read morein Newport News. I signed my granddaughter up for every activity in her age group. Each class is very affordable! The studio is in a strip mall on Warwick Blvd near Yates Elementary. It is a bright space with a variety of art supplies available to purchase for children, and a bright, colorful creating space with tables and stools. Some little kids fall off the stools but there are chairs available if desired. Ms Karen is the owner and she is delightful. She is very friendly and accommodating, but not overly so. The studio offers classes for children as young as 18 months, and as there is a wide variety of personalities and abilities, some children take awhile to get comfortable and some take to the structure right away. However there is no judgement or pressure for any child who may be having a melt down, and some do, or children who want to put project elements on upside down, or children who would rather sit on the floor or visit the caged birds that live at the studio. Some projects are very difficult for the younger children, but the age range for the classes my granddaughter attends is 18 months to 6 years, so there is quite a bit of adult involvement with the much younger children. The somewhat older children can attend on their own and parents can come back for them. Most projects have messy elements, and one of their "rules" is to have fun and get messy. Child height hand washing sinks are located close by, thankfully! I found a couple of projects too messy for my liking, but then, I'm about 60 years older than the kids the projects are designed for! As with any new business there are learning curves for the instructors who are likely getting all the elements together for a project they have never taught before. However the instructors generally are very hands off and let the children do what they feel comfortable doing while providing everything for a finished project. I look forward to supporting this business for several years to come, as long as my granddaughter is enjoying it.

My daughter has been very anxious about going out of the house because of covid, but with school…read morestarting soon, she needed to "get her feet wet," so I took her to KidCreate Studio to take a camp. She was nervous and cried every day at drop off, but everyone was very kind and redirected her. She trusted them and it got better and better every day. There was no judgment of her or her tears, just compassion. Even the other kids were kind and helpful. She's slowly getting ready for school and I just signed her up for her next week of camp. We'll do at least two more before school starts. Thank you all for being so good to my nervous kiddo!

This was an amazing experience for our kid. We did two week long camps and William and Mary. Both…read morewere fantastic. The instructors and camp leads really engage with the campers.

An excellent technology camp for kids! The staff are very friendly and knowledgable. I was really…read morepleased by how much my child learned in the week he was at camp. Will absolutely be going back again next year!

I first heard about Mad Science through my son's elementary school. They offered an after school…read moreprogram at the school and my son loved it! He has done it several times already and every time he is super excited. My daughter was turning 6 this year and she asked for a science party so I immediately knew to hire Mad Science. The kids had so much fun and my daughter absolutely loved her party. We had Rocket Rachael and she was such a pleasure to have and so good with the kids!!! I would definitely hire them again!!

Richard was our Mad Scientist. He was an absolute rock star!!! The kids ages 7-12 and the adults…read morewere entertained every second of the show. The kids were fascinated by what they thought was magic, but was actually science. They were learning while having an amazing time! We will be hiring them again for another show. I would highly recommend using mad science!

I've been Sail Nauticus member since moving to the area 5 years ago. This is the best kept secret…read morein Norfolk. A GREAT, very active community and a very affordable way to learn to sail and get out on the beautiful Elizabeth River. There are orgaized events several times every week and many trained skippers who LOVE to introduce new members to sailling. Reach out to them (they have an active facebook page) and get out on the water today - you will not regret it

Awesome experience sailing in the harbor. What a great way to experience the area and support a…read moregreat organization. Have a friend who's a member/instructor and she took my family out on an tour/lesson of the area. My kids crewed the larger sailboat which was much bigger and more stable than the one's I had tried as a college student back in California. Beautiful location in marina and great charity organization to teach kids to sail targeting middle schoolers of which my kids happen to be.