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Once upon a time, there was a beautiful place at a point where two rivers met. It was such a beautiful place that even the first person who ever saw it, a Tuscarora Indian, wanted to live there. In fact, the entire tribe decided it was the best place to live. And it was. There were lots of fish in the two rivers, and there was a big forest with many trees that the Native Americans could use to build all the things they needed, such as boats. One day, some other people arrived in the beautiful place. Their leader was from a far-away place called Bern, Switzerland. The people saw the two rivers that came together here and admired the big forest that had what they needed to build things. They also decided that this was the best place in the New World to live. They called the place New Bern to remind them of their old city. Except for once or twice, the people of New Bern got along pretty well with the Tuscarora Indians, but that's another story. The people of New Bern built quite a fine town with pretty houses, and their town became a capital where the king sent a governor to rule the whole land. The people built a palace in New Bern for the governor. Everyone loved the palace, and people came from all over the land to enjoy it. Even pirates came up the river from the sea to see the town with the palace. And because it was always a beautiful place to live, people kept coming to New Bern. Over the years, the people of New Bern got together to build a fort for their children to play in and places where their children have parties, eat ice cream and purchase toys. Today, they bring wonderful performers from far away to teach and entertain the kids. They even have a variety of summer and Christmas-break camps where kids can feed farm animals, experience colonial life or just have fun being a kid. The people of New Bern continue to live happily ever after. From near and far, visitors bring their kids to New Bern to enjoy the town with a real palace. Read on for the details. This is hardly The End. Arts The Accidental Artist You might think The Accidental Artist is a great place to spend a rainy afternoon when the kids have decided there's nothing else to do. But, heck, it's a great place to have fun no matter what the weather is like! At this studio, you can showcase your creativity by painting your own pottery, which Accidental Artist will then fire for you to complete your one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Come relax in the informal atmosphere and give your artistic impulses freedom. You can even book studio space for birthday parties, club meetings, and other special occasions. The Accidental Artist is open Tuesday through Saturday. Craven Arts Council & Gallery The Craven Arts Council & Gallery sponsors two weeklong fun and educational Summer Arts Camps for children ages 4 to 13. Day campers strengthen their creativity in process-oriented activities in arts disciplines such as creative drama, music, creative movement and visual arts. Classes for particular age groups are limited, so early registration is a good idea. Eats Bear City Fudge Company What better way to treat the kids -- and yourself, too -- than with a delicious piece of homemade fudge? Bear City Fudge Company offers 25 or so flavors, sold starting at half-pound increments. Sample tastes are offered to help you decide between the classic flavors and the more exotic ones. Platters, special orders and other services also are available. While you're waiting for your order, you'll enjoy looking at the many teddy bears on display and the mural which depicts the Craven Street of days gone by. Bear City Fudge Company is open Monday through Saturday. The Cow Cafe The Cow Cafe is not only for the young but also the young at heart. Newly relocated to New Bern's historic downtown, the Cow Cafe screams Holstein from the outside awning to the cow-modes in the restrooms. Settle on a comfortable spot to enjoy snacks and lunches of Cow Coney hot dogs, Save-A-Cow barbecue-no burgers, Chili Cow Carne, Uncle Mooford's old fashioned milk shakes and malts, Grandmoo Isla's scrumptious cookies, banana splits, sundaes and more. The on-site cow boutique features more than 200 cow-inspired items, where you can find the perfect gift to say "I love moo."
Marina Sweets Cafe & Deli Marina Sweets has long been an Insider Kid's favorite because of its chocolate chip cookies and ice cream. Milk shakes, banana splits and sundaes are cool treats during a busy expedition in New Bern. Parents will appreciate the opportunity to introduce their children to the old-fashioned atmosphere of an honest-to-goodness ice cream shop. Farms A Day at the Farm For an "udderly" good time, visit A Day at the Farm, located 20 minutes west of New Bern off U.S. Highway 70. A Day at the Farm, a former dairy that operated from 1947 to 1993, offers kids a chance to see how an old-time dairy farm operated by exploring old barns, an old kitchen and other outbuildings dating back to 1896. Children and their families can hike a nature trail, play in the hay, see and feed traditional farm animals, and, depending on the time of year, get lost in the Corn Maze or enjoy an Easter Egg Hunt, a Live Nativity and other activities scheduled around holidays. Other group activities may include butter-making the old-fashioned way. A Day at the Farm also sponsors week-long summer camps that give young people (and the young at heart) an idea of the fun and chores of farm life. Prices vary depending on activity; call ahead for more information and for an appointment. Gifts and treats are available in the Ice Cream Parlor and the gift shop. Kirkman's Farm
& Petting Zoo A family-run operation located about 20 minutes west of New Bern, Kirkman's Farm is a real working farm where visitors can see many of the day-to-day activities that go along with growing crops such as corn, wheat, rye oats, hay and pumpkins. In addition to seeing the farming activities, children will enjoy the opportunity to feed and pet the farm’s many barnyard buddies, including goats, potbelly pigs, rabbits, ponies, cows and a miniature donkey. In season, the farm offers hayrides and a pumpkin patch. At Christmas, hayrides tour the farm's lights and decorations. Anytime you plan to visit, be sure to call ahead for an appointment. Learning Build and Grow Program Build and Grow is a free program held the second Saturday of every month for children grades 2 through 5. Our Insider Kid, who declares this program "really fun," has built a variety of household or seasonal items, such as a pencil box for school, a spice rack for Mother's Day and a trivet for the kitchen. Lowe's provides all materials and supplies, and each child is given his or her own work apron and safety goggles. As children complete a project, they are awarded a certificate, as well as a patch for their apron. A parent must accompany the child throughout the activity. A word to the wise: Pre-registration is absolutely required at the Customer Service Desk as Lowe's only receives enough kits for the number of children who are pre-registered. Carolina Coastal Railroaders Interested in model railroading or just want to see the developing miniature empire? Carolina Coastal Railroaders, a group devoted to miniature trains, has developed an impressive layout of tracks and tunnels that kids of all ages will enjoy seeing. You'll also see villages that include shops, restaurants, houses, a skyscraper and buildings still under construction. There's a fun scavenger hunt where you can look for things such as a lighthouse, a bathtub, a cigar store Indian -- even a man in an outhouse! Open Mondays and Thursdays from 7 until 9 PM and Saturdays from 9 AM until noon, this railroading paradise is, in the words of our Insider Kid, "the best place in the world to watch trains." There is no admission fee, but donations are always appreciated. For information, call Tommie Phelps at the number above. Insider Kids know that in New Bern there are so many things to do and places to go.Photo: Claire Doyle
New Bern-Craven County Public The children's library at the New Bern-Craven County Public Library is well-organized for toddlers through 6th-graders to enjoy selecting from the collection of books, videotapes and audio cassettes. Stories on CD-ROM are available for use in-house on the department's three computers. Help is plentiful. Weekday programs for children include Time Out For Toddlers on 9:30 AM and 10:30 AM Fridays, featuring stories, songs and finger plays for children ages 3 and younger. Preschool Storysteps for ages 3 to 5 takes place 9:30 AM and 10:30 AM Tuesdays, offering stories, puppet plays, music and other fun. The Children's Story Hour is held at 4 PM Thursday afternoons for kids between the ages of 5 and 9, and involves storytelling, movies and creative activities, while the Story Seekers program fosters the imaginations of children ages 10 and up through puppetry and storytelling. (Pre-registration is required for Story Seekers.) The library hosts a number of other special programs throughout the year, including the Summer Reading Book Club. New Bern Historical Society The New Bern Historical Society features several programs for children, including Girls and Boys Days throughout the year that bring history to life with fun and educational activities. Past themes have included the Southern Girls Day, which featured games, quilting, cross stitch, candle-making and other activities associated with the American Girls book series, and A Civil War Adventure for Boys, which featured authentic drills, musket shooting demonstrations and more in an encampment-style atmosphere. While these programs are fee-based, members of the historical society receive a discount. Call for details about upcoming events. Tryon Palace Historic Sites &
Gardens Besides the standard admission fee of $6 for children grades 1 to 12 (and free for children kindergarten-age and younger), Tryon Palace offers a number of pint-sized programs designed to foster an interest in history, among them the summer Camp Yesteryear and holiday day camps, concerts, films and more. Information on age limitations, registration and fees, where applicable, is available by calling the number above. Parks Creekside Park Creekside Park is located on 111 acres next to Craven Regional Airport. Developed by the Craven County Recreation and Parks Department, it features 12 athletic fields, perfect for soccer, baseball, softball and football; a large playground where children ages 5 to 12 will enjoy climbing, swinging and sliding; a sand volleyball court; and a quarter-mile paved walking trail. Restrooms and picnic shelters also are available. Reservations for these facilities can be made by calling the department at the number above; rental fees apply to the picnic shelters and athletic fields. Fort Totten Park Let your kids burn some energy jumping, climbing, swinging, spinning and sliding in Fort Totten Park's fantastic playground. (Meanwhile, parents can relax on one of the many park benches located beneath shady trees.) The park, which also features a lighted baseball diamond, public restrooms and a picnic shelter with two grills, is located close to New Bern's downtown historic district. Kidsville Playground Kidsville, a beautifully planned active and interactive fort-like play environment that captivates both children and adults, is located next to the West New Bern Recreation Center on Pine Tree Drive near the intersection of U.S. Highway 70 and N.C. Highway 17. With or without a kid, Kidsville merits a visit. Whether you choose to slide, swing, climb, clamber or scamper through its interesting twists and turns, Kidsville will wow you and is the perfect place for a sunny afternoon picnic. Groups of 15 or more must make reservations by calling ahead. Recreation Craven County Recreation and Parks Dept. The Craven County Recreation and Parks Department offers programs and classes for preschool and school-age kids throughout the school year and in summer day-camp programs. Karate is instructed year round for ages 3 and older. Tennis lessons, baton twirling, girls' softball, T-ball, coach pitch baseball and little league, soccer, Pop Warner football and basketball for girls and boys are among the sports activities organized and supervised seasonally. In addition to its regular summer day-camp program, the recreation department teams up with Tryon Palace to offer Camp Yesteryear for 4th- and 5th-grade students each summer and sponsors special programs such as the annual Easter Egg Hunt for ages 1 to 11. Craven County 4-H 4-H is a volunteer-based skill-building organization for children and teens ages 5 to 18. Children participate in 4-H community clubs, after-school workshops, field trips, camp-outs and other special events and hands-on activities taking place on weekends, evenings and school holidays. There are currently six active 4-H clubs in Craven County, and approximately 450 children participate each year in 4-H sponsored educational activities. These activities focus on a wide range of interests, including camping, cooking, horses, the environment, computers, sports, recycling, wildlife and more. New Bern Recreation and Parks The New Bern Recreation and Parks Department offers a number of sports programs throughout the year for children, including cheerleading, baton twirling, fencing, baseball, soccer, basketball, track and field, karate, tennis, wrestling and football. Recreation centers are located at 901 Chapman Street, (252) 636-4062, and 1225 Pine Tree Drive, (252) 636-4061. For teens the department hosts a Teen Council to give local teens a place to share ideas and bring new recreational opportunities to town. Scheduled events and clubs such as CHOICES, Saturday Night Madness, Teen Night and the Teen Success Club give local teens opportunities to socialize and share their thoughts and opinions. In addition to its programs and clubs throughout the year, the department also offers the BEAR After School Program for ages 8 to 14 during the school year and the Bern Bear Bunch Day Camp during the summer. Offered 9 AM to 4 PM weekdays for three two-week sessions, the Bern Bear Bunch Day Camp is open to children ages 6 to 12. Residents living within the city limits are allowed to register two weeks earlier than everyone else. Campers participate in games, contests, arts and crafts, swimming, water games, movies, sports, field trips, cookouts and much more. Strike Zone Family Fun Center The Strike Zone Family Fun Center offers hours of entertainment for kids and their parents too. The Strike Zone offers 24 bowling lanes, a full-service snack bar, a soft play zone for younger children and a fantastic arcade. Strike Zone offers several family fun specials. The Family Special Mondays through Wednesdays features a game of bowling, large pizza, pitcher of soft drink and 20 arcade tokens for $29.95 for up to four people. Other deals include the Monday Quarter Mania, where for $3 per person, you can bowl and play all the arcade games you want for 25 cents per game; and Two for Tuesday, with its buy-one-bowling-game, get-one-free deal. The Strike Zone is the perfect place to host a birthday party. The price is $99 for two hours, including up to 12 people, which includes shoe rental, two hours of bowling, unlimited soft drinks and all paper products. Add $2.25 per person for birthday meals and another $1 per person for popcorn. Birthday parties are scheduled for Saturdays and Sundays. See our New Bern Recreation and Parks chapter for more information about The Strike Zone. YMCA Youth Sports and Services The YMCA's new Aquatic Center opens in June 2005 with water slides, a splash park, a zero-entry section and lots of room for kids to swim and play. Swimming instruction also is a specialty from beginning lessons to Water Safety Instructor certification. With the emphasis on fair play, participation and fun, the YMCA offers year-round sports activities for all age groups in gymnastics and competitive swimming and seasonal basketball, T-ball and girls softball. Whiffle-ball preschool T-ball is organized for ages 3 to 5 years old. Summer day-camp programs offer a terrific range of sports activities for all age groups. The Youth Center for ages 6 to 18 years provides supervised gaming such as bumper pool and table tennis. Child care services are available for parents using the YMCA facilities. Shopping
Snapdragon Way Cool Toys If you have a child with you while you're shopping the historic downtown district, reward both of you with a play break at the Snapdragon, which has the coolest in specialty toys. Little ones can play at the Thomas the Train play table while parents explore all this unique shop has to offer. Featuring toys for children ages newborn on up, Snapdragon offers an inviting selection craft, scientific and magic kits, as well as dolls, plush toys, books, Playmobil sets, action figures, and a variety of just fun stuff. (Our Insider Kid finds the Snapdragon a fascinating store to explore and a must-stop on any downtown excursion.) |
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