Our favorite free (or inexpensive) local activities for toddlers and preschoolers

• American Tobacco Campus (334 Blackwell Street, Durham)
• Carolina Inn (211 Pittsboro Street, Chapel Hill). Music on the Porch series.
• Carrboro Century Center (100 North Greensboro Street, Carrboro). Lollipop Series
• Carrboro Recreation & Parks Department has Toddler/Preschool Playtime for children 5 and under ($2 per child)
• Chapel Hill Community Center (120 South Estes Drive, Chapel Hill). Parent-tot time every day from 10-12 from September to May.
• Chapel Hill Public Library (100 Library Drive, Chapel Hill). Storytime for babies and toddlers. Registration sometimes needed; call ahead 919-968-2778.
• Duke Forest for walks in the woods
• Sarah P. Duke Gardens (parking lot entrance on Anderson Street, Durham)
• Farmers’ Markets in Carrboro and Southern Village
• Fearrington Village (US 15-501 North between Chapel Hill and Pittsboro) for cow gazing
• Kidzu Children's Museum (105 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill)
• Marbles Kids Museum (201 E Hargett Street, Raleigh)
• Meadowmont pool in summer (301 Old Barn Lane, Chapel Hill)
• Museum of Life and Science (433 Murray Avenue, Durham)
• NC Botanical Garden (Old Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill). Walk around the garden and the trails. Also offers a story time for kids.
• Orange County Public Library (300 West Tryon Street, Hillsborough). Storytime. It is not as crowded as the Chapel Hill Public Library's storytime and sometimes they have special shows for young children like Rags to Riches Theater.
• Seaforth Recreation area at Jordan Lake. Swimming on the "beach" and a playground.
• Southern Village (Chapel Hill). Movies on the Lawn.
• Southpoint Mall in Durham has an indoor playground next to the Food Court. Southpoint also has Club Noggin (third Thursday of the month)
• Storytimes:
  • Barnes and Noble storytimes. New Hope Commons location: Tuesdays at 10 AM and Saturdays at 11 AM; Southpoint Mall location: Fridays at 10:30 AM
  • Borders Books (1807 Chapel Hill Blvd., Chapel Hill). Storytime on Wednesdays at 10 AM.
  • Other story times at the Chapel Hill, Orange County (McDougle) and Hillsborough Libraries; at McIntyre’s Books (Fearrington Village); and at Pottery Barn Kids (Southpoint)
• University Mall (201 S Estes Drive, Chapel Hill). Playing with trains at the toy store.
• Weaver Street Market (101 E Weaver Street, Carrboro). Playing outside on the lawn.

Last Reviewed: 25 November 2007