All Week
Charlotte SHOUT!
Seventeen days of art, music, food, and events all over Uptown, and a lot of it is free. This runs April 3 through April 19 and there's way too much to list here, so I'm linking the full guide below. The Kids' Market (Saturday at First Ward Park) is the big one for Sprout families, but there's something happening basically every day.
📍 Uptown Charlotte
🕒 April 3–19, various times
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: Download the guide linked below and scan it by date. There's a lot and it's easy to miss the good stuff.
Cost: Free (most events)
Full SHOUT! Guide
Thursday, April 2
Preschool Ballet Classes
Free ballet class for preschoolers at Mallard Creek Rec Center. It's imaginative games and simple steps, not a recital track. And it's free, so if your kid hates it, you're out nothing but 45 minutes.
📍Mallard Creek Recreation Center, 2530 Johnston Oehler Rd
🕒 9:30 AM – 10:15 AM
👶 Best For: Preschoolers (ages 3–6)
💡 Parent Tip: Twirl, leap, and dance" is the marketing version. The reality is more like controlled chaos with occasional graceful moments. Still fun!
Cost: Free
Worth A Try!
Toddler Time at Big Air
Open jump for the little ones with a calmer, slower-paced vibe than the regular sessions. If your toddler has energy to burn and you've already done every playground in a 10-mile radius, this works.
📍Big Air Charlotte, 2408 Sardis Road North
🕒 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
👶 Best For: Toddlers (ages ~1–3)
💡 Parent Tip: Grip socks are required!
Cost: $23+
Get Tickets
Family Storytime Around the World
Stories, songs, and movement activities for the whole family. It's a quick 30 minutes and a solid low-key outing if you need to get out of the house but don't have the energy for a whole production.
📍 South Boulevard Library
🕒 10:30 – 11:00 a.m.
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: Short and sweet. Good for toddlers who max out at about 30 minutes of structured anything.
Cost: Free
Learn More
Free Art Kits: Word Art
Mint Museum Randolph is giving out free art kits for kids to make word-inspired artwork. You don't have to stay and do it there. Grab one, throw it in your bag, pull it out during quiet time later. Zero commitment, very useful.
📍 Mint Museum Randolph
🕒 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: If you have older kids, pair it with a quick museum walk. If you have a toddler, just grab the kit and run.
Cost: Free
Learn More
Storytime in the Park: Squirrel Lake Park
Matthews Library staff does storytime outside at Squirrel Lake Park. Stories, songs, movement. If the weather cooperates, this is a really nice way to start the morning.
📍 Squirrel Lake Park
🕒 11:00 – 11:30 a.m.
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: Bring a blanket and plan to let the kids run around the park after. The storytime is the appetizer, the park is the main course.
Cost: Free
Learn More
Newborn Class
Sensory play, music, tummy time, and baby massage packed into 30 minutes. It's also just a really nice excuse to talk to other adults who are also running on no sleep.
📍The Bunny Hive Charlotte, 1207 East Blvd
🕒 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM
👶 Best For: Newborns 0–4 months
💡 Parent Tip: 30 minutes is the perfect length when you're in the newborn fog. Easy to fit between feeds.
Cost: $30 drop-in
Register Here
Friday, April 3
Charlotte Aquatics: Free Water Safety Intro Classes
A 30-minute small group intro class where kids build water confidence while learning foundational safety skills with an instructor.
📍 Charlotte Aquatics, 7835 Little Ave
🕒 9:00 – 9:30 a.m. (ages 6 months–2.5 years with parent), 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (ages 2.5+ without parent)
👶 Best For: infants through early elementary
💡 Parent Tip: This is more structured than playtime - great if you’re considering swim lessons next.
Cost: Free (registration required)
Register Here
Betty Bookworms: Storytime + Coffee
Weekly storytime at Betty on Thomas Ave. Kids get books and songs, you get coffee. Honestly the coffee is the main draw.
📍Betty by Moxie Mercantile, 1219 Thomas Ave
🕒 9:30am – 10:30am
👶 Best For: Babies, toddlers, and preschoolers
💡 Parent Tip: Get your coffee first, then settle in. It's a much better experience caffeinated.
Cost: Free
Check It Out
Charlotte Aquatics: Water Playgroup
Guided pool play for babies and toddlers. Not lessons, just getting comfortable in the water. You will be in the pool with them, so plan your outfit accordingly.
📍 Charlotte Aquatics, 7835 Little Ave
🕒 10:00 – 10:30 a.m.
👶 Best For: babies and toddlers
💡 Parent Tip: This is very parent-involved. If you were hoping to scroll your phone poolside, this is not that.
Cost: Free (registration required)
Sign Up
Free Easter Bunny Photos
Free bunny photos plus a free Bass Easter Egg with a prize inside while supplies last. If you want the bunny photo without dropping money on a full photo package, this is your move.
📍 Bass Pro Shops Concord Mills and Bass Pro Shops Fort Mill
🕒 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: The Bunny takes breaks and times can vary, so reserve a spot if this is non-negotiable for your week.
Cost: Free
RSVP Here
Easter Bunny Express
This one actually feels like an outing, not just a photo op. It's at the NC Transportation Museum, and there's a lot happening beyond the train ride. If your kid is into trains (so, every toddler), this is worth the drive to Spencer.
📍 NC Transportation Museum
🕒 9:00 - 5:00 pm, but check page for specific event times
👶 Best For: toddlers through elementary
💡 Parent Tip: Read the event page before you go. There's more here than you think, and you'll want to plan for it.
Cost: Varies
Get Tickets
Free Breastfeeding Support Group
A free group for postpartum breastfeeding moms led by a licensed therapist from Charlotte Parent Therapy. Babies are welcome, but toddlers have to stay home. Meet fellow breastfeeding moms, expert advice, and a safe space to ask questions and overcome challenges together.
📍 New Mom School Ballantyne
🕒 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: Breastfeeding moms
💡 Parent Tip: Space is limited, so register before you forget.
Cost: Free
Register Here
Parents' Time Off: How to Train Your Dragon
Drop your kid off for three hours of dragon-themed clay sculpting and art projects. Three hours. Of quiet. For you. Kids need to be fully potty-trained and you'll need to pack a nut-free snack and drink.
📍 Kidcreate Studio South Charlotte
🕒 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: ages 3–9
💡 Parent Tip: Three hours is a full grocery run, a solo Target trip, and a coffee. Just saying.
Cost: $54
Register Here
First Fridays in Pineville
Downtown Pineville's First Fridays has live music, a sip-and-stroll social district, and an adult Easter egg hunt with coupons and surprises. This is not really a kid event. This is a "get a babysitter and go have fun" event. You deserve it.
📍 303 Main St, Pineville
🕒 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: adults and older kids
💡 Parent Tip: Babysitter night. I said what I said.
Cost: Free to attend
Learn More
Saturday, April 4
Breakfast with the Birds
Early-access breakfast at Carolina Raptor Center with trail access and a program with a live bird. This is one of those experiences that feels special without being over the top. Book it before it fills up.
📍 Carolina Raptor Center
🕒 8:30 – 10:00 a.m.
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: Limited spots. If this sounds good to you, book it today, not Friday.
Cost: Adults $35, ages 12 and under $25
Get Tickets
International Beaver Day
Yes, this is real. A nature program about beavers and their adaptations, followed by a short walk to look for signs of beaver activity. If you have a kid who is obsessed with animals and asks "but why?" about everything, this is their event.
📍 Stevens Creek Nature Center, 15700 Thompson Road, Mint Hill
🕒 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
👶 Best For: ages 4+
💡 Parent Tip: The walk is on accessible paths, so no hiking boots required. Just curiosity and maybe bug spray.
Cost: Free
Register Here
Easter Event at Naomi Drenan Rec Center
Free outdoor egg hunt with age-specific rounds and family activities. Classic, simple, community-run. Sometimes that's all you need.
📍 Naomi Drenan Rec Center
🕒 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: ages 2–12
💡 Parent Tip: Bring your own basket. Egg hunt starts around 11:00 a.m.
Cost: Free
Register Here
Kids' Market (Charlotte SHOUT!)
A market run entirely by kids. They set up, they sell, they make change. Parents are just customers here. Even if your kid is too young for a booth, walking through and watching other kids run their little businesses is genuinely inspiring. This is part of Charlotte SHOUT!, which kicks off this weekend.
📍 First Ward Park
🕒 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: elementary and up
💡 Parent Tip: Great for kids who are always making stuff at home and trying to sell it to you. Let them see the real thing.
Cost: Free to attend
Learn More
Easter Bunny at Birkdale Village
Walk-up bunny selfies near Warby Parker. No appointment, no photo package, no pressure. Pair it with lunch or a Target run and you've got yourself a morning.
📍 Birkdale Village
🕒 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: toddlers through elementary
💡 Parent Tip: Earlier = shorter wait. That's the whole tip.
Cost: Free
Learn More
Adopt a (Stuffed) Bunny
Toddlers "adopt" a stuffed bunny and do spring-themed open play and activities at Grow Café. This is very cute and very calm, which is exactly right for the under-3 crowd who don't need an egg hunt so much as they need something soft to hold.
📍 Grow Café
🕒 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: toddlers and preschoolers
💡 Parent Tip: If your kid's idea of a good time is pretend play at a slow pace, this is their event.
Cost: $25
Register Here
Búsqueda de Huevos de Pascua
Free ticketed Easter event at First Ward Park with age-based egg hunts. Open to the first 500 kids who register, so don't sit on this one.
📍 First Ward Park, 301 E 7th Street, Charlotte
🕒 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
👶 Best For: ages 1–10
💡 Parent Tip: Only registered kids can participate. Grab tickets now or don't be surprised when they're gone.
Cost: Free
Get Tickets
Easter Egg Hunt at Resident Culture Plaza Midwood
This is more than an egg hunt. Kids' rounds, a 21+ adult round (yes please), Easter Bunny photos, coffee, flowers, and food specials. It's a whole spring vibe. One of my top picks for the weekend.
📍 Resident Culture Plaza Midwood
🕒 Starts at 11:00 a.m.
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: Ticketed and limited spots. Reserve now, not Saturday morning.
Cost: Free
RSVP Here
Easter Egg Hunt at Fonta Flora
Egg hunt on the taproom lawn at Optimist Hall. Simple, fast, festive. Then you're already at Optimist Hall for lunch, which is the real win here.
📍 Fonta Flora at Optimist Hall
🕒 11:00 a.m.
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: Bring a basket. Stay for lunch. That's the whole plan.
Cost: Free
Learn More
Easter Egg Hunt at NoDa Brewing Company
Quick taproom egg hunt with wrapped candy and stickers as prizes. No frills, no fuss, no hour-long wait. If you want a low-key egg hunt without a whole production, this is it.
📍 NoDa Brewing Company
🕒 11:00 a.m.
👶 Best For: toddlers through elementary
💡 Parent Tip: Get there right at 11. These small hunts go fast.
Cost: Free
Learn More
Spring Hunt at Camp North End
5,000+ eggs spread across Camp North End's massive campus, plus discounts at participating businesses. This isn't a "stand in a field and wait for the whistle" situation. It's a roaming adventure. I love this concept.
📍 Camp North End
🕒 11:00 a.m.
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: Wear real shoes. Bring a basket. Camp's footprint is huge and your kid will want to cover every inch of it.
Cost: Free
Learn More
Spring Fest at Sweetwater Farms
Gift bags for kids, egg painting, face painting, a balloon artist, and pizza by the slice. It's a nice mix without being overwhelming, and the farm setting is a change of pace from all the brewery egg hunts.
📍 Sweetwater Farms
🕒 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: toddlers through elementary
💡 Parent Tip: Buy tickets online to save a buck. Season pass holders get in free.
Cost: $6 online, $7 at the farm, free for season pass holders
Get Tickets
Front Porch Saturday
120+ small businesses, live music, food, and a free kid zone run by The Broken Crayon. If you're Easter-evented-out and just want a fun Saturday that has nothing to do with eggs, this is your answer.
📍 2135 Thrift Road
🕒 Check event page for times
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: The kid zone makes this way more doable with little ones than a typical market. Free parking nearby if you plan ahead.
Cost: Free to attend
Learn More
Community Flashlight Easter Egg Hunt
Evening egg hunt with inflatables, games, and special prizes. They have rounds for all ages, including teens and adults. If your Saturday daytime is already packed with hunts, this is your backup plan and honestly it might be the most fun one because flashlights.
📍 Matthews United Methodist Church
🕒 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: Check the age-group timing before you go so you don't miss your kid's round. And obviously, bring flashlights.
Cost: Free
Learn More
Sunday, April 5
Easter Brunch and Egg Hunt at OMB
Easter brunch is back at OMB with a special set menu from 10 to 3, no tickets required. Tables are first come first served. There's also an egg hunt for the kids, so you get brunch AND the hunt in one stop. That's efficiency.
📍 OMB (Olde Mecklenburg Brewery)
🕒 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: No reservations, so get there early if you want a table without a wait. It's Easter Sunday, it will be busy.
Cost: Free to attend (food menu priced separately)
Learn More
Monday, April 6
Nature Book and Look
A drop-in nature program for preschoolers with a book, a short activity, and some time outside. Each week is a different topic. This is a really gentle way to get little ones into nature without any pressure.
📍 McDowell Nature Preserve
🕒 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
👶 Best For: preschoolers
💡 Parent Tip: It's drop-in, so no commitment if your Monday morning goes sideways. Just show up if you can.
Cost: Free
Learn More
Learn. Play. Explore.
Another drop-in nature program, this one at Quest Nature Center in Huntersville. All ages, staff-led, and a nice excuse to get outside on a Monday.
📍 Quest Nature Center, 6345 Sample Rd, Huntersville
🕒 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: Two nature programs on the same Monday in different parts of town. Pick the one closest to you.
Cost: Free
Learn More
Parents' Time Off: Beach Party
Three more hours of freedom, this time beach-themed. Your kid makes ocean art projects while you do whatever you want. Same deal as the dragon class: fully potty-trained, pack a nut-free snack.
📍 Kidcreate Studio South Charlotte
🕒 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: ages 3–9
💡 Parent Tip: If you missed Friday's dragon class, here's your second chance at three uninterrupted hours.
Cost: $54
Register Here
Tuesday, April 7
Ed's Dinosaurs Live!
Ed Bounds brings his life-sized dinosaur puppets to Imaginon and they are not small. Dakota, Baby T, and the Triceratops Triplets all make appearances. This happens the first Tuesday of every month and it is always a hit with the toddler crowd.
📍 Imaginon
🕒 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: toddlers through elementary
💡 Parent Tip: This is free and popular. Get there early if you want a good spot.
Cost: Free
Learn More
Wednesday, April 8
Little Learners
A short nature activity for little ones at the Wildwoods area of Whitewater Center. The class itself is solid, but the real win is using it as an excuse to explore Wildwoods after.
📍Wildwoods at Whitewater Center
🕒 10:00 AM
👶 Best For: ages 1-5
💡 Parent Tip: Bring shoes they can get dirty. You'll end up in mud, guaranteed
Cost: $5/child, adults free (included with some passes)
Register Here
Drop In Art at Mint Museum Randolph
The Art Room is open for self-directed creative time. Fiber art, drawing, painting, collage, plus rotating activities. You don't need to sign up. Just show up between 5 and 8 and make stuff. Works for kids and adults.
📍 Mint Museum Randolph
🕒 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: This is a nice midweek evening activity if you're running out of ideas by Wednesday. No planning required.
Cost: Free
Learn More
