Savannah Santa Train 2022, Dec. 10 @ Georgia State Railroad Museum, Savannah

Savannah Santa Train, one of the largest annual holiday family events in the Lowcountry, returns on Sat. Dec. 10, 2022, 9AM-5PM @ Georgia State Railroad Museum, 655 Louisville Rd., Savannah.

Festive activities and entertainment include a holiday-themed diesel locomotive train ride experience, Tin Soldier training, crafts and historic children’s games. Enjoy a performance by the Gretchen Greene School of Dance, see and purchase hand-crafted artisan spinning tops made in front of you by the Lowcountry Turners, and celebrate the season with festive holiday dancing with Minick Family Music, and share your Christmas wishes during a visit with Santa Claus.

Complimentary donuts and coffee will be shared by The Salvation Army’s mobile Canteen. The Big Cheese food truck and Jonny Boy Cookies will serve gourmet grilled cheese and sweet dessert treats available for purchase at the event.

Savannah Santa Train is hosted each year by Georgia State Railroad Museum and Savannah Children’s Museum. Tickets are $15 per person for all guests age eighteen months and up and online pre-registration is required here

CHS Members will receive a discounted ticket rate of $12 per person. Find info on becoming a member here.

Train rides are available every fifteen minutes, so please select a time to reserve your seat.

Get tickets here.

Reminder: Did you know that your scheduled train ride is NOT your start time for the event? You can begin your day at Santa Train at any time – come as early and stay as long as you like for a full day of holiday cheer!

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Coastal Heritage Society Member Apprecation Day

Saturday Dec. 10 is also a SPECIAL Coastal Heritage Society Members Appreciation Day?! Active CHS members will receive a 25% off discount at all CHS gift shops this Sat. Dec. 10 2022.

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How to teach your kids to practice gratitude

Below is a guest post by Savannah pediatrician Dr. Kelsey Alexander @ Coastal Care Partners’ new Concierge Pediatric Clinic 

Practicing gratitude is a great way to bring joy into our lives! With the busyness and craziness of the world around us, it is helpful to look to find the things we are most grateful for each day. David Steindl-Rast, a Jesuit Priest, once said, “It’s not joy that makes us grateful, it’s gratitude that makes us joyful.” Even after Thanksgiving season passes, here are ways your family can practice gratitude!

Keep a gratitude journal. Gratitude journals are an easy and inexpensive way to remind ourselves of everything we have to be grateful for. Writing down 1-3 things each day is a quick positive way to start or end each day. Even kids can do it! If they aren’t able to write, try having them draw what they are thankful for. 

In my personal life, I have two gratitude routines I practice with my own children. First, in the car on the way to school, I ask them to say one thing they are grateful for that morning. Oftentimes, I have to cut them off at about three things so that everyone can have a turn. But it’s often simple things like, “I am grateful for the sunshine… the rain… for momma taking me to school…for soccer…Friday dance parties at school.”

The second routine I use to introduce gratitude into my kids’ daily routine is during dinner. At dinner every night, everyone takes turns saying the following:

1. Best part of their day

2. Worst part of their day

3. Funniest part of their day

4. What they are thankful for

My kids will often use the worst part of their day to tell on each other, for example, “when so and so hit me,” but getting it out in the open makes it less of a big deal and also normalizes that everyone has bad parts of their day. Talking about what we are thankful for at the end helps to redirect the focus.

Another great way to put gratitude into action is to talk about random acts of kindness that kids can do during the day like saying “Hello!” to someone new, opening the door for someone, or getting involved in the community. One of my favorite kid-friendly ways to get involved in the community is P.A.C.K. (People of Action Caring for Kids).

P.A.C.K. is a local organization that helps to feed children in Savannah, and kids can volunteer to help pack food and toiletry bags, or make homemade cards for children. 

I hope that as this season of thankfulness passes you will continue to find ways to encourage gratitude in your family’s daily lives. By making a routine of it, it will become easier to do and be a source of joy throughout the day.

Coastal Care Partners, 4B Skidaway Village Walk, Savannah, GA 31411, 912.598.6312. Coastal Care Partners Concierge Pediatric Clinic is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser

Free Family Jam this Sat. Dec. 10, Forsyth Park, Savannah

Savannah Music Festival invites the entire community to a free musical event in Forsyth Park on Sat. Dec. 10 2022, 11:30AM – 2PM.

The SMF Musical Explorers program will present bluegrass recording artists the Foreign Landers, operatic tenor Timothy Miller, and Savannah’s own Huxsie Scott. This will be a family-friendly and educational event with live musicians leading the audience on a musical journey.

SMF Jazz Academy students will open the show. Come prepared to enjoy food trucks, Savannah Music Festival giveaways and games, as well as information about the SMF 2023 festival!

Savannah Music Festival Musical Explorers Concert in the Park

Saturday, Dec. 10 2022, 11:30 AM – 2 PM

Schedule (tentative): 11:30 AM – 12 PM Dance Party with DJ Precisa; 12 – 12:30 Savannah Music Festival Jazz Academy; 12:30 – 1:30 Musical Explorers Concert; 1:30 – 2 Dance Party with DJ Precisa

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Find more kid-friendly local events here.

Kindermusik Savannah Wintry Playdates Sat. Dec. 10

Two times! 10 & 11AM

The bells are ringing, the snow is falling, and the cold wind is blowing, but inside the Kindermusik Savannah classroom all is warm as they celebrate their December 2022 musical playdates: Sleigh Bells! 

Come with your newborn to 7-year old  for this cozy, wintry playdate you won’t want to miss this Sat. Dec. 10 2022. Two sessions: 10AM & 11AM.

Parents and children together will engage with instruments, singing, moving, dancing, story time, and more delightful activities in this exciting one-time Kindermusik class.

Limited spaces! Claim your child’s spot before it fills.  NOTE: 10AM class is nearly full; still spaces left for 11AM.

Enroll at kindermusikwith88keys.com or text 912-432-5885 for more info  

Kindermusik…A Good Beginning Never Ends. 

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SouthernMamas.com Weekly E-letter, Nov. 30 2022

This free weekly e-letter in your email every Wednesday keeps you savvy about all the kid-friendly happenings as well as school open houses, free events, pediatricians and more.

Read it here.

Subscribe for free here.

Join Kindermusik Savannah with your 0-7 year old in our brand new “Little Stars” class! Meeting every Monday at 6:30pm, it’s the perfect ending to your day together.  Share music, smiles, laughter, singing, instruments, stories and together and watch the bond between you and your child grow!  Multiple caregivers welcome!  

Visit kindermusikwith88keys.com for more details, or text FREE TRIAL to  912-432-5885 to set up your first free class.  

Kindermusik…A Good Beginning Never Ends. 

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Christmas on the Bluff, 3PM Sat. Dec. 3, 4-8PM in Thunderbolt

Join the Town of Thunderbolt along River Drive to ring in the holiday season, family style. The town is excited to bring back a boat parade along with a land parade, ornament decorating, cookie decorating, vendors, snacks, and more.

Christmas tree lighting & carols at 8:15PM and sing carols.

Sat. Dec. 3 2022, 4-8PM, 2821 River Dr, Savannah, GA 31404-3200, United States

Christmas Whoville Jubilation, Sun. Dec. 11 2022, Savannah City Market

Savannah’s City Market turns Whoville for the afternoon!  

Drop in for treats, pictures with Father Christmas and a live performance of “How the Dancing Grinch Stole Christmas”in the City Market courtyard.

Get Grinched (with hair and makeup)! Meet Father Christmas and take a picture with him in a carriage!.

Free & open to the public.

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Savannah Lighted Christmas Parade 2022, Sat. Dec. 10

Savannah Lighted Christmas Parade will begin on River Street and make its way throughout downtown Savannah featuring decorated floats from Savannah’s favorite people and places.

The parade begins at Plant Riverside District on the west end of River Street at 5:30pm and continues to the east end, then winds its way up to Broughton Street and through City Market.

See the route here.

Free parking available in all City parking garages Dec. 9-11.

Free & open to the public.

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Find more Savannah & Lowcountry holiday kids events here.

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Free Family Fun Night @ Sandbox Children’s Museum, Hilton Head Is.

Family Friday Nights are open to ALL families!. Held the first Friday of each month @ The Sandbox Children’s Museum on Hilton Head Is.

Fri. Dec. 9 2022, 5;30-7:30PM

Designed to bring families together, for a cost free evening of fun activities. An engaging easy evening! Come play in all of The Sandbox Children’s Museum exhibits for free.

Admission is free but reserve your space online here.

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Give the gift of membership to The Sandbox Children’s Museum, Hilton Head Is & Bluffton SC

Purchase a membership for your favorite family right on The Sandbox Children’s Museum website www.thesandbox.org

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Savannah Santa Train 2022, Dec. 10 @ Georgia State Railroad Museum, Savannah

Savannah Santa Train, one of the largest annual holiday family events in the Lowcountry, returns on Sat. Dec. 10, 2022, 9AM-5PM @ Georgia State Railroad Museum, 655 Louisville Rd., Savannah.

Festive activities and entertainment include a holiday-themed diesel locomotive train ride experience, Tin Soldier training, crafts and historic children’s games. Enjoy a performance by the Gretchen Greene School of Dance, see and purchase hand-crafted artisan spinning tops made in front of you by the Lowcountry Turners, and celebrate the season with festive holiday dancing with Minick Family Music, and share your Christmas wishes during a visit with Santa Claus.

Complimentary donuts and coffee will be shared by The Salvation Army’s mobile Canteen. The Big Cheese food truck and Jonny Boy Cookies will serve gourmet grilled cheese and sweet dessert treats available for purchase at the event.

Savannah Santa Train is hosted each year by Georgia State Railroad Museum and Savannah Children’s Museum. Tickets are $15 per person for all guests age eighteen months and up and online pre-registration is required here

CHS Members will receive a discounted ticket rate of $12 per person. Find info on becoming a member here.

Train rides are available every fifteen minutes, so please select a time to reserve your seat.

Get tickets here.

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Coastal Heritage Society is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser

Savannah Santa Train 2022, Dec. 10 @ Georgia State Railroad Museum, Savannah

Savannah Santa Train, one of the largest annual holiday family events in the Lowcountry, returns on Sat. Dec. 10, 2022, 9AM-5PM @ Georgia State Railroad Museum, 655 Louisville Rd., Savannah.

Festive activities and entertainment include a holiday-themed diesel locomotive train ride experience, Tin Soldier training, crafts and historic children’s games. Enjoy a performance by the Gretchen Greene School of Dance, see and purchase hand-crafted artisan spinning tops made in front of you by the Lowcountry Turners, and celebrate the season with festive holiday dancing with Minick Family Music, and share your Christmas wishes during a visit with Santa Claus.

Complimentary donuts and coffee will be shared by The Salvation Army’s mobile Canteen. The Big Cheese food truck and Jonny Boy Cookies will serve gourmet grilled cheese and sweet dessert treats available for purchase at the event.

Savannah Santa Train is hosted each year by Georgia State Railroad Museum and Savannah Children’s Museum. Tickets are $15 per person for all guests age eighteen months and up and online pre-registration is required here

CHS Members will receive a discounted ticket rate of $12 per person. Find info on becoming a member here.

Train rides are available every fifteen minutes, so please select a time to reserve your seat.

Get tickets here.

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Join Tybee Ballet Theatre for an evening of sweets, treats, and dancing!

Land of the Sweets is TBT’s original, family-friendly adaptation of the holiday classic, The Nutcracker.

Think the short, sweet, and relatable version of the Nutcracker ballet. Appropriate for all ages.

Free Nov 19 Shows @ 3 & 7PM Savannah Arts Cultural Center

The Land of the Sweets performances @ Savannah Culture Arts Center Ben Tucker Theater are FREE ADMISSION at 3 & 7 PM on Sat. Nov.19. Seating is on a first come first serve basis, but you can reserve your free ticket online here.

6PM Dec. 9 & 10 Shows @ Tybee Post Theater

Tickets for the Tybee Post Theater performance are now live. Purchase online here.

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Savannah Adventist Christian School has space in preschool & PreK

Meet Savannah Adventist Christian School’s Pre-K teacher, Ms. Kathleen Velazquez.

Would you like your child in an environment that educates the whole child–mind, body, and spirit? Of course you do, and we’re here to help! Check out Savannah Adventist Christian School in Pooler.

Would you like to give your child the greatest possible advantage as they journey through school and life? Of course you do, and we’re here to help! Check out Ms. Velazquez’s homework tip, and put it to practice in your home!

To partner with teachers who will get to know your child as a unique and special individual and help him/her grow in God’s plan, check out Savannah Adventist Christian School.

Savannah Adventist Christian School has space in Preschool and Pre-K, and a waiting list in Kindergarten.

To schedule a tour of the campus, please contact the school: 912-748-5977 or info@sacssda.org

Savannah Adventist Christian School — which offers preschool starting at age 3 through 9th grade — is a small, private school with a family feel and Christian curriculum. It’s located @ 50 Godley Way, Pooler, GA 31322.

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Holiday Camps 2022 @ Summit Gymnastics, Savannah

Registrations are opened for Summit Gymnastics Winter Holiday Camp 2022. Camps are already filling up fast.

Reserve your spot quick and easy online here.

Camps are Dec. 19-23 & Dec. 27-30, 9AM-1PM. For ages 4-10.

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About Summit Gymnastics, Savannah

For more than a decade,  Summit Gymnastics in Savannah has produced top-quality gymnasts by providing a safe & productive work environment that enhances physical and mental well-being.

Summit Gymnastics
74 W. Montgomery Crossroads
Savannah, Ga. 31406
(912)-921-1034

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Summit Gymnastics on Facebook here. Summit Gymnastics is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser

Join Savannah Cultural Arts Center for fun in movement this winter break: Frozen Fantasy Holiday Camp 2022.

Dancing into a magical world of ice and snow, discovering ways we can move our bodies like Snow Queens or Superheroes with special freezing powers!

This 4-day workshop will incorporate dance components, obstacle courses, and crafts to make our frozen fantasy come to life!

Four days: Dec 27-30 2022, 10-11:30AM

Register online here.

Savannah Cultural Arts Center, 201 Montgomery St, Savannah

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Come to Wormsloe State Historic Site in Savannah for some historical Christmas cheer @ the annual Colonial Christmas on Sat. Dec. 10, 2022. Festivities will begin at 10AM at the Colonial Life Area.   

Will you be selected the Lord of Misrule as we search the woods for the perfect Yule Log?  During this program, you will get a chance to learn about how the Christmas season was celebrated 300 years ago.    

Join in and go a ‘wassailing with rangers as we sing jolly songs accompanied by our hammered dulcimer musician.   Music and caroling has long been connected to the holiday as people would have traditionally gone to their neighbors, singing to receive food and drink in return. 

Visitors can make a holiday ornament to take home and pen a letter to Santa using our quills and handmade ink.  Festivities will run from 10AM-4PM and the search for the Yule Log will be at 11AM and 2PM.  Admission ranges from $10 for adults to $2 for children 6 and younger. 

Wormsloe State Historic Site is 9 miles southeast of downtown Savannah at 7601 Skidaway Rd, Savannah, GA  31406.  For more information, visit GaStateParks.org/Wormsloe or call 912-353-3023.  Georgia’s State Historic Sites are operated by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. 

Savannah Children’s Museum Fall 2022 Programs

Savannah Children’s Museum is open – weather permitting – 9AM-3PM Wednesdays-Sundays.

10AM | Storytime in the Frogtown Garden
Noon| STEAM Studio or Bottle Rocket Demonstration
1:30PM | Young Explorers or Healthy Me

Awesome Art is ongoing daily.

Theme is autum & Thanksgving.

Learn more here.

Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.

Savannah Children’s Museum is an outdoor site, so it may be closed due to inclement weather. Call ahead for accurate closing information at 912-651-4292 

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Thanksgiving Weekend 2022 Events @ Old Fort Jackson, Savannah

Old Fort Jackson’s dynamic, living history presentations take place from 10 AM until Noon, and from 1 until 3 PM each day.

Fri. Nov. 25: there will be portrayal of Union and Confederate Soldiers who fought in the Battle of Honey Hill, South Carolina, on Nov. 30th, 1864. These soldiers included the 55th Massachussetts Volunteers, who eventually served at Old Fort Jackson. Experience renowned rifle musket and cannon firings, along with battlefield surgery presentations.

Sat. Nov. 26: there will be a portrayal of Union and Confederate Soldiers and Civilians from Savannah. Hear the story behind the history of Thanksgiving as celebrated in 1864. Experience firing of the mighty 32 Pounder Cannon. Local musicians from Bella Harmony Music, period dancing as well! In the afternoon, participants will portray civilians on the homefront, along with the Savannah Republican Blues, plus the renowned Infantry and Artillery Drill, and Battle Drill with guests.

Learn more here.

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Diesel train rides @ Georgia State Railroad Museum, Savannah

Diesel train rides at Georgia State Railroad Museum in Savannah this weekend!

Train rides will be at 10AM, 11AM, Noon, 1PM, 2PM, and 3PM, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Seating is limited and is first-come, first-served. Visitors must pick up boarding passes in the gift shop before boarding.

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Symbolically adopt one of your favorite animals to support Friends of Oatland

The Friends of Oatland EcoWarrior symbolic adoptions will be available this Sat. Nov. 19 at the Harvest Festival @ Oatland Island Wildlife Center in Savannah.

The animal lover on your holiday gift list will adore this special package including a cotton tote, post-consumer recycled plastic plush animal, adoption certificate, and animal fact sheet.

Choose from the American alligator, Sicilian donkey, and Ossabaw Island hog.

This bundled EcoWarrior deal is yours with a $75 donation.

These adoptions are available at https://www.friendsofoatland.org/year-end-fundraising. Order soon — shipping can take up to 10 days.

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St. Andrew’s School Open House for Prospective Parents, Thurs. Nov. 30 2022

Make plans to attend the upcoming Open House and see why St. Andrew’s School was voted Savannah’s BEST PRIVATE SCHOOL. Faculty, students, and parents from the St. Andrew’s community will welcome you to campus for a tour and answer all of your questions.

Register at www.saslions.com

St. Andrew’s School Open House for Prospective Parents

Wed. Nov. 30, 2022

8:30AM Grades 5 through 12

9:30AM – Pre K 3 through Grade 4

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SouthCoast Health General Physician Dr. Keith Cobb in Savannah offers tips on how to make mental health a priority this holiday season.

“Mental health should be one of the biggest priorities for everyone in the season,” SouthCoast Health General Physician Dr. Keith Cobb stated. “But it’s vital to keep moving forward and progressing with our lives and our mental health. Just because it’s the holiday doesn’t mean your needs should take a back seat.”

Learn more here. 

SouthCoast Health is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser 

Savannah Public Ice-Skating Schedule

Public skating has returned to the Savannah Civic Center’s MLK Arena – courtesy of Ghost Pirates Ice and the City of Savannah.

Savannah public ice-skating sessions kicked off earlier this month and will continue into December 2022 including the following sessions:

7-9PM Fri & Sat. Dec. 9-10; 1-3PM Sat-Sun. Dec. 10-11 2022.

After-school public skating Tues & Thurs. Dec. 13 & 15 3-5PM.

Fri. Dec. 16 7-9PM

Sat. Dec. 17 2-4PM; 5-7PM; 8-10PM.

Sun. Dec. 18, 2-4PM; 5-7PM.

Additional sessions are expected to be added.

Learn more here.

General Admission: $12

Military & First Responders: $10

Senior Admission: $8

Toddlers (Ages 5 & Younger): $8

Ice Walkers: $10

Skate Rental: $3

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Savannah Civic Center, 301 W. Oglethorpe Ave. Savannah

The Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home’s annual holiday reading of “A Christmas Memory” by Truman Capote will be an outdoor event with hot cider and holiday treats @ The Old Dairy in Savannah.

Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home presents annual Robert Strozier Memorial Christmas reading.
Sun. Dec. 4, 2022, 3:30PM @ The Old Dairy, 2500 Tennessee Ave.

Celebrate the holiday season with hot cider and holiday treats and enjoy local actress Maggie Hart reading “A Christmas Memory” by Truman Capote. This is an outdoor event; guests are encouraged to bring a folding chair and blankets to stay cozy. Enjoy funny and oh-so-Southern afternoon storytelling session.

Free & open to the public.

To become a Friend of Flannery, visit the Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home website

Free kids race is at 8AM; Diaper Dash at 8:15AM; Main 4-mile race at 8:30AM

SouthCoast Health presents 14^th annual United Way Turkey Trot in Savannah on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24, 2022 at Daffin Park.

SouthCoast Health has been the title sponsor of the event since it started back in 2009.

The FREE Kids-K kicks off the tradition at 8AM. This 400-yard race is perfect for children eight years old or younger, and it’s free with no registration required. At 8:15 AM the Diaper Dash will start, with children ages two and under running 40 feet.

The main run and walk of the 4-mile course begins at 8:30 AM. 

After the races, participants are invited to a post-race awards ceremony hosted at Daffin Park where they can enjoy food and beverages. The ceremony will include prizes for the top three overall male and female racers, the top three male and female racers in each age group, and additional awards such as the largest family, runner from farthest away, most senior, most junior, and best costume. 

Registration: $35 from now until Nov. 23rd. It increases on race day. Register here. 

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Lowcountry Celebration Park, Adventure Playground, Hilton Head Is.

Visit Adventure Playground in Lowcountry Celebration Park.

Lowcountry Celebration Park, one of Hilton Head Island’s newest parks that reflects some of its coastal, historical and environmental attributes, was recognized with an Award of Excellence for its design.

The South Carolina Chapter American Society of Landscape Architects presented the award, which is the highest honor it bestows, at its annual conference held recently in Greenville, South Carolina. Chris Darnell, an Urban Designer with the Town of Hilton Head Island, and Wood and Partners, the firm that designed the park, accepted the award.

Learn more about the award here.