Are you looking for after-school childcare for school-age kids? There are quite a few childcare centers that offer after-school care in Columbia, SC, and lots of other after-school programs, too!
Here’s a list of Columbia, SC, and Lexington, SC, after-school programs. Most of these programs also offer childcare during school breaks as well. You can view the listings in this guide by county using the buttons in the orange box. Or, simply scroll down to see all your after-school options!
☀️Quick Look: Columbia SC Summer Camps for 2026!
Find the best 2026 summer camps in Columbia, SC – over 90 programs by age, type & price (when available). Explore arts, sports, STEM, week-by-week options & when to register.
Looking for summer camps in Columbia, SC for 2026?
This guide helps families find the best day camps, overnight experiences, arts, sports, STEM, preschool options, and more. We’ve organized 90+ programs by age group, county, schedule, and price to make choosing the perfect camp easy.
At Kidding Around, we’re kind of the summer camp experts in South Carolina, and we know what parents want!
We’ll be updating this 2026 Summer Camp Columbia SC Guide all season long as more and more camps announce their summer plans. ⭐Bookmark this page and check back soon for even more options. You won’t want to miss these great camps!
Which Summer Camps are the best?
Our readers voted in the annual KABOOM Awards for the TOP Summer Camps in Columbia, SC.
Find the fun! Use the blue buttons below to sort summer camps in Columbia and find the perfect camp for your kids! You can search camp programs by type, so you can choose your child’s favorite interest and go from there.
Do you need to send your kids to a camp that lasts all workday? Maybe they just need some time away from half the day. We have options for half-day or full-day camps listed. You will also find fun overnight camps, many of which are in the mountains!
Use the purple buttons below to search for 2026 summer camps in Richland County or Lexington County.
Do you need some summer camp ideas? These featured listings offer additional details about their summer camps, so you are able to make an even better decision for your kids!
Who are Columbia’s Family Favorites? Kidding Around brought our annual Family Favorite Contest, the KABOOM! Awards, to Columbia, SC for the very first time!
Find out who our readers love. What were your 2026 Family Favorites?
To all our winners, thanks for partying with us!
These Family Favorites have KABOOM!
Kidding Around (K-A-BOOM, get it?) launched our annual contest in 2023. The KABOOM Awards are our reader’s opportunity to tell us who they love for all the important things in life like schools, preschools, birthday parties, summer camps, and more. The KABOOM Awards are also an opportunity for our community’s top businesses to shine!
Who’s the best in Columbia, SC? We asked our readers and they chimed in for the first time in 2025 on 5 different topics.
SPONSORED colainfo@soccershots.com | various locations, Columbia , SC
Soccer Shots is the most trusted and engaging children’s soccer program for ages 2 to 8, with the best coaches in the business teaching age-appropriate soccer skills, character-building, and FUN!
Whether your child is just starting off on their soccer journey or is looking for a challenge, Soccer Shots offers programs for kids ages 2 to 8 years old, focusing on making a positive introduction to sports and activity while also making a lasting impact on kids and their families. It’s the reason we are the #1 soccer program for kids in the United States and Canada.
“Amazing coaches and program. I have seen so much growth in my daughter over the months she has been with Soccer Shots!” –Soccer Shots Parent
Best Preschool – First Place
Gateway Baptist Preschool is a ministry of Gateway Baptist Church for children ages 1-4. It is our goal to provide a loving Christian environment in which your child can grow in all areas of his or her life, becoming all that God has intended for them to be.
Our programs and activities are designed to aid the development of the whole child. Our days are full of playing, making friends, developing new skills, and, most of all, learning about God’s world and His love for them.
– Preschool hours are 9AM until 12PM.
– A school year program that operates from September to May.
– Watch a video tour here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPG9iETGap0)
– Schedule a tour today!
SPONSORED Chapin , SC
My name is Sarah Messner and I own Blue Belle Photography. I live in Chapin South Carolina but I travel all over. I photograph a lot of families, couples, newborns, and all the milestones 🙂 I absolutely love what I do and I am honored to receive this award! Thank you to everyone who voted for me! I am incredibly grateful!
Horse Crossing Farm is a family-owned mini farm in the heart of Lexington, SC. We offer horse riding lessons, toddler equine exposure sessions, farm camps, Meet & Greets (private tours), birthday parties, field trips, music/art/storytelling classes, photography sessions, farm school and live nativities. We have a large variety of animals including horses, a mini horse, a mini mule, a pony, a mini cow, goats, sheep, a pig, chickens, ducks, peacocks, turkeys, guinea fowl, an emu, a rhea, rabbits, hedgehogs, an alpaca, a llama, guinea pigs, cats and a dog. We sell farm fresh eggs, pet bunnies, pet hedgehogs and sheep.
The farm owner/manager Brittany is a former public school educator with 8 years of experience. Farm visitors have the opportunity to interact with and learn about every type of farm animal!
We also have a farm shop open daily from 10:00am-7:00pm. The Farm Depot serves as our gift shop and is filled with locally-sourced items such as eggs, baked goods, tallow, jams/jellies, vintage items, farm toys, home decor, dried floral arrangements, produce, goat soap, organic candles, crafts, handmade jewelry, etc.
We are open by private appointment only, so please contact us to book a service!
Kidding Around Columbia offers a full guide to Preschools & Childcare in Columbia, SC. But our readers have chimed in with their favorites for this list of the top 5 preschools in Columbia, SC
1st Place: Gateway Preschool
Finalists:
Want more options?
Kidding Around Columbia offers a full guide to Preschools & Childcare in Columbia, SC.
Kidding Around Columbia offers a full private school guide, but if you want to know about our readers top choices for schooling in Columbia, here are their favorites: Top 5 Schools in Columbia, SC.
1st Place: Lake Murray Elementary School – Chapin
Finalists:
Want more school options?
Kidding Around Columbia offers a full private school guide.
Kidding Around Columbia publishes a really large Summer Camp Guide to Columbia, SC every year. But, our readers chimed in on their favorite summer camps for our annual KABOOM Awards. These are their choices for the Top 5 Summer Camps in Columbia, SC.
First Place: Horse Crossing Farm
Finalists:
Find more summer camps!
Kidding Around Columbia’s Summer Camp Guide to Columbia, SC.
Looking for fun things to do with the family? While Kidding Around Columbia maintains a huge list of Things to Do in Columbia, our awesome readers voted for their favorites. Here are the Top 5 Family Fun Things to Do in Columbia, SC.
First Place: Horse Crossing Farm
Finalists:
Find lots more super fun things to do!
Kidding Around Columbia maintains a huge list of Things to Do in Columbia.
Are you planning a birthday party in Columbia, SC and looking for the very best options? While Kidding Around Columbia maintains an extensive Birthday Guide to Columbia, SC with lots and lots of options, our readers voted for their favorite birthday party spots in our annual KABOOM Awards.
1st Place: Horse Crossing Farm
Finalists:
Find more great birthday party ideas!
Visit Kidding Around Columbia’s extensive Birthday Guide to Columbia, SC.
There are lots of great places to eat out in Columbia, but which are the best? Kidding Around readers say these are the top 5 spots for eats and treats in Columbia, SC.
1st Place: Sweet Izzy’s, Chapin
Finalists:
Find more great places to eat out! Here’s our Guide to Family-Friendly Restaurants in Columbia, SC
Kidding Around Columbia offers a full class & activity guide, but if you want to know about our readers’ top choices for kids’ activities, here are their favorites: Top 5 Classes for Kids in Columbia, SC.
1st place: Soccer Shots Columbia
Finalists:
Want to see more classes and activities? You can sign your kids up for so many fun things! Check them out!
The Kidding Around Guide to Classes & Activities in Columbia, SC
If you’re looking for a great photographer, start here. Our readers voted and told us that these are the best photographers in Columbia, SC.
1st place: Blue Belle Photography
Finalists:
Want more? Check out Greenville’s KABOOM Awards!
Want to see who won last year?
1st Place: Flight Adventure Park
Finalists:
First Place: Riverbanks Zoo
Finalists:
First Place: Riverbanks Zoo
Finalists:
First Place: Gateway Preschool
Finalists:
First Place: Lake Murray Element
Finalists:
See more Kidding Around Columbia Guides. Discover great spots for birthday parties, indoor play, camps, schools, and more.
🎄Quick Look: Searching for Christmas trees in Columbia, SC? Below you’ll find 20+ local lots and nearby Christmas tree farms where you can cut your own or pick out a precut tree for the holidays.
Are you looking for the perfect Christmas Tree in Columbia, SC? You’re ready for the lights, the ornaments, and all the festive decorations, but first, you need your tree. Let us help you choose! You’ll find Christmas Tree farms right at home near Columbia. Or, you can head up towards the Upstate and North Carolina for even more tree farm options with the opportunity to cut your own tree.
We will help you find the right place to get your family’s real Christmas tree and make sure that this holiday’s centerpiece is everything you desire. Many of these farms have fun activities and extras like visits with Santa, cocoa, and more. There are even choose and cut options to bring the extra magic!
