Looking for the Perfect Kid-Centric Vacation? A 'Yes Day' in Greenville, South Carolina, Is the Answer

08.01.2025 - 10:35 / matadornetwork.com

Overwhelmed with work deadlines and shuttling my son to and from school and birthday parties and art class, I knew I needed a record-scratching halt to our rat-race routine. I was tempted to lock us in our home for a weekend of nothing, but another source of inspiration struck that was inspired by the cool and collected mom Allison Torres in the Netflix film Yes Day.

In the movie, Allison, played by Jennifer Lawrence, leans into the chaos of raising kids by giving her children a yes day: a day to do all the fun things they wanted to do.

Despite my initial hesitations, I went for it and learned that giving kids a yes day could be a win for parents, too. Having my son plan a day with his favorite activities helped alleviate my stress around fixing an itinerary. He was in charge and I was ready to go with the flow. Even better, a yes day got my son to take a break from screens without a second thought.

Planning your own yes day could be as simple as explaining the concept to your kid or kids and seeing what happens. To really go all in, though, you can schedule your yes day around travel and add a trip into the mix. Greenville, South Carolina, has embraced yes days full-throttle for a yes day unlike any other with its Yes Day GVL program.

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Greenville feels like a big small town, but it’s packed with family-friendly activities that far outpace the city’s size. Ziplining in nature, indoor putt putt at Group Therapy‘s eye-catching course, and markets and biking trails abound. For my family, most of the restaurants and fun-filled businesses we visited were a 10-minute drive or less, with several options huddled around Greenville’s beautiful downtown district and within walking distance from our hotel.

Even without much of a plan, taking a family stroll down Main Street feels like a light adventure on its own. It opens the door to local favorites like River Street Sweets, with its barrels full of pocket-size candy (my son jokingly fit his head inside a barrel of candy as soon as we walked in) and homemade fudge at the counter in the back. If you make it out after saying “yes” to candy and treats, you’re one step closer to being the coolest parent ever to do the job.

If you plan family time in Greenville over a weekend in spring through fall, be sure to check out Saturday Market on Main. Dozens of vendors set up small booths to sell local wares. Everything from honey and salsas to wooden knick-knacks, jewelry, and fresh flowers is displayed for admiration and sale. If you’re there during the holiday season, see if your stay overlaps with the holiday market, which is logistically the same but with a jolly twist.

While the point of a yes day is to let the kids