Finder of Family Fun

Chances are, if you’re a mom of young kids, have an Instagram account, and live in the Wilmington area, you’ve heard of WilmingtonMom. With 11,000 followers on Instagram, WilmingtonMom creator AMANDA HOFMANN has established herself as the ultimate guide to local things to do by offering seemingly endless ideas for family adventures. A quick consult of her Instagram page will cure any cries of “Mom, I’m bored!”

Hofmann moved to Wilmington in 2010 as a college transfer student and now can’t imagine living anywhere else with her husband and two young daughters. “It’s just a little slice of heaven,” Hofmann says of the Port City. A few years ago, cabin fever during the start of the pandemic sparked the WilmingtonMom phenomenon: Hofmann’s first daughter was born in January 2020, and the surreal circumstances of lockdowns, panic, and isolation created a bizarre foray into motherhood. “It was tough,” she says. “What a time to be alive, I tell you.”

While Hofmann was still on maternity leave, most public gathering places were closed ­– she remembers red tape around Wilmington playgrounds – but she wanted to get out of the house. A neighbor new to the area asked her for a good place to take kids. “I started going on walks and going to new places I’d never been to… and I started taking pictures,” Hofmann says. “I started an Instagram because I thought maybe other people would like to know about these places as we were all stuck inside.”

WilmingtonMom was born.

Hofmann was surprised that within a few months, her account amassed a thousand followers. “I was like, ‘Oh wow, OK, maybe I’m not the only one that wants to know where to go,’” she says. For the past three years, her growing audience has followed along for suggestions of family-friendly restaurants, entertaining beach activities, and her roundup lists of seasonal attractions. Her ideas have mostly come from her own research. “I spent many, many nights trying to Google things, and if I couldn’t find any resources (online), I would just go,” Hofmann says. “I’d go and figure out how big the playground is, where you’d park, or if there are restrooms there. I like adventure – I’ve always liked to get out there and try new things, and I wasn’t scared to go out with my little baby in tow and figure it out.”

Eventually, companies and local businesses began tagging WilmingtonMom on social media about opportunities, which has helped generate new ideas. Hofmann, whose career began in Wilmington nonprofits and eventually turned to event planning, left her job upon the arrival of her second daughter in 2022. “Once she was born, I was like, ‘You know what? I’ll just stay home and continue on my WilmingtonMom adventure.’ It’s fun.”

With more time to devote to her venture, Hofmann began partnering with local businesses this year to host “Moms Night Out” events, and plans for a newsletter are underway. She is perhaps most excited about her new children’s book, “Hello, Wilmington.” Last December, Hofmann bought a children’s book for her daughters about Santa coming to North Carolina and wished there were a Wilmington-themed book. “(My husband) said, ‘You know all these places – why not write a book?’” Hofmann recalls. “I started jotting down ideas.”

Her ideas coalesced into a children’s book that takes the reader to six classic Wilmington locations, like the Riverwalk and the beach. In true WilmingtonMom form, each page has a checklist of things to do, and the end of the book also includes a list of recommended places to visit. “It’s a good starting off point to introduce (people) to the hotspots and hidden gems around Wilmington,” Hofmann says. She’s also excited about the book’s illustrator, Chris Fowler. “He was born and raised in Wilmington, and I don’t think there’s anyone more perfect than him to do it,” she adds.

Hofmann is printing “Hello, Wilmington” domestically and hopes to have physical copies in hand between late October and early November. “The goal is before the holidays so folks can buy it as a gift,” she says. The book will be available on her website, WilmingtonMom.com, as well as Port City Book Club on Princess Street downtown.

In the meantime, she’ll continue posting as WilmingtonMom. “It gives my brain an outlet to be creative,” Hofmann says. “It’s fun for me. As long as it’s fun for me, I’ll keep doing it.”

Take 5 with Amanda Hoffman

How do you find new places to explore? “Several ways: scour Google Maps; others share their finds with me; local businesses contact me. I actually have a long list of places we haven’t explored yet! Like most families, we tend to visit our favorite areas on repeat.” What are some of your favorite hidden gems in Wilmington for family fun? “The New Hanover County Arboretum is probably one of our favorite places to visit. It’s rarely busy, and it’s free! We like to take a picnic or just go to feed the koi fish. We love to walk at Abbey Nature Preserve by Poplar Grove Plantation, Pages Creek Preserve, or Carolina Beach State Park when we want to be surrounded by nature. … Smart Start Resource Room is a great area to take young kids. This resource room is essentially a large playroom with a wide variety of toys, a craft area, and a mini library. It’s free and they offer so many resources for families who homeschool or little kits you can take home for a small fee. ($5 membership per year.)” Why is it important to you to share resources and information with other moms? “Navigating the uncharted territories of motherhood is stressful enough, and by sharing what I have learned about Wilmington hopefully empowers moms to navigate it with more confidence.” What’s on the horizon for WilmingtonMom? “Regarding the children’s book Hello, Wilmington, I am excited to see it find its way into the hands of young readers. I’ll be working on promoting the book through various channels and hopefully hosting a few events where the community can help share the love of our city.” What inspired you to write a children’s book about special places to visit in Wilmington? “One night, I was reading my girls a book about a well-known city, and it got me thinking about how amazing it would be to have a book that captured the essence of Wilmington. That moment ignited a spark in me, and I felt compelled to bring Hello, Wilmington to life.”

To view more of photographer Daria Amato’s work, go to dariaphoto.com

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