Kids on Vacation

There are so many great activities for kids on vacation on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and Plymouth! No matter your age, this region is packed with fun and activities and destinations to check out. Let’s take a look at some of the great activities for kids on Cape Cod and beyond!

Short Hikes & Walks

There is no shortage of trails and paths perfect for young hikers on Cape Cod and the Islands. Kids and adults will have a great time strolling wooded walks, traversing boardwalks, and meandering along sandy shoreline routes. Many paths are wide and have gentle slopes or little noticeable elevation gain.

A personal favorite is the Marconi Station Site and Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail in Wellfleet. The Marconi Station Site has great views of the Atlantic where kids will have a great time spotting ships on the horizon from the deck overlook site. From there a noticeably short and mostly paved loop shows some of the sandy remains of the Marconi site. On the inland side of the parking lot, you’ll find the start to the Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail, a 1.5-mile loop that meanders through woods of pitch pine and bear oak leading to a unique boardwalk through the primordial feeling swamp. The boardwalk section is cool and damp, with plenty of benches to take a break along the way. Mossy trees filter the light in, and it’s a pleasant respite from the heat of the day.

With all hikes and woodland walks on the Cape & Islands, be sure to check for ticks and avoid poison ivy!

Enjoy A Beach Day!

The sandy beaches and ocean waves are what make Cape Cod and the Islands such iconic vacation destinations, and for good reason! From wading in the water and splashing around to building sandcastles and exploring tide pools, mudflats, and marshes, kids are sure to have a blast at the beach! Enjoy the crash of big waves and brisk water at an oceanside beach or relax on the calmer waters of beaches on the bay side. Bring plenty of food, drinks, and sunblock to make a whole day of it. Adults can enjoy relaxing and reading, while kids can run wild in the sand and surf.

Visit the Museums

There are tons of great museums on Cape Cod and the Islands, with many geared towards younger visitors. Stop by the Children’s Museum in Mashpee or learn more about the Golden Age of Piracy at the Whydah Pirate Museum in Yarmouth or Provincetown. The Martha’s Vineyard Museum, Edgartown Fire Museum, and Nantucket Whaling Museum will both captivate and entertain kids and adults of all ages. When traveling to and from the Cape, the Plimouth Patuxet Museum and the Mayflower II reproduction make a worthwhile stop.

Walking, Scootering, or Biking

The miles of paved, off-road bike paths around Cape Cod, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, and Plymouth are perfect for kids and families. Whether you’re biking, scootering, rollerblading, or just walking, kids will have a great time cruising on the Shining Sea Bikeway, Cape Cod Rail Trail, Cape Cod Canal Trail, or Provincelands Trail. Parents will also enjoy peace of mind knowing that the trails are removed from the busy vehicle traffic found on Cape roadways in the summers.

Whale Watches, Boat Charters, & Ecotours

What better way to enjoy your time on the Cape and Islands than getting out on the water and seeing some of the fantastic marine animals that call the region home? Kids and adults will delight in seeing seals sunning on sandbars, whale tails slipping beneath the waves, and maybe even the sharp fin of a white shark cutting through the waves.

A number of whale watch tours get visitors up close and personal with the leviathans. There are tons of great boat charters available as well, from large boats to small vessels that can provide a personal tour, sandbar picnic, and tons of fun! Some offer fishing, others offer sightseeing, and all promise a great time for kids looking to explore the waters around Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and Plymouth.

There are also a number of seal tours departing from Chatham or Harwichport if you prefer not to venture out on the water, you can usually see plenty of seal congrgating around the Chatham Fish Pier as the boats come in to off load their catch.

A number of ecotour adventures are perfect for families. Many guide curious kids in inter-tidal exploration, learning about all the unique creatures that can be found on the edge of the sea.

Adventure Parks & Mini Golf

There are plenty of spots on the Cape for kids to go wild and have a blast. A visit to an adventure park, mini-golf, bowling alley, or trampoline park is the perfect way to tire even the wildest kids out! From inflatables of all sizes to water parks, bumper cars, ropes courses, and more, there’s no shortage of fun adventures to be had.

Ice Cream

A favorite of kids and adults, there’s nothing better on a hot summer day than grabbing some ice cream! There’s no shortage of great options on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and Plymouth. Everyone has their favorites, from the Four Seas in Centerville, the Cape Cod Creamery in South Yarmouth, Katie’s Homemade Ice Cream in Hyannis, Island Kitchen and Jack and Charlie’s Ice Cream on Nantucket, Mad Martha’s, Scoop Shack, and the Ice Cream and Candy Bazaar in Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard, and Peaceful Meadows Farm and Ziggy’s in Plymouth. Be sure to try as many as you can over the course of a visit or a summer!

Community Events

So whether you have kids on vacation on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, or Plymouth, or the Cape is your home and you are enjoying a staycation, there are lots of great community events to join! There are parades, picnics, festivals, and more! Check out our events calendar and subscribe to stay up to date on all the great goings-on!

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