Chrissy4

I'd like to rent a house on the Cape for a week next Summer. We'll have three families with 3 kids ages 1 - 3 1/2. We mostly want to go to the beach (ideally be within walking distance). Any recommendations? I've heard nice things about Dennis and Chatham. What's better for little ones - water on the bay side or ocean side?

Thanks!

gail

We used to love Wellfleet when our kids were little. It has a cute downtown area, several little bays with sandy beaches.

janiekins

Check out Chatham. Beautiful town - great for kids.

karens

I definitely vote for Cape Cod Bay for swimming with little ones. The tides change drastically here, and on the way in and out, small puddles form, perfect for plopping little ones in! You can walk really far out and still have the water be up to your knees. My boys are older than yours and they still love Mayflower Beach (near Dennis) b/c it's great for skimboarding - we're heading there the end of the month.

Chatham has a great large wooden playground for the kids, and across the street is a small Railroad Museum with a caboose the kids can wander around. My younger son used to love it there.

One thing we liked to do was go on a pirate cruise - they leave from Chatham and Hyannis - and the kids get "tatooed" and go on a pirate sail, shoot a bad pirate along the way (with water cannons) and find an X floating in the water. Everyone knows X marks the spot for buried treasure, and they hoist up a treasure chest with small stuff the kids can have.

capecodshanty

There is not a "bad" town on the Cape, for children. All have playgrounds and activities for little ones, especially during the summer. It may be difficult to rent one house for the 3 families, for all towns have strict rules on how many people (and that includes babies) may stay in a home. Definitely stay on either bayside or Nantucket Sound side, as the water is both calmer and warmer. Ocean can be too rough for the little ones, and too cold.
Since both myself and my children spent summers on the Lower Cape, that would be my choice. Wellfleet has bay beaches, playgrounds,square dances for the family during the summer, childrens outdoor theatre,fishing from the pier,and a small village uptown.
Wonderful trails in the National Seashore, and Audubon sancturary with many programs for children- to me it is ideal.
Very subjective- those who grew up in Chatham, or Brewster, or Orleans, would disagree!