Fun outings for kids on Cape Cod?
 

We are going to be on Cape Cod (Falmouth area) over August and I'm looking for fun easy trips with young kids. Someone told me about a tidal river that you can tube on? Sound familiar to anyone? What are some favourite spots/recommendations? We know Woods Hole/Falmouth pretty well but haven't explored much further, especially with small kids in tow-- want to keep driving and endless searches for parking to a minimum.

Whale-watching in Provincetown;
Cape Cod Rail Trail with a stop for a dip in a pond at Nickerson State Park in Brewster;
Natural History Museum in Brewster;
Checking out the seals in Chatham.

exactly how old are the children? old enough for Arts Dune Tours in Provincetown? ages would really help - small could be a lot of ages :)

If they are young, go to the public library and check out all the Thornton W Burgess books they have (and can get). Read them to the kids or let them read on their own. Then visit Burgess house in Sandwich. Lots of other stuff to see and do in that area, a mill and mill pond, etc.

For an easy day trip, check out Martha's Vineyard. You can hop on the ferry right from Falmouth/Woods Hole and then spend the day touring the Island. A great site to find out everything that's happening on the island is www.TicketsMV.com. It's a very user-friendly site and you can even purchase advance tickets to many island events.

In August, there will be so much for the children to do, no matter what town you are in.

Go to Cape Cod Travel Guide.com, they publish a booklet called "Kids on the Cape", which you will find everywhere, beginning in early summer.

Sandwich, the Thorton Burgess House is fun, as has been mentioned, as is The Green Briar Nature Center, where you can watch them make jams and jellies, and, on some weekends,the children can take a class.

There are sites in every town, google the towns, Being more familiar with the Lower and Outer Cape, I can give suggestions if you'd like,for the towns of Dennis, Brewster,Chatham, Orleans, Eastham,. Wellfleet and Provincetown. Just give a shout. Put Cape Cod in the search box, and it will bring up a myriad of info for you.Biking the rail trail, beachcombing the flats at Low tide, visiting the C.C. Museum of Natural History in Brewster, the Harwich Children's Theater,The National Seashore Visitors Center in Eastham, with its fims and small museum and hiking trails, square dancing mid week in Wellfleet, hunting for fiddler crabs over Uncle Tims Bridge- The schooner Rose Dorothea at the Library in Provincetown,Climbing to the top of the Pilgrim Monument,the pirate ship Wyddah museum at the pier in P'town,so much-so little time!!

When my children were young, we used to wish for a cloudy day to do all these things- now, don't wait for cloudy day, cause everyone else have the same idea!!

Maybe take in a Hyannis Sound concert:

www. hyannissound . com

They haven't updated their site yet for this summer, so check it out again before you head to the Cape.

Kids and adults love them!

These are all great, thanks. One kid will be 6 (would love the dune tour) and the other will be 2-- she enjoys anything involving water and people-watching.

My kids loved renting bikes (you can get one with a baby seat) and biking in the National Seashore. Also, walking the flats at low tide to look for creatures.

For ideas: from my friend who has little ones:

www.kidsonthecape.com

www.capecodspecials.com/just-for-kids2.html

From me:
At 6 and 2 if you go to the Vineyard, you can take the ferry from Falmouth to Oak Bluffs, ride the old carousel and try for the brass ring - play in the park, walk along the ocean - I'm sure you will have enough beach in Falmouth - so you could plan to go over during Illumination - stay just until dark if you want to also see the lanterns lit up, but you could walk thru during the day thru the campgrounds and see them all hanging on the 'gingerbread houses' - have an ice cream -

I wouldn't want to drag a 2 and yr old too much around the island, but there is an easy bus route and you could go into Edgartown if you wanted and stroll those streets and get an ice cream, but frankly at 2 and 6 they will probably like the OB area better.

here are a few good web pages to keep up with for fairs, festivals, events :

www.visit-massachusetts.com/events.html

www.visit-massachusetts.com/capecod.html


There is also a great agricultural fair on the vineyard every august (mvonline.com) you could take the ferry over and bus/cab up to it - you can find it online - it has all the animals, old time events in the center ring,
(dog show, ox pull, etc) rides, etc.

There is a beach in Falmouth on Buzzard's Bay called Wood Neck Beach. It is a town beach and you need a sticker for it. When my niece and nephews were little they loved it. There is an entrance to a salt marsh there with a shallow channel. Since it is a tidal marsh there is a current and I have seen kids ride that current. There is also a lot of wild life there for them to see.

Another place close by is the Aquarium in Woods' Hole. There is a great bike path from Falmouth right into Woods' Hole which is very flat and goes by a beach.

Have a great time.