A Kid-Friendly Guide to Cape Cod

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Cape Cod

Summer is finally here and a popular destination for many families to visit is Cape Cod! As a child I spent most of my summers vacationing on the Cape and as fate would have it, my husband’s family also has a home there. We are lucky enough to spend a considerable amount of time there and it is extra special now that we are able to share it with our kids!

The Cape offers a wide variety of activities for families and in my biased opinion, it is a great summer getaway option.

However with all this said, the Cape is large and can be a bit confusing for first time visitors. This post will hopefully help to mentally sort out the four geographical areas of Cape Cod and some family-friendly restaurant options and activities for each area that I and other FC Moms Blog contributors personally recommend!

UPPER CAPE: 

Once you cross over the Bourne or Sagamore bridge, you are technically considered to have entered Cape Cod. The towns of Bourne, Sandwich, Mashpee, Woods Hole and Falmouth are widely considered to make up the “Upper Cape.” Here are some family friendly restaurants and activities for this area:

Family Friendly Restaurants:

Bourne: Chart Room

Falmouth:

Mashpee:

Woods Hole:

Activities:

Bourne

  • Canal Bike Trail (*paved bike trail approximately 6 miles in length between the Bourne and Sagamore bridges)

Falmouth

Mashpee

Woods Hole

MID CAPE: 

After the Upper Cape, you enter what is considered to be “Mid-Cape.” This area includes the towns of Barnstable, Hyannis, Dennis and Yarmouth. See below for my recommendations for kids in Mid-Cape:

Family Friendly Restaurants:

Yarmouth

Dennis

Activities:

Yarmouth

Dennis

Hyannis

LOWER CAPE: 

The Lower Cape is made up of the towns of Brewster, Chatham, Harwich and Orleans

Family Friendly Restaurants

Orleans

Brewster

Chatham

Harwich

Activities

Orleans

Brewster

Chatham

Harwich

  • Bud’s Go Carts (information can be found by phone at (508-432-4964)
  • Trampoline Center (information can be found by phone at (508-432-8717)
  • Grand Slam Entertainment

OUTER CAPE: 

The final section of the Cape is usually referred to as the “Outer Cape.” The towns of Eastham, Truro and Wellfleet are a little sleepier and quieter than the previous mentioned towns, although still have plenty going on. Provincetown, which is the last town on the tip of the Cape has a lot going on and is an extremely fun place to visit but can get very crowded, especially downtown Commercial Street. 

*A quick note on ProvincetownIn the summertime Provincetown has “theme” weeks which largely celebrate the LGBTQ and artistic community. Often there are parades and celebrations.

Family Friendly Restaurants

Wellfleet

Eastham

Provincetown

Activities

Wellfleet

  • Drive in Movie Theatre
  • Lieutenant’s Island Bridge (*the bridge to the island floods at high tide and you can jump off into the water)

Eastham

Truro

Provincetown

  • Dolphin Fleet Whale Watching Tours
  • Stroll Downtown (*make sure you scope out the store before you go in, depending on kid’s age and your comfort level)

Here are a few kid-friendly activities that span the entire Cape that you won’t want to miss!

1. The Beach

It goes without saying that the main attraction of the Cape is its amazing shoreline. Honestly this could be an entire blog post on its own and I’m not going to spend a lot of time talking about all the wonderful beaches Cape Cod has to offer. However for kids, I’ve found that the main differential is whether you are on the bay or the ocean. 

Oceanside v. Bayside: The bay has calmer waters, fun sandbars and is ideal for little ones. The ocean side touts big waves, colder water and is more suited for older kids. Whichever town you are staying in will have a great beach to visit and depending where you are, it will most likely be a fairly easy drive to get to either side. If you are not walking or biking, make sure you leave early and have cash on you as parking fills up quickly and can be fairly expensive (usually about $20). 

2. Cape Cod Rail Trail

The Cape Cod Rail Trail, or commonly referred to the CCRT is a paved path that stretches from Dennis to Wellfleet. There are lots of scenic viewing areas along the trail and easy on-off access with plenty of free parking for trail users. It is a fun activity for all different biking abilities! In the mornings, I love to stick my little ones in the bike trailer and bike on the CCRT from our house to the Chocolate Sparrow for breakfast.

3. Cape Cod Baseball League

Summer Catch anyone? The Cape Cod Baseball League is a collegiate summer baseball league that consists of ten teams located in various towns on the Cape. The games are fun to go to with kids and showcase some real talent, with many of the players ending up playing in the MLB. You can check out the teams, field locations and schedule here. Also many of the fields have playgrounds, which is an added bonus for the little ones who may get restless. 

As I previously stated, the majority of these recommendations are personal favorites as to my family and other FC Moms Blog contributors. We would love to hear from you in the comments regarding any of your favorite family-friendly restaurants and activities on the Cape! Happy vacation!

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emmab
Emma is a stay-at-home mom to her identical twin daughters, Charlotte and Grace (born March 2016) and her son Crosby (born July 2019). She currently resides in Fairfield with her children and her husband Mike. Emma is originally from northeastern CT and worked and lived in Stamford and New York City as an attorney until her daughters were born. Though she misses certain aspects of city life, there really is no better place then living by the beach. When she is not being hounded for snacks or trying to pry her kids off the highest point of the playground, she enjoys going out with friends, trying new restaurants on date nights, binging Bravo and staying active.

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