Activities for Kids

The Outer Banks offers a treasure trove of activities for children and families. This beachside paradise is the perfect place for your family to create long lasting memories. Enjoy spending your mornings walking the beach and your evenings at any of the family friendly venues located all down the OBX. 

Start Making Plans Today!

While some of the activities on our list are seasonal, many are available year round. We've compiled a list of kid friendly activities on the OBX for you and your family to enjoy. We know the beach is the reason for the season but sometimes you need a little break from all that fun in the sun! 


•BE A PIRATE FOR THE DAY•
Ahoy, there, Matey! Most unique among activities for the young is a pirate cruise aboard the Sea Gypsy. If your little one is intrigued by pirate lore, this is a must. The pirate cruise out of Manteo allows youngsters the chance to dress as a pirate, go to sea on a pirate ship, and participate in a battle with water cannons. Children will talk about this for weeks after their experience. Pirate Adventures of the Outer Banks. Make reservations soon! (Of course, parents welcome; bring a camera.)

•SPEED AROUND THE RACE TRACK•
Rev your engines! Ready to race? Speed down the straightaway and hug those curves at area raceways. Let your child become a professional race car driver for a thrilling time. Several area raceways offer multiple tracks, race cars, go-carts, and even bumper cars. Some of these also offer arcade games, air hockey, and mini-golf. Wheel on over to a nearby race track. Driver's license not required.

•PUTT-PUTT•
A large variety of putt-putt golf courses are available for the aspiring golf pro. Select your lucky color golf ball, get the right length club, and then putt away! Most venues offer multiple courses with holes of varying challenges. It's sometimes hard to concentrate on your game when the cannons bellow from a nearby pirate ship or giant dinosaurs stare at you from every direction (watch out for those teeth on the T-Rex!), or strange aliens seem to come alive around you. Some of the sites offer more than just golf: ride through the mountains on a mining train, demonstrate your skill at arcades, or dig for treasure. Enough variety exists that you should plan to visit a different golf course each day. Save your scorecards to track your progress during the week.

•READY, AIM, ROLL•
The Nags Head Bowling Center should have something right down your alley. Here you can enjoy open lane bowling or bumper bowling. Computer scoreboards keep track of your game so you just roll and relax. Late-night laser bowling is a favorite for the teen group. After a few rounds of bowling, you may want to visit the arcade room (little ones love getting those tickets to exchange for prizes!) or the billiard room. Spare yourself from trying to select the right family outing for a rainy day or a fun evening together -- strike out for fun at the bowling alley! (No gutter balls allowed.)

•RIDE A BIKE AROUND THE OBX•
Bicycling is a popular past time on the Outer Banks. You can bring your own bikes, or you can rent bicycles from one of several bike shops and equipment rental companies on the island. While we advise you not to bike along the Bypass (Hwy 158), pedaling along the bike paths on the Beach Road (NC 12) or Old Oregon Inlet Road is a nice way to experience the ambiance of our seacoast area while riding between oceanfront and ocean-facing properties. Serious bikers can travel up to 100 miles from one end of the barrier islands to the other with several opportunities to pull over and rest or enjoy the views along the way. For a slow-paced family ride without worries about vehicular traffic, park at the Wright Brothers Airport and enjoy the multi-use path that winds around the park area. Remember, ride right, wear a helmet, and watch out for sandy spots along paths and roadways. Whether you pedal for pleasure or performance, have lots of fun! 
Designated Bicycle/Multi-Use Paths: Wright Brothers Memorial, Centennial Park, Beach Road (NC 12) 
Neighborhood Cycling: Lindberg Avenue and Memorial Avenue

•MAD FOR MUD AND MONSTERS•
Head back over the bridge with the family to Currituck for a time of dirty good fun at Dennis Anderson's Muddy Motorsports Park. Enjoy a wild time of hill-and-hole mud bogging; a variety of autocross events, including dirty demolitions; sandy, sandy drag races; and incredible death-defying stunts. Expect to laugh at humorous commentary, hold your breath at into-the-air jumps, gasp as vehicles almost disappear into mud holes, and cheer loudly as your favorite driver wheels across the finish line. The monster King Sling is the newest Anderson addition to the park; will it become your favorite mud runner? Concessions, music, and audience participation events will round out your adventure. Be sure to wear appropriate shoes and clothes - you will most likely take sand and mud home with you.

If you have time, roll on down the road a ways, and tour Anderson's Digger's Dungeon. Have your picture taken as you stand beside a monster truck. Digger's Dungeon is home to the famous Monster Truck, Grave Digger. Frequently, in addition to Grave Digger, other monster trucks are on premises. A winner of a gift shop is also on-site.

•STROLL THROUGH THE GARDENS•
Instead of a strenuous hike, plan a leisurely stroll through the Elizabethan Gardens outside Manteo. Each season here has its own beauty since blooms and foliage grace the serene gardens year-round. Have your picture taken as you stand beside one or more of the beautiful statues on the grounds. Meander around formal plantings reminiscent of the Queen Elizabeth era. This site is a memorial to those early pilgrims who made their way to Roanoke Island in the 1580s and then they were "lost," so as you meander through gardens, pause to remember those who first landed on this site so long ago. A variety of seasonal activities is hosted year round for kids of all ages, and a delightful gift shop offers you the chance to purchase a special memento of your vacation - maybe something for your garden back at home?

•TAKE A HIKE•
Of course, you know about walking along the shoreline searching for treasures thrown up by the ocean. However, we also have many inland and sound side hiking spots where you can discover treasures of air, land, and sea.

Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge Here, along well maintained walkways above wetland habitats, you may be lucky enough to spot an alligator, a black bear, or even a red wolf (saved from extinction, in part, due to efforts of this refuge). Of course, several species of birds and waterfowl are usually evident, and the naturalist in the family also will enjoy identifying trees, shrubs, and flowers.

Nags Head Woods Trek along one of six hiking trails through this maritime forest and enjoy identifying rare plants, up to 50 species of birds, and a variety of reptiles, amphibians, and mammals. The trails vary in length and difficulty over the hilly ground so choose the path that is best for you. To help protect this nature preserve please stay on the indicated trails during your hike. Dogs and bikes aren't allowed, but be sure to take your camera.

Kitty Hawk Woods To hike through this coastal reserve you will journey along a multi-use path. In the marshy areas, watch for otters, muskrats, wading birds, and various reptiles and amphibians. In the deciduous forest you'll be likely to see deer, foxes, and other small animals; and, of course, a variety of birds will serenade you along your hike.

Other Hikes Around the Outer Banks, Of course, there are several other places along the Outer Banks like Jockey's Ridge State Park, The Wright Brothers Memorial, Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, etc. - where you can march along for fun, exercise, or the close-to-nature experience. No matter where you choose to walk or why you take a hike- "happy trails to you!"

Duck Soundside Park- Duck Road, Duck (playground, grassy areas, nature walkways)
Pruitt Playground- Woods Road, Kitty Hawk (playground, picnic tables, bicycle/jogging path)
Sandy Run Park- Woods Road, Kitty Hawk (picnic/grilling area, basketball, marsh and coastal preserve walkways)
Hayman Street Park- West Hayman Street, Kill Devil Hills, MP 6 (playground, grassy area, picnic/grilling area)
Meekins Field- between the Dare Center and Kill Devil Hills Fire Department, Kill Devil Hills, MP 7 (playground, tennis courts, baseball field)
Whalebone Park- Across from Jennette's Pier, Nags Head, between HWY 12 and HWY 158, MP 16.5 (playground, picnic area, volleyball court)
Dowdy Park- Located across the street from the YMCA at MP 11.7 ( full playground for kids to enjoy! This is the newest of the parks on the OBX)

Hope to see you at the beach soon