Top Ten Things to Do With Children, Ocean City, MD

Top Ten Things to Do With Children, Ocean City, MD

1.  Play at the Beach — I remember the days when my family would bring me to the beach and my brother and sister and I would crane our necks, anxiously awaiting that first siting of the Atlantic Ocean.  Once you check into your hotel or condo, just bring the kids down to the beach and let them run, make sandcastles, ride the waves, swim, and generally enjoy what Ocean City has been offering to children for hundreds of years:  a great ocean playground and the wide, white sandy beaches that equal summer fun and have for decades.

2.  Participate in the many FREE activities offered by the Town:  

• Free Family Movie Nightsstart at 8:30 every Monday and Friday on the beach at 27th Street. Movies start at around 8:30 and run to around 10:30, weather permitting. June 25 through August 10, 2012.  The Carousel Hotel at 118th St shows movies outside on Wednesday nights through August 29 and the Princess Royale has them on Thursday nights through August 30th.  

• The Family Beach Olympicsare held Tuesday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on the 27th Street beach. This free event includes sand castle contests, tug of war, relay games and more. (Children must be accompanied by parents or guardians.) through August 7, 2012.

• Free Concerts on the Beachfeature free music for the whole family, Wednesday evenings from 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Division Street beach. Bring your beach chairs and/or blankets, and enjoy beautiful music in a beautiful setting. July 11, 18, 25 August 8,15,22,29, 2012.                     

• Sundays mean Sundaes in the Park. This popular event combines a free concert with ice cream for a small fee at Northside Park, 127th Street (bayside) from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. While parents enjoy the music, children will enjoy special entertainment just for them. August 5,12,19,26, 2012.

• Free Morning programs and demonstrations are held Monday through Saturday at 10:00 a.m., at the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum (south end of the boardwalk). See feedings at the museum’s aquarium, and learn about sharks, beach safety and knot-tying, to name a few.

For more information about any of these free events, go to www.OceanCity.com/Events

3. Explore Assateague:  From wild ponies of Misty of Chincoteague fame to kayak adventures offered by Super Fun EcoTours, the wildlife and beach activites are sure to please children of all ages.  There are two parks — State and Federal.  Pets are allowed on leashes, tours are available if scheduled in advance, the parks run fishing and exploration clinics, and you can’t beat the wide open beaches, camping, and unlimited views of the Atlantic ocean.  (Click here for more information.)  If you are lucky, you and your kids will see the dolphin hunting and swimming lazily offshore, blue fish swimming by, ponies playing in the waves, and the wild Sika Elk grazing along the road on your way in.  Assateague is magical and certainly shouldn’t be missed.  Check out our Assateague Guide

4.  Eat at one of the many child-friendly restaurants:

• Fish Tales — they serve the kids meals in frisbees and have a large pirate ship for climbing.
• Macky’s Bayside Bar and Grill — They are located right on the bay and you can sit in the sand and monitor your children as they wade in the water and discover the thrill of seeing horseshoe crabs swim by.
• Seacrets — This is a great adult playground and the management imposes a lot of restrictions on children, but if your kids want  a DAYTIME experience in a fun restaurant with a Jamaican theme and sand floors, bring them to Seacrets.  They won’t soon forget it.
• Captain’s Table — This restaurant has fabulous food and offers a child-friendly, but slightly grown-up dinner.  Bring your kids, the management loves them and your kids will love the fabulous food and relaxed staff.

5.  Play Miniature Golf

        Need to work on your putting with the family before you head out to the big leagues? Mini golf is widely popular from West Ocean City all the way to Fenwick Island.  With venues that offer a true Viking experience, to erupting volcanoes the possibilities are endless! Enjoy one of the many places that offer mini-golf for a date night, family fun, or just to work on your putting. For more detailed information on which scene best suits your needs visit http://www.ocgolf.com/

 6.  Walk the Boardwalk, play the games, ride the rides, and enjoy a warm summer evening.  Don’t forget a Dumser’s ice cream cone rolled in sprinkles and a tub of warm caramel popcorn with or without nuts.  Check out our Boardwalk Guide.

7.  Play a match of tennis with the family

           In the mood for a match of tennis? Visit the incredible tennis center, which has the honor of being one of only 3,000 USTA Tennis Welcome Centers throughout the United States. With 6 premier courts and 3 Lee fast dry clay green courts 8. Clamming and

        8.  Crabbing Galore!

        Some of the best memories for kids is catching their first crab with a line of string and a chicken leg or reaching down after finding a clam with their toes! Here in Ocean City, at low tide, you can find clams in the bars just offshore of the Convention Hall at 41^st Street. There are also fabulous clamming locations of the sandy beaches of Assateague. Look for both the state park as well as the national park to fulfill your clamming dreams!

9. Surf Lessons

Take a surfing lesson.  Many of the surf shops in town offer lessons.  Click here for our surfing guide.  Here is a list of all the surf shops in Ocean City that provide surf lessons. Most even offer a family surf lesson package where all members can learn to ride the incredible waves in Ocean City.

• Sailing, Etc.
•  Backdoor Surf Shop
•  Surfer Girl & Guys Too
•  Ocean Atlantic Surfing Products
• Malibu’s Surf Shop
• Chauncey’s Surf Shop
•  Endless Summer Surf Shop
  

10. If you are staying at a hotel with kids activities…

M    Make sure to check out all of the scheduled events, activities, and camps available for children at the hotel you are staying at. Most offer fun tours of the beach and historic sections of Ocean City as well as beach activities to keep your child active. Check out these hotels to see some great activities specifically catered to children!

• Francis Scott Key
• Carousel
• Castle in the Sand
• The Grand 
• The Clarion Hotel