In search of the ultimate New York summer getaway? You’ll find it with this ultimate list of things to do in the Hamptons with kids
Headed out to the Hamptons with kids and wondering what to do with them for the weekend—or even the entire summer? No matter which shore or fork you find yourself on, we can help you find family-friendly things to do—with ideas for rainy day activities, welcoming places to eat, and sensory museums to visit. From mini golf to petting zoos, to boating and beaches, there’s something for everyone. And from Sag Harbor and Montauk to Southampton and East Hampton, we’ve got tons of ways to keep the kids busy! Read on for our favorite family-friendly activities in the Hamptons with kids. For more summer activity inspiration, check out our kid-friendly winery and breweries, beaches you can get to by train, and NYC’s best playgrounds with water for cooling down.
Learn, Play, and Create: Young minds can run wild at the Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton. The CMEE has a Long Island-themed indoor play space and an outdoor playground. Plus: there is a miniature golf course on the grounds that visitors get to play for free! CMEE also hosts a variety of toddler and kid classes including Baby & Me, Cooking, Chess, Sensory Play and Gardening. Insider Tip: You will need a reservation to visit, and make note: The museum is closed on Thursdays.
Eat Outside: A summer must! We love Cowfish in Hampton Bays for an upscale meal waterside, Navy Beach in Montauk for stunning sunsets (reservations are required!), and Lobster Roll AKA Lunch, with locations in Amagansett and Southampton, for the lobster roll and more casual fare. For authentic Mexican street food, check out La Fondita, also in Amagansett.
Kid-Approved Library Programs: Libraries—including the East Hampton Library, Amagansett Library, and Hampton Library in Bridgehamopton—are open for lending, and many offer outdoor, in-person classes and events (think: singalongs for kids).
Perfect Your Swing: Play a round of mini-golf at the Hamptons-themed course at Hamptons Mini Golf, Puff ‘n’ Putt in Montauk (it's cash only!), or Whale’s Tale on Shelter Island, which is open seasonally.
Fly a Kite: If you need a kite, or a wacky toy, or gift, there's only one place to go: Kites of the Harbor in Sag Harbor.
Related: Hit the Road With The Best RV Campgrounds Near NYC for Families
Have a Barnyard Adventure: Head to Harbes Family Farm, a popular 100-acre farm in Mattituck for fun for both kids and adults. In addition to the original farmstand, the farm includes the Barnyard Adventure, an 8-acre family-friendly attraction that includes farm animals, Jumbo Jumpers bounce pillows, a trike track, sports zone, Gnome-themed hedge maze, and "bunnyville" (so cute!). The farm also includes Harbes Wine Barn, a wine-tasting room renovated from a 100-year-old potato barn.
Pick Some Berries: Yes, you can pick your own strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and more this summer! Two of our favorite spots in the Hamptons include Patty's Berries & Bunches in Mattituck and Lewin Farms in Calverton. (See all of our recs for NYC-area farms for berry-picking here!)
Enjoy Live Music: Take the kiddos to a concert series hosted by Southampton Cultural Center in Agawam Park and Cooper’s Beach in Southampton. Most concerts are held on Wednesdays and start at 6:30 p.m. Concerts that are held on Saturdays start at 5 p.m. Young ones can frolic and play as you relax on blankets.
Cool Down with a Treat: Hamptons favorite BuddhaBerry in Sag Harbor offers serve-your-own fro-yo in flavors like caramel sea salt pretzel or sweet peach from Georgia, plus endless toppings to choose from, such as dinosaur gummies. They'll even offer you a large cookie to top off your cool creation. Or, indulge the kids at the long-time favorite Sip ‘n Soda in Southampton with old-fashioned root beer floats, banana splits, and milkshakes.
Bond with Nature: It's the mission of Amber Waves Farm to produce organic, healthy food for the local community and to reintroduce wheat to the local East End of Long Island. Kids ages two to nine can learn all about living the farm life by visiting the Amagansett spot, which hosts summer workshops,events, and customized programming, such as Farm Chores for Kids, Cooking Classes, and Foraging at the Farm. The farmer's market is great here, too!
Try Some Pizza: Brooklyn favorite Roberta's has a spot in Montauk, and chef PJ Palaca has taken over Astro's Pizza in Amagansett.
Take a Spin: Take your soul to a new level and rent bikes for the whole family (including toddler seats and youth bikes) and roll around town. Check out Amagansett Beach & Bicycle Company or Rotations Bicycle Center in Southampton. You’ll also find endless bike trails to explore together.
Frolic in a Lavender Farm: Have a moment of Zen walking among the lavender bloom at Lavender By the Bay. This massive farm grows English and French lavender and sells timed tickets for 90-minute slots. Take a deep breath at the East Marion or Calverton Farm and then stop by the shop for some calming goods to take home!
Quack Like a Duck: Grab the cracked corn (it’s better for the ducks than bread) and head to the duck pond on David’s Lane in East Hampton. Located on the edge of a nature preserve, there are plenty of trails to explore here after you give the ducks a snack.
Explore Long Island’s Nature: Learn about the local eco-system and touch amphibians and reptiles native to Long Island at the South Fork Natural History Museum and Nature Center, where you can also go on outings like bird-watching or exploring a pond for critters. At the Quogue Wildlife Refuge, you can walk seven miles of trails through diverse habitats including forests and ponds, as well as the ecologically rare Dwarf Pines in the Pine Barrens. The refuge also offers Summer Ecology programs for kids as young as four and as old as juniors in high school.
Act Out: The Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center offers weekly musical theatre camp in which kids ages six to 16 become part of the show or work behind the scenes. The Center also stages live shows outdoors in the evenings.
Get Some Ice Cream: There's no shortage of ice cream in the Hamptons. We think the best can be found at Magic Fountain in Mattituck, Snowflake Ice Cream in Riverhead, John's Drive-in in Montauk, Candy Kitchen in Bridgehampton, and Gemelli Gelato in Hampton Bays, which has a huge outdoor seating area.
Discover History: Visit Quogue’s oldest schoolhouse built in 1822 at the Old Schoolhouse Museum. Then tour the area’s oldest operating water mill and colonial crafts at the Water Mill Museum (closed Mon.-Wed.). Don’t miss Long Island’s whaling heritage displays of whale jaw bones and harpoons at The Sag Harbor Whaling & Historical Museum (open Thurs.-Sun.; reservations recommended).
Eat Like It's Summer: Burgers, fries, and pies! Check out LT Burger, John's Drive-in, La Capannina, World Pie, and American Pie Pizzeria.
Go On Safari: The largest combined children’s zoo and wildlife park on Long Island, the Long Island Game Farm in Manorville, will entertain kiddos of any age with a giraffe, red kangaroos, lemurs, zebra, and alligators. Plus, Old McDonald’s Farm Petting Zoo lets kids reach out and touch furry friends.
Related: Fresh Air Fun: The Best Spring Day Trips from NYC for Kids
Saddle Up: If you love horseback riding, you’ve come to the right place. Stony Hill Stables in Amagansett welcomes all ages for pony camp and competitions. Head to The Green School in Sagaponack for private riding lessons for kids ages three and up.
Hit the Beach: Choose from the calm waters on the bay side or the roaring waves and white sands of the ocean side. Try the low-key, family-friendly Indian Wells Beach in Amagansett with food trucks and restrooms, or the sprawling Cooper's Beach in Southampton, which has a concession stand, chair and umbrella rentals, bathrooms, and fresh water showers. Little ones will appreciate the gentle waters at Foster Memorial Long Beach in Sag Harbor—it’s a little rocky, but the waters are warmer and you won’t find waves here. Insider Tip: Be prepared to leave early to get a parking spot, and pay for it. Many beaches in the Hamptons are not public.
Get Some Doughnuts: Head to North Fork Doughnut Co. for "craft doughnuts" made from scratch daily using locally-sourced ingredients, including fresh farm berries. Don't forget to check out the destination bakeshop's monthly "flavor forecast" before you go!
Visit The Big Duck: A local landmark and piece of Americana since the 1930s, The Big Duck is located in Flanders, New York, along Route 24 just outside of Riverhead. Its belly holds a small museum and duck souvenirs, but its really about the exterior: Drive by at night and the eyes—lights from a Model T—glow.
See Where Pollock and Krasner Worked: You might say that visiting the home and workshop of one of America's foremost abstract expressionists is a bit high-minded for kids, but we're guessing that at some point your child has returned from school or camp with artwork inspired by Pollock's splatter method. At the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center, you can see the preserved house where they lived, tour the grounds, and inhabit the actual workshop space where Pollock created his large-scale works.
Go All Aboard: Make a stop at the Railroad Museum of Long Island, which has locations in both Riverhead and Greenport. Train-loving tots will freak over the model train exhibits, historic rail cars, and locomotives.
See Sea Creatures Up Close: The Long Island Aquarium is home to one of the largest all-living, closed-system coral reef displays in the Western hemisphere! You'll find all kinds of animals here, including seals, sea lions, sea otters, butterflies, insects, seahorses, and jellyfish. Insider Tip: Visit the aquarium within seven days of your birthday and get in free (ID and birth certificate required).
Go to Camp: East Hampton Sports Camp, Super Soccer Stars, and YMCA East Hampton RECenter host camps to keep kids busy and active.
Build a Castle: Take part in weekly sandcastle building contests at Hither Hills State Park in Montauk every Thursday morning. All ages build their best castle using sand, water, and natural materials found on the beach. The State Park hosts additional family-friendly events like magic shows and musical performances.
Get Cultured: East Hampton's Guild Hall is an epicenter of arts of all disciplines for all ages, including free art exhibitions and installations throughout the year and a variety of family-friendly programming including performances as part of its KidFest series.
See Montauk via MonTiki: Tour The End of the island like you never have before via a catamaran crafted in the style of a Polynesian boat with Sailing Montauk. Do a simple day sail, sunset sail, or a sail-and-swim session.
Visit The End's Icon: Climb to the top of the tower of the Montauk Point Lighthouse, the oldest lighthouse in New York State.
Grab a Paddle: Take the family on a stand-up paddleboarding adventure with rentals from Adventure Paddleboards or Sag Harbor Sailing. You can also rent paddleboards, canoes, kayaks, or pedal boats at Puff ‘N’ Putt at Fort Pond in Montauk or from Main Beach Expeditions (MBX) on Georgica Pond in Wainscott.
Slip and Slide: If you prefer your water play with chlorine—not salt—head to the area's popular waterpark Splish Splash for a totally tubular time. Insider Tip: The park's two new extreme slides, Bombs Away and Riptide Race, are musts for thrill-seekers!
Watch Horses & High-Profile Peeps: Head to the annual Hampton Classic Horse Show in Bridgehampton to see some stallions jumping—not to mention the rich and famous who make the scene (and hobnob in the VIP tent). Held on Aug. 27-Sept. 3, it's seven days of sport, shopping, and food.
See a Puppet Show: Put down the iPad and be entertained by Goat on a Boat Puppet Theatre, either at a puppet camp or by its new Puppet Truck that will be rolling around all summer.
Park Playtime: Enjoy the great outdoors! Climb, swing, and slide at the playgrounds at Herrick Park in East Hampton, Mashashimuet Park in Sag Harbor, Agawam Park in Southampton, or Ria Del Bene playground in Westhampton.
Take in a Ballgame: Grab the crackerjacks and cheer for your local baseball team—from the Montauk Mustangs to the Westhampton Aviators or Sag Harbor Whalers! The Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League features seven teams with college players from around the country. Most games take place nearly every evening at 5 p.m. in July. Past summers have included softball camp and youth clinics.
