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The Cape with the Kids
A kid friendly weekend trip to the cape.
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There are plenty of great things to do with your kids on the cape. They usually can occupy themselves at the beach with sandcastles, but there are many other activities that can be fun for them - and you!
 Day Note
Get pancakes at Pancake Man in the early morning, then go to the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Reserve and pick from the many activities to do there. Get lunch at Oysters Too (there is a kid's menu) then go on a tour of the Cape Cod Potato Chip Factory Tour. After the tour, play a game of mini golf (if it's raining, play arcade games inside). End your day with a great family dinner at Tugboats and ice cream at the Brewster Scoop.
Made up of 2,500 acres of marshlands, open water, barrier beaches, trout streams, watersheds and uplands, with 11 wilderness campsites and several walking tours, the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Reserve makes for a great day trip. Other park activities include swimming, shell fishing, canoeing, kayaking and even restricted hunting on Washburn Island, which is accessible only by boat. The reserve also includes the 500-acre South Cape Beach State Park.
Located in a handsome wooden home on Route 28, Oysters Too serves an appealing dinner menu year-round. Appetizers include escargots, oysters and French pork sausage, while the dinner menu ranges from fried salmon sandwiches to veal marsala, vegetable ravioli, lobster, swordfish and prime rib. A piano player performs on Friday and Saturday evenings. There is a small children's menu, and early bird specials. The dining room has a brick fireplace and attractive wooden tables and chairs.
Located in the back of The Brewster Store, the Scoop offers delightful flavors of homemade ice cream, yogurt, and sugar free yogurt. The coconut almond fudge, wildberry crunch, mud pie, Oreo cookie, chocolate chip cookie dough, and Snickers are just a few of the popular flavors. You then have a choice of toppings like hot fudge, Butterfingers, Nutter Butter cookie pieces, M&M's, gummy bears, and Oreo cookie pieces. Service is fast and friendly. Though strictly a to-go place, there are benches to sit on outside.
Located in downtown Hyannis within walking distance of cute shops popular with tourists, this hotel is also near the harbor, where island ferries, whale watches and other marine excursions depart. The Regency sometimes bills itself as a resort but does not have quite enough amenities to live up to the name; however, it is a solid choice for business travelers and families who prefer lodgings less intimate than a B&B.
The cheery "Pancake Man" sign says it all at this Cape Cod breakfast tradition. The omelets, French toast and waffles are good, but pancakes made the restaurant famous, with 15 varieties including apple cinnamon, honey buckwheat, spicy salsa and corn meal, and a fluffy potato and chive. Bottomless coffee and fast service in a bright, friendly space seal the deal. Get there before 8:30a on weekends to avoid huge lines. The restaurant has a full service bar.
Management at this casual eatery understands that most patrons prefer outdoor seating, so the decks are chock-full of tables overlooking the harbor. This establishment has two large bars and lounges and three dining areas. Watch the Nantucket ferries come and go as you try the lobster roll, the rich and creamy clam chowder or abundant sandwiches. Heartier fare complements the evening menu. Tugboat's is a great refuge, even on rainy days. A popular nightspot, head for the tiny upstairs bar where folks at the bar swill tropical drinks to music with a Caribbean beat.
Cape Cod potato chips are so greasy, you can almost see through them— but the unique kettle-cooking method is what makes these famous chips so popular. You can watch the whole process, from peeling to cooking to bagging, at the factory's free, self-guided tour. In fact, they will pay you—you get a free bag of chips at the end of the tour. The Cape Cod Chips gift shop offers a great selection of chips, pretzels, and novelties such as shirts, caps and collectibles. Cash only. Call for group tours.
A round of mini golf on a warm summer night is something of a Cape Cod tradition. The courses at Pirate's Cove break with tradition but not in any manner that draws complaints. Instead of windmills and still statues, you'll golf through caves, by waterfalls and around a pirate ship. There is a Captain's Course as well as the Blackbeard's Challenge Course. For a discounted rate you can play your course again and see if you can't beat your kid the second time around.
Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Reserve
Day Note
After breakfast at the Egg and I, take the kids on a Family Field Walk to learn more about the natural history of the Cape. Then go to the Woods Hole Science Aquarium, which is great for kids. Have some sea food at Mattakeese Wharf then see the summer blockbuster at the Regal (Hoyts) Cinema.
If you want to get the family outdoors and get a little education while you're at it, the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History hosts Family Field Walks year-round every Saturday and Sunday (and Monday-Friday in July and August). Explore the John Wing Trail at the museum with a trained naturalist, who will give you all the facts about marsh, oak-pine forest and beach habitats. The one-and-a-half hour walk covers 1.2 miles, so even the little ones can enjoy it. Cost is free with museum admission.
Settle into your seat under the awning on the wrap-around deck and watch the sun set while you dig into a bowl of sweet steamers drenched in butter. Ahhhh... this is Cape Cod at its best. Finding Mattakeese Wharf is worth the effort: located on a side street (off Route 6A) that dead-ends at the harbor, this is a summertime favorite with superb seafood and a full liquor license. Inside seating is an option, but set your sights on the deck where you can watch over the harbor.
Located in downtown Hyannis within walking distance of cute shops popular with tourists, this hotel is also near the harbor, where island ferries, whale watches and other marine excursions depart. The Regency sometimes bills itself as a resort but does not have quite enough amenities to live up to the name; however, it is a solid choice for business travelers and families who prefer lodgings less intimate than a B&B.
This theater features 12 screens for your viewing pleasure. For a more enjoyable experience, sit back and relax with popcorn and a soda from the refreshment stand. Check online for film times, ticket prices and further information.
For every kind of breakfast from the ordinary (eggs and bacon) to the extraordinary (Praline Pain Perdu or Praline French Toast, topped with bananas), head to The Egg and I. This Hyannis institution serves hearty portions of breakfast specialties every day from 11p to 1p. Create your own omelette, sample the variations of eggs benedict, indulge on sweeter options like cranberry pancakes or raspberry cream cheese filled French toast. A kid friendly restaurant, the menu also includes specially priced options for children.
Focused solely on local waters, this small but impressive aquarium has been delighting visitors since 1871. Kids especially love the "touch tank," where they can reach into tide pools filled with starfish and sea cucumbers. Other displays include sea turtles, lobster and wolffish. A special exhibit shows the effect of plastic trash on marine life. Two harbor seals have taken up residence in an outdoor pool and are a star attraction. The aquarium is operated by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center. Admission is free.
Day Note
Start your day with a whale watch, leaving from Hyannis. Get a pub lunch at the Dan'l Webster Inn restaurant, then take the kids to the Thorton W Burgess Museum - they'll like this if they've read the Peter Cottontail books. Next, go to the Cape Cod Children's Museum. For dinner, book a table on the Family Supper Train on the Cape Cod Central Railroad. The kids will love dining on a moving train!
After the original Dan'l Webster Inn burned down, the proprietors decided to rebuild true to the style of the historic structure. The result is a 20th-century inn, pub and restaurant that retains much of the colonial charm of its forebearer. Dining venues include an atrium setting, formal dining room and pub. Seafood is a specialty but the menu also boasts plenty of vegetarian offerings. Brunch in the atrium is popular as is the fare in the cozy pub, where you can get wood-grilled pizzas, burgers and chowder while you hang out and soak up the ambiance.
The scenic dinner train is the Cape's entry in the novelty dining experience category. Dress up for a three-hour tour among cranberry bogs and marshes in a restored 1937 dinner coach. From Hyannis, the train crosses the canal and then stops in Bourne while you consume your entrée choice, usually steak, chicken, fish, or pasta. The Elegant Dinner Train was named one of the top three nationwide by TV Food Network's Dining on the Train. A full bar is available. There is also a Family Supper Train. Book well in advance during the summer.
A whale watch is a must when visiting Cape Cod. Step aboard a 100-foot boat and travel past the Cape Cod National Seashore to the open ocean. The boats concentrate on an area known as the Stellwagen Bank—a deep fissure in the ocean floor that is home to a favorite whale delicacy, the sand eel. Naturalists narrate during the cruises. There is a snack bar on board and passengers can bring their own picnic. The trip takes about four hours.
Sandwich native Thornton Burgess created such characters as Peter Rabbit (the American version), Jimmy Skunk, Sammy Jay, and Bobby Raccoon. This museum dedicated to his work is an excellent place to bring children any time of the year. During the summer, the museum offers a regular schedule of story times. The many special events include Peter Rabbit Animal Day in August, and a Victorian Christmas in December.
Burgess was a naturalist as well as a story teller, and the Thornton W. Burgess Society operates the Green Briar Nature Center three miles away in East Sandwich.
Designed to combine fun with learning, the displays at this museum are educational and interactive. A puppet theatre, planetarium, Dress-Up Castle, submarine and train are open for exploration. The highlight is a 30-foot pirate ship where children can imagine themselves riding the high seas. Special programs include holiday parties, cooking classes, crafts and workshops with unusual themes such as "All About Cranberries." Children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult.
Dan'l Webster Inn Restaurant
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