Explore Hilton Head kids activities
When you’re looking for a destination for your next family vacation, Hilton Head may be your best bet. This South Carolina resort town offers endless fun that the whole family can enjoy. When it comes to Hilton Head kids activities, you’ll find an array of options that cater to all sorts of family types. If you’re interested in nature, for example, you can hit up the beach or explore inland parks. Those looking for thrills can enjoy local theme parks. Learn all about Hilton Head kids’ activities and discover how you can make your family vacation to this island one that you’ll never forget.
1. Shelter Cove Harbour
Shelter Cove Harbour is one of the island’s most popular spots and is located right in the heart of the action. If you’re looking for an all-encompassing experience, this is one of the best destinations available. You’ll find shopping opportunities as well as family restaurants and tours of the area. Watersports are popular here as well, given the proximity to the coast, so you’ll find places for fishing, sailing, and even watching dolphins. In fact, there’s so much to do in this singular location that Shelter Cove Harbour could be your only destination for an entire day of your trip, and you’ll still stay busy from the morning to well past sunset.
2. Sandbox Children’s Museum
If you’re looking for something specifically designed for kids, the Sandbox Children’s Museum is one of the best options in town. Here, you’ll find 11 exhibits that are all interactive and set to inspire creativity and curiosity in children. Among the different exhibits, you’ll find themes like Flight Deck, International Bazaar, Rhythm and Hues, Builders of Tomorrow, and Grocery Corner. Keep in mind that this museum is catered toward younger children, so kids 12 and older might find it a bit too childish for their liking. It’s best suited for toddlers and young children.
3. Adventure Cove
Virtually endless fun is available at Adventure Cove, an attraction seemingly designed for entire families to enjoy. You’ll find 2 primary attractions at this entertainment center: mini-golf and arcade games. The courses are Caribbean-style, with blue grounds instead of green, called Paradise Falls and Lost Lagoon. Meanwhile, the arcade offers a nice mix of retro classics and modern video games, including virtual reality games. The prizes at the redemption center are fairly impressive as well. Win enough tickets, and you could be taking home a new Xbox or high-end headphones.
4. Zipline and Aerial Adventure
Hilton Head kids’ activities for families who are feeling a bit more adventurous might include a visit to Zipline and Aerial Adventure. This facility is packed full of outdoor fun that will test your courage and physical prowess as you conquer various obstacles. You’ll find zip lines as well as obstacle courses set up through the treetops that you can enjoy while safely connected to a support harness. Keep in mind that the obstacles here aren’t particularly difficult, so kids can enjoy them as well, with the zip line itself being more of a fun ride than anything else.
5. Lawton Stables
Horses are among the most fascinating and incredible creatures on the planet, and Lawton Stables is your key to enjoying everything they have to offer when looking for Hilton Head kids’ activities. You’ll find more than 600 acres of space here along with a collection of horses and ponies. You and your little ones can embark on a horseback tour of the area that will take you past ponds, trees, and even butterfly gardens. In addition to the horse rides, your kids can also visit an animal farm and get up close and personal with friendly creatures like goats, alpacas, and donkeys, among others.
6. Station 300
Station 300 is a bowling alley that takes the typical bowling experience to the next level. In addition to the 24 bowling lanes, it also hosts a full-service sports bar for the adults in your family along with an arcade for the kids. Additionally, each bowling lane comes with its own screen from which you can select shows, games, or movies to enjoy for the length of your session. Plus, it’s especially friendly to families, as bumpers on lanes can be activated and deactivated based on whose turn it is. For example, you could play without them, but when it’s your kid’s turn to bowl, the bumpers will automatically be raised, then lowered after their turn.
7. Coastal Discovery Museum
When you’re looking for Hilton Head kids’ activities, the Coastal Discovery Museum is one of the best options available. This museum encompasses 60 acres of land and is packed full of fascinating exhibits. You and your family can explore culture, history, and science throughout its various offerings, many of which are presented in a way that will certainly delight children. The landscape here is dotted with puzzles, puppet shows, and scavenger hunts to keep kids engaged and entertained. On your visit to the museum, you’ll gain an appreciation for the local natural world with centuries-old trees and shell rings dating back literally thousands of years ago.
8. Coligny Plaza
Coligny Plaza is one of the most popular destinations in Hilton Head, and that’s largely due to the array of offerings available here. It’s an entertainment complex that features a variety of shops, restaurants, and bakeries that the whole family can enjoy. Many of the shops offer clothing, but you’ll also find several toy stores along with virtually anything else you can imagine. While bars are popular in the evening, daytime cafés, bakeries, and restaurants have plenty for kids to enjoy, often coming with stunning views of the beach and the boats passing by.
9. Bristol Sports Arena
More active families will certainly enjoy a trip to Bristol Sports Arena. This facility features quite a few different areas for sports activities, including a soccer field, a basketball field, and a baseball field. A multipurpose rink is available as well, along with a skate park for kids and adults more interested in extreme sports. Given the intensity of some of the available sports, it’s generally best for kids aged 7 and older, as there’s not much to do here for toddlers and young children unless they enjoy watching the weekly game of roller hockey.
10. Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge
Natural history and fascinating wildlife all converge within the Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge. It consists of about 4,000 acres of land and features numerous paths and trails from which your family can explore this area. The wildlife is prosperous, making it an ideal location for birding and fishing alongside hiking and biking. Additionally, this refuge is home to 115 prehistoric sites, with the oldest dating back more than 10,000 years to some of the earliest human societies in the area.
11. Shelter Cove Towne Centre
If you’re looking for numerous Hilton Head kids’ activities in one place, there’s nothing quite like Shelter Cove Towne Center. This lifestyle space offers 290,000 square feet of entertainment, shops, and restaurants that the whole family can enjoy. The community park is especially popular, thanks to its picnic spots, playground, frequent events, and scenic views of the water. Several trails span the length of the town center and beyond, allowing you to theoretically bike from the town center all the way to Shelter Cove Harbour if you like.
12. Driessen Beach Park
No trip to Hilton Head with kids would be complete without stopping by the beach. While there are several to choose from, Driessen Beach Park is among the best options due to its relative seclusion. You won’t have to deal with extensive crowds here, yet it still features amenities like picnic shelters, grills, and beach rentals along with bathrooms and outdoor showers. Additionally, you’ll find a playground here that kids can enjoy along with white sand and gentle waves that are generally safe for kids to swim in. Plus, there are lifeguards on duty.
13. Dolphin tours
Exploring Hilton Head doesn’t mean you have to stay on the land. If you venture out into the water on a dolphin tour, you can enjoy an exciting adventure that lets you and your family get up close and personal with these fascinating creatures. You’ll find a wide variety of tours available that will take you to meet these friendly and intelligent creatures, and they each tend to last anywhere between 1 hour to 90 minutes. Dolphins aren’t the only animals you’ll come across during these tours, either, as they tend to put you close to impressive seabirds as well.
14. Duck Donuts
If you’re looking for sweet treats, Duck Donuts has got you covered. This iconic, family-friendly donut shop is a long-running staple in Hilton Head, thanks to their varied and customizable selection of donuts and other sweet treats. You get to pick your own coating, topping, and drizzle. This is a place where your kids can indulge in that sweet tooth while also being creative in designing the perfect donut for their unique tastes. Just keep in mind that a misjudgment on the customization can lead to some disappointment.
15. Ride bikes
Bike riding is one of the most common activities and pastimes for kids, just as it probably was when you were a kid yourself. In Hilton Head, it’s easy to indulge and take advantage of the numerous bike paths around town. You don’t even have to bring your own bikes with you, as there are bike rentals throughout the area. Hilton Head is a Gold Level Bicycle Friendly Community, so you’ll find paths throughout the entire area with options for every skill level.