Cape Cod Summer - What to do with a 6 year old on Cape Cod?
Summer on the Cape! Growing up in the DC area, I had always heard how magical the summers on Cape Cod were but never really had an opportunity to experience them for myself. In 2021, a good friend invited me to spend a couple of days with her in Chatham, one of the most picturesque of the beach towns.. The weather was gorgeous and I could immediately see why this was such a popular family beach destination.
San Fransisco, is where my sister and her family calls home. We each have six year olds and it is important to us that they grow up knowing each other. This is much easier said than done, when we both live across the country from one another and lead very full lives.
We had heard about other families renting a beach house for a week, and so decided to give it a try for ourselves. The week on Cape Cod did not disappoint. I used my instagram community to give us lots of tips and tricks. Here is what we did, and here are a few more suggestions.
Getting there:
We flew into Providence, which was about 1 hour and 45 minuets from our AirBnB in Harwich Port. Even though a little further than Boston Airport, I liked the small manageable size of Providence, and would probably fly in and out of there again. I reserved a rental and when I got to the airport they gave me a choice of vehicles. I picked a big SUV which in hindsight was a mistake. If I had it to do over again, I would have selected a smaller more narrow car. The parking spaces are squinchy and my car was dinged no less than 7 different times. I recommend getting the insurance that covers small body damage! My sister and her family flew in and out of Boston Airport which is a little over an hour away. There is also a small private airport in Chatham that can accommodate small plains. Open Air out of Montgomery Airfield can get you there. You will need access to a rental vehicle while you are there.
Accommodation:
My sister and her family are quite practical so I let them handle the accommodations. They choose a very sweet little AirBnB set back a couple of streets from the beach in Harwich Port. While there was nothing particularly special about it, it had enough rooms, common spaces, and all the amenities that we needed. The best feature was the outdoor shower. While the walk to the beach was about 12 minuets, you did have to cross 2 busy roads which wasn’t great. It ended up working out just fine because I was in the mood to explore and we only went to “our” beach a few times. My advice on renting a place would be dependent on what you want to do. If you want to explore (like I did), beachfront is not necessary. If you want to just be very relaxed and only go to “your beach” getting a house located with direct beach access is absolutely preferred.
Cash:
Bring cash! Coming from DC which is basically a cashless city, I was quite disappointed when I arrived and found so many places only take cash! Fortunately I had brought my debit card, but make it easier on yourself by coming with cash in hand.
Parking:
Parking was surprisingly easy, yet expensive. Most beaches have a free public lot with a fee of $30 for the day - cash. Sometimes the hangtag will include multiple beaches, so that is a fun way to see different places.
Provincetown
On our first full day, we drove about an hour from Harwich Port to Provicetown. The trip moved quickly though I recommend getting an early start. By the time we left around 1pm there was a line of traffic backed up down the road. I loved Provincetown, it felt very much like a pirate town with narrow streets, flags flying, and colorful personalties. We went to the toy store and the Marine Specialties store. You can also catch a Ferry or take fishing - whale watching, sightseeing expeditions from here. There is a shark museum, but I only recommend that for kids who are of reading age or are very into sharks.
Skaket Beach:
This was the number one recommendation we received, and absolutely my favorite beach. The tip is to go at low tide and have all the shallow pools to play and explore in. Finnley became a crab catcher extrodinare! The trick is to time it just right, check online for when Skaket Beach low tide is, this will change everyday. My favorite was when we arrived at low tide, but beware of how quickly the tide comes in. Never leave your children unattended or out of eyesight, even if they are good swimmers.
Sunsets:
The best place to watch a sunset is West Facing. That being said we got a tip to go to Denis Beach at sunset and that did not disappoint. Skaket Beach at low tide was a top sunset suggestion!
Chatham:
There is lots to do in Chatham, from seeing the fish come in, to beaches, to shopping, and dining. From what we saw, it was the “fanciest” of all the beach towns with beautiful homes and manicured lawns. They have great candy stores and restaurants. If you find the spot where the public beach abuts a private beach, there is a fun little current that works as a water ride. You can also collect some great shells. People also enjoy touring the lighthouse.
Ice Cream:
There are tons of good ice cream shops, and it feels like we went to them all. One in particular “Sundae School” was a real scene, with traffic directors and everything!
Orleans:
Farmers Market has an interesting assortment of produce, items and a little art colony. I always like to by “local”flowers when on vacation. This allows me to really experiments and try new designs. Sometimes the best design is a flatlay!
Nauset:
This is where the sharks are! We went late afternoon just to explore a new place, when we arrived, the shark flag was flying! This beach is also known for having bigger waves. There is a steep hill down to the waters edge. I would take a pass on this beach except for the beautiful sea stones that wash ashore. If you like to collect rocks, this is an excellent place to find some beautiful specimens.
Harwich Port:
A fun little town that is a great place to stay if you feel like being adventurous and checking out all of the other Cape Cod cities. It is pretty centrally located and easy to travel along the main roads. The beach and community are lovely and there are several easily accessible restaurants in town. The Freedom Ferry is located in Harwich Port and is an 89 minute ride to Nantucket.
Nantucket:
Yes, it is possible to go to Nantucket just for the day. They ferry tickets are not inexpensive, so if you can plan an overnight trip, that may be better. We took the 8am ferry and arrived on Nantucket at about 9:30. We walked through the town, and visited the highly recommended, “Children’s Beach.” The had a small playground, sandbox and snack stand. I had the most beautiful ad delicious Avocado Toast ever. There were lots of other kids to be played with, and it was a good time. Next we walked through the neighborhoods to Jetties Beach. It was crowded and felt kind of like stepping back in time to a 60’s beach scence. Lots of classic umbrellas and beach chairs. The best part was the restaurant and gift shop with easily accessible bathrooms for changing. I had the raw oysters for lunch, and they were absolutely delicious! After a few hours, we made our way back through the city center along the side walks and stopped at “It’s for Now” shop which carries “Line in the Sand.” I got the sunnies! At 4:10 we boarded our ferry and headed home. I have worried that the day would be too long for the 6 year olds, but it was actually just right. We all slept really well!
Newport, RI:
Ok, Newport isn’t on Cape Cod, but by Finnley’s special request (and since we were flying out of Providence, only a 45 min drive) we went to Newport on our last day. While I wouldn’t really classify Newport as a kids town, we still had a good time. We did “speed tours” of two of the mansions, The Breakers and Marble House. Finnley was not particularly interested or impressed, but when I told him they were probably haunted, that made it a little more fun. The Cliff Walk was of great interest and my 6 year old loved seeing the waves crash below. Two other things that are fun, but that we did not do this time were the Nature Trail and the beach. We stayed at the Viking Hotel which is centrally located, has a pool, and is very friendly. If I were going for a romantic getaway, Castle Hill or Chanler at Cliff Walk would be my top choices! You can always go for lunch at Chanler or Adirondack drinks at Castle Hill.
Above are all of the activities we were lucky enough to experience, here are more suggestions collected by my amazing instagram community! Thank you!
Light House Tours.
Beaches all have different sands.
Bring Flip Flops.
Day trip to Martha’s Vineyard.
Bayside Beach at low tide.
First Encounter at low tide sunset is magical!
Cuffy’s for cozy sweatshirts.
Lots of bike trails.
Whale watching from Hyannis.
Playground in Falmouth.
Watch fisherman come in with their catch.
Woods hole Science Aquarium.
Brewster Store.
Historic first settlers towns in Providence.
Cape League Baseball Games.
Putt putt golf.
Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary.
Ryan’s Family amusement.
Go carts and trampolines.
Four Seas Ice cream near Osterville
Visit Osterville
Chocolate Sparrow for breakfast.
Fancy’s Market, Nausset Farms, Chatham Cookware, Ferretti’s Market all good lunch spots.
Cisco Brewery (get the Gray Lady) on Nantucket.
Local Beers - Cisco, Bad Martha (Falmouth) Devil’s purse kolsch.
People love the Whaling museum on Nantucket.
Hanger B in Chatham for breakfast and to watch the planes come in.
Blue Water Entertainment for private seal and fishing tours.
Chatham Windmill.
@Samanthao000 had amazing suggestions! Here is her list:
Cole Road Beach in Eastham at low tide.
Drive over bridge to Lieutenant’s Island (bridge floods at high tide, time correctly).
Chatham Bar Inn for a drink.
Rock Harbor in Orleans, best lobster rolls..
Young’s Fishmarket has best lobster rolls (cash only).
Windmill at Eastham.
Eastham Library.
Superette shop has great premade sandwiches, great for beach.
Fairway restaurant in Eastham great for breakfast chocolate chip pancakes.
Hole in One for doughnuts, long line but moves fast.
Playground at Veterans Field.
Raw bar in Wellfleet, Mac’s Shack.
Wellfleet drive in movie theater.
Blue Claw boat tours to see the seals.
Nature walk at Cape Cod National Seashore Salt Pond.
Orleans Inn great place for meal overlooking the water.
Hiking the monument in Provincetown.
Nauset Farms store.
Bring bug spray.
Harding lane hats.
Ferrys: Instagram crowd sourced.
Everyone says to go online and make reservations early in advance, they fill up during the summer. There is a difference between the fast ferries and the slow ferries, be sure to take a look at sailing times.
Hyannis to Nantucket - Hy-line Cruses
New Bedford to Nantucket
Harwich Port to Nantucket - Freedom Ferry
Woods Hole to Martha’s Vineyard
Steamship Authority or Hyline - only fast ferries