If you are looking for a long weekend getaway that has lots of great family activities and beautiful beaches, look no further than Hilton Head, South Carolina. Pros: Numerous family friendly resorts, both free and paid activities, and good friendly southern hospitality. Cons: It can be pretty $$ to fly into Hilton Head airport, if you are looking for a blue / turquoise ocean its a bit harder to find, and there are sharks in the water (they swim in the surf – trust us)

Ten Family Friendly Activities in Hilton Head, South Carolina

1. Hit the Beach

Hilton Head Island

• Coligny Beach: If you’re looking for the most popular beach on the island, this is it, Coligny Beach, located right at the end of Pope Avenue. Whether you want to bike, walk, ride a taxi or beach cart is all up to you. It’s one of the busier parts of town because it’s next to Coligny Plaza.
• Driessen Beach: Even if the walk out to Driessen Beach is a little long, it sure is worth it. This beautiful beach on Bradley Beach Road is a nice escape from the everyday activities. In the beach park, there is even a playground with all kinds of fun things kids will love.
• Folly Field Beach: This beach was right in front of our resort, and is a long stretch. We were told at the resort that if you go out in the early morning hours there is a chance that you can see turtles that have been nesting return to the sea.
• Islanders Beach: Not only does Islanders Beach have a great sandy seashore to enjoy, but it also has a park with a playground, picnic pavilions, grill, restrooms and sand showers. It’s by far one of the best places to bring you’re whole family or a group of friends for a long day at the beach.

2. Harbour Town

Harbour Town – Hilton Head Island

• Gregg Russell’s Harbour Town playground (Free): This is an incredible playground right in the middle of the action. Our girls loved it and could have stayed for hours.
• Climb the Lighthouse ($5.00): This was one thing that we didn’t do that day, but we hear it is cool to do. It costs about $5 per person to climb to the top. We didn’t feel the cost was worth it for our family of 5.
• Visit Cinnamon Bear Country Store ($3.00-$6.00): On a hot day this is a must, enjoy some yummy ice cream!
• Shopping: There are a lot of really cute boutique shops there that have all kinds of great things for both kids and adults.

3. Gregg Russell’s Sing-a-long

Gregg Russell Sing-a-long

4. Coastal Discovery Center & Butterfly Gardens

Costal Discovery Center – Hilton Head Island

School-age kids will have a blast at the Coastal Discovery Museum, which offers scavenger hunts, costumes, and a butterfly exhibit.  When we went they also had a petting zoo area where the girls got to pet and hold alligators, which they thought was pretty cool.  Another highlight was the butterfly gardens, the kids get to walk into this enclosed garden and see all kinds of butterflies.  Kate loved this, she would go around and they would land on her fingers and her head. The center is free to enter and explore but special exhibits like the petting zoo were extra. ($10 adults $5 kids for special exhibits)

5. Family Kayaking

Family Kayaking – Hilton Head Island

Rent a single or double Kayak and explore the water ways within the island.  We rented two double Kayaks and it worked out great.  We explored the different water inlets hoping to see dolphins.  Finally on our way back we saw one! It came right up to our kayak, it was AWESOME.  Alyssa tried to talk with it, it was pretty cute. We used a company called Kayak Hilton Head, and they were great. ($20-$35 per Kayak)

6. The Sandbox Children’s Museum

The Sandbox Children’s Museum has become one of Hilton Head Island’s premiere family destinations having welcomed more than 300,000 neighbors and visitors over the years. Designed to allow kids to play freely while discovering their surroundings—the museum is the ideal place to let your little one to lead the way! Below are the prices for admission:

• Adults: $7.00
• Seniors (65+): $6.00
• Active Military: $6.00
• Groups of 10 plus*: $6.00
• Children (1+): $7.00
• (0-12 Months): Free

7. Renting bikes and exploring all the trails

Easy, flat, and paved bike paths criss-cross the expansive Hilton Head island, taking you along board walks to the beaches, over wooden bridges, past golf courses, and along the lagoon waterfront. You can rent bikes for the whole family from Hilton Head Outfitters. It is very popular to ride bikes on the beach at low tide.

(Rental Period Price – 1 Hour $12.99 / Half Day $19.99 / 24 Hour $24.99)

8. Mermaid Boat Tour

Mermaid Boat Tour – Hilton Head Island

Have you ever seen a real mermaid in the wild before? Do you have little girls that dream about seeing mermaids? While this is a bit cheesy for Adults, little kids love it! Go out on a boat excursion in search of the Mermaid of Hilton Head, learning about the local wildlife and conservation along the way. This Hilton Head boat tour is a must see that you’re not going to want to miss! The kids get so excited when we find the mermaid and many have said this was the highlight of their entire Hilton Head vacation! (Adults $35.00 / Kids $30.00)

9. Zipline Aerial Adventure Park

A playground in the sky with 50 in-the-tree challenge activities on six different ability courses! Aerial Adventure brings you six amazing courses that range from easy to hard. Five-year-olds love the green courses, and adults enjoy the black ones. ($49.00 per person)

10. Send the Kids to Tennis Camp

Ranked number 3 in the world by Tennis Resorts Online for its junior tennis programs, Palmetto Dunes Tennis Center offers lessons to kids as young as 4 from March through Labor Day and over the holidays. Sessions are tailored specifically to the player’s interests, ability level, and schedule, with options such as the Short Shot Clinic, Super Shots Clinic, Junior Grand Slam, Junior Stroke of the Day, and more. The adult program is awesome, too.

 

To learn more about our Hilton Head Trip, check out our more detailed post!