Family Things to Do on Hilton Head Island
Beaches and bikes come first, but Hilton Head has plenty more for families: a children’s museum, playgrounds, a pirate ship, dolphin boats, crabbing trips and, for teenagers, jet skis, escape rooms and fishing charters.
Family Things to Do on Hilton Head by Age
Ages 1 to 6
The Sandbox children’s museum, the pirate-ship playground at Celebration Park, pony rides at Lawton Stables and a summer evening with Gregg Russell under the Liberty Oak.
Ages 7 to 12
A round of mini golf, a crabbing boat at Shelter Cove, a dolphin cruise, and bikes on the beach at low tide.
13 and up
Jet skis and parasailing, an escape room, a half-day fishing charter, kayaking the marsh creeks and bowling in Bluffton.
Indoors
Museums, the cinema, escape rooms and paint-your-own pottery: see things to do indoors on Hilton Head.
Things to Do with Little Kids
The Sandbox Children's Museum on Hilton Head: exhibits for ages 1 to 12, hours, closures and why to reserve ahead, especially on rainy days.
Hilton Head playground guide: the pirate ship at Celebration Park, shaded Chaplin, Harbour Town's tree house, plus kids' activities to book.
Gregg Russell's free concerts under the Liberty Oak and the Gregg Russell Harbour Town Playground: the 2026 schedule, what the shows are like, getting in.
Pirates of Hilton Head sails the Black Sparrow from the Harbour Town dock in Sea Pines: a 90-minute treasure hunt for children, water cannons included.
Lawton Stables in Sea Pines: one-hour trail rides through the Forest Preserve, pony rides for small children, the animal farm, ages, weight limit and fees.
The Sandbox is indoors and built for ages 1 to 12; reserve ahead, because space is limited and it fills on wet days. The island’s playgrounds are free: Lowcountry Celebration Park has the wooden pirate ship, and Harbour Town has a tree-house playground beside the Liberty Oak, where Gregg Russell plays free shows from 8 to 9:30 p.m. on summer weeknights. On the water, the Black Sparrow sails a 90-minute treasure hunt from the Harbour Town dock, water cannons included. Lawton Stables in Sea Pines has pony rides and an animal farm for children too small for a trail ride.
Things to Do with Tweens
Every mini golf course on Hilton Head Island, plus two in Bluffton: hours, themes, an arcade and the indoor option, with reviews and directions.
Captain Kidd at Shelter Cove Harbour: a family crabbing boat with 1 hour 45 minute catch-and-release trips from $39, plus Tuesday fireworks nights.
Hilton Head dolphin tours and cruises compared: shared boats from about $40, private boats, drive-your-own tours and kids' pirate cruises, with prices.
Where to rent a bike on Hilton Head: shops in the resorts and around the island, e-bikes, delivery to your rental, and live online booking.
Horseback riding on Hilton Head: Lawton Stables trail rides in Sea Pines, riding centers at Moss Creek and Rose Hill, and where beach rides are offered.
Mini golf is a Hilton Head vacation ritual, with themed courses all over the island. Captain Kidd runs catch-and-release crabbing trips of 1 hour 45 minutes from Shelter Cove Harbour, and dolphin boats leave from most of the island’s marinas. With more than 60 miles of paths and a beach you can ride at low tide, most families rent bikes for the week; rental shops will deliver to your door.
Things to Do on Hilton Head for Teens
Hilton Head water sports: book jet skis, parasailing, kayak and paddleboard tours, tubing and skiing online, and compare the island's outfitters.
Escape Island is Hilton Head's escape room on Main Street, with three themed rooms for 2 to 8 players. Rooms, hours, booking and what to know.
Book charter fishing on Hilton Head Island: inshore, offshore and shark trips, with every captain listed by dock at the island's four marinas.
Kayak Hilton Head's marsh creeks with a guide or on your own: dolphin kayak tours, rentals and prices from seven outfitters, calm creeks and launches.
Hilton Head Island has no bowling alley. Station 300 in Bluffton, about 25 minutes away, has 24 lanes, an arcade, a grill and a bar. Hours and directions.
Hilton Head tennis: free public courts, resort clubs in Sea Pines and Palmetto Dunes, Van der Meer clinics and lessons, and where to stay.
Teenagers tend to want speed or a challenge. Jet skis and parasailing run from Harbour Town to the bridge; check the outfitters’ driver-age and weight rules on the water sports page before you book. Escape Island on Main Street has three themed rooms for 2 to 8 players. A fishing charter can be an inshore half day in the creeks or an offshore or shark trip. The island has no bowling alley: Station 300 in Bluffton, about 25 minutes away, has 24 lanes and an arcade. Tennis players can book clinics at the island’s tennis centers, and older teens can sign up for junior tennis camps in summer (see below).
Museums, Sea Turtles and Gullah Gullah Island
The Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn: free admission, hours, tours and cruises, the farmers market and how to visit this Smithsonian Affiliate.
When do sea turtles hatch on Hilton Head? Nesting and hatching months, nests by year, Sea Turtle Patrol HHI and the lights-out rule for beach homes.
Sea Pines Forest Preserve on Hilton Head: 605 acres, trails, the Shell Ring, Fish Island, alligator tours, hours, parking, and the gate fee.
Is Gullah Gullah Island a real place? The Nick Jr. show's cast then and now, Binyah Binyah, where it was filmed and streams, and the culture behind it.
The Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn is free and has hands-on exhibits and trails outside. From May through August, loggerheads nest on the island’s beaches, and nests hatch from mid-July into October: fill in the holes you dig and keep lights off the beach at night. Parents who grew up on Nick Jr.’s Gullah Gullah Island may like to know its outdoor scenes were filmed around Beaufort and Fripp Island, about an hour away; our page on the show covers the Gullah culture behind it.
Kid-Friendly Restaurants and Ice Cream
Kid friendly restaurants Hilton Head Island: playgrounds, lawn games, kids menus, game rooms and early-bird dinners for a family vacation.
Hilton Head Island ice cream shops: homemade scoops, gelato, milkshakes and popsicles near Coligny, Sea Pines and Wexford, with phone numbers.
Summer Camps for Kids on Hilton Head
Hilton Head summer camps: Island Rec's all-day camp for K-8, Arts Center camps for ages 6 and up, and Van der Meer junior tennis, with costs and sign-up.
Staying for the summer, or living here? Island Rec runs an all-day camp for kindergarten to 8th grade, the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina runs summer arts camps for ages 6 and up, and the Van der Meer tennis center runs junior camps for ages 12 and up. Dates, ages and when to book are on the summer camps page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to do on Hilton Head with little kids?
The Sandbox Children’s Museum (ages 1 to 12, reserve ahead), the free playgrounds at Lowcountry Celebration Park and Harbour Town, the Pirates of Hilton Head ship, pony rides at Lawton Stables, and Gregg Russell’s free summer concerts under the Liberty Oak.
What is there to do on Hilton Head for teens?
Jet skis, parasailing and kayaking, the Escape Island escape rooms on Main Street, a fishing charter, tennis clinics, and bowling and an arcade at Station 300 in Bluffton, about 25 minutes away.
Is Hilton Head good for families?
Yes. The beaches are wide and flat, more than 60 miles of paths make biking easy, and there are playgrounds, a children’s museum, mini golf courses, dolphin and pirate boats and kid-friendly restaurants all over the island.
What can kids do on Hilton Head when it rains?
The Sandbox Children’s Museum, the Coastal Discovery Museum’s indoor exhibits, the movie theater, escape rooms, paint-your-own pottery at Art Cafe, and bowling in Bluffton.
Are there free things to do with kids on Hilton Head?
Yes: the beaches, the public playgrounds, the Coastal Discovery Museum (free admission), and Gregg Russell’s concerts under the Liberty Oak in Harbour Town (the Sea Pines gate fee applies if you drive in).
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