The Best Things to Do in Ocean City, Maryland With Kids
There are beach towns that are relaxing, and there are beach towns that are fun.
Ocean City somehow manages to be both.
I grew up with so many of the classic Ocean City traditions — the Boardwalk, rides, arcades, fries, mini golf — and now I get to experience them with my own kids. What I love most is that you don't need an elaborate itinerary. You can spend the morning on the beach, walk to the Boardwalk in the afternoon, let the kids ride rides after dinner and somehow still fit in ice cream.
If you're planning an Ocean City, Maryland vacation with kids, these are the places and experiences I would put at the top of the list.
1. Ride the Rides at Trimper Rides
Trimper Rides is quintessential Ocean City.
Located at the southern end of the Boardwalk, Trimper has been part of Ocean City for generations. Its historic carousel dates to 1912, and the park mixes that wonderful old-fashioned amusement-park feeling with rides today's kids actually want to ride.
My recommendation: don't rush it. Go after dinner, let the kids pick their favorites and enjoy the lights and energy of the Boardwalk at night.
This is one of those Ocean City experiences that feels almost exactly like childhood.
2. Spend a Few Dollars at Fun City Arcade
Right on the Boardwalk, Fun City Arcade is our arcade pick.
It has the classics plus newer games, racing games, ticket games, coin pushers and all of the slightly chaotic energy an Ocean City arcade should have. It's also open year-round, although off-season hours can vary.
Give the kids a budget and let them loose.
3. Have an Actual Beach Day
With all the things to do in Ocean City, sometimes the obvious gets overlooked.
Go to the beach.
Pack sandwiches, build a giant sandcastle, look for dolphins, jump in the waves and stay until everyone is exhausted.
The Landing Ocean City is only two blocks from the beach and Boardwalk, so I especially love the freedom of not having to turn a beach day into an expedition. If someone needs to go home, you can go home.
That's a surprisingly big luxury when traveling with kids.
4. Play at the 3rd Street Playground
This is one of my favorite simple recommendations for families with younger kids.
The playground at 3rd Street is right off the Boardwalk, so it's incredibly easy to work into your day. Beach in the morning, Boardwalk stroll, playground stop, lunch.
Not everything needs to be a ticketed attraction.
5. Take an Assateague Adventure
This is the activity I recommend when families want to do something that feels genuinely special.
Take an Assateague Adventures boat ride and explore the waterways around Assateague Island.
The scenery is beautiful, the boat ride itself is fun for kids, and you get to experience the quieter, wilder side of the Maryland coast. It's such a good counterpoint to the rides and neon of Ocean City.
If I were choosing one bigger family excursion during an Ocean City vacation, this would be high on my list.
6. Spend a Day at Frontier Town
Just outside Ocean City, Sun Outdoors Frontier Town is another fun change of pace.
The resort has become an attraction in its own right, with family activities that make it easy to dedicate a good portion of a day to it.
This is particularly good if you're staying in Ocean City for a full week and want to break up your beach days.
7. Try the Ropes Course at 21st Street
For bigger kids who want something more adventurous, Nick's ropes course around 21st Street is a fun addition to the itinerary.
I like having a few activities like this in the mix because Ocean City works just as well with older elementary-age kids and teens as it does with little ones.
8. Eat Somewhere With a Playground
This may be one of Ocean City's greatest contributions to family travel.
de Lazy Lizard has a playground.
Not a coloring sheet. Not crayons.
An actual place where kids can play while you're having dinner by the water.
It's casual, bayside and very Ocean City. For families with younger children, the setting is the reason to go.
9. Eat on a Boat at Sneaky Pete's
Kids hear "we're eating dinner on a boat" and suddenly dinner is an activity.
Sneaky Pete's is one of those fun Ocean City experiences that isn't trying to be sophisticated. You're on vacation. Eat on a boat.
10. Visit the Delmarva Beaches
From your homebase in Ocean City, you can easily visit Bethany Beach, Fenwick, Dewey and Rehoboth. Each brings new things to do and explore from Funland in Rehoboth, to the stunning state park beach in Fenwick, and the charming town of Bethany to browse around.
11. Have Lunch at Seacrets — Yes, With the Kids
People tend to think of Seacrets as an adults-only Ocean City institution.
But daytime Seacrets is actually fun with a family.
Go for lunch or an early dinner, sit by the bay and let everyone soak up the tropical atmosphere. Families and minors are permitted in the dining areas earlier in the day; some areas become restricted to adults, particularly later in the evening.
Then come back another night without the kids if you can.
12. Watch the Sunset at Saltwater 75
Saltwater 75 is one of my picks when you want a beautiful bayside dinner.
Ocean City is obviously famous for its Atlantic sunrises, but the sunsets over the bay deserve just as much attention. Saltwater 75 has expansive bay views and is particularly pretty around sunset.
13. Walk the Boardwalk With Absolutely No Plan
Ocean City Boardwalk is three miles of Ocean City nostalgia: arcades, rides, food, shops and ocean views.
You don't need an itinerary.
Get Thrasher's Fries. Wander into an arcade. Let the kids pick something completely unnecessary from a souvenir shop. Watch the tram go by. Get ice cream even though you just ate.
Some of the best Ocean City memories happen when you aren't technically doing anything.
And Save One Night for the Adults
Family vacations are allowed to include parents.
For a date night, Coastal Salt is on my list. Get dressed up a little, have dinner by the ocean and enjoy a couple of hours where nobody asks you to cut their food.
Seacrets is another option if you'd rather have a fun night out than a quiet dinner.
Where to Stay in Ocean City With Kids
We created The Landing Ocean City because I wanted the kind of place I'd actually want to stay with my own family.
It's a three-story, family-friendly townhome that sleeps up to 10, just two blocks from the Ocean City Boardwalk and beach.
There are beach chairs, umbrellas and toys; books and board games; kids' dishes; a high chair and Pack 'n Play; a toy library; beach towels; white hotel-quality linens; and enough room to come home after a very full Ocean City day and actually relax.
And location matters here.
You can walk to the beach. Walk to the Boardwalk. Walk to the 3rd Street playground. Walk to Trimper Rides. Walk out for fries.
To me, that's what makes an Ocean City vacation with kids easy.
Explore The Landing Ocean City at StayTheLanding.com.