Peanut Butter Fingers

Living a Life Fueled by Healthy Food and Fitness

Navigation
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Who’s Who
    • All About NASM
    • Disclaimer
    • Wedding
  • Recipe Index
  • Workouts
  • Pregnancy
    • Pregnancy + Baby #2
    • Pregnancy + Baby #3
    • Miscarriages
  • Baby
  • Shop + Favs
    • My Amazon Shop
    • Codes + Discounts
    • Books
    • Blogging
  • Travel
    • Orlando & Florida
    • Blog Travel

10 Things to Do in Hilton Head with Kids

June 18, 2025 by Julie 5 Comments

Last weekend we said goodbye to Charlotte and made our way about four hours south to Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. We’ve visited Hilton Head twice in the past and knew we wanted to return again for two main reasons: The bikeability and the beach. There’s something special about the way the island has leaned into biking and we love to rent bikes and pedal our way to as many places as possible, whether it be a park or a restaurant or simply to explore some of the stunning communities nestled among the most beautifully majestic live oak trees dripping with Spanish moss. The beaches on the island are perfect for our family and during this trip the tide pools were absolute heaven for our boys who love to splash and explore. They found everything from starfish and sand dollars to horseshoe crabs and conch shells. I’m trying not to let myself slip too far into the “post vacation blues” so today I figured I’d share blog post about this island centered around family friendly things to do in Hilton Head with kids.

hilton head with kids

10 Things to Do in Hilton Head with Kids

We have three boys in our family (ages 4, 6 and 9) and choosing a family-friendly vacation destination is important to us when considering summer travel. Hilton Head Island is extremely family friendly and everywhere we went, we saw kids of all ages and other families taking advantage of the myriad things to do on the island with children. Hilton Head Island also seems to be one of those locations families return to regularly for annual trips and Ryan and I agree we can absolutely see why! There’s no shortage of things to do whether you’re looking for adventure and fun or pool/beachside relaxation and a slower-paced vacation.

Where Is Hilton Head Located

hilton head with kids

Hilton Head Island is located in South Carolina, along the southeastern coast of the United States. Hilton Head is easy to reach from the Charlotte area, as it’s about a four-hour drive. For families who don’t live in a location that’s as drivable to the island, the Savannah/Hilton Head airport is about a 30-45 minute drive from Hilton Head Island. We arrived on a Thursday in the middle of the afternoon and traffic wasn’t bad, but we did talk to a couple of families who said avoiding a Saturday arrival during spring break or the summer months is advisable, as traffic onto the island can get backed up quite a bit.

Is Hilton Head Kid Friendly

Absolutely! As a family with three young kids, we love how family friendly Hilton Head Island is, as it’s a destination overflowing with activities kids of all ages enjoy. There are no shortage of family-friendly restaurants on the island and we loved how many offered children’s menus that doubled as activity booklets to entertain our kids as we waited for our food. Our boys love to run around and explore and the beach and the pool at our hotel entertained them for hours and hours on end. The island is also home to a bunch of parks that are unique and fun to visit for children and the ability to bike on wide paths to various hot spots was one of our favorite things to do during our Hilton Head vacation.

What To Do In Hilton Head With Kids

In case a family friendly Hilton Head Island vacation is on your radar, keep on scrolling to check out a list of family fun activities kids will love on the island!

Beach Time

hilton head with kids

I’m going to go not-too-far out on a limb here and say this is the #1 reason most people visit Hilton Head Island and with good reason. The beaches are fantastic, especially if you have little ones who love to play in the sand and surf. Tide pools are the absolute best thing in the world for our boys at the beach as they allow our kids safe, fun places to splash around and play and search for various creatures, shells and beach treasures. And Hilton Head has plenty of them! Also, during one morning ocean swim, Ryan and the big kids even ended up swimming not too far from two dolphins! It was incredible!!

hilton head with kids

If beach access is important to your family, we stayed at the Hilton Beachfront Resort & Spa during our visit and the location was fantastic for those looking for lots of beach time! (Full disclosure: The hotel hosted our family but we happily paid to extend our stay because we were having so much fun!) The hotel is located in the Palmetto Dunes community (a favorite of ours to bike around and explore) and makes walking out onto the beach a breeze. We went to the beach multiple times a day, so the ability to walk right out onto the beach and not worry about parking/loading and unloading the car, etc. was wonderful for our family.

Rent Bikes

hilton head with kids

Renting bikes is a must for our family when we visit Hilton Head Island as it adds a unique and fun feel to our vacation. We rented our bikes through Hilton Head Outfitters in Palmetto Dunes (we did this through our hotel which made things even easier), though there are bike rental spots all over the island. Our oldest rode a kids’ beach cruiser while our younger two boys were thrilled with the option to ride a tandem bike that hooked onto the back of the beach cruisers Ryan and I rented. This allowed us to bike farther distances together as a family which was key since we wanted to see and do a lot by bike on the island!

While it’s fun to bike to specific destinations, we also love biking for the sake of simply enjoying a family bike ride around the island. Pedaling all over the side streets and the Palemetto Dunes community is a favorite of our crew, as there are so many gorgeous homes to observe and the paths are nice and wide and typically very shaded thanks to the stunning live oaks all over the island. It’s also fun to bike over and around the various lagoons and our boys loved searching for alligators in the water and along the shoreline.

Mini Golf

hilton head with kids

hilton head family friendly

You’ll see golf course after golf course on Hilton Head Island but when it comes to visiting Hilton Head with kids, mini golf is where it’s at! We’ve always had a great experience visiting Pirate’s Island Mini Golf (it’s a Hilton Head staple and has been on the island for 25+ years), and the course takes you over bridges, around waterfalls and over streams as you play a series of 18 unique holes. Two tips: We like to go in the morning to avoid crowds, as our young kids aren’t the most patient when it comes to waiting at each hole. Also, if you visit the Pirate Island Mini Golf website ahead of time, they often have a coupon for $2 off admission!

Lawton Stables

hilton head with kids

Lawton Stables is a fun spot to visit for those with kids who love animals. Horseback rides and pony rides are available (we’ve done pony rides for the boys in the past), but this year we kept things simple and just paid $5 to walk around and feed the alpacas, pigs, goats, donkeys and ponies. It’s a short but sweet stop if you’re just looking to feed the animals! (We did this in the morning after grabbing breakfast at the nearby Harbour Town Bakery & Cafe.) For those looking for a longer experience, I’ve only heard good things about the Lawton Stables’ horseback trail rides through a nearby nature preserve!

Pirate Ship Cruise

hilton head with kids

hilton head with kids

We booked a cruise on a pirate ship for our family through Pirates of Hilton Head after reading so many positive reviews. The entire experience lasted about 90 minutes and thoroughly entertained our boys. As an adult it wasn’t the most exciting (definitely one of those things ya do for the kids), but the “pirates” aboard the ship could not have been more engaging. They were fun and funny and full of energy! The highlight of the cruise for our kids was a visit from “Stinky Pete,” an evil (but not scary) pirate they got to spray with water cannons. Tip: The front of the boat is full-sun and we were glad we put sunscreen on the boys before we took off!

Harbour Town

hilton head family friendly vacation

Harbour Town is located within Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Hilton Head Island and worth a visit! It’s most known for its charming lighthouse and is a fun destination to walk around, as it’s located along a lively marina with lots of shops and restaurant options available to explore and enjoy. The highlight of Harbour Town for our kids, however, is the Gregg Russell Harbour Town Playground, a spot we enjoyed visiting after we grabbed lattes and breakfast sandwiches from the nearby Harbour Town Bakery & Cafe. (Note: This is also where Lawton Stables is located as well as the pirate ship cruise. A $9 daily fee is required to enter Sea Pines/Harbour Town.) 

Go Out for Ice Cream

hilton head with kids

Biking to get a scoop or two of ice cream on the island is a daily must-do for our family of ice cream lovers. There are several wonderful ice cream spots on the island including The Frozen Moo (located right by The Frosty Frog — a fun, family-friendly restaurant with live music we loved for dinner one night), Hilton Head Ice Cream, Salty Dog Ice Cream Shop, The Ice Cream Cone and more. For those staying in Palmetto Dunes, we also loved the self-serve soft serve machine at the cute little General Store that was walkable from our hotel.

Visit a Park

hilton head playground

The parks on Hilton Head Island are something special! Some parks worth checking out: Lowcountry Celebration Park (this one has a giant pirate ship for kids to explore), Shelter Cove Community Park (located near a delicious French bakery), Gregg Russell Harbour Town Playground (located right by Harbour Town Bakery & Cafe, a great spot for breakfast or lunch), Chaplin Community Park (this one also has a dog park if you have a furry friend with you) and Jarvis Creek Park.

Pool Time

hilton head with kids rhett

hilton head with kids

If you stay somewhere with pool access, pool time is a slam dunk with kids when you’re visiting Hilton Head Island in the hot summer months. During our June vacation, the weather was HOT and very, very humid, so cooling off in our hotel pool was something we did every day… often several times a day. We absolutely loved the pool at the Hilton Beachfront Resort & Spa, as it has a section that’s 10-13 feet deep that blew our family away. It’s not often you come across pools with such deep water and this was such a blast for our entire family. I ended up buying goggles from the hotel gift shop because I wanted in on the fun and even had to equalize my ears to get to the bottom! We also loved that the hotel pool had a bar and food service easily accessible. We ate lunch poolside one day and sipped on fun drinks during our visit which was a nice treat for us as adults! (Our boys loved their non-alcoholic slushie drinks.)

Children’s Museum

This is one I cannot personally speak to but it felt important to include on this list in case you find yourself looking for something to do on a crazy-hot or rainy day in Hilton Head. The Sandbox children’s museum was on our radar if the weather turned bad one day, as the reviews and photos make it look like a gem of a spot for young kids.

QUESTION OF THE DAY

For those who have visited Hilton Head Island, what are your Hilton Head must-dos? 

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: Hilton Head, Hilton Head Island, Hilton Head Island family vacation, Hilton Head Island with Kids, Hilton Head vacation, Hilton Head with Kids, travel, vacation

Ryder is SEVEN!

June 16, 2025 by Julie 10 Comments

ryder 6 years old

A couple of months ago, when we were on a road trip to Florida, Ryder turned around and walked backwards back to our car through the gas station parking lot with the biggest smile on his face because, you know, walking backwards is a blast! I looked at this playful little kid and said, "Ryder, I think six years old might just be the most fun age." … [Continue reading...]

Summer So Far + Orlando Girls’ Trip

June 11, 2025 by Julie 4 Comments

Hi, hi!!! How are you guys? How is your week going? This morning I felt the urge to sit down at my computer before the boys were up (though this was short-lived as Chase and Ryder have taken to waking up just after 6 a.m. every day -- whaaaat) and I have no other point to today's post other than to simply chat with you guys. So let's do … [Continue reading...]

10+ First Chapter Books

June 9, 2025 by Julie 4 Comments

first chapter books

Reading has been a huge source of joy for me for as long as I can remember. I have vivid memories of reading Garfield comic books before bed when I was younger before progressing to chapter books that absolutely captivated me. Nostalgia comes at me in waves when I think about some of my first favorite chapter books series. Including The Boxcar … [Continue reading...]

Things I’m Loving Friday #556 + PBFingers ShopMy Page!

June 6, 2025 by Julie 4 Comments

salt and stone deodorant

Hello from the Charlotte airport! I am off to Orlando for a weekend with my best friends from college and so, so ready to squeeze some of my favorite people! We've had this trip planned for months and every single one of us are coming -- a rarity these days with seven of us in the mix -- and I cannot wait to be reunited in the Florida sunshine. We … [Continue reading...]

Next Page »
Hi! I’m Julie and I am a mom to three energetic boys and a personal trainer and blogger living in Charlotte, North Carolina. Welcome to my blog! Peanut Butter Fingers follows my life and my interests in food, fitness, family, travel and (mostly) healthy living.
NEVER MISS A POST!
FacebookTwitterInstagramPinterestBloglovin
Follow

Search

Fashion Favorites

Beauty Favorites

Items I Swear By

Kid Favorites

Shop My Baby Essentials

Quick Links

  • Favorite Posts
  • Recipe Index
  • Workouts
  • Fashion
  • Pregnancy/Baby
  • Family

Recent Posts

  • 10 Things to Do in Hilton Head with Kids
  • Ryder is SEVEN!
  • Summer So Far + Orlando Girls’ Trip
  • 10+ First Chapter Books
  • Things I’m Loving Friday #556 + PBFingers ShopMy Page!

Categories

Archives

Disclaimer

I am not a registered dietitian. My blog is simply a documentation of my life. The views I express are mine alone, based on my own experiences, and should not be taken as medical advice. I DO NOT post everything I eat. Though I am a certified personal trainer, the workouts I post may not be right for you. Please speak with a medical professional before making any changes to your current routine.

Affiliates

Please note that affiliate links may pop up on PBF from time to time. I greatly appreciate your support!
Privacy Policy

Copyright � 2013 Peanut Butter Fingers / Julie Fagan. All Rights Reserved.
Blog Designed by SWOON CREATIVE