Family Friendly Vacations on Hilton Head, Kiawah, Jekyll, Tybee, St. Simons & Amelia Islands

Photo by Bruce Tuten

The Sea Islands of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida are ideal for family friendly vacations! Some of the islands, however, offer more activities with kid-appeal than others. The right spot for your family beach vacation depends on your children’s ages and the types of activities you’re looking for.

For example, Hilton Head is abuzz with activities for kids, including elaborate miniature golf courses and concerts by children’s entertainers in the harbors. Kiawah Island, however, is a quieter island and children’s activities mainly involve exploring the natural environment. Kiawah’s quiet beaches are perfect for toddlers though and older children may find the camp programs more engaging.

Before you plan your trip, get a feel for what each island offers in terms of family friendly vacations and preview the kid-centric activities on each island:

Hilton Head Island

Hilton Head Island offers arguably the most options for kids among the Sea Islands. While each Resort provides a haven of shelter from the hustle and bustle, activity is the name of the game on Hilton Head.

Here are a few highlights for kids on Hilton Head Island:

• Mini-putt is a Hilton Head Island tradition! Elaborate courses, pirate ships, caves, and more make miniature golf a thrill for kids. On my vacations to Hilton Head as a child, my family always took in a round or two – it's a great way for the whole family to have fun together!

  Here are a few of the popular mini-putt courses for your family:

  • Adventure Cove offers two Caribbean-themed mini-putt courses for kids of all ages as well as an arcade. They also host birthday parties, and coordinate fishing and dolphin-watching tours with Integrity Charters.

  Photo by Terren in Virginia

  • Adventure Golf – Pirate's Island: Arguably the best mini-putt on the island, this elaborate, pirate themed putt-putt adventure offers two courses with varying degrees of difficulty plus caves, waterfalls, and plenty of pirates!

  
  

  »TIP: Print-off a Pirate's Island coupon online before you go. (You may want to do this at home and put it in your suitcase since access to a printer won't be your first priority while you're on vacation!)

  • Legendary Golf: 3 courses with the feel of a lush oasis in a beautiful natural setting. 900 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head Island. Tel: 843-686-3399. Also found at: 80 Pope Ave, Hilton Head Island. Tel: 843-785-9214.

• Island Playground is a large, indoor play area for younger children, offering huge inflatable jump castles, slides and other unique, interactive toys for kids. They host parties and offer a summer camp, as well as a "Boot Camp" for moms to exercise while the children play. This may be a good option if you're looking to get some exercise, or are rained out of the island's outdoor options.

• Another indoor option for younger children is The Sandbox, Hilton Head's interactive children's museum. With a mini-rock climbing wall, an international bazaar, loggerhead turtle sandbox and more it's sure to keep the little ones engaged.

»TIP: The Sandbox offers parents a "Date Night" option! Every Wednesday during the summer (or the 3rd Friday of each month during the rest of the year), this program allows you to let your children (ages 3-9) have an evening of fun at the Sandbox while you and your loved one enjoy a romantic dinner, sunset sail, or just a quiet evening on Hilton Head Island.

• Drifter Excursions offers parents and kids a special hands-on cruise aboard the Gypsy. Your children can throw a cast net for shrimp, pull up a crab pot, spot dolphins and more! The Gypsy is a great way to learn about the Hilton Head coastal ecosystem and have fun!

• HarborFest in Shelter Cove offers plenty of fun and activities discussed on our 'Local Events' page, but one highlight especially for the kids is Shannon Tanner's "Wonderful Wacky Wizzle Cruise." Kids get to drive the boat, Tanner performs a music & magic show, and he leads a treasure hunt in the harbor. Find the cruise during the summer in Shelter Cove on Dock C in front of San Miguels Restaurant at the boat named "HOLIDAY" at 8:15am. For more info contact Captain Mark at 843-785-4558.

• The Coastal Discovery Museum is also a great place for kids to learn and have fun! The "Sea Island Classroom" and educational programs about the Loggerhead turtles will help your kids to better understand the history, geography and ecology of Hilton Head while having a great time!

Kiawah Island

Kiawah Island is much quieter than Hilton Head, due in large part to the Kiawah Island Golf Resort’s restrictions on commercial development. The Resort owns almost the entire Island and has tightly controlled development. On Kiawah, you won’t find the abundance of commercial entertainment options for kids and teens, but Kiawah is a great option for younger children and offers a few activity programs for older kids and teens as well.

The wide, flat, hard-packed sandy beach is rarely crowded and the gentle surf and shallow tide pools make Kiawah’s beach perfect for toddlers. For older kids, Night Heron Park is where you’ll find most kid and teen friendly activities.

Here’s a quick summary of Kiawah’s activity programs for kids:

• Kamp Kiawah offers half-day sessions for children ages 3 to 11 years. With games, crafts, learning, and fun, your kids will have a great time while you take in a round of golf, a romantic sail, or another excursion in or around Kiawah. Each day's session is different so check the weekly schedule to choose which program to sign your little one up for.

• At the Nature Center, you'll find exhibits about local wildlife and information on the Nature Program tours. For kids who love all things slimy and crawling, sign them up for the Junior Naturalist Herpetology program!

• The Kiawah Island Golf Resort offers a number of activities for teenagers, including a unique exercise program that incorporates Zorbing (running inside a giant inflatable ball), relays, and more games, as well as games on the beach, preparing care packages for the troops, water sports and even a dance.

Jekyll Island

Like Kiawah, Jekyll is a fairly quiet island. The lure of the Island for adults is its nature beauty and the historic Jekyll Island Club Hotel. Teens and older children may lament the shortage of entertainment options, but will have a blast at the water park. They may also enjoy a few of the Island’s other activities, like horseback riding or Segway tours as well as dolphin-watching and fishing trips.

To learn about the Island’s coastal environment, be sure to take kids to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and Sea Turtle Hospital, where they can see live Loggerhead turtles, and the Tidelands Nature Center.

Other options for family fun include:

• Jekyll Island Miniature Golf - Located across from the Jekyll Island beach on N. Beachview Drive. Tel: 912-635-2648.

• Summer Waves Water Park – 11 acres of rides, thrills, food, and excitement. The park consists of eight major water attractions. Older kids will get a kick out of the Pirates Passage, an enclosed speed flume that jets riders in darkness over three breathtaking humps. They'll cool off in the rolling waves pool or as they drift on an inner tube down the Slow Motion Ocean. A Kiddie Pool provides a carefully supervised water playground with slides and waterfalls in only 12 inches of bubbling water for younger visitors.

St. Simons Island

St. Simons Island is a laid-back beach spot with few organized activities for kids. It is, however, situated near Jekyll Island where miniature golf and the Summer Waves Water Park offer plenty of family fun.

St. Simons also offers a few programs intended to introduce children to the natural habitat and wildlife of the Sea Islands:

• Driftwood Education Center: Educational nature center offering programs, classes, and excursions including nature walks.

• Honey Creek Coastal Encounters Nature Center: An interactive on environmental education center featuring salt marsh ecology walks, plankton labs, and summer camps for children among other programs. Located at 4201 First Street. Tel: 912-638-0221.

Tybee Island

Compared to Hilton Head and Kiawah, Tybee Island is a smaller retreat. With the vibe of an eclectic surf town, Tybee is a convenient beach getaway for Savannah residents. Tweens may be excited to see where Miley Cyrus, aka “Hannah Montana” recently filmed her latest movie, “The Last Song”.

Apart from playing on the beach, water sports, and dolphin and fishing excursions, kid specific activities include:

• Island Miniature Golf & Games: Located just off Tybee Island on Highway 80, this spot offers mini-putt, bumper go-carts, a moon bounce, and an arcade for the kids.

• Marine Science Center: Enjoy the exhibits, touch tank, classes and programs, including marsh treks and turtle talks, designed to teach visitors of all ages about the local environment and wildlife, including the sea turtles which nest along the Sea Islands. A "Sea Camp" is also available.

Amelia Island

While most of Amelia Island is a sleepy beach town, the Island hosts a number of resorts with camps and activities programs just for kids and teens. If you’re traveling with kids and looking for a spot on Amelia Island with plenty of activities for them, your best bet is to stay at one of the larger results like the Amelia Island Plantation or, for a bit more luxury, the Ritz-Carlton.

Outside of the resorts, your best bet for children's entertainment is just to bring them with you on all of your Amelia Island excursions, like biking, swimming and dolphin-watching.

If you’ve got high-energy kids or teens looking for lots of activities, I recommend Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. For toddlers, Kiawah’s beach can’t be beat. All of the Sea Islands, though, offer family friendly vacations that include ways to explore the natural environment while having a lot of fun. Biking, swimming, dolphin watching, fishing tours, and much more are available on all the Islands and make for many great family beach vacations.

Looking for more ideas on where to travel with the whole family? Check out kid-friendly destinations across the country at KiddieUpTravel.com. Get personal reviews, stories, and photos from real parents about their travels to fun family spots east, west, and everywhere in between!

Return to our home page to explore each island in depth and discover fun, family friendly vacations on the Sea Islands of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.