Hamptons Summer Activities for Kids

Fun fact: Andrew and I first met in the Hamptons (South Hampton, to be exact) and became friends and then fell in love while spending our summers in Quogue. Before we had kids, we rented houses out in Quogue almost every summer. We took a year off after having James and then took a short trip there when he was one and a half and finally came back with Charlotte and James a couple years ago. We hadn’t been back in years, and it was such a nice change of pace. It was sort of cool bringing Charlotte back there at the same age James was when we first introduced him to the beautiful beaches, our favorite ice cream spot, and lobster rolls overlooking the ocean. We also got to catch up with old friends and watch our kids play with their kids, which was nothing short of magical. It’s funny, but we didn’t realize how much we missed this place or how special it is to us until that trip. I think the combo of being away from this spot that holds so many memories for us, and having it feel like a second home, complete with dear friends, really showed us that this is a place we want to return to every year with our family. Still, being out there with kids was a different experience, and we needed to discover things to do with kids out in the Hamptons. We were really happy to discover that this special spot in the Hamptons is an amazing place for families, too. In fact, we found so many fun things to do in Quogue and the surrounding areas that I wanted to share my favorite Hamptons summer activities for kids in case you’re headed out East this summer.

We’re hoping to return to the Hamptons this summer and I know a lot of you are planning trips out East as well, so I thought I’d share our favorite Hamptons summer activities for kids. We found so many special gems that you’ll love if you’re headed to the Hamptons as a family. I also shared more pics and videos in my Instagram stories and will save to my highlights if you’re interested in seeing more.

Early Morning Bagels and Beach Walks

Our kids wake up early, like 5:45am early. Our favorite way to make the most of early mornings when we’re in the Hamptons is to pick up muffins and bagels and coffee and head to the beach. We walk around, the kids run and dip their toes into the water, Andrew is brave enough to take a dip sometimes, and we just enjoy the fresh air and having the beach to ourselves. I find the waves so calming, and while mornings can be stressful with little kids, it burns energy while we get to enjoy the scenery and our breakfast. Some beaches will even allow you to bring your dog in the mornings, so Dakota can enjoy some beach time too.

On Me: Sweater; Shorts

Afternoon Swimming and Playing in the Sand at the Beach

After our morning beach breakfast, we’ll usually head home to relax for a bit and change for the day. While mom and dad check emails and enjoy some coffee, we let the kids play outside in the backyard and make a mess of the board games and other random non-toys they discover at the beach house. Then we change into swimsuits and head back to the beach to enjoy the beautiful sunny weather. We love to get to the beach around 10am/10:30am and stay until 1pm or 2pm or so, depending on how the kids are holding up. Charlotte naps around lunchtime or just after, but sometimes we’ll push it back if she’s holding up and we’re having fun, or we’ll see if we can get her to nap at the beach (has never happened but always nice to dream). We’ll go for walks to collect seashells and chase seagulls, build sand castles, bury daddy’s feet in the sand, and take dips in the ocean. Both kids really love the beach, which is amazing because it’s such a beautiful way to spend the day. I’ll bring snacks and if everything is going great, we’ll even eat lunch at the beach. The key to extending the day (IMO) is to secure an umbrella and set up a shady fun area for the kids to rest and play between dips in the ocean. Snacks are also key. Always snacks.

On me: Swimsuit; Shorts; Coverup

On Charlotte: Swimsuit

On James: Swimsuit; Rashguard

Strawberry Picking

Strawberry picking has become one of our new favorite summertime activities. Our friends brought us to an amazing organic strawberry farm about 20 minutes from Quogue and we had the best time. They had a farm with animals and all these kids playgrounds and stations as well as a little store with organic food and snacks and yummy food you can order for lunch. Since it was organic, I didn’t mind that the kids ate the strawberries as they picked and it was so much fun for both James and Charlotte. They even have wagons there that you can use to pull your kids up to the strawberry fields. They also had raspberries you could pick, and both berries were deeelicious. The farm is called Golden Earthworm Organic Farm in Riverhead, and trust me, it’s worth the drive. This is hands down my favorite on my list of Hamptons summer activities for kids.

On Charlotte: Romper; Cardigan; Shoes

Visiting the Most Kid-Friendly Organic Farm

I broke this into its own activity because you could certainly make multiple trips out of this excursion or one fun afternoon, but we also got to feed animals and do all sorts of fun outdoor activities at Golden Earthworm Organic Farm in Riverhead. They give you feed and veggies so the kids can feed the animals, which my children loved. They also have all these stations set up for little kids like an inflatable trampoline, slides and playground equipment, a race track with tricycles and kid-sized tractors, bouncy animals that you can take from the barn and put into their pens. It’s literally designed for kids and so much fun. I can’t tell you how much I recommend this place.

On Charlotte: Romper; Cardigan; Shoes

On James: Sweater (similar here); Shorts; Shoes

Lunch, Shopping + Ice Cream in Town

While Quogue only has a small town with a few shops, we love grabbing sandwiches or bacon egg and cheeses (if it’s the morning) from the Quogue Market and sitting in the gazebo across the street to eat them before hitting up the shops next door and grabbing an ice cream cone. We also always venture into Westhampton and South Hampton, both of which have far more shops and restaurants. We’ll stop by for an outdoor lunch or a post-beach ice cream cone as well.