Virginia Beach with Kids
Family travel guide for parents planning with children
Top Family Activities
The best things to do with kids in Virginia Beach.
Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center
Sharks glide overhead in glass tunnels while toddlers press sticky fingers against touch tanks. The outdoor aviary lets kids feed nectar to rainbow lorikeets, worth the extra $3 and the inevitable bird-poop souvenir.
First Landing State Park
Where English colonists first touched American soil, now laced with 20 miles of trails through Spanish moss and cypress swamp. The Cape Henry Trail stays stroller-friendly all the way to the historic cross.
Ocean Breeze Waterpark
Slides for every bravery level, from the gentle wave pool where toddlers bob like corks to the monster half-pipe that launches teens skyward. Live weekend music gives parents a beat to sway to.
Virginia Beach Boardwalk Bike Rentals
Four-person surrey bikes with fringe on top cruise past street performers and salt-water taffy shops. Morning light turns everything postcard-perfect before crowds and heat arrive.
Military Aviation Museum
WWII planes that still fly sit in hangars that smell like oil and adventure. Kids can climb into cockpits on Saturdays, and the volunteers are old pilots whose stories make history class look pale.
King Neptune Statue at 31st Street
The 34-foot bronze king of the sea towers over what might be the planet's best photo op. Street performers juggle fire while kids climb the concrete dolphins at his feet.
Best Areas for Families
Where to base yourselves for the smoothest family trip.
The obvious choice for a reason, everything you need sits within stroller-pushing distance. The constant hum keeps kids entertained. But the noise level tests nap schedules.
Highlights: Beach access, playground at 2nd Street, ice cream every 50 yards, trolley runs for tired legs.
Five miles south of the tourist madness, this feels like stumbling onto a secret. Houses sit right on the sand, and offshore sandbars soften the waves.
Highlights: Less crowded beaches, wildlife refuge next door for turtle spotting, grocery store 10 minutes away.
If you need a beach break, this planned community has chain restaurants kids recognize and a fountain they can splash in. The movie theater offers rainy-day salvation.
Highlights: Indoor playground at the mall, chain restaurants with kids menus, easy parking, 15 minutes to beach.
Family Dining
Where and how to eat with children.
Virginia Beach restaurants grasp that families aren't aiming for romance, they're racing the clock before someone melts down. Most have kids menus beyond chicken nuggets and servers who've seen it all.
Dining Tips for Families
- Hit Waterman's Surfside Grille early, they serve breakfast until 2pm and have ocean views without ocean prices.
- Most boardwalk restaurants have outdoor seating where toddler noise blends with the waves.
- The grocery stores (Kroger and Farm Fresh) stock surprisingly good prepared foods for beach picnics.
Paper plates, plastic bibs, tables you can hose down. Kids watch fishing boats while parents crack crab legs.
Slices bigger than your kid's head, served on paper plates you can haul back to your towel.
Waffles shaped like sea creatures and enough choices that even picky eaters cave. Worth the splurge on early-beach days.
Tips by Age Group
Tailored advice for every stage of childhood.
Virginia Beach works for toddlers. But only if you plan like a general. The sand turns into a skillet by 11am, and the surf can knock them flat. Sync every outing with nap windows and dodge the midday glare.
Challenges: Without a scrap of shade, tents become survival gear. Public restrooms do stock changing tables. Yet queues snake out the doors. Summer fireworks crackle after dark and can torpedo bedtime routines.
- Bring a pop-up tent for shade
- Hit the beach at 8am when it's empty and cool
- Order groceries online for delivery to skip store meltdowns
This is the golden window, old enough to master boogie boards and pedal beach cruisers, young enough to believe the arcade runs on wizardry. They'll lock in memories of racing the boardwalk and chewing warm saltwater taffy.
Learning: First Landing State Park plaques plant the 1607 English landing right under their fingertips. The aquarium's behind-the-scenes tours reveal how staff coach rescued sea turtles to swim again.
- Let them bring a friend - the buddy system works great on crowded beaches
- Give each kid a disposable camera - they'll notice different details
Teens may groan at the family trip label. Yet Virginia Beach hands them freedom inside a safety net. They can cruise the boardwalk alone, swap tricks at the 14th Street skate park, and rack up sunrise shots for Instagram.
Independence: The boardwalk glows under streetlamps and patrols, teens can wander in pairs until 10pm without a second thought. Most hotels keep pools open late, the perfect spot to bump into new friends.
- Buy them a day pass for the trolley so they can meet you later
- Let them sleep in - mornings are for little kids anyway
Practical Logistics
The nuts and bolts of family travel.
The boardwalk trolley runs every 15 minutes and has space for folded strollers. Parking is the real puzzle, garages fill by 10am and street meters cap at 2 hours. Most families walk more than planned, so pack a carrier for toddlers who abandon the stroller. Uber exists but drivers vanish during peak times.
Sentara Virginia Beach General sits 10 minutes inland on First Colonial Road, with a 24-hour ER. A CVS with pharmacy appears every few miles along the main drags. Diapers and formula live at the Walgreens at 21st and Pacific, though stock thins by Sunday.
Ground-floor units let you walk straight to the beach without elevator waits. Hunt for places with kitchenettes, hotel breakfast means you hit the sand before crowds and pocket $50 a day. Pools are non-negotiable for afternoon rinses when kids are done with sand but not with playing.
- Beach wagon for gear transport - sand is softer than you think
- Portable fan for hotel rooms with weak AC
- Water shoes for the bay side where shells are sharp
- Nightlights - hotel rooms are darker than home
- Happy hour runs 3-6pm at most beach bars, kids eat cheap and parents score discounted drinks.
- The aquarium honors reciprocity with other science museums, check your membership.
- Beach gear rentals by the week are cheaper than daily rates at hotels
Family Safety
Keeping your family safe and healthy.
- ! Rip currents are no joke, drill kids to swim sideways to the beach if the ocean starts towing them out. Lifeguards swap flag colors each dawn.
- ! Sunlight ricochets off water and sand, slather sunscreen every 2 hours, paying special attention to noses and the tops of feet.
- ! Boardwalk bike lanes run one way, teach kids to hug the right edge and watch for wide-turning surreys.
- ! Jellyfish drift in from June through August, lifeguard stands keep vinegar packets handy for quick sting relief.
- ! Evening storms barrel in fast, tape an indoor backup plan to the fridge before breakfast.
- ! The fishing pier hides gaps wide enough for tiny sneakers, hold hands for safety, not just for photo ops.
Book Family Activities
Top-rated family experiences in Virginia Beach.
Sunset Dolphin Kayak Tours
Take a small-group guided dolphin kayak tour along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay at sunset to combine gorgeous visuals with epic dolphin experiences. Little or no experience is necessary to use our
Wetland Zip Tour
At Adventureworks Virginia Beach, we offer a one-of-a-kind ziplining experience that combines coastal beauty with heart-pumping fun. Our course is located in a lush forest just minutes from the beach,
Buried Beneath the Boardwalk: Neptune Ghouls and Ghost Tours
Dive into the spine-chilling history of Virginia Beach with our ghostly walking tour, designed to thrill and educate! Guided by a local haunt expert, this mile-long journey takes you through haunted
Small Group Dolphin Kayak Eco-Tour
9:30am & 2pm Dolphin Kayak Tour: Enjoy the thrill of kayaking with Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins in the Chesapeake Bay with a company that's been specializing in dolphin Eco-tours for 25+ years. These
Ziplining and Climbing at The Adventure Park at Virginia Aquarium
Are you ready for the best climbing and zip line adventure Virginia Beach has to offer? Get outside and into The Adventure Park to experience our self-guided tree-to-tree climbing adventure. The Aeria
Private Vacation Photoshoot with Photographer in Virginia Beach
⭐ Top-Rated Vacation Photoshoots 2025 We're not just photographers, we're storytellers capturing your holiday exactly as it feels. With over six years of experience photographing travellers around t
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