Ocean City, MD is one of our favorite family beach destinations and a place we return to often with our kids. If you’re looking for things to do in Ocean City, Maryland with kids, there are plenty of fun, family-friendly activities beyond just the beach.
From the boardwalk and amusement rides to boat tours, mini golf, and nearby Assateague Island, there’s something for every age and interest.
The following is a list of our favorite family activities in Ocean City based on our own visits and experiences:
Jump to any section below or scroll to explore everything we’ve tried with our family in Ocean City.
Swimming in the Ocean
I would be doing you a disservice if this wasn’t the first activity listed. The beach in Ocean City is clean and family-friendly. It’s also not overly crowded. Best of all, it’s free to visit.
Remember, “keep your feet in the sand until the lifeguard is in the stand”! The lifeguards arrive at 10 AM, we usually set up our cabana and chairs near the lifeguard stand and tell the kids if they ever get separated from us, to find a lifeguard. The back of the stands also have useful information about riptides and the times of low and high tide.
It’s also been really helpful to check the Facebook page for Ocean City to see what visitors are currently experiencing. Luckily, I had previously read about sea lice (baby jellyfish) and knew what to do when my kids experienced this themselves (at least that’s what I think happened). Sea lice can get in bathing suit areas and irritate the skin or give a burning feeling. One morning, when two of my kiddos quickly came out of the water freaking out, I suspected they came in contact with these little critters. I couldn’t see anything, but I started pouring freshwater on the area (right down the back of their swim trunks, luckily no one else was paying any attention). This gave enough relief that they could walk over to the shower located at the entrance to the beach area. This seemed to clear up their issue and we had no further problems for the rest of our visit.
Visit the Boardwalk
One of the best things to do in Ocean City MD with kids is visiting the boardwalk. You can check out the many shops and restaurants along the way. We highly recommend trying the cannoli at “Julia’s Ice Cream” near 11th Street. They were amazing and we may have stopped there more than once during our visit!
When we were visiting, there were always people on the beach with beautiful kites that our children enjoyed watching from the boardwalk. There’s also a small gated playground that they had a lot of fun exploring.
At the southern end of the boardwalk, you can find the Jolly Roger Amusement park with their classic carnival rides and games.
The OC Fishing Pier
Near the southern end of the boardwalk, you will also find the fishing pier. Along the pier there are hundreds of locks that line the gated sides. This is where visitors can place a “love lock” on the pier for all to see. We visited on our anniversary so my husband and I added one for us and attached another for our children. We however did not throw the keys into the ocean, we brought them home with us to dispose of. You will need to purchase your locks ahead of time as I haven’t seen them for sale anywhere near the pier. *Update* As of 2024-The locks have been removed by the city to preserve the integrity of the pier.
For a small fee, you can walk to the end of the pier. There were people fishing off the end and we watched them reel in a stingray. The kids thought it was amazing and loved seeing the ray up close. Not to worry, the fisherman promptly released it back into the ocean
Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
It’s important to have a backup plan if the weather isn’t cooperating for outside activities, or maybe it’s just too hot and you’re looking for some fun out of the sun! Our children enjoyed checking out all of the oddities and “weird” facts at this attraction.
The OC Rocket
Another fun option for things to do in Ocean City MD with kids is riding the OC Rocket. If you don’t like to go fast or to get wet, this isn’t the ride for you, this is the warning the Captain gave us before pulling away from the dock. The initial part of the ride was a bit bumpy for me, of course my family wanted to sit in the front so it felt like a rollercoaster when we hit the waves. Once we cleared the bay, the ride was pretty smooth. The OC Rocket ride is about 50 minutes long. You stay close to the shoreline the entire time, which is nice if you’re nervous about going far out. The Captain will stop and try to view some dolphins, we got lucky and found a nice big pod of them. They came right up to the boat and swam around. On the way back the Captain did what I can only imagine as “donuts” in the water…this is the part where you get wet. The person sitting on the inside, next to the rail, will be SOAKED!
The website says to call to purchase tickets if you’re purchasing on the day of the activity. However, this information is incorrect and tickets were on a first come first served basis. You’ll definitely want to give yourself plenty of time to park, purchase tickets, and get in line. We had tickets in hand thirty minutes before the boat departure time and there was already a line forming.
Assateague Adventure
This is a slow and informational boat tour that travels to the backside of Assateague Island. We didn’t get a chance to see wild ponies on this tour, but we were given the opportunity to hop off the boat at the island to check out the water and see if we could find any little critters. There is also a touch tank on board, our children were selected to bring a few of the critters around for the other guests to view.
Assateague Island
We love visiting this island and viewing the wild ponies! The wild ponies roam the island and you may even see them while you’re on the beach. We’ve personally had better luck just driving around the island and spotting them in different areas. The beach is nice, but the waves are a little rougher here. Our kiddos don’t prefer to swim during our trips to Assateague, but that’s ok because there is plenty more to do! Make sure you check out the ranger programs while you’re here. We learned about clamming and crabbing and were able to try our hand at both.
For more fun activities on Assateague Island, check out my blog post “The Ultimate Family Bucket List for Assateague Island National Seashore”.
Mini Golf
If you like mini-golf, no worries, there is no shortage of places to golf in OC! We’ve tried Dino Golf at 125th St. and an indoor Undersea Adventure course at 68th St. Our kids really enjoyed both, but the Dino Golf had dinosaurs to sit on and take pictures. Be prepared, the dinos are pretty neat and unbeknownst to us, they move and roar. Our children were quite shocked when mom accidently pushed the button!
Northside Park
Each Sunday in summer, Northside Park (at 125th St.), has a free event called “Sundaes in the Park”. Bring your chair or picnic blanket and enjoy the free concert series, there is ice cream to purchase, and the evening ends with a fireworks display.
Ocean City, MD has quickly become one of our favorite family beach destinations. There are so many things to do in Ocean City MD with kids, and we always end up leaving with a few new favorite memories (and usually a list of what we want to try next time). It’s the kind of place that works for all ages and never really feels like you run out of options.
