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    Really Cool Kids Activities on the OBX

    By Ryan
    April 14, 2018

    Really Cool Kids Activities on the OBX

    There are very few places anywhere as family friendly as the Outer Banks. With miles of wonderful beaches and nature everywhere, it’s the perfect location get some good quality time together.

    Of course, when kids are involved everything changes, and what kids may enjoy really adjusts depending on the age.

    We have a list of activities that we think would be great for some of the younger kids. Some of our ideas will work every bit as well for older kids as well, but with few exceptions, these should work with just about any age.

    Children at Play Museum

    This one is really for the younger set—five or maybe six and under — but what the Children at Play Museum offers is a creative, educational experience in a truly fun environment.

    Located in the Buccaneer’s Walk in Kitty Hawk—it’s in the hexagonal shaped building on the end—Children at Play has an open design that allows workers to watch over the kids safely.

    Lots for kids to do inside, including a fishing boat, the Outer Banks Teddy Bear Hospital and a shopping area with a cash register.

    Science Thursdays always has some pretty cool stuff that kids will amaze kids. Programs during the summer are expanded.

    Click here for more details.

    Kitty Hawk Kites Stores

    The Kitty Hawk Kites stores have earned their reputation as being the premier kite and toy stores on the Outer Banks.

    We like all of their locations, but there is no doubt the original Jockey’s Ridge Crossing store in Nags Head is the largest with the most to do.

    A real draw for kids is the climbing wall. There’s a number of different climbs with different levels of difficulty from easy to downright hard. The instructors—who hold the belay rope—are patient and great at making suggestions.

    For a bit of an added challenge, walk to the south end of Jockey’s Ridge Crossing to Kitty Hawk Surf Company and ride Stanley the Shark.

    Click here for more details.

    Wild Horse Tour

    Yes, there really are wild horses north of Corolla in the Carova area of the Outer Banks. Direct descendents of Colonial Spanish Mustangs, they are a wonder to behold.

    There are no paved roads there and 4WD cars and trucks are really the only vehicles that should be venturing north of the paved road.

    There are a number of outfitters who specialize in Wild Horse Tours and by far the best chance of seeing the horse is signing on with a tour. During the summer the horses are frequently on the beach, but that is just one of many places they can be found.

    Everyone—kids, adults, teenagers—gets excited when they see these beautiful animals in their natural environment.

    A nice added bonus, tour guides are very well-informed about local history and the environment, enabling them to give a pretty complete picture of what is happening with the horses and Carova.

    Take a camera. Take lots of pictures.

    Photo courtesy of chrishannant.com

    Click here for more details.

    Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education

    It’s too bad such an exciting place has such a long and not very rousing name, because the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education has some of the best programs for kids anywhere.

    They have not published their summer schedule yet, but in the past, and given what they still list as options, the OBCWF expect archery classes, beach explorations, maritime forest walks and a lot more.

    The OBCWF is also one of the most fascinating small museum around. Tracing the history of wildfowl hunting on the Currituck Sound, it houses one of the largest hand-carved decoy collection in the world. There is also a diorama of the wetlands of the sound including a duck blind and an 8000 gallon aquarium.

    Located immediately adjacent to the Whalehead Club and Currituck Beach Lighthouse, after checking out the OBCWF there is still lots to do.

    A climb to the top of the lighthouse is worth the effort, although small legs may find that too difficult.

    Click here for more details.