5 BEST Things To Do with Kids In Emerald Isle, NC
Emerald Isle is situated on the Bogue Banks, a barrier island off the coast of North Carolina. Away from the hustle and bustle of the Northern OBX, Emerald Isle is a beautiful respite on the pristine Crystal Coast. With over 12 miles of clean beaches and emerald waters, it’s a literal paradise for east coast travelers.
Our family recently visited Emerald Isle for the first time this summer, and fell in love with the town’s laidback vibes and coastal charm. In my next few posts, I’ll be sharing our mini Emerald Isle Vacation Guide, including: The Best Kid Friendly Restaurants in Emerald Isle NC, Top 5 Best Things To Do with Kids in Emerald Isle NC, Beach Day Essentials for Emerald Isle NC, and The Best Beach for Shelling in Emerald Isle NC.
Our family of 4; my husband, myself, and our boys, ages 4 &7, traveled with our good friends and their daughters, ages 2 & 12. With a wide range of ages in our group, I can say with confidence that the following activities are fun for everyone! Although we were fortunate to not experience any rainy days on our recent vacation, it’s always a good idea to have a daily backup plan in case of inclement weather during your visit. Many of these spots would be the perfect place to spend a rainy day on the island, or even as a welcome reprieve from a few hot days at the beach.
Mac Daddy’s
https://mymacdaddys.com/
True to its name, Mac Daddy’s is literally the “mac daddy” of entertainment centers. They have a huge arcade, putt putt golf, bowling, go karts, ropes course, driving range, and a restaurant/bar. We spent a few hours here on a Wednesday, and it was wonderful to take a relaxing and air conditioned 😉 break from the beach. We paid a bit extra to rent a lane in their VIP “boutique bowling” section, since it was less busy and had comfy booth seating. We ordered pizza and drinks from the restaurant (which were excellent!) and had so much fun bowling for a couple hours. The VIP side is super cool, with personalized player names displayed on the lanes and tons of neat visual effects that the kids loved. We also rode the go karts, a must for our boys on any beach vacation.
The Salty Pirate Water Park
https://www.saltypiratewaterpark.com/
If your kids are craving some water fun but you’re tired of the beach, a visit to The Salty Pirate Water Park might be the perfect remedy! Offering affordable day passes, Salty Pirate has activities for all ages, including open and closed water slides for the big kids, and a themed kiddie pool for the younger guys. the Salty Pirate also has a small arcade and food available.
NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
https://www.ncaquariums.com/
The perfect spot for a rainy day at the beach, The NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores is a large and beautiful aquarium with both indoor and outdoor exhibits. The aquarium has four main galleries that take visitors through the mountains of NC to the ocean. Numerous fresh and saltwater aquarium tanks, hands on exhibits, hiking trails and more await you at this fun and educational location.
Pogies fishing charters, island taxis and kayak rentals
http://www.pogiesfishing.com/
If you have any fishing enthusiasts in your group, be sure to check out the options at Pogies. This place is very popular and had lines out the door every time we drove past, so be sure to schedule in advance. They offer a number of adventurous options including island taxis for shark tooth/shell hunting, kayak rentals for exploring, and fishing charters.
Emerald Plantation Outdoor Shopping Mall & Cinema
https://emeraldplantationcinema.com/
Long live the outdoor shopping mall! There’s something that just feels nostalgic about malls, isn’t there? Emerald Plantation is a small but cute outdoor shopping center tucked quietly into the west end of the island. Here you can enjoy dining, including Rucker Johns, (mentioned in my “Best Restaurants in Emerald Isle” post) clothing boutiques, gift shops and a small cinema. We enjoyed walking around the plantation one evening after dinner; picking up a few souvenirs at the gift shop and taking in the local sights.
I hope that you enjoyed reading about the 5 Best Things To Do With Kids in Emerald Isle, NC. Be sure to visit my other Emerald Isle Vacation Guide posts for more island info!
Happy Vacationing,
Wendy
