Family Fun

Get outdoors and explore nature at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, which makes it easy to watch for bald eagles, great blue herons, and other waterfowl and wildlife along their four-mile Wildlife Drive, which you can explore by car, by bicycle, or by foot.

Pick your own berries or flowers, explore a pumpkin patch, or wander the corn maze (depending on the season) at Emily’s Produce, where you can also see goats and chickens and have fun in the play area.

Rent a kayak, paddleboard, or bicycle from our adventure outfitters, including Blackwater Adventures and, for SUPs, Over Board Paddle & Fitness.

Walk into a Native American longhouse built with traditional materials and techniques at Handsell Historic Site, where you can also learn about colonial life and the lives of enslaved and free Blacks.

Cast your line or net for fish or crabs with a fishing charter.

If the weather doesn’t allow for outdoor activities, try some indoor fun and burn off steam at Cabin Fever Play Centre, which has all kinds of play equipment for the younger kids and an extensive arcade for the older kids.

Be inspired by the extraordinary life of Harriet Tubman, who was born here in Dorchester County. Explore some of the sites along the road trip known as the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway. Best sites for kids include Bucktown General Store (open by appointment) and the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park & Visitor Center, where they offer a great Junior Ranger program for kids.

Learn about local maritime history at the Choptank River Lighthouse (with a great view of the Choptank River from the deck) and the Nathan of Dorchester Skipjack, where kids have a chance to take the helm or see what surprises come up in the oyster dredge. Watch boatbuilders at work at Ruark Boatworks.

Make friends with a horse and go on a trail ride with Windy Way Horses.

Join a Ghost Walk on High Street in Cambridge (said to be Maryland’s most haunted street) with Chesapeake Ghosts.

Strike ten pins at Choptank Bowling & Billiards

See a first-run movie at Cambridge Premier Cinemas.

Get your hands into all kinds of crafting and browse the schedule of family-friendly sessions at Phippin’s Crafting Corner.

Explore life in the 1800s at Spocott Windmill & Village, where you can sit at a desk in a one-room schoolhouse, see the cottage where a family of nine lived, and see an old-style windmill.

Let loose on the waterfront playgrounds at our local parks, including Sailwinds (next to the Dorchester Visitor Center) and Gerry Boyle Park at Great Marsh, both in Cambridge.

Stay at one of our family-friendly hotels that offer various ideas for a kid-friendly vacation.

Many of our festivals include family-friendly fun, so be sure to check our events calendar.