The Cape is full of beaches.  Some more beautiful than others.    For beautiful views I recommend The National Seashore.  There are hundreds of amazing beaches on the Cape.  I could do an entire post cataloging the beaches best to worst.  I must say, The National Seashore is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.  When you think of the quintessential Cape Cod scene, this is what you imagine.  Muted tones of blue, gray and beige, gorgeous waves and seagrass.  I don't recommend The National Seashore as a place that you will let your children swim, as it is a gathering place for seals, which means sharks will often congregate there as well.  However, it is a fun place to watch the waves, build a sandcastle and take in the views.

If you want to get into the water, I suggest going on the beaches on the inner side of the Cape.  One of our favorite beaches is Loops Beach.  It has calm waters, lots of great seashell finding and a great place to relax.

We loved our experience with Capn' Kids Fishing Excursions!  This experience is especially made with kids in mind.  It only takes a couple of hours, which is great for a child's attention span.  First you get on the boat and get briefed on the rules and safety.  You are given fishing poles for all parties that are interested in fishing.  They take you out first to set crab traps.  They stop about 20 minutes off shore and drop the crab traps, explaining to the kids how crabs are trapped and what type of bait is used.  From here you head out to sea!  There are helpers who will assist you and your children in catching fish.  It depends on season what you will catch.  They will let you keep your catch if you wish.  On the way back in, they stop to pull up the crabs!  This for my kids was the best part.  They dump them all over the deck floor and kids are instructed to assist the crew in making sure all the crabs make it back into the water.  They also give the kids mops and they are expected to help clean the deck as part of the experience.  It was a great time and something my kids still talk about today.  If you want to take your kids fishing on Cape Cod, this is the way to do it!

There are many places to play mini golf on the cape.  Our personal favorite is Pirate's Cove in South Yarmouth, MA.  It is pirate themed and actually a great little course.  After you are done golfing the kids get a free ice cream cone inside the gift shop.  

If seeing Marine life is your thing, definitely check out Dolphin Fleet in Provincetown, MA.  You board and the boat takes you out about an hour off shore where the whales often hang out and like to feed.  We have been lucky to see whales each time, in fact once we saw a mama whale and her baby who wanted to interact with the boat and us!  One of the best experiences we have ever had.

History is abundant on the Cape.  Located in Plymouth, MA, Plymouth Plantation takes you back in time to the days of the early settlers in our nation.  There are actors/educators who roam around in costume and give plenty of information about the time.  An indian village is also available to explore.  Here there are no actors but actual members of the Wampanoag Tribe who volunteer to educate people about their tribe and history.  It is such a fascinating way to spend a day.

Also Located in Plymouth, MA, The Mayflower is a great way to learn some history hands on!  There are volunteers on the boat who are playing the parts of actual members who road abroad the Mayflower.  You can explore the boat and touch and feel all the aspects of this impressive vessel.

This is a beautiful sprawling garden!  There are tons of beautiful local plant life displays, a labrynth, a gorgeous restored carousel, and some art displays that often rotate.  My personal favorite part of this park is the children's garden.  It is a lovely place for kids to play and explore with tons of hands on manipulatives to build and create or simply play pretend.  If you are in Mashpee or Sandwich area of the Cape, you must check this place out.

We love Nantucket and cannot wait to return for another visit.  In order to get to Nantucket, you will either have to fly or take a ferry.  The ferries are a great experience in themselves as you are out at sea and get a feel for how far the islands are from  Cape Cod.  Once on the island you are met with quaint shops and restaurants lining a cobblestone street.  It is one of the most charming places I have ever been.  On the island you can rent bikes to tool around and explore, or simply walk through town.  There is a museum all about the history of Nantucket's whaling history, the first mill built in our country and a few other historic spots.  There are restaurants of all types from fine dining to brewery pubs.  It is easy to spend a couple days here (or more if you can afford it!) and never get bored.

Another charming beachside town is found at the very end of Cape Called. Provincetown, MA to some is not a place that they would imagine taking children.  There is a undercurrent that runs there that make some people uncomfortable.  That being said, I loved going to P-Town as a child and my kids love it as well.  In Provincetown, there are tons of things for kids to do.  One of our favorites is Pilgrim Monument and Museum.  You can climb to the very top of it, which I recommend, and see the most beautiful views of the Cape and ocean.  It is only 116 steps and worth every one.  This tower represents that P-Town is where the Pilgrims stopped on their very first stop on land.  Everyone thinks Plymouth is where the Pilgrims originally landed but this is not true.  To find the whole story you have to visit the museum and find out!

Also in Provincetown, you will find a Pirate Museum which my little pirate lover enjoyed.  As I mentioned before, the Whale Watch fleets depart from here.  

I love just walking around the town and enjoying the shops and restaurants.  The famous Lobster Pot is found right on Commercial Street and I can attest is delicious.

Like Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard is so very New England.  In order to get there you must ride the Ferry, which in and of itself is a great experience if your family is land locked most of the time. If you wish you explore the island, I would recommend a car.  You can either take yours on the ferry or rent one there on the island.  Martha's Vineyard is a little harder to explore without a car compared to Nantucket.  Our favorite spot are the Aquinnah Cliffs and beach area below.  The views are phenominal and the exploring on the beach is enough to spend a few hours doing.  There are three main towns on the vineyard Edgartown, Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs.  I recommend exploring all of them!  In Oak Bluffs there is an old restored Carousel along with shops, cafes, ice cream shops and the famous "Gingerbread Houses" which is a historic site.

Found in Woods Hole you can explore this small (I mean it when I say small) aquarium.  Rather than call it aquarium I will just called it as it is and its a research center.  Here they are actually actively studying the marine life of the Northeast Atlantic Ocean.  

They also are rehabilitating Seals and every day they have a "show" where they discuss the type of work they do at the research center and bring out some of the seals they are working with before they are returned to the wild.  FYI- The ferry to Martha's Vineyard goes out of here so why not check it out after you return on the ferry?

If you are looking for a great rainy day activity with small children, this is the place!  I emphasize small children here as older children would find it hard to be excited about this spot.

There are plenty of manipulatives, puppet shows, science stations, arts and crafts and play pretend areas.  It is very well done and a great way to spend a couple hours with a little one.

Lighthouses are so quintessentially New England and Cape Cod does not have a shortage.  It is easy to find one close to any town that you can go explore.  Check out THIS MAP for a listing of all Cape Cod Lighthouses.  Talk about some beautiful pictures to take to remember your trip!  Certain times of year they will open some up for people to climb up into.  Definitely see if you can find them then!

If you get a license, you can fish off of most piers on the Cape.  We like to give this a shot at least once a trip while there.  Its a great way to relax and take in the ocean.

This one is dependent on the time of year you are exploring the Cape.  If you are there mid summer (Julyish) you can go to Coonamesset Farm and pick blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries!  They give you buckets and you spend a few hours sifting through the acres of beautiful bushes.  My children loved this experience and we took home bags of delicious fresh berries.  Oh, and the ice cream they sell there is amazing!