Kid friendly, outdoor activities for a fun summer vacation in Southern Maine
There is so much to do in southern Maine with kids as you are so close to Portsmouth, New Hampshire and just an hour drive to Portland. The activities are limitless really, so when my sister came to visit Kittery, Maine she relied on me to plan a fun vacation for her! I did not disappoint! The house that she rented is linked below and it was perfect! It was a nice location for all the seacoast has to offer. There were plenty of days with rain too on her vacation, as the summer of 2023 was mostly rain, but we still had a great time together! This was our itinerary:
Day 1
Check into the house and go to Fort Foster in Kittery, Maine for a cookout. By 4pm the beach crowds have all left for the day, so cookouts at Fort Foster are our favorite. Make sure you pack charcoal for the one of many grills that are there, a lighter, lighter fluid, bug spray, towels, food for dinner (burgers, hotdogs, an easy pasta salad and watermelon are our go to), and some sand toys. There is a $25 fee to enter per car, but go check out my post on Fort Foster below for more info.
Day 2
Wake up and grab donuts and coffee at either Lovebird’s or Lil’s in Kittery and drive over to Nubble Lighthouse in York, Maine. Again, an early visit is best to combat the crowds! The traffic on Route 1 going north, parallel to Long Sands Beach, can get really bad in the summer. We love checking out Nubble Lighthouse with donuts, we do it year round! After you are done the donuts, head over to Ellis Park at Short Sands Beach in York for their playground! It’s still early and you’ll be able to find easy parking for a trip to the playground with ocean views.
Go home for lunch and maybe nap time? Then head to Seapoint Beach in Kittery Point, Maine for a quick beach trip. Parking is free at Seapoint Beach but it’s limited for out of town visitors. Going in the afternoon and grabbing a parking spot is best. Check out the posts linked below for more info!
Day 3
Head right over the border to New Castle, NH. It is the most adorable town! New Castle Commons are here (and I have a post about how much we love it there too!), but we went to explore Fort Stark. As you’re driving through the small downtown of New Castle, there is a great coffee shop. It is across from the town hall and it is called The Islander. The owner of it also owns Lil’s in Kittery so you know all the baked goods are going to be delicious. Fort Stark is a cool spot to visit with lighthouse and ocean views. It is usually just a quick walk through, maybe 30 minutes.
After this we went a little bit further south into Rye, NH to Odiorne Point State Park. You could make an entire day here so definitely check out my post on Odiorne, but we were only there for a couple hours. There is a small entrance fee to get in but then there is plenty of parking and a great playground to check out. There is also a food truck right next to the playground, which is what we did for lunch! If you want something inside, definitely check out Seacoast Science Center in Odiorne for some fun! Below are links to all the places we visited on Day 3.
Day 4
Take a drive up to Portland! It was absolutely pouring on the day we went up to Portland and we really went up there unsure of what we were going to do because of the rain. We parked and went straight to lunch at Novare Res Bier Cafe. They have a lot of seating outside with big, covered picnic tables. We wanted to sit outside with all the kids, but we moved inside and it was perfect!
After lunch and walking the streets of Portland on a rainy day, we went to Fort Williams Park and Portland Head Lighthouse. The entrance to the park is free, parking is cheap and by the hour and it’s a beautiful! We made this a very quick trip because it was downpouring, but the kids at least loved jumping in puddles! Check out the link to Fort Williams Park below.
Day 5
If today is the day you’re checking out I highly recommend grabbing a coffee and scone at Pepperrell Cove Provisions. It is a quick stop and you can bring it to a nearby playground after checking out. It’s a good stop before getting into the car for a drive home! There are two playgrounds close to Pepperrell Cove like one at the Kittery Elementary School or Kittery Community Center. Pepperrell Cove is one of our favorite spots as you can’t beat the views of the ocean and harbor. It is a great spot for dinner outside under a big tent, ice cream at a picnic table with views of the water or a nice date night dinner at their restaurant inside. I have a post below to check out on Pepperrell Cove as well!
There’s so much to do here!
I could go on and on really and recommend so much more to do but that’s what this blog is for! I hope you click around and find some great places to go with your kids and can get outside! The house she stayed in was a great central location to all of our spots. It was easy for her to return back home for lunch and naptime. She loved relaxing outside with nice water views while her son was napping. The link to the house that my sister rented is right here!
