Rhode Island > State > Families and Kids > Family Activities

Family Activities - RI Statewide

Little Rhody is big on family fun. It’s easy to travel about this compact state, and a great place to stay with kids and pets. You’ll enjoy the Ocean State’s many beaches, parks, farms, nature preserves, and outdoor activities. Roger Williams Park Zoo offers close encounters with over 100 species of rare and fascinating animals. Race go carts on the longest family track in New England. Visit gigantic green animal sculptures and quaint fishing villages. There are lighthouses, Block Island and Newport, RI to explore, plus renowned colleges and universities, great restaurants and delicious local seafood to savor.

Roger-Williams Park Zoo Carousel - Family Activites in Rhode Island

Block Island Ferry

304 Great Island Road Narragansett, RI, 02882 Phone: 401-783-7996 Toll-Free: 866-783-7996

There’s an activity for everyone on Block Island, and the fun starts with the ferry trip over

Kids love Block Island, RI, which makes it the perfect spot for your family vacation. Take the Block Island Ferry out of Narragansett, [Point Judith] or Newport, RI: It’s a fun, scenic trip. When you get off the ferry at Old Harbor, the visitor’s center is right across the parking lot with lots of ideas. But here are a few in advance: Head out to Mohegan Bluffs for stunning cliff views, visit the exotic-animal farm, walk to a lighthouse or over nature trails. Bike to a beach to go snorkeling, clamming, surfing, paddle boarding or fishing. Go horseback riding or parasailing! And don’t forget activities in your departure port — those astonishing mansions or the Car Museum in Newport, the beaches and clam chowder in Galilee, home of Point Judith.

Warwick Office of Tourism

3275 Post Road Warwick, RI, 02886 Phone:

Outdoor and indoor activities engage every member of your family in Warwick

Indoors and out, Warwick, RI has enough activities to keep every member of the family entertained. Picturesque parks have beaches, nature trails, paddling, boat ramps, ballfields – and a public golf course! In Goddard Park, you can even arrange to go horseback riding at C and L Stables. Freshwater ponds have great swimming and fishing. There are kids’ programs at the Warwick Public Library, and pick-your-own blueberries at Rocky Point Farm. Greet the animals or pick pumpkins at Morris Farm or soar in the air at Launch Trampoline Park. At The Impossible Dream Playground, children of all physical abilities can join in the fun. There’s fun shopping at the Warwick Mall, movie theaters and an art center with family-friendly improv theater nights.

Chidlrens' Team at Riddle Room RI - Warwick, RI

Riddle Room Escape Games

1150 Bald Hill Road Warwick, RI, 02886 Phone: 401-398-8177

If you haven’t got a clue how to entertain the kids, these riddle rooms offer a solution

If you’re looking for a clue on how to entertain your family, here it is: Head to the Riddle Room Escape Games in Warwick, RI. Each game-space experience is like living inside an adventure movie – and what kid wouldn’t love that? The four escape games include a replica of a modern-day vision of Rocky Point Park, a haunted hotel where the guests keep vanishing, a Land of Imagination where the Resistance is trying to restore peace, and a forest where your friend Justin is lost — with a huge pile of treasure. Rooms ask you to solve interactive puzzles, hunt down clues and reveal secrets. No worries about doors actually being locked. (They aren’t.) : As for ages, adventurers from 7 to 102 have already enjoyed the experience. Reservations are required.

Providence Childrens Museum in Providence, RI - Photo Credit PWCVB

Go Providence

1 Sabin Street Providence, RI, 02903 Phone: 401-751-1177

No secret why families focus on the Providence area for fun activities, attractions

Families flock to the Providence, RI area, and it’s no secret why: There is so much to do! Visit the African elephants and snow leopards at the Roger Williams Park Zoo & Carousel Village or the farm animals at the Casey Farm, take a river gondola by bonfires in the spectacular WaterFire event or a swan boat in Roger Williams Park or go kayaking. Kids can “work” in the innovation lab at the Providence Children’s Museum or explore the skies at the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium. In the winter, they can go ice skating at BankNewport City Center. With a variety of family-friendly hotels (some with pools) and restaurants, the area is a welcoming one for families four seasons of the year. For more info, visit GoProvidence.com

Kid Fun, Unique Cuisine, Ocean View - Stay in Warwick, See Rhode Island!

Newport, Rhode Island - A Year Round Destination!

Rocky Point Park

1 Rocky Point Avenue Warwick, RI, 02889 Phone:

From amusement park to state park, Rocky Point has been a favorite with families for decades

Rocky Point has been a favorite gathering place for families for almost two centuries, first as the Rocky Point Amusement Park and, since 2014, in its reincarnation as a multi-use state park. Rocky Point State Park, set on 124 acres in the upper part of Narragansett Bay, features hiking and biking trails and, in the highlands, wide open fields for recreation. It’s a great spot for family picnics and walks along the craggy beach, exploring tidal pools and seeking out shells and sea glass. A public fishing pier consists of a long wooden walkway from the blacktop path out to a main deck 13 feet above the water. Leashed dogs are permitted in the park. Movies are shown on the lawn in the summer.

America's Cup Charters

49 America's Cup Avenue Newport, RI, 02840 Phone: 401-849-5868

Create an extraordinary family experience when you book a cruise aboard a yacht or schooner

Don’t settle for the ordinary when you consider your next family vacation: Get onboard with an exceptional sailing experience at America’s Cup Charters, the largest fleet of America’s Cup winners in the world. It’s a guarantee that the kids will be impressed when you board a magnificent yacht in Newport, RI, including yachts that have won or contended for the America’s Cup, then head out on glistening Narragansett Bay. Opt for a ticketed two-hour sail or make arrangements for a charter for your extended family! No sailing experience is required, and you can help raise the sails or take a turn at the helm — or just sit on the comfortable deck of a legendary sailing vessel and bask in the glow of a great family outing.

Save The Bay

Multiple Centers & Dock Locations Providence, Newport, Westerly, RI and Fall River, MA Phone: 401-272-3540

Have fun while learning something? Save The Bay can help you do that!

For Save The Bay's educators, learning and having fun go hand in hand. And this nonprofit environmental organization offers plenty of opportunities to do just that at their year-round locations in Providence and Newport. At its Bay Center in Providence, you can explore shoreline trails, enjoy the fishing cove and public dock, or even hop onboard a Lighthouse Tour (June through October). In Newport, you can stop by their interactive Exploration Center and Aquarium to check out sea urchins, horseshoe crabs, skates, sharks and more. Or, you can take a seal tour from Bowen's Wharf from November through April.
Boat tours depart from Newport, Westerly, and Providence RI.

Roger Williams Park Zoo

1000 Elmwood Avenue Providence, RI, 02907 Phone: 401-785-3510

From visits with the animals to zip lines and train rides, there’s something for every family member

Do your kids want to see an elephant swim? Go on a zip line ride? Get up close with an armadillo? Of course, they do! That’s why the Roger Williams Park Zoo is perfect for family adventures. The Zoo features over 100 species of animals from anacondas to wallabies. Watch a Massai giraffe reach high for a leafy dinner, birds flying overhead in a free-flight aviary or a bison grazing. Walk among farm animals at the petting zoo or head to the Soaring Eagle zip ride, train ride, or giant playground, with a building zone, forts, ropes to swing on, and a treehouse. Eating options include sandwiches and salads, pizza, and other favorites. Stop by the carousel located nearby. Also enjoy events like Food Truck Fridays, New England’s favorite Halloween event- the annual Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular, or the Holiday Lights Spectacular.

Sekkonk Grand Prix Family Track Seekonk MA

Seekonk Grand Prix

1098 Fall River Avenue Seekonk, MA, 02771 Phone: 508-336-8307

Zoom on over to Grand Prix for family fun from car racing to bumper cars, ropes courses, games, mini golf

Exciting family fun at great savings: That’s what Seekonk Grand Prix is all about! The variety of fun things to do is almost endless, from race tracks for families, rookies and kids to heated bumper cars, an 18-hole miniature golf course, a rock-climbing wall and a ropes course. And new electric bumper boats are coming this summer! And that’s all before you get to the great game room, with games like basketball, air hockey, Wack-a-Minion and the virtual reality game Virtual Rabbids: The Big Ride. When you’re ready for a little break, there’s pizza, ice cream and slushies. Check the website calendar for character nights and other events. Planning a birthday party? You’ve come to the right place, with several special birthday packages.

Goddard Memorial State Park

1095 Ives Road Warwick, RI, 02818 Phone: 401-884-2010

Plenty of activities, from bridle trails to sandy beaches, at this expansive park

Stroll, swim, see an equestrian show: There are plenty of fun family things to do at Goddard Memorial State Park. The 472-acre park has 355 picnic tables, so definitely bring a lunch! There are 18 miles of bridle trails and 11 game fields, spacious lawns and forested areas and an expansive sandy, saltwater beach for swimming (there’s a seasonal lifeguard) and fishing. Launch your kayak or canoe from the boat ramp. Equestrian shows, concerts and other events are held in the pavilion. There’s also a par-36, nine-hole public golf course. (Call for a tee time, since walk-ins are not allowed.) This four-season park along the shores of Greenwich Cove and Greenwich Bay is a great place to spend the day. - Park Map (PDF)

Blackstone Valley

Block Island

Newport

Providence Warwick

South County