With miles of beautiful shoreline Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is a perfect place for a beach vacation. Outside the beach, Myrtle Beach has a lot to offer for families. Check out our list of the Absolute best activities in Myrtle Beach for young children.
When I decided to book a trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with my two children, ages 4 and 8, I did hours of research; I mean hours. I discovered many amazing things to do with kids, from rides to shows, miniature golf, beaches, shopping, and restaurants. I couldn’t believe how much there was to do in this beach town.
They were so many resorts to choose from in Myrtle Beach. We stayed at the Coral Beach Resort, which they advertise as the Travel Channel’s top pick for families (see my review here).
When researching activities for young children, many articles mentioned the same places, and many of them I booked. But, to my surprise, I found fantastic places I did not uncover when researching Myrtle Beach.
There were so many family activities; there was no way we would do everything in one trip. Here is my pick for the Absolute Best Activities in Myrtle Beach.
Quick List of Fun Activities in Myrtle Beach for Young Children
- The Beach
- Resort Pool
- Broadway at the Beach: Keep reading to find out why
- Miniature Golf
- Ripley’s Aquarium
- Pirate Adventure in Murrels Inlet
- Pirates Voyage Dinner Show
- Wonderworks
- Beach Rider Jet Boat Ride (at Broadway at the Beach)
- Dinoland Cafe
- The Hangout Restaurant (at Broadway at the Beach)
- Pavilion Park (at Broadway at the Beach)
- Alligator Adventure
The Best Restaurants for Kids in Myrtle Beach
My children are picky eaters. If they don’t have chicken nuggets, hot dogs, or hamburgers, I won’t even bother. Luckily Myrtle Beach is a family destination, and most restaurants I found offer these children staples.
Dinoland Cafe
If you have a dinosaur lover in your group, you must eat at Dinoland Cafe. I recommend making reservations if you plan to eat during the dinner hour. I made reservations three weeks in advance.
Dinoland Cafe is a restaurant with a dinosaur theme. There were many dinosaurs throughout the restaurant. My son is a dinosaur fan, and he loved this. Our waitress was friendly and encouraged us to walk around the restaurant. My four and eight-year-olds loved walking around the restaurant and taking pictures. They have signs on everything that says no touching.
The food at Dinoland Cafe was good; it was better than I thought it would be. I had the strawberry walnut salad with shrimp; it was delicious. My daughter had a burger, and my son had chicken nuggets. Their meals came with ice cream, and I ordered the coconut cake. It w s delicious and huge. I took it back to the hotel.
While eating, a Veloster Raptor dinosaur walked around the restaurant and visited each table. My children loved this. The dinosaur spent a reasonable amount of time at each table.
I highly recommend Dinoland Cafe. The only thing I didn’t like was how they wrote the menu. It wasn’t very welcoming. Next to the sodas, it said no refills. On some of the menu items, it said no sides with this. I felt it should have been written nicer.
The Hangout
The Hangout is located on Broadway at the Beach. It is a fantastic place to eat. They have a party crew that will get you dancing at your table while you eat. I cannot express how much fun this restaurant is. The party crew will have you singing and dancing the whole night through. If you are not hungry, no worries; they have an outside section where you can listen to music and dance.
The Hangout has the world’s largest display of Pez dispensers, a slide, a gift shop, and plenty of opportunities for pictures. The food was kid-friendly, serving chicken and hamburgers.
Children can get $8 milkshakes that come in a souvenir cup. The cup was worth $8, a favorite for my two kids.
We loved the Hangout; it was awesome! I wish we had one on Long Island.
Pirates Voyage Dinner Show
We visited the Pirates Voyage Dinner Show on the third night of our trip. It was my daughter’s favorite part of the entire trip. This dinner show is excellent for young children or even teenagers. It is amazing. My 8-year-old wanted to go again.
When you enter the building, you are greeted by a photographer who takes your picture. I didn’t purchase my picture that night. After I returned home from my trip, I did receive an email with 40% off the pictures.
Before the show begins, the staff can give you a pirate makeover for an extra fee. My children don’t like face makeup, but the children who did do it looked adorable. I do suggest dressing up like a pirate or bringing a pirate hat. If you don’t have anything, do worry; there is a gift shop when you enter.
Inside the theater were two pirate ships, one on either side. Each side of the theater is assigned a color, either blue or red, and you cheer for your pirate color. There is music, aerobatics, live animals, crowd participation, great food, and pirate fun. I highly recommend this show and purchasing tickets in advance. I purchased mine about two months before our trip.
Best Pancake/Waffle House for Kids in Myrtle Beach
On almost every corner in Myrtle Beach, you will find a pancake or waffle house. Johnny D’s Waffles and Donald’s Pancake House were the best of the ones we visited.
Johhny D’s and Donald’s offer a fun and tasty breakfast menu. My kids love waffles and pancakes; they got them at both restaurants. I had banana bread, French toast at Johnny D’s, and banana, walnut pancakes, and eggs at Donald’s. I think everyone will find something delicious to eat.
We loved that the chef came to our table at Johnny D’s to ask how our meal was.
We loved that Donald’s takes pictures and gives guests a free photo at the end of the meal.
Johnny D’s and Donald’s were both delicious and family-friendly. I highly recommend both restaurants.
The Best Activities in Myrtle Beach for Kids
Pirates Adventure Murrells Inlet
Pirates Adventure, located at Murrells Inlet, was adorable. Children hop on board a “real” pirate ship and hunt for treasure.
Along the way, the crew helped the children read a treasure map and pull clues out of the water. The children also get to fight a real pirate, Pirate Pete.
My 4-year-old thought the entire experience was real. He was so excited about fighting Pirate Pete. In the end, the children help pull a treasure chest out of the water and get to keep some treasure (fake gold coins).
Pirate’s Adventure last about 1.5 hours. It was a fun experience. I recommend it for ages 3-8.
Alligator Adventure
Alligator Adventure is a reptile zoo located in Myrtle Beach. They have every size alligator you can imagine. Something is thrilling about visiting a park full of meat-eating alligators!
They had an albino alligator, Bob, the alligator with no tail, and alligators of every type and size.
Alligator Adventure had a reptile show. My son was excited to have the opportunity to hold an alligator after the reptile show.
During the alligator feeding show, the alligators jump out of the water.
Besides alligators, they have large tortoises that you can pet, or at least we think you can pet them; my kids did.
Alligator Adventure had a reptile house that you could walk through. So many different reptiles on display. They also had a macaw.
My kids loved Alligator Adventure. It’s great for both young children and teenagers. We spent two hours at this park.
Resort Pool
Some of the best memories I made with my kids on our trip were at the resort pool.
We stayed at the Coral Beach Resort, which offered a lovely pool area. When planning your Myrtle Beach trip with kids, find a resort with a fun pool area.
I recommend finding a resort that has both indoor and outdoor pools. We had some rain during our trip, and the indoor pool ensured that our pool time did not end when it started to rain.
Beach
You want to be at the beach when you are at Myrtle Beach. The beaches are beautiful.
Outside of all the fun activities in Myrtle Beach. Spending time at the beach is where we spent most of our day.
I learned all about hunting for shark teeth from other beachgoers. I didn’t realize that Myrtle Beach had so many shark teeth on the shores. You can find a bunch if you know where to look.
Shark teeth hunting became one of my favorite beach activities.
The soft sand and calm waters made it the perfect daytime activity. Boogie boards are allowed at the beach. If you are into boogie boarding, I suggest purchasing one before your trip.
If you purchase one while on vacation, I recommend going to the nearby Walmart instead of a gift shop. I found them to be cheaper. We stayed at the Coral Beach Resort; a Wal-Mart was close by.
During our trip to Myrtle Beach, we spent most of the day going back and forth from the beach to the pool. We ventured away from our resort in the evening.
Miniature Golf
Looking for a fun, inexpensive night out on your Myrtle Beach vacation? Try mini golf. There are so many miniature golf places to choose from you will never go to the same one twice. There are dinosaur theme courses, jungle, pirates, and more. My kids and I had an amazing time playing on our trip. I recommend playing mini golf in the evenings when the sun goes down. The courses are lit up at night and won’t be as hot.
Broadway at the Beach
Broadway at the beach is a popular Myrtle Beach destination and is mentioned as one of the top places to visit while in Myrtle Beach. I agree that if you visit Myrtle Beach, you must visit Broadway at the Beach; here’s why.
Broadway at the beach is a food and entertainment mecca; it’s a perfect place to bring the kids after a long day at the beach and pool.
It’s pretty large, and after spending the day in the water walking around aimlessly can be tiring for little kids. We all know what happens when kids get tired; they get cranky. No one wants to deal with cranky kids on vacation.
To combat that, we made a list of the best places to visit with kids at Broadway at the Beach.
The Best Stores for Kids at Broadway at the Beach
Broadway Magic Shop – cute magic tricks and gadgets. They have a Zoltar fortune teller for any Big movie fans. Outside they have someone making balloon animals.
Del Sol- everything in the shop changes color in the sun. The store has a try-it section where you can place the object and watch it change color. They have shirts, accessories, sunglasses, nail polish, slime, key chains, and other items. My son got the dinosaur egg slime, and my daughter got color-changing nail polish.
Sparkes– Sparkles are a must-do for little girls. They offer mermaid, princess, rock star, or diva makeover packages. The packages include hair, makeup, nail polish, and little goodies. You can visit and not select a package. The store has cute clothing, jewelry, accessories, and sparkles. My 8-year-old was a little “too cool” for the store, but if she were 6, she would have loved it.
Ridemakerz– Ridemakerz was my children’s favorite store by far. In Ridemaker, you get to make a custom race car. You choose the car body, rims, and wheels and customize it with other accessories. My daughter decided to keep her car and push the car, and my son made him into a remote control car. My kids enjoyed helping screw the car together and putting the wheels on. It was a fun experience.
Klig’s Kites– Klig’s Kites was a fun store to visit with my kids. They enjoyed looking at all the different kites. They also had cute souvenirs, toys, and gag gifts.
Build-a-Bear Workshop– Build-A-Bear is an interactive store where children make their own stuffed animals that can be personalized with outfits and accessories.
Claire’s– if you have a 7 to 12-year-old girl, then Claire’s is a must. They have earrings, bracelets, necklaces, hair bows and clips, and other accessories. They also have small toys and stuffed animals.
I Scream Candy and It’s Sugar are two candy shops my kids enjoyed. At Its Sugar, kids, and adults can create their own custom Sour Patch Kids. I don’t usually let My kids have candy, but since we were on vacation, I let them pick out some from each shop.
Broadway at the Beach has two toy stores, Toy Island and Toysaurus. Both stores carry similar toy items for little kids.
Fun Entertainment and Activities for kids at Broadway at the Beach
Simpsons 4D experience
This show was great and a must-see for any Simpsons lover. It was still good even if you don’t watch the Simpsons, such as my children.
The Simpsons 4D show was a 20-minute movie experience at Broadway at the Beach. The children got to wear 3D glasses, feel bugs crawling, and get spritzed with water. After seeing the movie, I feel it would be better for children ages eight and up, but my children enjoyed it.
After the show, you enter the famous Quick e mark. That was full of Simpsons classics, including slushies, Duff beer, donuts, and gifts. My children enjoyed the gift shop.
Ripleys Aquarium with Breakfast with a Mermaid
Ripleys Aquarium is located at Broadway at the Beach. I booked breakfast with a mermaid at the Ripleys Aquarium. The price of the ticket included breakfast and passes to the aquarium.
We needed to be at the Aquarium at 8 am, an hour before the Aquarium opened.
To be honest, the breakfast wasn’t that good. They offered a buffet-style meal of eggs, pancakes, sausage, bacon, and a fruit cup. To drink, they had orange juice, water, and coffee.
There wasn’t any milk available which was a big problem for me because my son only drinks milk; sorry, Justin.
When you entered the small banquet room, your stop was the mermaid for a free picture and take and make crafts.
The picture was OK, the lighting could have been better, but it was free, so I can’t complain.
The mermaid sat inside a clam shell. She was nice and friendly.
Outside of all the fun activities in Myrtle Beach. Spending time at the beach is where we spent most of our day.
After breakfast, the mermaid read the children a story. When the story was finished, you were allowed to visit the aquarium. This was the best part. Since the aquarium was closed, we saw everything without crowds or lines. It was great
I was impressed with Ripley’s aquarium. There were many animals to see, and it was a nice atmosphere. My children and I enjoyed the aquarium. Walking through the long shark tunnel was our favorite.
We also enjoyed the jellyfish area and penguins. Overall I thought it was a great aquarium and would recommend it for young children or anyone who loves marine animals.
The aquarium also offers a glass-bottom boat ride and penguin encounters. We didn’t try these during our visit, but others enjoyed them.
When you leave the aquarium, you can get a stamp that allows you to return and walk through it again. They are open until 11 pm. We did take advantage of this opportunity. We returned to the resort to hit the beach and then visited in the evening to walk the shark tunnel again.
Wonderworks
Wonderworks is another one of my top picks for activities to do with kids in Myrtle Beach. I recommend it for children ages four and up.
Wonderworks is an interactive science experience. It has exhibits such as the hurricane wind tunnel that lets you feel like you are in hurricane-force winds. They have four floors of exhibits and entertainment. Wonderworks h a 4D movie, games, exhibits, and an indoor ropes course. You can purchase a ticket package with an outdoor ropes course and zip line.
Pavilion Park Rides
Pavilion Park is located on Broadway at the Beach. They have rides for the entire family. I suggest visiting at night when it’s cooler and all the rides are lit up.
Jet Speed Boat Ride
Super fun boat ride on the water of Broadway at the Beach. It was a bit pricey, $20 a person, but a super fun experience. If you do it, I suggest riding at night, when everything is lit up. I recommend this experience for ages seven and up. My son, age 4, was a little bit scared.
Places to Avoid with Young Kids in Myrtle Beach
We had an amazing time at Myrtle Beach. That being said, there are some places that I would skip on our next trip. These places weren’t bad; they weren’t great for my family.
Myrtle Beach Boardwalk
This might upset people as the Boardwalk is one of my top places to visit in Myrtle Beach. That was one of the reasons I came to Myrtle beach with my kids.
Unfortunately, the Boardwalk is not a great place for young kids. It had some good gift shops and ice cream. However, the area was sketchy in the evening. It didn’t have that family vibe. I would avoid the Boardwalk at night.
Family Kingdom Amusement Park
Some people might be mad about this, but we didn’t like Family Kingdom Amusement Park as much as I hoped we would. It has 38 family rides, which was OK, but I felt Pavilion Park was a nicer area for families.
Myrtle Beach Vacation
If you love the beach, restaurants, shopping, and entertainment, Myrtle Beach is the place for you and your family. We made many memories on our visit this summer; I can’t wait to visit again next year.
I hope you enjoyed our list of the Absolute best things to do in Myrtle Beach with Kids. We hope you make as many wonderful memories as we did on your Myrtle Beach vacation.
