Top Things To Do With Young Kids in Seaside

From our friends at City of Seaside Visitors Bureau

If you have questions about visiting during COVID, read It’s Easy to Seaside Safely for the latest updates on what to expect during your trip.

Seaside has long been a favorite family retreat, but it’s an especially good choice for families with young children. Why? Because Seaside has plenty to keep pint-sized beachgoers busy. After a day in Seaside, we promise that your little tykes will have no problem nodding off at night — for that matter, neither will you.

1. SEARCH FOR TREASURE
What kid doesn’t love a treasure hunt? Plan to visit the beach at low tide for beachcombing. Scan the shore for whatever the ocean washes up that day, including whole sand dollars. (The bull kelp can look pretty alien, too!)

2. PEDAL AROUND TOWN
After a few hours on the beach, rent a four-wheeled surrey from either Wheel Fun Rentals or Prom Bike Shop. Little ones will love riding through downtown while you do all the pedaling. Seaside’s city center is walkable, so explore on foot as well; don’t miss the iconic the 1.5-mile paved, beachfront Promenade.

3. WALK AMONG TOWERS OF TAFFY
Now that you’ve burned off some calories, time to put them back on. Head to The Seaside Candyman, where you’ll be surrounded by a forest of taffy towers. While you’ll find 180 flavors of salt water taffy to choose from, I always go for the marionberry cheesecake.

4. RIDE A PIG
Take a spin on the indoor Seaside Carousel. Your kids can choose from 17 different animals. My personal favorite: the pig.

5. BLOW THROUGH A ROLL OF QUARTERS
Funland Arcade is home to plenty of games that eat pocket change, but it also has an extra special surprise: one of the only Fascination parlors left in America. What is Fascination, you ask? Think skee ball meets bingo. For another nod to the past, walk on Broadway Street just west of Funland Arcade to Seaside Shootout, a classic, fully animated shooting gallery. Win your kid a prize!

6. DIG FOR DINNER
Give your kid a shovel and bucket, and you’re in business. The best place to dig for razor clams is the south end of the Seaside beach, around two hours before peak low tide. Just make sure beaches are open for clamming (regular closures occur July 15 to September 30) and that you have purchased a license. Lots more information on how to clam is available at SeasideOR.com.

7. BE A BIRDWATCHER
The Necanicum Estuary, where the Necanicum River meets the Pacific Ocean, is a top spot on the north coast for little hikers to find migratory shorebirds up close and protected from the wild ocean swells. Be mindful of the tides and keep your eyes peeled for whole sand dollars and crabs in addition to Western Sandpiper, Whimbrel, and Long-Billed Curlew, among many other birds.

8. FEED THE SEALS
One of the oldest on the West Coast, the Seaside Aquarium is small and independent, but young kids will enjoy feeding the seals and touching such sea creatures as sea anemones, sea urchins and starfish. It’s also a good place to go on a rainy day.