100 North Fork things to do with kids this summer
Summer on the North Fork is finally here, and we’re elated at the least! We’ve taken the work out of planning your best yet North Fork summer with a list of 100 things to do with your family. Some are events not to be missed, while others on the list are intentionally simple moments that we hope are forever ingrained in your family’s memory. Now get out there and enjoy the best season of all. Happy summer, Petite readers!
Have a playdate at the new Cutchogue Causeway playground located on Nassau Point Causeway Beach.
Learn about local lighthouses during a family-friendly Cross Sound Lighthouse Cruise.
Opa! Cruise on over to the Annual Mattituck Greek Festival for family fun, fantastic food, live music, and dancing. (Sat., 6/28, noon - 11 p.m. and Sun., 6/29, noon to 6 p.m.)
Make a splash at Splish Splash Water Park’s new kid zone, Stingray Bay, featuring three pint-sized water slides, six interactive spray features, five water play features, and a dump bucket.
Watch a live Youth on Stage production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “School of Rock” at the North Fork Community Theatre. (7/17 through 8/3)
Moonlit paddle! Take your teens (or experienced kid paddler) on a Moonlight kayak or stand-up paddleboard Tour of the Peconic River. (Fri., 7/11, 8-9 p.m., Sat., 8/9, 7:30-8:30 p.m.)
Catch the new Beach Shack Ice Cream Bike serving ice cream sandwiches.
Pick blueberries and raspberries at Patty’s Berries and Bunches in Mattituck.
Grab your binoculars and go on a nature walk along one of the North Fork’s plentiful kid-friendly trails.
Take your shot at the new Sandy Falls Mini Golf in Riverhead.
Order a Long Island Marine and Coastal Field Guide from Back to the Bays and see how much of the flora and fauna you can find this summer.
Hunt for seaglass during sunset. Whoever finds blue or purple glass wins!
Check out the Kids’ Room at the East End Seaport Museum.
Head to a North Fork Ospreys collegiate baseball home game at Jean Cochran Park in Peconic. Schedule here.
Pick cherries at Wickam’s Fruit Farm. (Super limited!)
Join local orgs, Group for the East End, North Fork Audubon Society, or Back to the Bays, for a family-friendly nature outing or event.
Cheer in the stands as monster trucks race and crush at Riverhead Raceway. (Sat., 7/19)
Go on a treasure hunt with the Greenie Supply Treasure Map, pick up from the vending machine at Port of Egypt in Southold.
Explore Peconic River Herb Farm and search for fairies and gnomes.
Dive into discounts and experiences with Long Island Aquarium’s 25th anniversary.
Listen to live tunes at Monday Night Dances in the Park, Mitchell Park, Greenport (7/7 kicks it off with MoTown and Funk band, Noiz, dates through August)
Learn who lives under the sea at the New Suffolk Waterfront. Wed., 7/16, 10 a.m. to noon.
Shop the latest collection of stunning, beach-inspired bracelets made by a 10-year-old NoFo kid at Beach Shack Bracelet Co. on Stillwater Ave., in Cutchogue.
All aboard! Take a ride on the Greenport Express, the North Fork’s only miniature railroad. Open Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Moores Lane. $5/ride, credit card only.
Join a sing-along with Alan Muraoka of Sesame Street at The Suffolk. (Sun., 8/10)
Rainy day pick: Take a crafting workshop at Rowan Craft Boutique in Southold.
Hang after dark at Reflextions, Art in the Park for an illuminated adventure of light art and sculpture. (Fri., 7/18 and Fri., 8/1)
Create in an open art studio at Art Lab on The Lawn by Petite North Fork and Artfully Long Island at Hotel Moraine. Summer dates: Sundays, 7/20 and 8/17.
Stock up on summer reads from local book retailers, including Burton’s Books, A Book Place, and The Little Book Nook.
Kick it old school and go Bowling at The All Star.
Take your teen to Yoga in the Garden, Saturdays at The Gardens at Beds and Borders. 9:30 a.m., $20/person.
Catch a firework show: Peconic Bay Vineyards on Sat., 7/5, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., Orient Harbor Fireworks on Sat., 7/12 at 9:15 p.m., or Downtown Riverhead Alive on 25 Fri., 7/18 at 5-9 p.m.
Wakeboarding, wakesurfing, water skiing, tubing — surprise the fam with a day on the water with Peconic Water Sports.
Play a round of pickleball at Box Pickleball in Riverhead.
Surprise them with ice cream before dinner from local faves, Magic Fountain or Snowflake Ice Cream Shoppe.
Have a proper picnic lunch in Orient’s Poquatuck Park. Conveniently, the Orient Country Store is a stone’s throw away.
Play for hours at Waterdrinker North Fork.
Learn how to line dance at Hallockville Museum Farm’s Country Barn Dance (Sat., 7/26).
Visit a family-friendly winery or brewery.
Take a ride on the newly reopened Greenport Carousel in Mitchel Park.
Jump on the ferry to Shelter Island for The Pridwin’s Wednesday Night BBQs, through August.
Let them dance until they’re tired at the annual Brady Rymer & The Little Band That Could summer family concert at Mitchell Park. (Tues., 7/29)
Rainy day pick: Head to The Shoppes at East Wind in Wading River, where you’ll find plenty for kids, plus a carousel.
Don’t miss Lobster Fest at Veterans Beach in Mattituck on Sat., 7/26 at 5 p.m.
Teach your kids how to do handstands in the Peconic Bay.
Pick your own flower bouquet at Horton’s Flower Farm now in Mattituck, starting Fri., 7/11. Also, check out their family-friendly Kids Day, Sun., 7/20.
Clean up a local beach with the help of Relic’s Beach Cleanup Stations across the North Fork.
Watch the sun go down while hanging with friends and fam and noshing on pizza from Palmer Vineyards at Sunset Fridays. Fridays, 5:30 to 9 p.m.
Climb to the top of Horton Point Lighthouse.
Shift into gear at Long Island Antique Power Association’s John Deere Tractor Showcase, Summer Show, and Flea Market. (Sat., 7/13 and Sun., 7/13)
Visit Jamesport Farm Brewery with the whole crew, as new ownership now welcomes families.
Sign your kiddo up for a Friday Children’s Workshop at Sang Lee Farms.
Enjoy old-school summer at Drossos Snack Bar and Mini Golf.
Pick juicy peaches at Lewin Farms in Calverton or Truxel Peaches at Hayden’s Orchard in Wading River, or Pavel Peach Farm in Jamesport.
Eat dinner at Little Fish in Southold and take dessert to go as you watch the sunset at Kenney’s Beach.
Play throwback video games at Game On Retro Arcade, Tanger Outlets.
Bribe your kids to take photos with you at Lavender by the Bay when the fields are in full bloom. Worth it, we promise. (East Marion and Calverton locations)
Meet the newest addition to Harbes Family Farm: a pair of mini Highland cows.
Pack up dinner to go and watch the sailboats at New Suffolk’s Wednesday Night Sailboat Races.
Watch “Angels in the Outfield” during an outdoor movie night at Tasker Park in Peconic. (7/12)
See Greenport from a different view through Camera Obscura.
Have lunch farm-side at 8 Hands Farm while watching the animals roam the field
Explore the summer night sky and learn about stars, planets, and nebulae at the Custer Institute and Observatory on Sat., 7/19.
Attend a pint-sized, small-town carnival at the Annual Jamesport Fire Department Carnival and Bazaar. (7/15 - 7/19)
Spend the entire day at the beach of your choice. Bonus points if it ends in casual takeout from Lucia, The Shack, or Fiocha Pizza.
Pop into VEME Studio’s Art Bar for an afternoon of creativity with your kid.
Go roller skating on a rainy day at Greenport’s GCD Roller Skate Rink.
Have an impromptu water balloon fight with your kids.
Paint “kindness” rocks and leave them around town for others to find.
Rainy day pick: Climb rock walls, play laser tag, and surf an indoor wave at Scott’s Pointe.
Volunteer your family’s time helping at a local organization. CAST and Common Ground are both great options.
Gather your family and march in a small hometown Fourth of July Parade. Southold and New Suffolk are our faves.
Weave through the sunflower maze at Rottkamp's Fox Hollow Farm.
Check out North Fork Arts Center’s children and teen workshops.
Give your kiddos $5 each and let them buy something of their choice, no matter how silly or unnecessary, at Goldsmith’s Toys in Greenport.
Learn about Polish culture at the Polish Town Fair and Festival in Riverhead. (Sat., 8/16 and Sun., 8/17)
Don’t miss Alive on 25, a summer street festival in Downtown Riverhead. (Fri., 7/18 and Fri., 8/1)
Workout and play at The Heart of It — a new hub for all things mommy-and-me and more by Stroller Strong Mamas and Little Moments Little Fam.
Have a “daycation” at Orient Beach State Park, including hanging at the beach, swimming, trail walking, playground playing, then grilling, or grabbing grub from The Sunshine Shack.
Hang with the fam at Sparkling Pointe’s Fizz and Fry, Mondays 4:30 to 7 p.m.
Make your unicorn-loving kid’s dreams come true as they decorate and ride a “unicorn,” aka pony, at The Little Red Barn.
Visit the Railroad Museum of Long Island with locations in Riverhead and Greenport.
Gather, eat, and hang with friends at Maizeat at The Shoals Dockside. Thursday through Sunday, noon to 7 p.m.
Learn how to fish with Tom Mangiamele at the New Suffolk Waterfront, dates in August.
Have a North Fork professional photographer take family photos of you and your kids. You can thank me later.
Get in the car after dinner for a “count the Osprey” drive, see how many you can tally up.
Wake the kids (sounds horrific, I know) and gather them to catch the sunrise over Orient Point.
Teach your kids how to shuck an oyster, a North Fork rite of passage.
Watch live music with your crew. Our fav bands to catch: Gene Casey and The Lone Sharks, GUNK, Points East.
Wander the grounds at Landcraft Garden Foundation in Mattituck.
Cool off with a family-friendly flick at Mattituck Cinemas or North Fork Arts Center.
Flag down Mister Softee for a summer staple.
Visit the goats at Catapano Dairy Farm and schedule a cuddling session. Sessions through 7/5.
Host your own cannonball competition, bonus points if it’s off a local dock!
Hunt for second-hand reads at Riverhead’s Yellow Book Barn, open Mon., Wed., Fri, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., or at Southold Library’s Book Cottage, open on Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Pick up dough from Lombardi’s Love Lane Market and make homemade grilled pizzas using North Fork bounty. Kid-friendly and delicious.
Beat the heat at Long Island Science Center with a fun day of S.T.E.M.
Take a leisurely family walk. Our picks: Narrow River Road in Orient or the charming streets of New Suffolk.
Tour a tall ship! Kalmar Nyckel returns to Greenport. 7/22 through 8/3.
Create a family memory capsule filled with thoughts, photos, and small souvenirs (rocks and shells are totally included!) of your favorite things about summer 2025.
