📅 Kid + Toddler-Friendly Guide for Martha's Vineyard: Off-Season Edition (2025)

10 activities, 5 family-friendly restaurants, and my top 5 tips for a budget-friendly trip to MV in jan-april

Visiting Martha’s Vineyard with your family is such a wonderful coastal getaway no matter the time of year. You can enjoy MV in a budget and family-friendly way with this guide!

Everything on this list is something I personally have taken my kids to - I’ve included 10 activities, 5 restaurant recs, and 5 off-season tips for ya (don’t worry, they’re mostly indoors!)

Watching the ferries arrive from Black Dog Tavern in VH

🕒 Daily Itinerary:

Use this rough daily itinerary, and choose your own adventure from the options below:

• 8a: Breakfast Out or Morning Walk

• 10a: AM Activity

• 12:30p: Lunch at Home / Nap / Quiet Time

• 3p: PM Activity or Afternoon Walk

• 5p: Dinner Out

🔑 Key:

• 🌳 Outdoor Adventure - Activities primarily outdoors, where kids can explore nature

• 🆓 Free Activities - Pay-What-You-Can or Free

• 📅 Requires Scheduling - Activities that need prior arrangement or a specific time slot booking

🎈Our Top 10 Favorite Activities

1. Alley’s General Store - this general store is my favorite stop for souvenirs and the kids toy section! We always find something new.

   • Hours: Mon-Sat 7:30a-6p, Sun 9a-5p

2. 🌳🆓Island Alpaca Farm- bundle up to see the alpacas - these gentle animals are great for all ages to interact with. As kids get older there are more opportunities for them to learn about them through daily walk and talks.

   • Hours: Daily 10a-4p, Walk and Talks at 10:30 or 2:30

3. MV Museum - the kids section of this museum is incredible and exactly what you’d want in a museum. It’s enclosed, filled with books, a boat, Kinetic sand and trains - there are ways to invite play for kids of all ages. Upstairs exhibits are also often kid-friendly - we specifically loved the Seaweed one currently open.

   • Hours: Tue-Sun 10a-4p

4. 🆓 Island Libraries - all of the island libraries are a great, warm and free! Let me tell you about our personal favorites and why we love each:

   1. Edgartown Public Library - my girls love the play kitchen, Tonies, a full art area here filled with supplies, and a fenced outdoor area as well.

      • Hours: Mon, Thu-Sat 10a-5p, Tue-Wed 10a-6p, Closed Sundays

   2. Oak Bluffs Library - this library has a huge pretend play section with dress-up outfits, an enormous selection of puzzles.

      • Hours: Tue + Thur 10a-6p, Wed 8a-5p, Fri 10a-5p, Sat 10a-4p, Closed Sun+Mon

   3. West Tisbury Library - truly not as far away as you think it is! This library has the best selection of puppets, a play theatre and unique seating options.

      • Hours: Mon-Wed 10a-6p, Thu 9a-6p, Fri 10a-5p, Sat 9a-5p, Sun 12p-4p

   4. Chilmark Library - we love the musical story times here, a huge dollhouse that invites play, and lots of legos.

      • Hours: Tue 10:30a-5p, Wed 10:30a-6p, Thu 10:30a-5p, Fri 10:30a-1:30p, Sat 10:30a-5p, Closed Sundays and Mondays

5. 📅🆓 MV Family Center - The play center has weekly drop-in for indoor play with similarly aged kiddos.

   • Hours: Check weekly class schedule in Vineyard Gazette calendar

6. 📅Edgartown Cinemas - this traditional, old time cinema usually has a kids movie playing during matinees on the weekends.

   • Hours: Regular movie showtimes include sessions at 1:00 PM, 3:45 PM, and 6:30 PM​, check weekly showing schedule in Vineyard Gazette

7. Barn Bowl + Bistro - if your older kiddos are ready for bowling then this is a warm, indoor option for families

   • Hours: Sun 11:30a-9p, Mon-Thu 11:30a-10p, Fri-Sat 11:30a-11p

8. 🌳📅Native Earth Teaching Farm - usually open on Sunday afternoons, this offers an opportunity to interact with goats and explore the farm.

   • Hours: typically from 1-4p on Sundays or by appointment

9. 📅Misty Meadows Equine Learning Center - you can arrange a group experience at Misty Meadows with an inquiry if your family is interested in learning about horses

   • Hours: By appointment

10. 🌳🆓 Felix Neck Education Center - this wildlife sanctuary has an education center and lots of trails. Be sure to wear orange if you’re on any island trails during hunting season.

    • Hours: Nature Center & Gift Shop: Mon-Fri 9a-4p, Sat-Sun 10a-2p; Trails: Daily, dawn to dusk​

❗Heads Up: Hours are subject to change based on the time of year. For the most current scheduling information, please contact the venues directly.

🌲Winter 2024 - Early 2025: Off-Season Activities Guide for Martha's Vineyard

Island Alpaca, MV Museum, Chilmark Library, West Tisbury Library

🍕Our Top 5 Kid-Friendly Menus + Restaurants

1. Plane View Restaurant - this diner-style airport cafe is tucked away to the left of the terminal, and provides a casual, family-friendly environment to get a bite while the kiddos watch the planes take off and land. Don’t be deterred - anyone can go and parking is free for 2 hours or less, plus there’s an outdoor playground if it’s warm enough to play.

2. 🍽️Linda Jeans - an island staple for breakfast, this is one of the few options that has a kids menu and coloring, plus the wait staff have been continuously accommodating.

3. Offshore Ale - at it’s most affordable, Monday nights is 2-for-1 during the off-season. Despite no kids-menu, the menu offers pizza, chicken fingers + the ambiance is loud enough for your kids to make a little noise.

4. 🍽️The Attic - hearty portions for the adults, real kids-menu and a great family feel year-round.

5. 🍽️Edgartown Pizza - this casual pizza spot has cozy booths with books for kids to read while they wait for food, includes an affordable kids menu, and is our go-to for takeout.

*🍽️ Kids Menu Available — kids menus also available at Black Dog Tavern, Sharky’s and Town

🍕 Winter 2024-Early 2025: Year-Round Restaurants that Stay Open on Martha's Vineyard

Watching the planes while waiting for food at Plane View, Food from Offshore Ale

🚗 Our Top 5 Travel Tips

1. Check the Weekend Update

   1. Every Thursday morning I send an email that lists events happening for the coming weekend and week, and I label which festivals/events are kid-friendly. The free list will include cost, links for more info and locations.

2. Pop-Up Classes

   1. Check programming at Featherstone, Slough Farm and FARM Institute before your trip as they occasionally have pop-up options.

3. Bring Your Car

   1. A fun fact for new visitors is that it is more reasonably priced to bring a car with you on the ferry in the winter, and reservations are readily available. Depending on the length of your stay, I would encourage you bringing a car with you. Or the VTA is free in 2025 - this post on How to Get Around can help with that.

4. Stay in Vineyard Haven or Edgartown

   1. I’d suggest staying at Mansion House, Edgar Hotel, Franklin Hotel or Harbor View Hotel due to their locations and history of accommodating families.

5. A Note on Early Risers

   1. Very little for kids is open before 10am! If you’ve got early risers that might be a great time to bring along a game or puzzle during those mornings. A few libraries open before 10 one day per week, so you can check which day that is if your kids are 6am risers like mine.

🔗 For more Martha’s Vineyard family-friendly guidance, check these posts:

☔ Things to Do on Martha's Vineyard on a Rainy Day (2024)

📅 Toddler-Friendly Weekend Itinerary for Martha's Vineyard

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Toddler-Friendly Activities on Martha's Vineyard (2023)

📌Reference Graphic