If you’ve ever tried to plan a family vacation, you know the drill. The adults want scenery, seafood, and maybe a quiet moment with coffee. The kids want action. Preferably the kind that involves sand, water, and the freedom to run like slightly caffeinated golden retrievers.

Good news: Westport, Washington delivers both.

This is the kind of place where kids can spend the morning digging for clams, the afternoon climbing driftwood forts, and the evening falling asleep in the back seat with sandy socks and a pocket full of shells. In other words, the perfect family day.

Here’s your unofficial guide to keeping kids happily busy in Westport.

Beach Time (Obviously)

Let’s start with the obvious star of the show: the beach.

Westport’s shoreline is wide, sandy, and wonderfully wild. Kids can run for miles without bumping into much besides driftwood, shorebirds, and the occasional crab that looks mildly offended to see you. (Also see: crabby.)

Things kids love doing here:

Building elaborate sand castles that will absolutely not survive the tide
Climbing enormous driftwood logs like tiny pirates
Flying kites in the steady ocean breeze: there are plenty of spots to find kites in Westport, including Hookers & Blow on Westhaven Drive (it’s a fishing and kite shop, we promise)!
Jumping waves and getting soaked within five minutes

Pro tip: Pack extra socks and a change of clothes. This is less of a suggestion and more of a survival strategy.

A Beach Scavenger Hunt (Guaranteed Entertainment)

Here’s a simple activity that can keep kids busy for a surprisingly long time.

Westport Beach Scavenger Hunt!

See how many of these you can find:

A perfectly round sand dollar
A feather
A piece of sea glass
A shell bigger than your thumb
A crab shell
A piece of coral
A piece of driftwood shaped like an animal
Seaweed
A smooth skipping stone
A tiny spiral shell
Footprints from a bird
Something bright orange (nature always provides)

Bring a small bucket or bag for treasures. Kids will take this job very seriously.

You can also do a photo scavenger hunt, then you can have items like:

Human footprints
Waves
Sea Foam
Bird prints
Safety signs

Just remember the golden rule: look, admire, then return anything living back to the ocean.

The Westport Light State Park Adventure

Kids love anything that involves a lighthouse. It’s science. (Probably.)

At the 560-acre Westport Light State Park, you’ll find the Grays Harbor Lighthouse, the tallest lighthouse in Washington State at 107 feet tall. It was built in 1897 and has a huge working Fresnel lens built in Paris, France in 1895 at the top in the lantern room.

If your crew has the energy, climb the tower. The spiral staircase alone feels like an adventure, and the view at the top is the kind that makes kids suddenly interested in geography.

The lighthouse is generally open Thursday-Sunday from 11-3, but check the website to make sure

Around the park you’ll also find:

Easy, paved walking paths perfect for little legs
Big grassy areas for running around
Beach access for more exploring

Basically, it’s a choose-your-own-adventure playground.

Visit the Westport Maritime Museum

If the weather turns a little coastal (translation: windy, rainy, or both), head to the Westport Maritime Museum.

This spot is surprisingly fun for kids, especially if they’re into boats, shipwreck stories, or anything involving giant lenses and maritime gadgets.

You’ll find:

Historic boats and fishing gear
Interactive exhibits about life on the coast
A fascinating look at how this tiny town became a big fishing port
A 17-foot tall, rotating, 1,176-prism Fresnel lighthouse lens whose mesmerizing prisms kept the coastline safe for 117 years
A 30-foot yearling gray whale skeleton

It’s fun, informative and small enough that kids won’t lose interest halfway through.

Harbor Watching (Boats + Sea Lions = Kid Gold)

Head down to the marina and wander along the docks. Kids love it here.

Why?

Because this is where the real action happens.

Westport is a working port town, one of the top three fishing ports on the West Coast by tonnage. It’s a major hub for commercial fishing, charter fishing and crabbing, which is why you’ll find the marina packed with fishing vessels, gear sheds, and crab pot yards.

You might see:

Fishing boats unloading their catch
Sea lions barking from the docks like grumpy old fishermen
Gulls attempting extremely questionable seafood thefts

The harbor is also a great place to grab fish and chips and sit outside while the kids watch the boats come and go.

Try Razor Clamming (When the Tides Cooperate)

If you happen to visit during an open razor clam dig, do not skip it.

Razor clamming is part treasure hunt, part beach workout, and part comedy show as everyone learns the fine art of digging quickly before the clam escapes.

The basics: locate “shows” in the sand, which are dimples or keyhole-shaped holes the clams create. You want to do this at low tide, 1-2 hours before the lowest point. Use a PVC or metal “clam gun” to push down directly over the hole, or use a specialized clam shovel to dig about 6 inches seaward of the hole at a slight angle.

When you pull or dig up the sand, there will be a pile. Search through the pile with your hands or feet to uncover the clam.

Kids love:

Spotting the telltale clam “show” in the sand - sometimes stomping on the sand can cause them to react and show, and every kid loves a good stomp in wet sand
Using clam guns or shovels
Carrying around buckets or clam bags like professional clam collectors

You’ll need a license for everyone clamming, and the WDFW only releases a few dates per month in the fall and spring. Here are a few dates in the first week of April for clam digging in Twin Harbors.

Upcoming 2026 Dates:

April 1, Wednesday, 6:45 a.m.; 0.5 feet
April 2, Thursday, 7:22 a.m.; 0.1 feet
April 3, Friday, 7:57 a.m.; -0.2 feet
April 4, Saturday, 8:32 a.m.; -0.2 feet
April 5, Sunday, 9:08 a.m.; -0.1 feet
April 6, Monday, 9:46 a.m.; 0.2 feet
April 7, Tuesday, 10:30 a.m.; 0.5 feet

Shopping and Sweet Treat Stops

After all that exploring, kids will inevitably ask the most important question of the day:

“Can we get ice cream?”

Westport understands this need deeply. Around town you’ll find classic coastal snack stops where cones, shakes, and salty snacks appear exactly when they’re needed most. House-made fudge, doughnuts, saltwater taffy, all kinds of candy and toys abound in these shops that pepper Westhaven Drive with sweet treats.

And there’s great shopping for the adults, as well…from boutiques to souvenir shops to antique stores, there are plenty of shops to find that perfect gift to bring home to a friend, or keep yourself. You deserve it!

The Best Part of Westport with Kids

Westport isn’t packed with flashy attractions or crowded boardwalks. And honestly, that’s the magic of it.

Kids get space.

Parents get fresh ocean air.

And the whole day feels like one long, sandy adventure.

You might arrive with a loose plan. But by the end of the day, chances are you’ll just be following the kids down the beach to see what they discover next.

If you’re thinking about coming to Westport with kids, visit our accommodations page to find the perfect spot for the whole family.