Things To Do in Long Beach Island, NJ With Young Kids

Ellis turned TWO this month and we celebrated by spending a week at a beach house in LBI (Long Beach Island), NJ. And guys… it was soooo needed. After months of isolation, we really didn’t think this trip would happen, but luckily the stars aligned and we got a family getaway and celebrated our girl at our favorite place—the beach! We’ve been to a lot of Jersey Shore beaches (you can check out our faves here), but LBI was one that was on our bucket list but was too far for just a day trip. And we went RIGHT before the summer season officially started so we got a great deal (I’ll share the AirBnB listing we booked at the end of the post).

I will preface that when we went, A LOT of businesses were still closed due to Covid-19. We went the week restaurants were just starting to set up outdoor seating and only a handful of local shops were reopening. So, our trip probably wasn’t as full-filling as it could have been, but honestly, we were so excited to get out of the house and be by a beach, we didn’t care 🤷‍♀️

We also stayed in the Surf City area of LBI, so many of my recommendations are near there.

Food, Drinks, & Bites

MKT Eatery - we ate here 3 times, so you know it’s good! It’s really close to the beach so perfect for a quick grab lunch if you didn’t pack one in your beach cooler. I ordered “The Stack” twice 😋

Grannie Annie’s Ice Cream Cafe - pregnancy and ice cream go hand-in-hand for me, so we walked to this spot almost every evening. It’s right next to a putt putt golf spot too. Also, they have orange creamsicle ice cream… enough said!

Daddy O - this was the only place that we went to that had outdoor dining and it was soooo nice to have a piece of normalcy and eat out for once. The menu had a little bit of everything so you’ll definitely find something you’ll like. And according to Richard, they were generous on the alcohol pours 🥃Ellie loved the fries and people watching (when she got over the masks).

Joey’s Pizza - a lot of the pizza delivery places had great reviews, so I honestly picked this place based off Google pictures of the food 🙈, but it worked out because we all enjoyed it, and it’s leftovers.

Woodie’s Drive-In - hands down one of the best mushroom swiss burgers I’ve had in a LONG time! They’re known for their burgers, so definitely make this stop if you’re in the mood!

Things to Do:

The beach! - for us, we’re all about the beach. We honestly only plan other activities in beach towns if weather isn’t great or if we need a break from the water (which rarely happens, but life with kids, you never know). Plus, it’s nice to always be walking distance to the beach, even on a chilly day! For tips on beaching it up with young kids, check out our Stress-Free Family Beach Day Guide!

Barnegat Lighthouse State Park - we couldn’t go up the lighthouse (Covid…), but it was really nice to walk around and check out the sites. It has a pier that jets out into the water where a lot of fisherman we’re hanging out and a nice short walking trail. If anything, it’s a great spot for pictures and getting your toddler to use up some energy!

Putt Putt Golf - we didn’t personally partake in this activity because we knew our 2-year-old would not be interested, but LBI has a lot of cool looking courses on the island. If Ellis was slightly older, we probably would’ve gone to a couple of them.

Rent bikes/Go for long walks - there are a lot of walking/bike paths on the island (and are wide enough from the main road to make any anxious parent comfortable). *Please note that a lot of bike shops were closed or on limited hours due to quarantine.

(If it wasn’t for Covid-19, I probably would have more recommendations for you. However, a lot of places were closed off or weren’t appropriate for our toddler. Despite that, we’re already talking about going back next year, so that should tell you something!).

Where to Stay

There are a lot of hotel options on the island, but I personally recommend looking into renting a beach house. Long beach days are exhausting, so it’s nice to be able to stretch out (or even get a little alone time) at the end of the day and not be crowded in a hotel room, trying to keep sand off everything. Plus, you can cook your own meals to save time and money. That’s my opinion though.

We used AirBnB this time, but in the past, we’ve used both Home Away and VRBO (which have since merged) and never had issues.

This is the house we rented for our stay. The host was very accommodating and the house is honestly the perfect size for a small family trying to get away for a bit without having to find other families to share the space/cost with.

Almost all of Ellis’ bathing suits this year are from Hanna Andersson (wait for a sale! They have them frequently). I will rave about these suits until I’m blue in the face! They are the best quality, super soft, adorable, and block UVA/UVB rays.