Lakes

There’s so much for families to do at Margate on Lake Winnipesaukee that your hardest task as a parent will be making choices. First, choose a room steps from the 400-foot private sandy beach, where you can launch your rental canoe, kayak or stand-up paddleboard, or where the kids can swim out to the floating raft a few hundred feet away. Then there’s the outdoor pool in the summer, a heated indoor pool and oversized whirlpool, an arcade game room and a spacious lawn for outdoor games. Fireworks and beach campfires are also on the menu. Area attractions range from cruises, train rides, outlet shopping, skiing and ice arenas to a huge arcade. Funspot, with bowling and mini golf.

Indoors and out, there are plenty of activities to entertain and enlighten the whole family at Castle in the Clouds. Explore the 1920s mansion (kids can win small prizes in a scavenger hunt), including a basement tour that shows how the servants lived. Or, feed leaping rainbow trout (seriously!) at beautiful Shannon Pond, hike past water falls or, in the winter, cross-country ski or snowshoe over groomed trails. Grab some pizza and a cone at Cones in the Clouds in the summer, picnic in a meadow or soak in mountain views at the Carriage House Restaurant. Go for a winter carriage or sleigh ride or a summer horse ride (there are pones for kids under 8).

There’s nothing like playing a fun 18-hole round of mini golf on a beautiful sunny day or warm evening under the lights. It’s even better when you’re playing on a Chuckster’s course. At the Chuckster’s in Alton Bay, the former Jay’s Bayside course has been reclaimed by Chuckster’s and offers holes that challenge and entertain, with plenty of fountains, bridges, stone obstacles and shade. Bring your food and cooler to this substance-free family facility and don’t forget to leave room for ice cream (in dozens of flavors). Adjacent to Chuckster’s is SUP-NH, New Hampshire’s most experienced paddleboard company, where you can rent a paddleboard or kayak and take a lesson or just go for a tour.

Whether your family likes to fish, frolic in the surf, climb mountains, visit museums, shop on friendly Main Streets or just roast marshmallows around the fire, New Hampshire has the perfect campground for you. Explore the state’s great outdoors from your tent, RV, cabin – or rental unit – with a fall foliage hike, rock climbing, beach retreat or, in the winter, a snowmobile ride or ski run. Visit our website for a guide to a huge variety of campgrounds, from the forested north (where you can see bald eagles) to the villages and countryside of the state’s center to its 18 miles of Atlantic coastline. Many campgrounds feature areas for family play, from horseshoes and bocce to tennis, golf and hiking.

Families will find so much to do in central New Hampshire in the winter that they will need an itinerary. The Lakes Region Tourism Association can help, offering suggestions on all sorts of family activities, from skiing, snowboarding or snow tubing down one of the region’s many slopes to ice skating, sleigh-riding across a snow-filled field, a museum, doing a little boutique or outlet shopping (tax-free!), taking in a craft show or scarfing down breakfast at a down-home pancake house round out fun winter outings. The holidays bring special treats, from Santa Express trains to festivals celebrating the lights of the season.