Forget back-to-school shopping: Do these 13 things in RI with the kids before summer ends

Katie Landeck, Providence Journal
Updated ·7 min read

Candy corn is back on the shelves, which begs the question: How should you spend the last few weeks of summer before the kids go back to school?

At this point – if you caught a break in the weather – you've likely loaded up on sunscreen and been to the beaches. You’ve visited your favorite park a handful of times. You’ve devoured ice cream cones and sipped Del’s lemonade. You've added rocks to a rock snake. Maybe you’ve been to your local community concerts for a picnic dinner and seen the dinosaur exhibit at the zoo.  

And so the perennial question is: what's next? Any of the above things can obviously and joyfully be done more than once, but if you’re looking for some other ideas to soak in the last month before school starts up again, here are some to try.

Stomp the divots at a Newport Polo match

The crowd watches as Newport takes on New York in a polo match in Portsmouth.
The crowd watches as Newport takes on New York in a polo match in Portsmouth.

Dress up just a little nice (the dress code is Newport casual chic) and head to the Newport Polo Grounds, 250 Linden Lane, Portsmouth,  to watch one of the matches. Pack a picnic or treat yourself at one of the food trucks. What you don’t want to miss – especially if you’re with kids – is stomping the grounds at halftime, a tradition where the spectators head onto the field to press turf back into the divots left behind by the horses. It’s just as much fun as watching the match. Tickets are $20 for lawn seats.

Mark Patinkin: Tales of a polo novice

Check out the local sea life

Biomes Marine Center has interactive touch tanks so visitors can get up close to different marine life.
Biomes Marine Center has interactive touch tanks so visitors can get up close to different marine life.

Touch a stingray. Pick up a whelk. Watch the way an octopus sticks its tentacles against the glass of a tank. The Biomes Center, 6640 Post Road, North Kingstown, is the most hands-on aquarium in the region, with many touch tanks and a focus on displaying creatures that can be found off Rhode Island’s shoreline. Even the tanks that aren’t touch tanks are set up for easy viewing for inquisitive kids. The aquarium is entirely indoors, making it a great place to visit on unpredictable weather days. The Biomes Center is open daily from noon to 5 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for children ages 3-13 and seniors; children under 2 are admitted free.

Are there sharks in Rhode Island? 8 sharks that can be found off the shore

Watch for shooting stars

A Perseid meteor streaks across the early morning sky during the Perseid meteor shower in 2015. Dark, moonless skies may permit many Perseid meteors to be seen early on the morning of Aug. 13.
A Perseid meteor streaks across the early morning sky during the Perseid meteor shower in 2015. Dark, moonless skies may permit many Perseid meteors to be seen early on the morning of Aug. 13.

The Perseid meteor shower peaks every year in mid-August. As Earth moves into the debris left behind by the Comet Swift-Tuttle, there can be up to 150 shooting stars per hour, which means there are plenty of opportunities for making wishes. Frosty Drew Observatory in Charlestown has summer stargazing events planned during the meteor shower that make for ideal viewing.

See shooting stars: What to know about the Perseid meteor shower

Spend a day at the Washington County Fair

While the Washington County Fair has been going for more than 50 years, the event organizers have preserved the classic feel of the event.
While the Washington County Fair has been going for more than 50 years, the event organizers have preserved the classic feel of the event.

The only county fair in Rhode Island, the Washington County Fair is where to go to take in the view from a Ferris wheel, watch a tractor pull, pet some livestock and eat so much fair food. While the fair has been going for more than 50 years, the event organizers have held on to the classic feel of the event throughout the years. Admission is $11, with an additional cost for tickets for the midway.

Get an ice cream at Wright’s Dairy Farm

Emilee Flynn, an assistant manager at Wright's Creamery in North Smithfield, scoops coffee Oreo ice cream for a customer.
Emilee Flynn, an assistant manager at Wright's Creamery in North Smithfield, scoops coffee Oreo ice cream for a customer.

You’ve probably had an ice cream cone at your neighborhood spot, but getting ice cream at Wright’s Dairy Farm, 200 Woonsocket Hill Road, North Smithfield, is a different experience. The main draw is saying hello to their herd of Holstein cows. The cows are milked daily from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Visiting the cows is free, but you should definitely buy an ice cream cone.

Check it out: “Cow-to-cone” ice cream shop named in Food & Wine's 'Best Ice Cream in Every State'

Play a round of mini golf

Mulligan's Island mini golf in Cranston has a tropical theme.
Mulligan's Island mini golf in Cranston has a tropical theme.

Pick your favorite neon ball and head to Mulligan’s Island, 1000 New Long Ave., Cranston for a round of mini golf for some friendly competition. At the center of the tropical-themed course is a volcano with a waterfall cascading down the side. There’s also pitch and putt, and a driving range for those looking for a more advanced form of golf. A game of mini golf costs $14 per person.

More: Looking for something to do in RI with the family for less than $100? Here are 5 ideas

Visit the Coggeshall Farm Museum

Coggeshall Farm Museum in Bristol is a living history museum. This 2021 file photo is from an event they called Fairy Tale Farm.
Coggeshall Farm Museum in Bristol is a living history museum. This 2021 file photo is from an event they called Fairy Tale Farm.

Get a sense of how tenant farmers used to live on coastal farmland by visiting the Coggeshall Farm Museum in Bristol. On Saturdays and Sundays, visitors can tour the Lake Kitchen Garden, explore the historic buildings on the property and chat with the live interpreters. Plus, there are plenty of old-fashioned games to play. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for youths age 4 to 17.

Try these freshwater swimming spots: Looking to cool off but want to avoid the RI beach scene?

Get a doughboy at Iggy’s

Mini doughboys with cinnamon butter, caramel and chocolate dips at Iggy's.
Mini doughboys with cinnamon butter, caramel and chocolate dips at Iggy's.

For a different kind of summer treat, head to one of the Iggy’s locations to get a doughboy. They have a full menu if you’re looking for something more substantial, but there’s nothing quite like the sugary treat of the warm doughboys.

Restaurants in RI with a waterfront view There's no reason not to dine al fresco

Take a hike

The crescent-shaped rocky shoreline curls south along the perimeter trail that hugs the scenic coast at Sachest Point National Wildlife Refuge in Middletown.
The crescent-shaped rocky shoreline curls south along the perimeter trail that hugs the scenic coast at Sachest Point National Wildlife Refuge in Middletown.

If you’re looking for ocean views without getting sand everywhere, take the family for a hike at one of the Ocean State’s many waterfront parks. Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge and Beavertail State Park are great picks if you want views of the Atlantic Ocean, and if you’re looking for something bayside, try Rocky Point State Park.

More trails: These 10 Rhode Island trails should be on your bucket list

Pick some summer flowers

Pick a bucket of flowers at The Farmer's Daughter in South Kingstown.
Pick a bucket of flowers at The Farmer's Daughter in South Kingstown.

Fill your home with color and take the family (or just go yourself) to pick a bouquet of summer blooms. The Farmer’s Daughter, 716 Mooresfield Road, South Kingstown, has a beautiful pick-your-own patch, filled with favorites like dahlias and zinnias. They provide the bucket and shears, and they charge by the pound. You end up with a bundle of flowers to take home, get to spend some time in a flower field, and just think of the photos. They're open for picking from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Pick-your-own flowers RI guide: Tulips, lavender, dahlias, sunflowers and more

Take a bike ride

Bikers get a view of Narragansett Bay at the Aaron Avenue intersection in Bristol along the East Bay Bike Path.
Bikers get a view of Narragansett Bay at the Aaron Avenue intersection in Bristol along the East Bay Bike Path.

Load up the bikes and head to the East Bay Bike Path to ride from India Point Park in Providence to the Independence Bridge in Bristol if you go for the full 14.5 miles. Along the path, riders can stop to take in the Providence skyline, stroll on the Audubon Society boardwalk, or visit Colt State Park. Do it all, or ride for just a small stretch.

Free things to do: Looking for a way to spend the day? 20+ of the best free things to do in Rhode Island

Ride the waterslide at Yawgoo

Yawgoo Valley Water Park, in Exeter, has two water slides and swimming pools.
Yawgoo Valley Water Park, in Exeter, has two water slides and swimming pools.

Yawgoo Valley Water Park in Exeter, the only water park in Rhode Island, has two waterslides more than 600 feet long if you’re looking for a different water activity to try. There’s also a full-size swimming pool that ranges from 3 to 6 feet deep, a 1-foot-deep kiddie pool, and the customary snack bar.  Tickets start at $18 for one hour for ages 5 and up and $10 for ages 4 and younger.

RI's only water park: What to know if you go

Go see a movie at the drive-in theater

A show at Westerly's Misquamicut Drive-in makes for a nostalgic night out for the family.
A show at Westerly's Misquamicut Drive-in makes for a nostalgic night out for the family.

With movies like "Jaws," "Dirty Dancing," "Mamma Mia!" and "The Goonies" in the lineup, a trip to Misquamicut Drive-in, 316 Atlantic Ave., Westerly, makes for a nostalgic summer evening out. Load up the car (you can even bring the dog), pack a Frisbee for before the show starts, and be prepared to buy some popcorn from the concession stand as you set out to make a core memory. A show costs $25 per carload.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Things to do in RI with the kids, family before the end of summer