Independent picks for ages 14, 16 or 19—under-18 first, then 18 and up.
Under 18 · 8 picks (all-ages picks appear in both lists)
Beaches, skate parks, mini-golf, arcades, movie houses, surf lessons, ice cream worth the wait, public courts, library teen rooms, and the summer day camps worth a weekly drop-off.
8 picks
BEACH & WATER · 1
East Hampton · 1
Beach · East Hampton
The social beach. You come to hang, not to surf. The pavilion has bathrooms, a snack bar, and the concrete stage where families park themselves all afternoon. Lifeguards are serious about the rip currents.
For parents: Strictest lifeguards on the South Fork. Daily non-resident parking runs high in season — drop off and walk from the village if you can.
WATCH · 1
East Hampton · 1
Movies · East Hampton
Six screens on Main Street showing the wide releases. The only place on the South Fork you can catch a Friday-night blockbuster at 10pm. Matinees are the cheap move.
For parents: Drop-off friendly — the village is walkable for pickup.
EAT & DRINK · 1
East Hampton · 1
Coffee · East Hampton
The Newtown Lane scoop shop across from the cinema — artisanal ice cream in the space Scoop du Jour held for sixteen years before it closed in December 2020. Still the pre- and post-movie stop, and the milkshakes are still the move.
For parents: Walk-up friendly; the village is walkable for drop-off and pickup.
PLAY · 1
East Hampton · 1
Sport · East Hampton
Three brand-new public tennis courts behind the village shops, drop-in and first-come first-served. Pickleball was deferred to a later phase of the park renovation per the village, so don't come expecting lines.
For parents: No reservation, no fee; bring your own paddles and balls.
LEARN & CHILL · 2
East Hampton · 2
Library · East Hampton
The teen lounge at the back of the Main Street library has its own door, its own staff, a gaming console, and the summer programs that run all season. The only free, air-conditioned, no-adults-watching space in East Hampton Village.
For parents: Summer teen programming — book club, coding, art nights.
Camp · East Hampton
The East Hampton nonprofit whose iGrow summer lab runs out of Springs School for grades K-3 and Most Holy Trinity for grades 4-9. Children grow and harvest vegetables in an organic garden and cook what they pick, work with naturalists on the local waterways, and get arts, STEM, writing, sport and swimming in the same week.
For parents: $475 a week with a sibling discount and scholarships; registration opened 5 January 2026, so the good weeks go by spring.
EVENTS & SHOWS · 2
East Hampton · 2
Event · East Hampton
East Hampton Village runs a free Friday-night film series on the Herrick Park lawn through July and August. Bring a blanket and snacks. The concert nights earlier in the week are family-friendly too.
For parents: Free outdoor screen, bring blankets, no alcohol on village park.
Event · East Hampton
The East Hampton Library's Authors Night benefit runs a dedicated children's and young-adult tent — writers who actually write for teenagers, short signings, and a real chance for a middle-schooler to meet an author they've read.
For parents: Middle-grade and YA authors; general admission ticket covers kids.
18 and up · 9 picks (all-ages picks appear in both lists)
All-ages music nights, late coffee shops, the beach scene after the lifeguards leave, the summer job circuit, group sports that age up, and gallery openings where under-21s are welcome.
9 picks
WATCH · 1
East Hampton · 1
Movies · East Hampton
Six screens on Main Street showing the wide releases. The only place on the South Fork you can catch a Friday-night blockbuster at 10pm. Matinees are the cheap move.
For parents: Drop-off friendly — the village is walkable for pickup.
EAT & DRINK · 1
East Hampton · 1
Coffee · East Hampton
The Newtown Lane scoop shop across from the cinema — artisanal ice cream in the space Scoop du Jour held for sixteen years before it closed in December 2020. Still the pre- and post-movie stop, and the milkshakes are still the move.
For parents: Walk-up friendly; the village is walkable for drop-off and pickup.
PLAY · 3
East Hampton · 3
Sport · East Hampton
Three brand-new public tennis courts behind the village shops, drop-in and first-come first-served. Pickleball was deferred to a later phase of the park renovation per the village, so don't come expecting lines.
For parents: No reservation, no fee; bring your own paddles and balls.
Sport · East Hampton
The East Hampton and Southampton town guard corps hire for summer every year. Tryouts in May, training in June, full weeks June through Labor Day. The job pays well, you're on the beach, and the crew becomes your summer.
For parents: Must pass a timed swim and CPR certification before hire.
Sport · East Hampton
The dawn-patrol swim that meets at Main Beach three mornings a week through summer. All ages welcome on a good day; 18+ is the core group. No sign-up, just show up with goggles and a cap.
EVENTS & SHOWS · 4
East Hampton · 4
Event · East Hampton
East Hampton Village runs a free Friday-night film series on the Herrick Park lawn through July and August. Bring a blanket and snacks. The concert nights earlier in the week are family-friendly too.
For parents: Free outdoor screen, bring blankets, no alcohol on village park.
Event · East Hampton
The East End's summer economy runs on teenagers. Restaurant hosts, bussers, beach attendants, valet crews, retail at Bridgehampton Commons, farm stands, and the lifeguard chair — the most valuable summer job out here, hands down. Applications go up in March.
For parents: Working papers required under 18. Lifeguard certification (YMCA, Red Cross) opens the best-paid seasonal job.
Event · East Hampton
Eric Firestone's Newtown Lane gallery runs a packed summer opening calendar — mid-century rediscoveries, estate shows, and the most serious art crowd on the East End. Free, public, and the under-21s who show up get taken seriously.
Event · East Hampton
The East Hampton Library's August benefit — a hundred-plus authors under a tent, a general-admission ticket, and the dinners afterward at private homes. The main tent is 18+ in practice because the tickets are over $100.
What’s strictly enforced out here
🪪 Drinking age is 21, and the East End enforces it harder than most of the state.
🏖️ Beach parking permits are real — and at 16 you can hold your own.
🚗 Licences come in tiers, and the curfew is not a suggestion — Suffolk County cops write tickets that stick.
🌊 Beach rules worth knowing before you pick a spot.
When in doubt: see safety for tick checks, water conditions, and lifeguard hours, and see concierge for emergency contacts, urgent-care locations, and the after-hours numbers that locals keep on a fridge magnet.