Hilton Head. I have done all those beaches you list. They are ok but nothing special. Really expensive, really crowded, and the traffic in Delaware is now insane. My in-laws are leaving DE b/c it is so congested out there now.
We love HHI. You can bike on the beach, beaches are so good for kids and there is a lot more housing. You can easily find a townhouse. Look at Palmetto Dunes (first choice) or Sea Pines (second choice). There is a nice little village in Sea Pines to take tours out of, lighthouse, small shops and restaurants. We did horse back riding in Sea Pines.

Just go to the Caribbean this summer and stay at a resort. Next summer book a place somewhere here: I like Rehoboth, Bethany, Jersey Shore and Long Island Beaches with kids.

OP, I'm from this area and grew up going to the Delaware beaches (Bethany, Rehoboth, etc.) and the Outer Banks as a teen. They're fine, but the waves are strong and you have to watch little kids carefully. Delaware beaches have more you can walk to, OBX is a lot of driving to various things.

We've been going to Cape Charles for the last three years, and love it for our kids. It's far enough south that the salinity levels are as high as the ocean; it's not brackish bay water. There are waves, but very gentle ones. Because of the tidal variation, you can have the experience of waves at one part of the day, and then tidal pools and different beach topography when the tide goes out. Our kids love it, and we find it very easy to spend all day at the beach (if we want to). The town itself is small and easily walkable. Most importantly, it's not crowded.

Where you go really depends on what you want. We want to truly relax on a beach vacation, which for us means not worrying about rough water or crowds or having to drive everywhere. We're fine with limited restaurant and entertainment options. Our kids were 7, 5, and 3 the first time we went, and will be 10, 8, and 6 this summer--they still love and look forward to it!

Anonymous wrote:We always go to the outer banks and stay in Duck. I really like it, but since covid it has gotten a lot more expensive (IMO) and sometimes to get desirable places you need to book really far out. We typically just spend the week lounging on the beach and in the pool with kids but there are nearby towns that have things like mini golf, parasailing, go carts, that kind of thing.

We go to Duck too and love it. For reference we booked our house for this summer at the end of our stay last summer! We really like the town aspect, you can walk around to cute shops, restaurants, etc. which my kids enjoy. There's a beautiful elevated boardwalk along the bay that we like to walk along in the mornings. Also Duck doesn't have public beach access which tends to keep the crowds on the beaches down, somewhat. Drawbacks are that the beach can be a little pebbly (doesn't bother us but some people prefer the sandier beaches), traffic to get there can be a big issue, and the closest major grocery store is a bit of a drive.

Anonymous wrote:Checkout sandbridge in Virginia Beach, similar to outer banks but closer

Yes. Agree. A slightly hidden gem. Great idea. Good marine science museum nearby and other things but not the crazy tourist strip that the south end of Virginia Beach can be. And sometimes that is fun for an evening so it is fun for an evening, and it is close enough by a short drive.

I’m from a California beach town originally ans absolutely love Hilton Head. The nicest change (especially with kids) is the 85 degree water temp in the summer and the long gentle flat beaches with smaller waves. Everything is very family oriented too.

Pro tip: don’t leave your things near the shoreline and walk away for a long walk (or playtime in the ocean) because the tide moves a great distance fairly quickly and your things will be swallowed up into the water before you know it!

We always go to the outer banks and stay in Duck. I really like it, but since covid it has gotten a lot more expensive (IMO) and sometimes to get desirable places you need to book really far out. We typically just spend the week lounging on the beach and in the pool with kids but there are nearby towns that have things like mini golf, parasailing, go carts, that kind of thing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Beach culture is totally different east and west coast.

West coast is huge sandy beaches with beautiful views of unswimmable without a wet suit ocean. It’s a year round place or at least 3 seasons. Lots more to do, bigger towns on the beach.

East coast beaches are basically summer only, with grey water but much warmer so kids and families are all piled up to the shoreline to cool off from our hot humid summers.

Places like Lewes are pointless since the water is not great for swimming (bay water pollution no waves), so all you do is swelter on the sand.

I thought that’s why people recommend Lewes for little kids -
Bc no waves?

Yes, I’ll strongly disagree with some of the other posters. Lewes and Cape Charles are great with small kids, because they can’t get swallowed by monster waves.

Lewes is biker-y? Huh? Not remotely, in my experience.

The other choice is north - Long Island ($$$) and Cape Cod. Cape cod is mostly house rentals but there are some resorts. NJ is also fun-ocean city, LBI, Cape May.

We go to Rehoboth/Bethany, but it gets crowded and anything near the beach is already booked.

Hilton Head is our favorite and worth the drive. It is about 9.5 hours, but easy enough with 2 drivers. The ocean is super warm and calm, you can bike everywhere, and it’s just beautiful and relaxing. At the closer beaches along the mid-Atlantic coasts, there are just too many people right on top of each other on the sand which is just not my idea of beautiful.

Anonymous wrote:Beach culture is totally different east and west coast.

West coast is huge sandy beaches with beautiful views of unswimmable without a wet suit ocean. It’s a year round place or at least 3 seasons. Lots more to do, bigger towns on the beach.

East coast beaches are basically summer only, with grey water but much warmer so kids and families are all piled up to the shoreline to cool off from our hot humid summers.

Places like Lewes are pointless since the water is not great for swimming (bay water pollution no waves), so all you do is swelter on the sand.

I thought that’s why people recommend Lewes for little kids -
Bc no waves?

For a transitional beach I would definitely recommend Hilton Head. We drive and fly. If you fly make sure you fly to HHH not SAV. If you fly to HHH you really don’t need to rent a car. You can bike to 90% of what you need and Uber everywhere else.

We have a house there, so feel free to ask any questions.

Beach culture is totally different east and west coast.

West coast is huge sandy beaches with beautiful views of unswimmable without a wet suit ocean. It’s a year round place or at least 3 seasons. Lots more to do, bigger towns on the beach.

East coast beaches are basically summer only, with grey water but much warmer so kids and families are all piled up to the shoreline to cool off from our hot humid summers.

Places like Lewes are pointless since the water is not great for swimming (bay water pollution no waves), so all you do is swelter on the sand.

Try rental agencies -- Twiddy, Southern Shores, etc for the Outer Banks.