Table of Contents
What will you do for the rest of the day after you leave the beach? Most children with autism won’t sit quietly for very long in a nice restaurant, especially when they’re already tired. For kids who have trouble transitioning between activities, or who lose focus towards the end of the day, it’s great to have some low stress evening options.
Most of these activities are either free or very low cost, and are easy to leave quickly if it doesn’t work out. If it goes well, do it again!
On Deck Tonight: The MLB All-Stars of Tomorrow
The Cape Cod Baseball League is an invitation-only amateur league, featuring top college athletes who are a year or two away from MLB draft eligibility. Over 20 percent of all major league baseball players have spent at least one summer in the Cape Cod League, including superstars like Aaron Judge, Chris Sale, and Boston’s beloved Mo Vaughn.
The games are always exciting - the players never know when a major league scout is in the crowd, so they play their hearts out! From mid June through early August, you can find 4-5 different games almost every single night. Some start as early as 5 PM, others as late as 7. Look here for this summer’s schedule.
The Cape League is a non-profit organization, and doesn’t charge admission to games. You’re allowed to bring in your own snacks - great for kids who need special diets, and for parents who need a good place to eat lobster roll take out! The home team will encourage you to donate at the gate towards operating expenses, and hopes that attendees will purchase t-shirts, hats, and food from the concession stands.
From a sensory point of view, this is an easy activity. The ball fields typically have a limited number of bleacher seats, with most fans bringing folding chairs or blankets to sit on and be really comfortable. Attendance is usually between 1000 and 2000 people, so it’s not overcrowded or chaotic. You can choose a spot close to the action to get a good view of hitters and pitchers, or sit further away in the hopes of catching a foul ball.
Nothing is better than a baseball game on a lazy summer night!
All-American Bandstand
If stretching out on a beach blanket and listening to music on a warm summer evening is a good fit for your child, you’ll be glad to hear that there’s a free outdoor concert almost every night of the week on Cape Cod!
The best known Band Concert at the Cape happens at 8 PM every Friday night in July and August, when the Chatham Band performs at the Kate Gould Park in downtown Chatham. The music is a mix of patriotic sing-alongs, marches, show tunes and the occasional waltz. Children are invited to join the performance with a parade around the bandstand.
People start putting down blankets and folding chairs to save their places early Friday morning. The excitement builds up over the course of the day, and by dinner time, downtown Chatham is hopping. Every restaurant is full to capacity, and the Candy Manor is packed with people seeking all things fudgy and sugary. When the show begins, the park is completely full of people and the sky is dotted with colorful balloons.
The show itself is very sensory friendly but the sheer number of people attending may create complications. Parking very nearby is extremely limited and usually taken up early in the day by people who are able to leave their car. At the end of the concert, there is a crush of families with tired children heading home. The concert really is awesome. If your child can handle a crowd, give it a try!
If you’d like to learn about outdoor concerts on other nights of the week, or in other parts of the Cape, Click here.
Go Fly a Kite (and Eat S’Mores) on the Beach
Cape Cod beaches are fairly empty after the lifeguards go home. If there’s even a little wind, this is the perfect time to break out a kite or two.
Pair that kite with a tasty s’more cooked right on the beach, and you’ve hit a home run!
Most Cape Cod towns give a limited number of permits for cook fires - a small fire meant for grilling some food or making s’mores.
The exact rules vary from place to place, but they generally don’t want you to light the fire while the beach is being used for swimming, they expect you to use some kind of grill or fire pit to contain the fire, and you’re supposed to clean up after yourself.
If you can’t get a fire permit, bring a dessert picnic to the beach. Kites are awesome.
Before you leave on your trip, call the fire department in the town where you’re staying and ask specifically about a Cook Fire.
A Night at the Drive-In
There’s nothing more quintessentially American than a drive-in movie. At its peak in the 1950’s, there were more than 4000 drive-in theaters in the US. Today, there are just a few hundred left, and one of them is in Wellfleet, Cape Cod!
The Wellfleet Drive-In opens its gates at 6:30 each night, with the first show starting at dusk. You can buy your ticket in advance online, and arrive shortly before the show, or you can get there at opening to make sure you have the best spot in the lot. Once you arrive, there’s a mini-golf course with an ice cream stand, and a snack bar serving kid favorites like burgers, hot dogs, and popcorn. You can bring beach chairs to set up in front of your car, or you can stay inside your the car with your pillow. The great thing about the drive-in is that you can choose the experience that works best for your family, relax, and have fun.
Learn more about the Wellfleet Drive-In here.
