Sandbanks is the reason most families come to Prince Edward County, and it earns it: long sandy beaches, shallow water, dunes to climb, and a day that fills itself. But a beach day with kids has a shape. There is the morning when everyone is happy, the hour when everyone is hungry, and the afternoon when somebody needs a nap and somebody else needs a snack. Here is how to build the whole day around the beach, with the winery that is set up for the sandy, tired part.
The beach part
Sandbanks Provincial Park has three main beaches. Outlet Beach is the big one with the gentlest water and the most facilities, and it is where most families start. Sandbanks Beach and Dunes Beach are the ones with the sand hills; the dunes are the best free entertainment in the County for anyone under twelve. Arrive early in high season, because the park caps daily visitors and the lots fill. Bring more water than you think you need, a shade tent, and shoes for the hot sand. Outside of summer the park is quieter, the dunes are still there, and a windy October walk on the beach is one of the best things you can do with kids in the County.
After the beach: Traynor Family Vineyard, 25 minutes away
This is the part of the day we know best, because we are it. Traynor is in Hillier, about 25 minutes from the park and on the drive back toward Highway 401 if you are heading west, which means you do not have to double back. We built our winery for exactly the state your family will be in at 1 pm: sandy, hungry, sun-tired and not interested in a hushed tasting room.
Come as you are. Beach clothes are fine. Pick a patio: the Vineyard Patio is the big open one where the kids can see the play area and you can see them; the Lavender Hammocks are where a worn-out kid or a napping baby goes; the Sail Garden is shaded and quiet; the Covered Wall Garden has a roof for the day the weather turns. Inside, the Cellar Tasting Room is heated and the calmest room on the property.
Then eat. Our kitchen does street food, which is the right food after a beach: gourmet all-beef hot dogs, adobo pork and pulled chicken tacos, street corn nachos for the table, a kofta sandwich, and house-baked cookies. The kids get a plain hot dog, the kids combo with a slushy, popcorn, hot dog and cookie, juice slushies and pop. The adults get a $10 flight of three wines, a glass, or a wine slushy, which on a hot beach day is the correct order. Everything can be ordered from your phone at the table, so nobody stands in a line holding a sandy child.
Dogs are welcome too, leashed and on the patios or in the shop and tasting bar, with pet beds out. A beach dog is a wet dog, so bring a towel for the pet bed’s sake. And if you are a family of six or more, book ahead; five or fewer just walk in.
More things to do near Sandbanks with kids
If you have a second day, or the beach day ends early, these are the stops families ask us about most. Drive times are from the park.
Slickers County Ice Cream, Bloomfield (10 minutes). The classic post-beach ice cream. Handmade, local flavours, cash preferred, and the line moves.
Wellington main street and the beach there (20 minutes). A small, walkable village with a public beach on the lake, playground space, coffee for the adults, and Midtown Brewing for a kid-friendly lunch or early dinner.
Lake on the Mountain (about 30 minutes, past Picton). A lake sitting mysteriously above the bay with a lookout over the ferry and the water. Short walk, big view, and kids love the oddness of it.
Picton main street (20 minutes). Books & Company for a kids’ book, the Regent Theatre if the weather turns, and Miss Lily’s for lunch.
The Millennium Trail. A flat, old rail line that runs across the County, good for a short bike or a stroller walk from Wellington or Bloomfield when the beach has worn everyone out but nobody wants to sit in a car.
A Sandbanks day with kids, hour by hour
Here is the day we would do. Be at the park gate when it opens in summer, or mid-morning in the shoulder season. Beach until the first signs of hunger, usually around 12:30. Pack up and drive 25 minutes to Traynor; you are on the patio by 1. Hot dogs, popcorn, nachos, a flight for you, a slushy for them, and a long enough stay that the kids get a turn on the play area and you get to walk the bottle shop. Ice cream in Bloomfield or Wellington on the way back if anyone is still awake. Home, or back to the cottage, with a bottle for later. On a Friday or Saturday you can push the whole thing later, since we are open until 7.
What parents ask about Sandbanks and the winery
How far is Traynor from Sandbanks? About 25 minutes by car, and on the way back toward Highway 401 if you are heading west.
Can we come straight from the beach? Yes. Beach clothes, sandy feet and all. We have grass, concrete patios and hammocks, and we have seen it all.
Is there somewhere for the kids to play? Yes, a designated play area you can see from the Vineyard Patio. Bring a blanket for the grass.
Is there food inside the park? A canteen with basic beach food. It will do in a pinch, but it is not why you came to the County.
What if it rains on beach day? Pivot. Our rainy day in Prince Edward County with kids guide has the plan.
For more on doing the beach and a winery in one day, read Sandbanks + Wine: How to Do Both in One Day, and for the other places to eat after the beach, where to eat near Sandbanks. Our family-friendly winery page has the rest.
Good to know before you visit
Where: Traynor Family Vineyard, 1774 Danforth Road, Hillier, Prince Edward County, Ontario K0K 2J0. Five minutes from North Beach, 10 from Wellington, 15 from Bloomfield, 25 from Sandbanks, 30 from Belleville, about 2.5 hours from Toronto. Free on-site parking.
Hours and booking: Fall hours to November 15: open daily from 11 am, until 5 pm Sunday to Thursday and 7 pm Friday and Saturday. From November 16: Friday to Sunday, 11 am to 6 pm. Current hours are always shown at the top of traynorvineyard.com. Walk-ins welcome for groups of five or fewer; reservations recommended for six or more and required for ten or more. Call 1-877-403-4224 or email retail@traynorvineyard.com.
Food: Street food made fresh daily: gourmet all-beef hot dogs (kimchi dog, pocket dog), adobo pork and pulled chicken tacos, kofta sandwich, red lentil dal, roasted beet salad, street corn nachos, mushroom toast, whipped feta, garden herb popcorn, house-baked cookies, plus a kids’ plain hot dog. Four vegan and four vegetarian dishes on the fall menu, and every wine is vegan.
Drinks: $10 wine flights (three pours), $11 wine by the glass, $10 wine slushy, vermouth cocktails, $7 non-alcoholic peach slushy for kids and drivers, pop. Bookable experiences include the Cellarmasters Barrel Tasting ($49.95) and Stemware Sensation ($39.95).
Family-friendly: Kids are welcome inside and out. Designated play area visible from the Vineyard Patio, kids’ menu, juice slushies, strollers welcome, all patios and the Cellar Tasting Room wheelchair accessible. Kids combo (slushy, popcorn, hot dog, cookie) at the counter. Ice cream trailer and free Friday Family Movie Nights run in spring and summer.
Dog-friendly: Leashed, well-behaved dogs welcome on all four outdoor patios and in the retail shop and tasting bar, with pet beds provided. Dogs can’t come inside the Cellar Tasting Room.
What’s on by season: Summer: Friday Family Movie Nights, DJ sets on the Vineyard Patio, Happy Hour Après Beach Sunday to Thursday 4 to 6 pm. Fall: the WineLab Holiday Series (PSL pumpkin spice wine, Spiced Apple, Mulled Wine, Mulled White) launches; Family Movie Nights return in spring and summer 2027. Winter: mulled wines and Caribou, Cellar Tasting Room heated.
The wine: Small-batch natural wine, wild fermented and vegan, family owned since 2008. Estate vines in Hillier farmed without synthetic pesticides since 2018, plus fruit from partner growers in Prince Edward County and Niagara-on-the-Lake. Pet-nat, piquette, skin-contact whites, vermouth, and fortified wines. Ten wines are listed at the LCBO.
