If you're considering Florida for your family's spring break, you’ll find plenty of kid-friendly activities for the whole family to get involved in. Spend some time bonding with your kids in Florida's beautiful outdoors or learn about some of Florida's unique natural and historical treasures.

Related Blog: Award-Winning Beaches in Florida Ideal for Families

Here are the top kid-friendly things to do while you're in Florida that you just can't miss!

Take a Dolphin Tour

Dolphin tours take you and your family on a quest to find wild dolphins swimming and jumping through the coastal water. This must-see experience is one that never gets old and your family will never forget. 

You’ll find dolphin tours all along Florida’s vibrant coast, including "Dolphin Quest" which takes you through John’s Pass and Boca Ciega Bay. Learn about dolphins from renowned researchers, while watching them play and interact in their natural environment.

Pirate Ship Cruise Adventure 

Pirate ship cruises offer swashbuckling adventures and festive activities guaranteed to enthrall your kids. Your kids will treasure the thrill of various pirate-themed activities, like loot hunting, limbo, engaging pirate stories, and water gun battles. With every crew member dressed and acting as pirates, the adventure is truly immersive.

Enjoy the hearty pirate calls of "Arrrrrrghhhh", "ahoy", and "matey" as you revel in festive music on an ultimate buccaneer excursion.

Pirate-Themed Adventure Mini Golf at Smugglers Cove

Smugglers Cove Adventure Golf isn't your average mini golf course - it's a pirate-themed adventure with an educational live alligator exhibit. Putt underneath waterfalls and cheer in caves as you make a hole-in-one along this 18-hole course. Smugglers Cove is a great physical activity for the whole family and a fun family bonding experience.

Smugglers Cove also offers a unique learning experience in which golfers can learn and interact with Florida's favorite reptiles - alligators! Each location houses an Educational American Alligator habitat where 20 to 30 baby alligators live comfortably and safely. You and your kids can even feed live baby alligators from a cane fishing pole! 

Located in Bradenton, Fort Myers Beach, Sarasota, Indian Shores, and Madeira Beach, this adventure offers fun and affordable family bonding and educational escapades for all ages.

Weeki Wachee Mermaid Show

If your kids love “The Little Mermaid,” then you can’t miss the wonder of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park's Mermaid Show. Watch real-life mermaids perform tricks like eating and drinking underwater in the park’s crystal-clear springs while interacting and engaging with the audience.

Catch a live and immersive underwater performance of “The Little Mermaid,” in which costumed mermaids gracefully dance and captivate children with fairy tales and marine life. Weeki Wachee State Park is also a great place to go on a nature walk, offering a magical break from the usual theme park hustle.

Relax on Florida's White Sandy Beaches

With around 1200 miles of scenic coastline, Florida offers an adventure-packed playground for kids of all ages. Children are naturally drawn to the beach as it becomes both their science lab and an open canvas for creativity, and what better way to stimulate their curiosity than shark tooth hunting and shelling? 

At Venice Beach, known as the Shark Tooth Capital of the World, kids can engage in their own mini archaeological expedition, digging out fossilized, prehistoric shark teeth. Or, relax in the gentle waves and powdered sand of Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key, and Sanibel Beach.

Snorkeling

Snorkeling is particularly kid-friendly because of its minimal equipment requirements and the ease with which beginners can learn to float and observe underwater wonders. It promotes not only physical activity but also sparks curiosity and a sense of conservation among young minds.

Sanibel Island in Florida is a top spot for snorkeling. Its unique angle to the coast acts like a sieve for seashells, creating a colorful seafloor. The shallow waters teem with coral formations and marine life such as, dolphins, sea turtles, and tropical fish. Perfect for snorkelers and shell collectors alike!

Visit a Museum

Florida is also rich in unique and one-of-a-kind museums. Visiting museums is a great way for kids to learn about science, history, art, or technology. With interactive exhibits and workshops, learning is a fun and hands-on experience for the whole family.

Here are a few of the most exciting and kid-friendly museums in Florida:

• Ringling Circus Museum, Sarasota
• Bishop Planetarium, Bradenton
• The Dali Museum, St. Petersburg
• Imagine Museum, St. Petersburg
• Great Explorations Children's Museum, St. Petersburg
• Sarasota Art Museum
• Tampa Bay History Museum
• Edison and Ford Winter Estates, Fort Myers

Visit a Zoo or Wildlife Habitat

A visit to a wildlife habitat or the zoo is a brilliant way to engage your kids in an educational and fun-filled adventure. Take the whole family to witness exotic animals, like the beautiful Florida panthers, experience exciting animal shows, and even feed and pet baby animals.

Here are a few venues with amazing wildlife encounters:

• Tampa Zoo
• Big Cat Habitat and Gulf Coast Sanctuary in Sarasota
• Sarasota Jungle Gardens
• IMAG History & Science Center in Ft. Myers
• Seaside Seabird Sanctuary in Indian Shores

Not only will you and your kids have an outstanding educational experience, but you'll also be supporting these non-profit organizations in rescuing and rehabilitating creatures from around the world!

Visit an Aquarium

Observe Florida's many distinct and quirky native marine creatures, including, manatees, sea turtles, river otters, sharks, and many more at an aquarium. Check out over 100 different species of marine life exhibitions, including huge shark tanks, sting ray touch tanks, and even a sea turtle hospital.

Here are just a few of the exceptional aquariums in Florida:

• Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium
• Clearwater Marine Aquarium
• Florida Aquarium
• The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature

Aquariums not only ensure a day filled with fun, but also foster a sense of curiosity and respect for the marine environment in children. Make your child's spring break both fun and enlightening by learning about the sea life that sparked Florida's strong marine advocacy culture.

Explore Florida's State Parks

Exploring Florida's state parks is a great way for kids of all ages to have a nature adventure full of fun and learning. Lake Manatee State Park and Myakka River State Park offer activities for the whole family to enjoy together, including fishing, kayaking, and wildlife watching.

Accessible only by boat, Koreshan State Park and Egmont Key are beautiful spots steeped in cultural history. Go on a hiking trip to explore local and natural history with your kids. Florida boasts numerous incredible state parks teeming with wildlife and exciting activities your kids will always remember. For more information on Florida’s state parks, check out our blog, “Exploring State Parks in Florida”!

At Smugglers Cove, you and your family can enjoy a pirate-themed adventure, while enjoying a fun-filled game of mini golf and interacting with baby alligators! Each course provides an immersive experience that transports you to a different time and place and features pirate-themed obstacles, caves, and waterfalls.

With our focus being on fun, adventure, and excitement, Smugglers Cove locations in Florida are a must-visit destination for families to visit during their Florida spring break! Plan your next visit today and save with our discount coupon!