Family-Friendly Things to Do Outside With Kids
Revel in the sun this summer at Pinellas County. There are lots of outdoor venues and activities that Pinellas County has to offer.
1. St. Petersburg Pier
St. Petersburg Pier is 26 acres of picturesque waterfront, lined with sports areas, parks, restaurants, and other recreational activities. It’s always fun to walk and have a picnic at one of the parks here.
Things to Do With The Kids:
- Walk the long pier or take a shuttle to the end of the pier
- Bring your fishing pole
- Playground
- Splash Pad
- Mini Beach Area
- Restaurants
- Ice Cream Shop
- Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center- It’s a really small aquarium, however, it is a non-profit organization so your museum fee goes to a great cause.
2. Visit the Animals
- Seaside Seabird Sanctuary is open every day for your viewing pleasure. Come meet these featured animals and take lots of pictures. Learn more.
- Suncoast Primate Sanctuary. See the primates up close as you tour this outdoor sanctuary in Palm Harbor. You’ll meet orangutans, chimpanzees, snakes and so many more. Learn more.
LIMITED TIME: Save Big! Get discounted tickets to Suncoast Primary Sanctuary through Groupon.
Admission for Two Adults (Ages 11+) and Two Children (Ages 3-10) for ONLY $24!
3. Take Pictures at a Botanical Garden
- Sunken Gardens: This beatiful botanical attraction has been around for 100 years. Immerse in the beauty of nature while learning about different flora and fauna at Sunken Gardens.
- The Florida Botanical Gardens: The Florida Botanical Gardens has a Children’s Trail where kids go through the Butterfly Garden, the Boardwalk Tree Station, and the Fruit Garden. Kids will learn a lot about different plants and animals.
4. Reach New Heights
Empower Adventures Tampa Bay. Get some adrenaline rush by ziplining through Tampa’s beautiful nature scenes. This is not your ordinary zipline adventure. Empower Adventures Tampa Bay offers 3000 feet of zip lines and aerial challenges.
5. Captain Memo
Go on a sea adventure with aboard a pirate ship with Captain Memo’s Pirate Cruise. In this two-hour cruise, you’ll be entertained by the antics of Captain Memo’s crew, which include treasure hunting, face painting, games, and dances.
6. Water Adventures
- What’s Florida’s biggest attraction? Our beaches! There are so many to choose from. We love Pass-A-Grille Beach & Clearwater is always a great favorite.
- Tradewinds Inflatable water park with slides, bounce caves, trampolines & walkways, or 200-foot three-story slide on the beach.
- Check out Splash Harbor Park in Indian Rocks for a fun water park outing. Try going later in the day to help keep your admission cost down.
- Splash Pads & Sprinkler Parks. Some of our favorites include Kiwanis Sprayground Park in Dunedin, Dell Homes Park in St. Petersburg has a splash pad, and the Greek-themed splash park in Tarpon Springs.
7. Heritage Village
A few hours at Heritage Village will immerse your kids in the local history as well as in the native flora of Pinellas County. You can also watch demonstrations for traditional sugar cane mill, blacksmith, and woodworking when available. Kids will develop a deep appreciation for the local history.
8. Beachfront Buggies & Scooters
Cruise around St. Petersburg in style while doing a 15 location scavenger hunt, and take the family on a day trip you’ll remember forever. Explore all that Downtown and Saint Pete Beach have to offer by using a beachfront buggy! Families have a blast using clues to find hidden “hotspots” and earn points for bragging rights!
Offering 2, 4, and 6 passenger options, buggies are designed to be driven on any streets up to 35 mph, and can hold you and all your gear. So, plan an adventure and rent your beachfront buggy today!
9. Visit a Park & Get on a Trail
- Weedon Island Preserve: The Weedon Island Preserve showcases the Native Americans to reflect the art and history of the area’s first people. years ago. Today, the preserve combines nature experience with history. Kids will come out with an appreciation of the cultural history of Weedon Island.
- Fort De Soto Park : Explore Fort De Soto Park’s five connected islands. We doubt you’ll get tired of walking and admiring the 1,100 acres of pristine beaches along the park. There is no scarcity of restaurants here, either!
Wall Springs Park: Wall Springs Park is another historical outdoor venue. View the natural spring that was once a bathing area and have fun in other recreational facilities throughout the 210-acre park.
Things to Do:
- Playgrounds
- Biking trails
- Nature trail and board walk
- Picnic shelters with grills—perfect for a family fun day.
Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail
If you’re in the mood for physical activity, head to Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail. The trail spans from Tarpon Springs to Gulfport. This is a multi-use trail so you can walk, run, cycle, or skate as you please.
10. Fun Boat Tours
- Collect some amazing shells when you take Shell Key Shuttle for an Eco-tour with low impact on unspoiled Shell Key, a small barrier island just south of Pass-A-Grille.
- Take a boat tour from Tarpon Springs.
You don’t need to leave Pinellas County if your kids crave adventure. There’s plenty of outdoor activities to choose from right here. For more fun things to, visit Family Friendly Tampa Bay.
