Beat the Heat Activities for Families
While summer months remain a good part of the vacation season here in Central Florida, many locals prefer to save the theme park and outdoor activities for the cooler and less crowded months. It’s easier to fit in these all day activities on a pleasant weather weekend when you live here. In any and all weather, I’m looking for ways to engage our son in active learning play and to keep him from climbing the walls at home. Here are our recommendations
Top 5 Places To Beat The Heat
5) Florida Children’s Museum
Lakeland is a short drive from the Orlando Area. If you are looking to get out with the kids for the day the Florida Children’s Museum is a great option. They have 2 floors of learning activities that are so fun, children don’t even know they are learning. It is located on the edge of beautiful Bonnet Springs Park, so you can get out for a bit if you want. They have a cafe with kid-friendly items as well as health options just across a walkway. Memberships and and day tickets are both reasonably priced. Be sure to check with any other memberships you have for discount options or reciprocal benefits, like Bok Tower or other museums.
4) Crayola Experience at the Florida Mall
This is one of our staple activities. The annual pass is extremely affordable and while the main activities may stay the same, the creative content changes every few weeks and we always walk away with a different experience. They also have concessions available, but if you are looking for allergy-friendly or healthy options, note that the cafe is not always open and it’s a good walking distance from the food court of the mall. You can see several of our experiences in some vlogs we have included on our YouTube Channel.
3) Orlando Science Center
This is honestly my favorite. The fact that I can get a nutritious allergy-friendly lunch in the cafe and Barnie’s Coffee on the main floor goes a long way towards my day out. Don’t even get me started on the gift shop, this place -top to bottom - is a full day experience every time. They are also a member of the ASTC Travel Passport so we can get discounts or reciprocal entry to other places when we travel, too. They also have a wide variety of summer camps for preschool - Grade 6.
2) Sky Zone
If you just want an air conditioned place for children to get the wiggles out, Sky Zone is a great option. They have memberships and deals, but these are usually not transferrable by location. There are several locations around central Florida and also the country. I especially love this option for families with multiple children. They usually have some special jump zones for the smaller toddlers to help with sensory introduction and the older siblings can make friends while parents help the smaller ones.
1) Urban Air
There are a lot of similarities between Sky Zone and Urban Air in the way of trampolines and climbing, however Urban air also has the Sky Rider and Sky Course that take things to the next level - literally. As a parent I have to quell my own anxieties and limiting beliefs and let our 8 year old test his limits. This park has some things with height requirements and I find it is helpful to allow for more independence. It’s so fun, I know he is not going to leave without me. lol. They also have memberships, multiple locations and a concession stand.
In these pictures, Liam is doing the Sky Course and he’s about 12 feet above my head. He’s attached to a harness that is tethered into the tongue and groove grappling contraption overhead. This is a hard pass for me even at his age, but he showed no fear and navigated well. This was after the 5 times of flying through the Sky Rider zip line with the biggest smile on his face and wearing his muscles out on the climbing walls. This day we spent about 4 hours here, but he said it still wasn’t enough. lol.
