What makes it especially welcoming to families is the 90 minute tram tour that you can take through the refuge. Definitely can do an adult only trip there too! Some bucket-list experiences here are sunbathing, kayaking, bird watching, and exploring idyllic parks like the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge. Ding Darling is known as one of the best places to visit for birding. For more shopping fun, check out the shops in Times Square at the nearby Fort Myers Beach Pier. Edison & Ford Winter Estates. It is a pretty photo stop, the beach is (of course) covered with shells and there is a lovely shaded picnic area there. Kids will find themselves immersed for hours in this natural treasure huntwithout a care given to the backbreaking stance known as the"Sanibel stoop." This is one of the best things to do on Sanibel with kids. It is true that growing up, a lot of time was spent in these magical and fairytale kingdoms. Head to the Crows Nest on Crab Racing Night and see as they say. Less restaurants and shopping. Sprinkled in youll find family travel inspiration. Because of this, the island is home to a ton of locally-owned boutiques where you can buy bathing suits, sun hats or souvenirs to take home. Home to all kinds of Floridian wildlife (have your little ones try to spot the mangrove crabs scuttling around among the branches), the mangroves are best experienced by a guided kayak tour through the mangrove tunnels, where the trees naturally form a closed canopy to create a tunnel over the waterway. Your whole family will enjoy spending hours exploring all the creatures they find! 10. Each day includes surfing, art, group-bonding activities, all while integrating subjects like fiddler crabs, wading birds, and sea turtles. A quick drive from Fort Myers, Florida will take you to a tropical island getaway with so much family-friendly fun to explore. J. N. "Ding" Darling NationalWildlife Refuge. If we had to drive over and visit just for the day, it would not have been at all the same experience. Bricks 4 Kidz - Piscataway. The fun never stops on Sanibel Island. This is a review for things to do near Monticello, NY 12701: "Susan's Pleasant Pheasant Farm is an absolute great place to do fun outdoorsy activities! The wildlife refuge is open every day except Fridays. Sanibel is all about relaxingand it settles in as you cross the causeway you wont even find a stoplight until you return over the bridge on your way back home. Should you ever find yourself on Sanibel or Captiva Islands with kids, here are some things you must do. That way, you'll have room left over for a slice (or two!) And why wouldnt they do that? I was blind to what else existed in the State. Find a Dunkin Donuts and you will be good. The options are endless but here are a few of the activities my kids enjoyed the most on our recent trip. Head to Matzaluna for some variety. Photo: Courtesy of The Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel 1. After 9:00 p.m on Sanibel, itsturtle time. The Sanibel Inn provided kayaks and paddle boards for us to use! Kids stop in local businesses on the hunt for prizes. Next time we go, I might choose a simpler place, or an Airbnb with a kitchen where we can cook, because the resort was lovely, but Sanibel has some really great things that we want to get out and see! It is located nearby Blind Pass Bridge, which connects the two islands. Sanibel Island is best experienced by bike. With time spent on the beach looking for shells, we barely had time to get out and see what the rest of the island had to offer! Definitely worth the drive! They have plenty of cute shops to pick from for the kiddos. Dont get suckered into ordering the special kids drink, though. Almost every restaurant in the area boasts its own version of Key Lime pie, but if you have kidsor a big sweet toothyou HAVE to make a stopfor a slice of cake at the Bubble Roomlocated on Captiva island (which is accessible from Sanibel by car). Florida sunsets are truly like none other in existence. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. My twins have been to the island three times starting at 13 months old (1st trip, 2nd trip, 3rd trip) and have loved spending time on the beaches and with nature. This lighthouse is picture perfect and worth exploring for a morning. There are several ways to explore the refuge. We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. Kids stop in local businesses on the hunt for prizes. TripHobo Things to do with Family & kids in Sanibel; timesoftheislands.com Top 16 Spots To Take The Kids Around Sanibel & Captiva Islands | Times of the Islands Magazine; Family Destinations Guide 17 Best Things to Do in Sanibel Island, FL (for 2022) iTripVacations 6 Sanibel Island Beaches Where Stress Melts Away and Kids Can . Come at low tide or after a storm to find conch, junonia, lightning whelk, and cockle shells. By: Jodi/Updated on: February 15, 2023/3 Comments. My kids spent hours walking up and down the beach from our hotel doing shelling. If you are staying on the east end of the island, this makes for a lovely bike ride (and you can stop for THE BEST key lime ice cream at Sanibels Best Homemade Ice Cream afterwards!). Looking for things to do in Sanibel Island with kids? You might spot a dolphin or two from there. Hoping to be able to take the kids over the Summer. So if there aren't traditional kids attractions what ARE the things to do with kids in Sanibel Island? Learn how your comment data is processed. In addition to an amazing pool and poolside bar, our provided kayaks, paddleboards, bikes to borrow and a naturalist led beach walk. Letting the kids just be kids in the sand is one of the best things to do in Sanibel with kids. Dont miss out on mobile-only deals and one-of-a-kind offers. Here, visit the otherworldly Captiva Beach, famous for its snow-white sand and shallow crystal-clear waters. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Dedicated to saving wildlife through state-of-the-art veterinary care, this center offers various educational experiences. Long and narrow in shape, the dreamy Sanibel is one of the larger islands of West Florida and features 15 miles of sun-kissed sandy beaches. This is a great thing to do in Jekyll Island with kids. Parenting lesson learned? Because of its distance from the airport, there are no public transportation methods to get here. Each day the view was completely different and it made a wonderful activity with the entire family. Sign up for simple dinner ideas, easy step by step instructions, and fun recipes for kids. 10 things to do with kids in Miami Here are the activities they have for kids! One person mentioned that it comes from Alabama. Love Boat Ice Cream is at 1700 Periwinkle Way in the Plaza with the big Jerrys grocery store. Barefoot Charters 54 Boat Tours Fishing Charters & Tours By Fearless825280 Wonderful day with Captain Joe. Required fields are marked *. Having a car made getting to Fort Myers quick and easy as well. Winter and springtime (from December to April) are the best times to visit Sanibel. 74. Its located right on the beach in the premier spot for shelling. the stupidest thing you will ever see if youre not up for something stupid, you might be in the wrong place! Sanibel Island (and the neighbouring Captiva Island) is loaded with fun, family-friendly things to do proving it's worth broadening your vacay horizons beyond Orlando. What a great way to vacation around Sanibel! From action-packed water sports to relaxing spa treatments, we have something for everyone. Come over and. This is the first lighthouse north of the Keys. These encounters trump a trip to Disneyworld any day. It feels special because it is. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. We got these super easy-to-use kid-friendly Octopus Kites and they have been great. 5. Stop by Flan World Corp for a life-changing coconut flan, Aux Dlices Bakery for authentic French pastries, and the Doughnut Station for the fluffiest doughnuts. Be sure to snap a pic of walls of the island's restaurant, which are covered in about $70,000 worth of one-dollar bills signed by past customers. Kids Activities. If you plan on dining out, get your hands on the. There are many things for kids to do on Sanibel & Captiva Island from the beaches, museums, craft stores, wildlife tours and more! Tip: Check with your hotel or condo because some units come with bikes. Not by chance, it became the worlds most famous place for shelling. Sunbathing in the sugar white sand, shelling, kayaking, and swimming in the oceans emerald waters are some of the top activities here. We ate breakfast in the room. If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. Here you'll find shell-strewn beaches, a laid-back vibe, terrific restaurants and shops,and an incredibly diverse wildlife sampling. There is so much to explore right outside your hotel, both on the beach and in the water. Required fields are marked *. The kids waited long enough for the picture to be taken and then wanted to run back to see if we could see a snake again that had crossed our path. They were a lot cheaper than similar resorts on Sanibel. The best times for shelling were at low tide and early in the morning (even better if these coincide). Since the island is only 12 miles long, its not a far distance to get to any of these places from wherever you are staying. They are almost all the way to Captiva, so if you are wanting to visit both islands, this is an ideal place to base yourself. You can show up in a bathing suit and flip flops and get everything from salad to burgers to fried alligator. Cue the tears. Sanibel Island isworld-renownedfor its abundance of seashells. Don't forget the camera some of my best shots have come at this time. My goal with Running in a Skirt is to help YOU live a happier, healthier life! Smaller dead fish washed up and we had mild coughs when spending extended periods of time on the beach and shore area. Fun Things to Do in Sanibel Island with Kids: Family-friendly activities and fun things to do. Time seems to move differently on Sanibel. And while you won't find theme parks or children's museums to keep your kids entertained, instead, give them the opportunity to spot dolphins, hold small sea creatures, and kayak through the mangroves. This was a close second choice when booking our trip to Sanibel Island with kids. Visiting this locale is a feel-good endeavor, too, as your admission fee goes towards the care of approximately 3,500 injured and orphaned animals each year. Afamily vacation to Florida is usually synonymous with Disney, but it doesn't have to be. Make sure to bike to the east end of the island to see the Sanibel Lighthouse, and if you get hungry for some ice cream while you there, Pinocchio's Original Italian Ice Cream is right there for you on the way back. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge On this part of Sanibel you'll find a protected piece of nature with quite an impressive wildlife! Additionally, after undergoing several renovations to the main halls and exhibits in 2018 and 2019, the Shell Museum will fully reopen on July 5, 2019, with tons of new features. 1.Rent A Convertable There's no better way to explore this tropical location with the roof down and the wind in your face. Too badwill have to make another trip . The tour price covers the rental of all gear, including a PDF, leash, tie-downs, and fresh drinking water for each person. The gator viewing wasnt plentiful, there were a few eyes popping up here and there, but it certainly was exciting to try to see them! That night in bed? See Tripadvisor's 128,735 traveller reviews and photos of kid friendly Sanibel Island attractions Sanibel Island takes shelling very seriously! On a regular day, the a.m. low tide will be better than the p.m. because if youre the first one out in the morning, youll be able to find the shells that have freshly washed ashore.Tip: My family has always gone to Sanibel Island in June and the beaches have always been filled with shells. There are activities and family friendly places to visit for families of any size and children of any age. Our next stop was rumoured to be the place to see the manatee. If the ocean is a little to rough for your likes, be sure to be booked at a hotel with a pool for guests to use because you will want it! Summer Waves Water Park is a thrilling experience with plenty of waterslides the whole family can enjoy. I've tried to keep treats healthier at home too while they were super young, but always had the intentions of loosening that up a bit as they get older. I will also add that Red Coach buses are a great way to get around with kids. 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