But in the spring and summer, the northern beaches are where it's at. 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! Sanibel and Captiva have some different shells, so be sure to hit beaches on both islands. We belive strongly that travel benefits kids in SO MANY ways. Groceries on Sanibel were significantly more expensive than on the main land. Tip: Check with your hotel or condo because some units come with bikes. Collect shells along the beach Sanibel is known as the Shelling Capital of the World, and it's not hard to see why. It's a unique, quirky, and unusual place that is full of old Florida charm. They were pretty excited to start filling their bags when we got there. Lounge on a Fort Myers Beach. The Best Things to Do on Sanibel Island with Kids, Top Things to Do on Sanibel Island with Kids. They might even meet a new friend or two. Along the way, a naturalist will point out local sights and landmarks while answering questions about wildlife and island history. J. N. "Ding" Darling NationalWildlife Refuge. Whether you are looking for a romantic getaway, a family trip, or a nature escape, this Southwest Florida paradise is the perfect choice for your vacation! Exploring Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island, The 9 Best Fort Myers Beach, Florida Hotels of 2023, 12 Best Things to Do in Fort Myers, Florida, 12 Fabulous Family Beach Vacations in the Southeast, 14 Top Things to Do in Vero Beach, Florida, The 6 Best Key West Snorkeling Tours of 2023, The 9 Best Florida Family Resortsof 2023, Top 17 Things to Do in Tampa Bay, Florida, 20 Top Things to Do With Kids in Miami, Florida, 10 Best Family-Friendly Beaches in Florida, The 26 Best Things to Do in Long Beach, California. Heads up, you'll want to arrive early as spots fill up quickly. Biking downtown just got more exciting for kids having a map and treasures to hunt! I definitely want to go back and explore and this sounds like an amazing place to do just that. Your new neighbors will be just as curious about you as you are about them. 7. Each day the view was completely different and it made a wonderful activity with the entire family. Bring goggles for kids to get a good look at the sandy ocean bottom. In the courtyard are large enclosures with a variety of different parrots. Dairy-Free (All recipes on CKC are gluten-free). Part of the largest undeveloped mangrove ecosystem in the USA, this staggering park protects an array of threatened species, aside from providing habitat for fascinating migratory birds. The island acts like a big scoop and because of the way that the ocean currents flow, the shells just wash up on the beach. Reach out to me using this form and lets start brainstorming and planning your next amazing escapebecause to me it is more than just a vacation. This is what I know about the best time to visit Sanibel Island. It feels special because it is. Every single coastal state in the U.S. has reported red tide and the cause is primarily pollution chemicals in the water. This sounds like a great place for a family vacation and so many activities! There are a great deal of things to do on Sanibel Island when traveling with a family. Here you can learn all sorts of stuff about the animals and nature. You might want to bring water shoes or sandalsfor walking on the beach. These eye-popping gardens host wild creatures like butterflies, turtles, rabbits, and birds. Where else but the seashell capital of the world would you find the national shell museum? See Tripadvisor's 128,735 traveller reviews and photos of kid friendly Sanibel Island attractions Go straight to the beach. Address: 845 E Gulf Dr, Sanibel, FL 33957. We've taken the twins twice and both times they loved running out on the boardwalk and spotting animals. Here are some of our favorite things to do in Fort Myers & Sanibel Island with kids. There is so much to explore right outside your hotel, both on the beach and in the water. 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. Tip for Canadians Tim Hortons coffee is served at Joeys Custard! Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sanibel Island is a great place to vacation with a family. Do you want amazing sunsets or sunrises? All ages. The kids and I did an Everglades Gator and bird spotting tour withEverglades Day Safari Fort Myers in an airboat. You can drive through the preserve at your own pace and get out to spot wildlife. Conditions are often mild and allow you to experience many of the island's activities no matter when you visit. It turns out, there are plenty of things to do on Sanibel Island with kids. All Rights Reserved. Make sure to go during low tide because that's when a lot of the birds, including brown and white pelicans, ibis, cormorants and spoonbills, flock to the refuge to feed on fish stuck in the shallow water. Sanibel island is one of the most bike friendly places that we have ever been. This is a review for fun things to do near Landfield Ave, Monticello, NY 12701: "Amazing place: gorgeous view, extremely pleasant people and lots of fun. It's a pretty spectacular sight. Not so much. Things to Do in Sanibel Island with Kids Enter dates Filters 1 Attractions Traveler favorites All things to do Category types Attractions Tours Day Trips Outdoor Activities Concerts & Shows Food & Drink Shopping Transportation Traveler Resources Types of Attractions Boat Tours & Water Sports Nature & Parks Sights & Landmarks Museums We upgraded our regular beach toys to fun trucks that our boys love. Pick from one of many competitive games at Battlegroundz in Lincoln including dodgeball, laser tag, paintball, archery tag, airsoft, darts and cornhole. We love traveling with kids and will incorporate some of the ideas. A trip to Sanibel Island with kids is perfect if you are a family who wants to send some quality time together in a laid back, relaxed atmosphere. It also taught the boys a bit about wind and weather because they only knew they could fly the kites on windy days. Besides relaxing and playing on the beaches, there are kid-friendly restaurants, museums, and historical sites to enjoy with your family. Shelling is one of the best things to do on Sanibel Island, so plan to spend lots of time at the beach! I personally would not have felt sage cycling after sunset, so driving was a better evening option for us. Kids will enjoy learning about the history of the lighthouse and no trip to the island is complete without a selfie in front of it. I'm Julie Wunder Emmy award-winning former WLOS meteorologist. It's officially called Jerry's Tropical Galleria and it's filled with parrots and other gorgeous birds making it a fun place for them to pick up a souvenir. 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. I found in my time there that Sanibel Island is like a magical place with tropical overgrown brush, no street lights and rumours of manatee sighting abound. Whether you choose to be boating, kayaking, canoeing, water-skiing or fishing from one of the favorite spots, play a round of golf on the challenging scenic courses, there are over 70 of them, the perfect place to tee off and test your mettle on the green . Several outfitters like Billy's Rentals, Finnimore's Cycle Shop, and Tarpon Bay Explorers rent bikes, tandems, pull-behind child trailers, and even canopied surreys. Captiva Island: Felt more off the beaten path and exclusive. With an early sunset time in winter, we'd take the boys out and walk up the beach toward the sunset. Kids stop in local businesses on the hunt for prizes. Read More: The Best Hawaii Resorts for Families on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island. Watching the sun dip into the Gulf of Mexico is magic. This was my daughters favorite part of the trip! The best times for shelling were at low tide and early in the morning (even better if these coincide). This is the first lighthouse north of the Keys. With about 22 miles of paved bike trails, it's super easy to get anywhere on the island. Warm Gulf waters and calm surf make most of the island's beaches great for families withsmall children. If youre planning avacation to Sanibel Islandand wondering what activities are offered on this island close to Floridas coast, check out these10 kid-friendly attractionsthis special island has to offer. The twins and I also spotted this unique bird on the beach. The kids were told that if they waited and were quiet, theres a good chance they could spot a manatee somewhere in the wildlife refuge. My boys had never had REAL ice cream before so we splurged and let them have some. So get the whole family involved, even if they're too young to pedal. Kids Activities. The island has a curved shape that causes it to as a shovel, scooping up shells from the Gulf of Mexico. Captiva And Sanibel Islands are just over an hour from Ft. Myers and relatively easy to get to, but feel like a tropical paradise. Sanibel Island with kids is lovely! The fun never stops on Sanibel Island. These include the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge, Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum, dolphin and wildlife cruises, and more. Paddle throughmangrove swamps and winding waterways, and then keep your kayak for free for the remainder of the day. Its a nice place to stay, but the spa is especially wonderful. We visited in November, and it was just the right time for us. Fun Things to Do in Sanibel Island with Kids: Family-friendly activities and fun things to do. 1.Rent A Convertable There's no better way to explore this tropical location with the roof down and the wind in your face. But Sanibel Island, which faces due west in the Gulf of Mexico, is one of them. There are shells all year long. Visit the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum to get a more in depth understanding of the areas shells, and book a guided beach walk where a seasoned naturalist will teach you how to find the best shells. Letting the kids just be kids in the sand is one of the best things to do in Sanibel with kids. They even have a special app that you can download and identify any shells that you find (you dont have to visit the museum to use the app!). there is a wildlife refuge that you can either take a guided tram or drive yourself through. Sign up in advance because space is limited to24 students per day. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. Many of the area's islands are lined with red mangroves, which are fascinating trees that are easy to spot bytheir tangled root systems that make them look like they're standing on stilts above the water. The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) is great for learning about Southwest Floridas native and migratory wildlife. Its not cheap, but the kids will love it. Eating out in Sanibel with kids? As the kids are flying down the waterslides enjoy a nice slow ride in the lazy river. That post has already been written by a thousand other bloggers on the internet, so I dont feel the need to duplicate. While meandering through the colorful stalks of this vibrant farmers market, youll come across locally sourced meat, cheese, baked goods, fresh fruit smoothies, fish, art, jewelry, and more. 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