Things To Do In Central Florida With Kids: Easy Day Trips From Orlando
Looking for things to do in Central Florida with kids? There are many options. We’ve listed theme parks as well as easy day trips from Orlando.
Things To Do In Central Florida With Kids
We always tell people that there’s a lot more to Central Florida than people think. If you’re traveling to the area with kids, you might be heading straight for the theme parks. If you are, we know you’ll have a lot of fun.
However, there are also day trips from Orlando to consider. Both indoor and outdoor activities that your kids will love, like blueberry picking, horseback riding, and even spending time with mermaids! 😉
Enjoy Theme Parks In Orlando
If you’re specifically looking for things to do in Orlando with kids, then one of the obvious choices is taking them to a theme park. There are many options, so you can choose which theme park depending on your child’s interests.
Disney World is an obvious favorite, with a variety of attractions including water parks, shopping areas, and amazing award-winning restaurants. At over 43 square miles, there’s something for everyone.
One of our favorite Disney World parks is Animal Kingdom, which we had never been to as a kid. When we went recently, we had such an incredible time! We saw so many animals, enjoyed amazing shows, and rode Expedition Everest which was a pretty thrilling roller coaster!
Pick Your Own Blueberries
One of the popular day trips from Orlando that the whole family will enjoy is a trip out to Cavallo Farm and Market. Located in the town of Lecanto, they have a year-round market where you can get produce that is mostly organic and local to Citrus County. They also have a boutique store that offers guests eco-friendly bath & body merchandise, unique household items, honey products, baked goods, fresh bread, olive oils and vinegars, and jams and jellies.
For a fun outdoor experience, pick your own blueberries when they are in season during April and May. We really enjoyed walking through the blueberry vineyards; they’re so picturesque and the blueberries are the biggest we’ve ever seen! They are also a lot more flavorful than the ones we usually get at the grocery store.
Cavallo also has a winery where they make wine out of their blueberries. It’s one of the best wineries on the East Coast! They produce 20,000 bottles of wine, and after sampling five of them, we can tell you that they are delicious. So we suggest spending a day at Cavallo with the family. Walk among their old moss covered trees, pick some blueberries, do some shopping, and enjoy some wine. Because Cavallo isn’t just a blueberry farm; it’s a food and wine destination.
Takes The Kids Fishing
Why not spend a day fishing in Cedar Key? The area is known for its great fishing opportunities. You can do it from the popular pier downtown, through a fishing charter, or you could rent your own boat. Just be sure to hydrate and follow all fishing regulations.
Go On A Safari
Another fun activity for kids in Central Florida is Safari Wilderness in Lakeland. Visitors can go on a safari and see over 400 different species of animals.
You have the option of seeing the animals from a pretty cool customized vehicle, or go riding on the back of a camel! Kids can enjoy feeding the animals as well. Who wouldn’t want to feed an adorable ring-tailed lemur!
See Real Mermaids
How would your family like to spend time with real live mermaids? Without a doubt one of the best things to do in Central Florida with kids is to visit Weeki Wachee Springs. At this natural Florida spring, you can kayak, take a river boat cruise, and during summer months enjoy their waterpark.
Of course, you can also see their iconic mermaid shows that have been a Florida roadside attraction since 1947. Watch in amazement as the mermaids perform choreographed shows with costumes, props, and music. Everyone loves the Weeki Wachee mermaids. Even Elvis saw a show here!
Take A Hot Air Balloon Ride Over Central Florida
About 40 minutes west of Orlando is the city of Clermont, home to Orlando Balloon Rides. There’s nothing quite like riding a hot air balloon, and it’s a fun activity the whole family will love. It requires an early start to your day, but the views of Central Florida are worth it.
Pro Tip: Check out these other awesome Hot Air Balloon Experiences Around The World!
Go Horseback Riding
If your kids enjoy horseback riding, head over to the city of Ocala. It is the “Horse Capital of the World” and has over 1,200 breeding and training stables within a 50-mile radius.
Many facilities offer tours and you can see anything from a vet helping an injured horse to a professional rider working with their horse on a track. You can also arrange to go for a horseback ride; both novice and experienced riders will enjoy the many trails around Ocala.
Go Kayaking In Central Florida
Another fun outdoor activity in Central Florida that the whole family will love is kayaking. We suggest paying a visit to any of the area’s state parks or wilderness preserves. They’re a great place to go kayaking.
Central Florida has many lakes, springs, and rivers with crystal clear water, making them perfect for seeing local wildlife. Don’t be surprised if you spot a manatee while kayaking!
Spend Time With Manatees
Speaking of manatees, one of the most memorable things to do in Central Florida is to spend time with manatees. These gentle creatures are drawn to the warm springs in this area of the state, especially during the winter months. One of the most popular places to see and even swim with manatees is Crystal River.
Explore Exploration Tower
This impressive building is full of fun exhibits and activities. The Canaveral Port Authority opened Exploration Tower in November 2013 and it has 7 floors dedicated to preserving the history of the port and it’s surrounding area.
We really enjoyed the sixth floor which is dedicated to space exploration. There are photos, memorabilia, and videos about the many launches that have taken place in nearby Kennedy Space Center. The views from the seventh floor are pretty impressive too!
Learn About Space
Another fun day trip from Orlando that the kids will enjoy is to Kennedy Space Center in Titusville. Central Florida has a lot of beautiful natural features but a fun contrast is the very modern complex that holds rockets and buildings dedicated to telling the history of space exploration.
Many of the exhibits are interactive, which we know kiddos will appreciate. There are also dining options throughout the complex, so you could really spend all day here.
Final Thoughts On Things To Do In Central Florida With Kids
So as you can see, there are plenty of things to do in Central Florida with kids. We like the variety of both indoor and outdoor activities as well as the fact that there are off the beaten path options. Trust us, your kids will be talking about their time in Central Florida for years to come!
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Great, Florida is looking so awesome and it has so many good things to enjoy. It’s a really amazing place and great photos you shared of that beautiful place.
Next time you’re in this area, I highly recommend an off-road adventure. We had so much fun when we did this for Mother’s day!
I’d love to visit Florida. One of my best friends lives there. Your kayak pics reminded me she posted awesome pics on Facebook of a manatee in a river. I really hope to go there one day. Kind of on my dream list!
Being from central Fl, you definitely hit all the best spots! Just was there in December and did Epcot. Love the theme parks! Kayaking is so fun there too. Haven’t been to Cape Canaveral tower so will add that to our list. Great ideas!
Oh wow I didn’t know it was possible to do kayaking in central Florida, it does look pretty awesome! I also love the idea of a hot air balloon ride, those are pretty cool especially during sunrise hours. Thanks for the suggestions, these are some great ideas for people travelling with families.
A theme park is an excellent idea for children, I think I would avoid the rides as I am a bit of a scaredy cat when it comes to this sort of thing. I have never done a balloon ride before, so I could just imagine what the views must be like, just incredible!
My dream is cape canaveral so i am so glad you mentioned. Unfortunately i never been even if i have been in Orlando (very quickly) when I was young. too young. so time to come back!!
I’m basically a big kid, so it’s perfect that I’m reading this the day before flying off to central Florida! I’m going to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for sure! I hadn’t considered kayaking, but now I am! Great tips!
These are the best things that every age group people can do, but with kids, it will be more fun. Thanks for sharing this post, I would like to visit these places in Florida.
What great things to do! Although I don’t have kids, I would love to take the hot air balloon over Florida. Fantastic list for all families!
The kayaking in central Florida looks beautiful! I would love to see the manatees, and indeed manatee spotting would be perfect for kids.
Florida is my favorite state the USA. There’s so much to do and the weather is super permissive all year long. I had no idea you can even have a ride with the hot air balloon. I would definitely want to try that next time when I’m there.
Kayaking would be my top pick. I’ve done a bit of it there and the setting was so dreamy. Of course it’s hard to go wrong with Disneyland, too. What a fun trip for kids.
Florida is an awesome city. My sister lives in there and I visited her last year. One thing astonished me that there is an amazing kayaking place! In the coming April, we will go there again and my hubby will love to kayaking there with our son! Thanks for sharing the info!
Not gonna lie; the kayaking thing sounds pretty awesome 😉
So, so fun, Joe. There are several different kayaking companies in the Central Florida area and they’re all worth the time!
Thanks Ashley!
We certainly love our theme parks here in the Central Florida area but it’s always great to see some “local love” given to other things. A few of these we’ve never heard of so we’ll have to put them on our list of things to check out. The safari in Lakeland is something that’s never even been on our radar!
Thank you! We’re glad you found it helpful. 🙂
Aye, it’s pretty amazing to find out all the different things to do in central Florida. After housesitting with you in Ocala and driving back through the area on our way to Cavallo Farm and Market, I am glad we got off the beaten parth. I’d recommend people set aside at least a week to explore the area. It’s clear that there’s plenty to do from the east to the west. There’s a few more places on the list I want to visit as well.
I’d even add Barberville to the list for those looking to break up the driving with something cool to do.
Love Disney esp Rite of Passage, the kayaking looks amazing – the water WOW – likely I will visit FL this summer – in ATL!