Alisha Disclosure: This Florida family adventure post is sponsored by the Adventures Unbound Sunshine Collection of recreational activities and family-friendly things to do at Florida state parks. This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking a link featured in this post - at no extra cost to you.
If you want to explore the unique wonders of the Florida outdoors with kids, you’ll find some incredible family-friendly things to do at Florida state parks. From hidden gem experiences in popular Florida family travel destinations to bucket list-worthy adventures at enchanting natural springs, Florida state parks offer so many opportunities for families to connect to nature and make treasured family memories.
In Central Florida, families can find a variety of extraordinary adventure options through the Adventures Unbound Sunshine Collection of Florida state parks recreational activities. The Adventures Unbound Sunshine Collection was curated to help nature lovers experience the essence of Florida’s natural wonders, highlighting a diverse range of unspoiled landscapes, ecosystems, and wildlife.
After embarking on adventures at several Central Florida state parks that are part of the collection, we can confidently say that the Adventures Unbound Sunshine Collection is Adventure-Seeking Mom approved for the variety of high-quality outdoor activities its properties offer that are perfect for families.
To help you plan your family’s next Florida adventure, we’ve compiled a list of the best family-friendly things to at Florida state parks based on our experiences exploring Florida’s natural wonders with the Adventures Unbound Sunshine Collection.
The Five Best Family-Friendly Things To Do at Florida State Parks in Central Florida
1. Swim in a natural spring
With more than 1,000 freshwater springs, Florida is flowing with opportunities for adventures in captivating crystal-clear waters that sparkle in shades of blue and green. One of the best family-friendly things to Florida state parks, swimming in natural springs is a popular recreational activity that families can enjoy at many state parks.
Several Central Florida parks that are part of the Adventures Unbound Sunshine Collection are ideal destinations for swimming in spring waters like De Leon Springs near Orlando and Weeki Wachee Springs located north of Tampa. Weeki Wachee Springs even has its own seasonal water park, Buccaneer Bay, which features two water slides and a lazy river.
With constant water temperatures of about 70-72 degrees, Florida springs are especially refreshing in the Florida summer heat, but swimming areas at Weeki Wachee and De Leon Springs are open year-round.
2. Look for manatees and other wildlife on a river boat cruise
Because Florida springs’ water temperatures don’t drop during the winter months like coastal waters do, these refreshing summer swimming destinations become a refuge for manatees during the winter months. Manatees love warm water and migrating to find it is vital to their survival in the winter. In Central Florida, many Florida manatees make their way down the St. John’s River during the cooler months to huddle up at Blue Spring, a top Florida manatee refuge.
In addition to marveling at manatees from Blue Spring State Park’s boardwalk trail along the spring run, families can also spot manatees and other wildlife on Blue Spring’s daily St. John’s River Nature Cruise.
One of the best family-friendly things to do in Florida State Parks, a river boat tour offers amazing wildlife viewing opportunities in a serene, wilderness setting. You’ll get a rare glimpse Florida’s swampy heart as you glide past gorgeous cypress trees and maybe even get the thrill of spotting an alligator or two.
River boat cruises are popular activities offered at many Florida state parks that are part of the Adventures Unbound Sunshine Collection including Crystal River Preserve, De Leon Springs, and Weeki Wachee Springs, in addition to Blue Spring.
3. Rent your own boat or kayaks for a whole day of adventure on the water
If you want to captain your own vessel for a family boating or kayaking trip, Crystal River Preserve State Park is a park you’re going to want to explore. Crystal River Preserve is a Florida hidden gem that offers a variety of opportunities to connect with nature as you embark on exciting adventures on the water.
You’ll experience a unique and incredibly biodiverse Florida estuary, where freshwater from spring-fed rivers mixes with the saltwater of the Gulf of Mexico. Crystal River is Florida’s manatee capital so there’s a good chance you will spot a manatee or two during your family adventure on the river.
In addition to renting kayaks or taking a guided kayak tour, Crystal River Preserve Adventures offers pontoon boat rentals and river boat tours with a naturalist guide. Their sunset cruises are a spectacular way to end a family adventure day. For even more adventure on the water, scalloping charters are available seasonally.
Kayak tours and rentals are also available at other Florida state parks that are part of the Adventures Unbound Sunshine Collection including De Leon Springs, Blue Spring and Weeki Wachee Springs.
4. Watch mermaids perform in an underwater theater at Weeki Wachee Springs – one of the most unique family-friendly things to do at Florida state parks!
Mermaid dreams come true at Weeki Wachee Springs, an enchanting Florida state park where mermaids welcome humans to explore the wonders of a mesmerizing first-magnitude Florida spring through a variety of adventures.
One of the most unique things to do at Florida state parks, live mermaid shows are performed daily at Weeki Wachee springs in an underwater theater. During the show, mermaids perform musical numbers in the turquoise spring waters and introduce audiences to the wonders of Weeki Wachee, the deepest known freshwater cave system in the United States. Kids love the opportunity to meet one of the mermaids after the show too.
Weeki Wachee Springs is a charming Old Florida roadside attraction where mermaids have been delighting audiences since 1947. Other family-friendly things to do at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park include swimming in the spring, splashing at Buccaneer Bay water park seasonally, taking a wilderness river boat cruise, and kayaking down the spring run.
5. Fuel up for a day of adventure by making your own pancakes in an old sugar mill
If your kids work up quite an appetite during family adventures like mine do, you definitely need to add De Leon Springs to your Florida adventure list. Along with offering swimming, kayaking, hiking and river boat tours, De Leon Springs serves up famous cook-your-own pancakes in its charming Old Sugar Mill Pancake House, a 100-year-old replica of the original 1830s sugar mill.
Kids love the opportunity to flip their own pancakes on an electric griddle built into the table. It’s one of the most unique, delicious and family-friendly things to do at Florida state parks. The De Leon Springs restaurant’s signature all-you-can-eat pancakes are made with stone-ground grains and served with maple syrup, molasses and honey. Other breakfast staples and lunch classics are also available.
After your brunch, take a walk to digest along De Leon Springs State Park’s half-mile, paved nature trail. You’ll pass through a beautiful floodplain forest with cypress, hardwoods, and other native plants. You can even see a cypress tree that’s more than 600 years old. To learn more about the stunning forest at De Leon Springs and the history of the park, you can book a guided hiking tour with De Leon Springs Adventures.
More Florida Adventures and Things To Do at Florida State Parks
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