We had just never gone out to a regular ice cream shop with them! All Rights Reserved. Here you'll find shell-strewn beaches, a laid-back vibe, terrific restaurants and shops,and an incredibly diverse wildlife sampling. Nature comes in a spectacular variety in the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Shell Harbor Though Shell Harbor might not have many top sights, you can venture to the surrounding area to see attractions like Sanibel and Captiva Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center and Sanibel Moorings Botanical Gardens. Note you will have to head back into Fort Myers to get picked up by there van for this excursion. My three-year-olds have been flying them for over a year. Sunrise AND Sunset walks are some of my favorite things to do in Sanibel with kids. This family-friendly island has lots of activities for kids of all ages most of them free! With beaches that boast over 60 different kinds ofseashells, Sanibel Island is a shell hunter's dream. It is laid back, friendly and has a lovely old Florida charm. There are activities and family friendly places to visit for families of any size and children of any age. I was blind to what else existed in the State. Hit the big grocery stores in Fort Myers on your way. Our next stop was rumoured to be the place to see the manatee. Eat at RC Otters. Dont forget the camera some of my best shots have come at this time. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Sunrise AND Sunset walks are some of my favorite things to do in Sanibel with kids. I would absolutely stay there again. 1. No matter the time of year, Sanibel sees some brilliant sunsets. I think their minds were blown! We stayed at the Sanibel Inn and absolutely LOVED it. 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. Collect shells along the beach Sanibel is known as the Shelling Capital of the World, and it's not hard to see why. This is definitely one of the best Sanibel Island activities for families, and one of the top reasons that many people plan a visit here. Definitely worth the drive! I love seashells so I would love to pick them up too. Address: 3883 Sanibel Captiva Rd, Sanibel. Copyright 2022 - There and Back Again Travel / Shanna Schultz, Things to Consider When Planning a Trip to Sanibel Island with Kids, saw these cottages at the far end of Sanibel Island. Question, why have they never had real ice cream before? Sanibel Island is an island on the west of the Florida panhandle. Warm Gulf waters and calm surf make most of the island's beaches great for families withsmall children. Winter and springtime (from December to April) are the best times to visit Sanibel. It's a cool way for them to understand what's beneath the ocean that they spent the week playing in. Copyright 2023 St. Joseph Communications. Here, visit the otherworldly Captiva Beach, famous for its snow-white sand and shallow crystal-clear waters. This property offers a spacious family-style living room, Cable TV, free Wi-Fi, a washer/dryer . Kids can easily split a kids meal, especially if they fill up on the bottomless muffins that come first. The occurrence of Red Tide is when simple plants that live in the sea and freshwatergrow out of control. Kids of all ages love a pool and there are plenty of them in Sanibel! Captiva And Sanibel Islands are just over an hour from Ft. Myers and relatively easy to get to, but feel like a tropical paradise. Watching the sun dip into the Gulf of Mexico is magic. Battlegroundz has a 20,000-square-foot . It's a great activity for kids and families. Kids can find out more about the shells and mollusks they found on the beach and see a collection of aquariums with over 50 species of marine life. Here are 12 must-do activities for your Sanibel Island family vacation to make planning your Florida beach vacation a little easier. CROWs Visitor Education Center features a collection of interactive exhibits and videos, while the guided Wildlife Walk through the hospital allows you to observe veterinarians treating sick and injured wildlife. I am so glad that I chose to stay on Sanibel proper for our trip to Sanibel Island with kids, because it would have been a whole different trip if we hadnt been right here. Offering free cancellations and no added fees, our {31 fun activities in South Plainfield fun activities in South Plainfield } are also worth a look. Sign up for Scary Mommy's daily newsletter for more stories from the trenches. Stop in at theSanibel Chamber Commerceand ask for the treasure hunt map. One of the most popular things to do on Sanibel Island is to rent a bike. Looking for something fun to do in Sanibel with kids? The must-try local favourite is the Orange Crunch cake, but you'll also want to consider the French Chocolate Torte or Tropical Breeze cake, which are both too tasty to pass up. Bristol Ocala Vacation Rental. 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. Dairy-Free (All recipes on CKC are gluten-free). Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. Captiva Island is a wonderful day trip from Sanibel Island. These are excellent suggestions! We ate THE best burgers at the poolside bar at the Sanibel Island Inn, and we ate out once or twice for dinner. Home Travel Top Things to Do on Sanibel Island with Kids. Visiting London with kids is an absolute joy. From beautiful beaches for shelling to countless water activities for kids, Sanibel Island is a great place to vacation for families. Beaches, Free TYPE 2 hours to Half Day TIME TO SPEND Bowman's is well known for having beautiful, unusual shells, but you'll have to put a. At the parks northern end, youll find a fishing pier, a prime spot for catching redfish, snook, sheepshead, black drum, snapper, and other species. The kids waited for 5 minutes and wanted to go. Sanibel Island with kids really is a lovely vacation! Conditions are often mild and allow you to experience many of the island's activities no matter when you visit. The boys learned some of the real names of the shells and also made up some of their own. Your whole family will enjoy spending hours exploring all the creatures they find! Ive only been to the western side of Florida once and it was for a baseball game. We are Shanna and Aaron + kiddos. Always make sure to bring plenty of water in your backpack or day bag, wear sunscreen, please wear hats, apply bug spray, and wear comfortable walking shoes when doing day trips or walking about. That's the tagline for the Captiva Island Crab Races, which are held twice a week in the Crow's Nest restaurant at'Tween Waters Island Resort. We've found lots of fun ways to spend our days on the island and I'm sure we'll continue to do that as the kids grow older. Its not cheap, but the kids will love it. Corrie P./CROW - Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, Inc. At the Crow Clinic Animal Rehab, kids can interact with animal ambassadors for a remarkable learning experience. Not a single person I spoke to in the area seems to be concerned about Red Tide and carried on with business as usual. Any suggestions on the beat and least expensive fishing guide? Ha I would not have done it at their age. Because of its distance from the airport, there are no public transportation methods to get here. Baby sea turtles hatch late at night when the moon is bright. 6. You'll probably not be surprised to see this list includes enjoying the beaches fully with different beach activities, swimming, and even shelling! Sanibel Island with kids is the perfect place to let them play. They didnt see a manatee. They offer a wide variety of accommodations choices as well as a beautiful kid friendly pool with a water slide. Compare native and invasive species of reptiles; hang out with a red-tailed hawk; play hide and seek with a bashful opossum. I definitely want to go back and explore and this sounds like an amazing place to do just that. The Visitor and Education Centre offers free admission and is open every day except holidays from 9:00 am-4:00 pm year-round. We got to one area and a couple said they had heard one there and were waiting. Private tour guidesare also available to take your family around the islands in search of dolphins and manatees while sharing all kinds of tales about the islands' rich history. Its perfectly legal and encouraged to head down to the beach with a bucket and scoop up as many beauties as you can. Plan a stop for dinner or a drink outside at theMucky Duck. There are a lot of super kid-friendly restaurants on the island but there are some that specifically ask you not to bring tots online, so check ahead of time! The Sanibel Causeway Bridge is a nearly 3-mile road along the west coast, near the beaches overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. 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. Eating out in Sanibel with kids? That night in bed? Admission is $7 for kids ages 5-11, $9 for ages 12-17, $15 for adults. We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. But in the spring and summer, the northern beaches are where it's at. And Lord knows youll need an hour of relaxation being away with your family. If you are staying at a resort and arent planning on straying too far from your quarters, you might be able to get by without a car (especially if your resort has bikes that you can use, which many Sanibel Island family resorts do). Definitely can do an adult only trip there too! Depending on the time of year, Sanibel's sunset locales vary. It is located in Lee County and the easiest way to get there from Toronto is to fly to Fort Myers, rent a car and go. You should get an annual pass to the wildlife refuge. This is what I know about the best time to visit Sanibel Island. Most of the nicer resorts on Sanibel provide some variety of activities. Watching the sun dip into the Gulf of Mexico is magic. This article was originally published on Oct. 14, 2014, The Cutest Grandpa Ever Took Peppa Pigs Family On Vacation With Him, United Airlines Launches A Free Family Seating Program That Actually Makes Sense. Cue the tears. Sanibel Stars & Stripes 43 Boat Tours By 797brendank Friendly staff, great experience, had multiple dolphins chasing and jumping behind the boat for majority of the the r. 39. Made to order, this is one of thebest restaurants on Sanibel Islandfor kids and adults. And right along with the ocean side, we spotted starfish, crabs, and lots of critters inside shells. This sounds like a great place for a family vacation and so many activities! It connects by bridge to Captiva Island. Do some research and pick a guide that suits your family. Toddlers, kids, and teens will all want to partake in this activity. The island is relatively compact and very bike friendly and many people get around by bike! The island is home to many burrowing gopher turtles and lush plantlife grows wild here giving the island an old Florida feel. Just make sure not to disturb their nests! Read More: The Best Hawaii Resorts for Families on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island. Dedicated to saving wildlife through state-of-the-art veterinary care, this center offers various educational experiences. 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. 4. 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. Summer Waves Water Park. We collected shells every day we were there and it never got old for the boys. I'd venture to say that if you look for it you can find as much adventure on this little island as a lot of other tourist destinations. there is a wildlife refuge that you can either take a guided tram or drive yourself through. Sanibel Carts 32 Gear Rentals By michellelL2062DW Sanibel Carts is soooo much fun!! In the courtyard are large enclosures with a variety of different parrots. Definitely worth a half-day trip adventure. Red Tide is a name given to an algae that are harmful to fish and humans. A good day on the water promises dolphins, manatee, and other sea life sightings. Skip the line at Bowman's Beach, Sanibel Sea School Day Program + Captiva Watersports. A quick drive from Fort Myers, Florida will take you to a tropical island getaway with so much family-friendly fun to explore. Throughout the year, the temperatures on Sanibel Island can range anywhere from the mid-50s to the low 90s. With older kids, you can also bike the entire path, which I think would be a lovely way to see it. Winters the weather can be hit or miss, and the months between December-February are busier with snowbirds escaping winter. And the "lighthouse" isn't really a house at all but is actually a tower. So will you. We also had dinner there and the kids were super happy with their chicken fingers. Pick from one of many competitive games at Battlegroundz in Lincoln including dodgeball, laser tag, paintball, archery tag, airsoft, darts and cornhole. It's a pretty spectacular sight. If you plan on dining out, get your hands on the. Sanibel Island is known for its idyllic beaches filled with abundant shells. And why wouldnt they do that? There is a Publix right before paying the toll to cross the Sanibel Island Causeway. 2022 5. Kids have their own hands-on learning room, and staff members conduct daily beach walks. It also taught the boys a bit about wind and weather because they only knew they could fly the kites on windy days. Its nothing more than a six dollar Shirley Temple with a plastic shark stuck in it. Kids will find themselves immersed for hours in this natural treasure huntwithout a care given to the backbreaking stance known as the"Sanibel stoop." 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. Now? Here are some of our favorite things to do in Fort Myers & Sanibel Island with kids. Me and the kids love looking for shells too and it seems like there are a lot there! Dont leave the park without checking out the Sanibel Island Lighthouse. Photo: Courtesy of The Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel. Take a Walk at Sanibel Lighthouse Beach Park. It was tempting. Things to Do in Sanibel Island with Kids Dolphin Tour in Captiva Kids love animals so . Currently expanding to add live-mollusk aquaria, Sanibel's shell museum is one of a kind, putting shells in the context of living creatures, history, culture, religion and art. Fully Equipped with an upgraded kitchen featuring stainless steel, Sunzero Wolf appliances, and quartz countertops. Yolo Board Adventures Sanibel offers two-hour guided eco-tours for both adults and children 12 and older. 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