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All things Siesta Key. Stories, news, and event information about Sarasota, Florida's beautiful beach.
The Best Ways to Entertain Toddlers on Your Siesta Key Vacation
Beach vacations with toddlers and little kids make for some of the best memories that you and your family will cherish forever, and Siesta Key vacations are no different. With its close proximity to Sarasota, a family-friendly city on the Gulf Coast of Florida, there are many different ways to entertain young kids. Here at Best Western Siesta Key, our local experts have compiled a list of great places for toddlers to safely run, play, explore, dance, and simply be kids.
Siesta Key’s Favorite Playgrounds
Kids love playgrounds, huge, colorful structures with slides, tunnels, and jungle gyms. You can find just that at Siesta Key Public Beach Park, where kids can be themselves while you relax or enjoy a picnic near the beach. Circus Park at Payne Park is another large and eye-catching playground located in Sarasota with a small splash area, music makers, swings, and more. Honoring the Greatest Show on Earth, kids can climb, jump, and feel like they’ve been transported right into the circus where their imaginations, and little feet, can run wild.
Where to Seek Out the Animals
The Big Cat Habitat and Gulf Coast Sanctuary is your chance to meet exotic animals like parrots, lemurs, sloths, wallabies, silver foxes, tigons, and ligers. Kids can meet their favorite animals in a safe environment, including the Big Cat Habitat’s petting zoo. Sarasota Jungle Gardens is another exciting option for animal encounters. Toddlers and kids of all ages can feed the flamingos, hold exotic birds and watch them roller-skate, and learn all about reptiles. Our third suggestion is the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, where you can find all of your sea life and aquatic animal friends. Make sure to climb aboard the eco-boat tours to spot marine wildlife in their natural habitat.
Interactive Exhibits Waiting to Be Explored
If your toddler loved the playground at Circus Park, they will love The Ringling’s Circus Museum. Featuring colorful props, costumes, and memorabilia, the museum offers interactive exhibits for kids to balance on a horse, climb into a clown car, walk across a tightrope, and more. The Sarasota Children’s Garden is another local spot where toddlers can explore an enchanting and whimsical garden in downtown Sarasota. Pirates, fairies, caterpillars, and even the Three Little Pigs take children and adults on an artsy garden adventure that no one will soon forget.
Calm Oceans or the Pool at Best Western Siesta Key
The beauty of Siesta Key is that the beach has a calm and gentle surf, perfect for little kids who want to get their feet wet or sit on the water’s edge to splash or build a sandcastle. For toddlers ready to try out their new pair of floaties or life jackets, the pool at Best Western Siesta Key is a wonderful and relaxing place to do so. While the kids enjoy floating and splashing in the pool, adults can enjoy relaxing in the sun or sipping drinks at the Sand Dollar Pool Bar.
The Siesta Key Drum Circle
Every Sunday night, people from all walks of life gather on Siesta Key Beach for a Drum Circle. With live music, hula hooping, dancing, and more, toddlers are free to move and groove as they please. The Siesta Key Drum Circle’s energetic beats are the perfect thing to tire them out on a Sunday at sunset. The entire family will love experiencing the extraordinary views of the beach and the magnificence of letting loose to the beat of the drums.
From the beach and the pool to museums, zoos, and gardens to playgrounds and live music, there is so much for toddlers, kids, teens, and adults to see and do on a Siesta Key vacation. After a day of exploration, adventures, and thrills, returning to Best Western Siesta Key for a sigh of relief followed by a great night’s sleep is always the most comforting. We can’t wait to welcome you.