People of all ages love to spend time on beaches. That’s what makes beaches a place where families can spend some quality time together. Siesta Key is a very lovely island to visit with your family.
There are a variety of activities like playing on the beach with sand, participating in watersports, visiting museums, fine dining, and many more. If you are facing difficulties in separating family-friendly activities, then we are here to help you out.
In the whole post, we will try to help you in planning a vacation in Siesta Key, which you and your kids can enjoy simultaneously. Trust us, it is not as difficult as it seems. Go through the post and it will help you to plan a safe and comfortable trip for the family.
15 Family Things To Do In Siesta Key in Beach
There are lots of activities to do with your family on the beach. The options are even more than enjoying the beach to yourself. Here are some suggestions for things that you can do on the beach.
Playing On The Sand Of Siesta Key Beach
One of the reasons people get attracted to Siesta Key Beach is its beautiful white sand. The sand is formed of 99% quartz. Your kids will love to roam around and play on the sand.
Together you can build a castle. Even the sand gives a smooth powdery feeling under the feet. If you have an 11 month old baby, then every time you make them sit or walk on the sand, you will find them giggling.
If you avoid the pick time of 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The beaches are almost to yourself. Do not worry there are enough life Guards and security. You can have access to this beach all year long but it has a different beauty of Autumn during September and October.
Snorkeling And Diving In Crescent Beach
Crescent Beach is also a fun place. It is not overcrowded like Siesta Key Beach. Other than just walking around or swimming on the beach, you can do diving and snorkeling there.
Point of Rocks is a place you should look for. Walk towards the southern point. There you will find the sea wall. If you go beyond the sea wall, there you have the Points of Rocks. The water around the shore is not deeper than five feet. You can even see marine life from there.
If you want to go deep sea diving. There are spots where you can do so. Even though it is not kid-friendly, you can take the experience with your partner. There are also spots in Crescent Beach where you can do fishing. It can be an interactive family time. There are also facilities where you can grill the fish you catch.
Crescent Beach doesn’t have the white sand like Siesta Key Beach. And not being popular works well for families. They can spend time alone, and children can run on the beach, without getting lost. There is enough security.
Collecting Shells And Shark Teeth Along The Turtle Beach
If you don’t like a beach with a crowd and want to have alone time on the beach with your family, then pay your visit to Turtle Beach. Turtle Beach is a place of relaxation for the local people.
It is most prominent for snorkeling. You can find unique shells along the beach. The best time for this is, after high tide, during the low tide. You can even find shark teeth. If you are visiting Turtle Beach after a storm, then you are gonna win a lottery.
The beach is named Turtle Beach due to the free-roaming of turtles along the beach. After a high tide, turtles run toward the water, and it seems like they are marching together. Your kids are going to enjoy that.
Even though it is not much of a tourist area, still there are public toilets and showers. There are also picnic zones and playgrounds. In some areas, you can even kayak or ride on boats. This can be an adventure and a peaceful beach time at the same time.
Visit Shark Tooth Capital At Venice Beach
Venice Beach is known as the Shark Tooth capital of the world. It is even very common to get teeth from prehistoric times. You can collect shells and look for shark teeth.
In downtown, you can even pay for a tour of the noteworthy architecture. The architecture of the area has an influence on northern Italian architecture. Your children will get the vibe of being on a Europe trip.
Go On Fishing Trips
The whole island of Siesta Key is a fishing hub. There are lots of shallow spots where you can find interesting and rare fishes. You can find grouper, bluefish, mackerel, flounder, snapper, etc.
Among the rare fishes, you can catch mahi-mahi, marlin, and tuna. But to get to them, you need to go deeper into the water. But getting to catch them will be a fun experience for the family together. Especially if you have a kid who doesn’t recognize the fish or is just a toddler, then the experience can be quite funny.
One thing to note about family fishing or individual fishing is, you need fishing licenses. Don’t worry about it. It is not that hard to get. You can get the license from sporting stores or bait stores. You can even get it online.
Flying Kites With Your Kids
The best place to fly kites is on the beach. The air is flowing without hindrance. It is like a free sky. People of all ages love to fly kites. Especially children. Especially when you are visiting some less crowded, non-famous beaches, it becomes the best place for flying kites. Also, you don’t have to worry about where to get a kite. You will get them in the nearest stalls.
Water Sports To Do With Family In Siesta Key Fl
Along with the beaches near a lot of water sports that you can enjoy with your family. These are also great ways to look around the Island from a different viewpoint. Here are some suggestions from our sites that tourists often enjoy.
Do Parasailing With Your Whole Family
Parasailing is an enthusiastic sport. It gives you a lot of Adrenaline rush and mental peace at the same time. Parasailing in Siesta Key is more pleasant because it has Blue water underneath and a beautiful island to look at simultaneously.
Especially if you go during the autumn season, you can enjoy the beauty of the sky. If you are confused about trying the Sport with your family, then we can assure you that it is a children-friendly activity.
If your kid is very young, then they can be accompanied by you or an expert from the parasailing company. This will depend on the packages you choose for your family. The height that you want to ride on, will also be part of the package and the pricing can vary.
Going Into Dolphin Cruises
There is no one who doesn’t like dolphins. Dolphins are known to be one of the happiest animals on the planet. If you are an animal lover and don’t like to visit dolphins in the parks, then this is the place where you can enjoy their activities.
Siesta Key is known as the largest natural habitat for dolphins. Therefore there are lots of companies that offer Cruises and take you to the place where you can see dolphins playing and roaming around. If you are lucky then Dolphins can even interact with you.
Your kids are going to love the place. If you are in Siesta Key, we suggest you visit the Dolphin Cruise even if it is for a few hours. If you have a long weekend planned, then you can definitely make a day out of it.
Kayaking Through The Mangrove Tunnel
If your kids are older, like more than 8 years old, then we suggest you take your family kayaking through the mangrove tunnel. You have to travel to Lido Key and then go kayaking.
While kayaking through the Mangrove you can get to see dolphins if you are lucky, but you are definitely going to see lots of wildlife. It can be a very therapeutic experience for your whole family. On both sides of the tunnel, there are a lot of mangrove trees which are the habitat of birds and animals. You will be hearing birds chirping all along the way.
After hectic city life, this is actually a quiet experience that can refresh you from the inside.
Things To Do In Siesta Key Fl With Families Outside The Beach
Without water sports and beaches, there are lots of other activities that you can try with your families together. These activities are quite interesting and some of them are learning experiences.
Going To Museums
Museums are always a great place to take your kids. Unfortunately Siesta Key is full of them. You can take your kids to the Sarasota Art Museum, Mariette Museum of Art and Whimsy, John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, and more.
Along with your kids, you can enjoy the museums by yourself too. If you are a car enthusiast, then the Sarasota Car Museum is a must place to visit for you. Even if you are not then also we suggest you pay a visit. They have lots of collections of Vintage cars.
Visit Botanical Garden And Aquarium
Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium is an interesting place where your children can learn a lot about wild animals and ongoing research on Oceanography. They might even get to see rare marine life.
Sarasota Jungle Gardens can also be fun. Here children can experience wildlife in a Jungle setting. It is also a beautiful garden with lots of flowers and trees. Similarly, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens can also be a good experience. On one side of the garden, you can even enjoy the Sarasota Bay.
Take A Ride On The Breeze Trolly
Breeze Trolly is a free ride for both locals and visitors to roam around Siesta Key. It starts from the village and can take you to Crescent Beach. The ride is totally free. You can hop on the trolley at any point on its way and similarly can drop off.
The ride starts at 8:00 a.m. in the morning and runs till 10 p.m. According to the website, you can get a ride every 30 minutes. But in reality, you can get them just 10 to 15 minutes apart. It is a beautiful way to tour the whole town and enjoy its natural beauty.
The whole ride can be a fun experience for your whole family. And as you need to move along with your family members, you don’t have to take the hassle of fitting your family in one car. Also, you don’t need to worry about parking the car or violating any traffic rules. Moreover, it saves you money to experience a new activity.
Go For A Shopping Into The Village
Siesta Key is a great place if you want to buy souvenirs for your whole family. There are hundreds of shops in the village which are all compact and within walking distance. You, kids, will love to see antique shops selling art pieces.
On the weekends you can even attend the festivals in the village. Your partner is going to love the farmers market during the weekend. At the festival, artists will perform live music and you can even have your portrait made on the street.
The village even holds a drum festival. It takes place in the evening. A siren will play when the festival is about to start. You are going to enjoy that people will be dressing up and they can participate in the festival. It’s a Music Festival kind of event.
Enjoying Dining And Dessert
For every trip, good food is a must. And in Siesta Key there are lots of good places where you can take your family for dining. And after dining it is a must, especially when you have kids to have desserts.
While you will be shopping in the village you need to keep your kids busy with ice cream in hand. Here are some of our suggestions where you can pay some visit for your dining and also enjoy some live music with your dinner.
- Summer House Steak & Seafood: If you want to have some fresh seafood or some steak then you must go to the summer house and get the seafood. It will give you a fine dining experience. It is very kid friendly and the food is fresh so you can be stress-free about your kids’ health.
- The Cottage: The Cottage serves fine sea foods with an American palette and Japanese fineness. If you are craving great Sushi then you must go here.
- Sun Garden Cafe: If you want to have light food for your lunch then you certainly should go to Sun Garden Cafe. They are only 6 minutes away from Siesta Key Beach. It is a great breakfast restaurant.
- Meaney’s Mini Donuts: It is a small doughnut shop in Morton’s Siesta Market. They have many types of doughnuts and once you have them you’re never gonna forget them.
- Made in Rome Organic Gelato: Everyone is a fan of great Gelato. And your family can definitely enjoy them during their stay in Siesta Key. Made in Rome Organic Gelato is a must visit place for Gelato.
- Big Olaf Creamery: This place is known for its homemade blends and waffle cones. You will get the softest ice cream here and you can mix and match with the flavors. Your kids are going to love it.
Is Siesta Key fun for families?
Siesta Key is full of fun activities for kids and the whole family. There is street fare, hundreds of shops, attractions, and lots of activities to do. And fortunately, they are very family friendly, irrespective of age. Therefore you can definitely visit the place with your family and create great memories.
Do you need a car in Siesta Keys?
6 years ago the town authority made sure that when you visit Siesta Keys you don’t need to spend money on cars and vehicles. Therefore they introduced a free ride on Breeze trolleys. Lots of other eco-friendly free transport systems are available in Siesta Keys. You can even ride a bike and tour the whole Island.
How safe is Siesta Key?
Siesta Key is a very small Island. And the crime rate is very low in all areas. Even on the beach there, security is available 24/7. From Lifeguard and the patrol party, all are available at your service.
Is food allowed on Siesta Key Beach?
For families, it is a great concern whether food is allowed on the beach or not. The answer is yes, food is allowed. But you cannot bring anything in a glass container. This came from a safety concern. Therefore you can bring food for your kid and you can also get food from the stalls along the Shore.
Final Words
There are lots of things to do in Siesta Key fl for families. But to enjoy your time you need to plan well for which we tried to guide you in the post. Even though in all of these activities you can experience them by walking in, as you are coming with your family we suggest pre-book everything.
While traveling with family, always be careful about the health of your kid and keep them dehydrated.
