Fun Stuff to Do With Kids in Tampa, Florida

Tampa offers a world of kid-friendly attractions that their parents will also love. Regardless of your budget or the weather, you'll find that keeping the kids busy in Tampa is never difficult. Some attractions, such as the amusement parks, are especially busy on weekends, so plan accordingly if you want to avoid large crowds.

  1. Sporty Outdoor Fun

    • Tampa offers plenty of canoeing and kayaking opportunities on the Hillsborough River and the freshwater wetlands. Try Canoe Escape (canoeescape.com) if kids want to see alligators along the way, or rent your own canoe and head into the water on your own. Another good outdoor destination is Lettuce Lake Regional Park (no website; 6920 E. Fletcher Ave, Tampa; 813-987-6240), which offers bird watching tours, a visitor's center full of rotating exhibits, trails, a lake for canoe exploring and picnic areas.

    Indoor Fun

    • The Museum of Science and Industry (mosi.org) is fully interactive, offering over 10,000 square feet of hands-on areas that kids can explore to learn about tornadoes, rockets and space. Kids can also ride on a high wire bike -- a scary but safe ride 30 feet above ground -- or visit the planetarium or butterfly show within the museum. If a giant trampoline sounds like fun, head to the Boing Jump Center (tampa.boingjumpcenter.com), which welcomes both kids and adults. Kids under four can use the bittyBOING area.

    Water Fun

    • Tampa is home to The Florida Aquarium (flaquarium.org), with exhibits that cover not only the coral reef and bays and beaches, but also offers an insight into the Wetlands Trails and the many animals who live there. There's also an outdoor water adventure zone, where kids can climb into a pirate ship, try a water slide and play in a few shallow pools. Kids can also try Captain Memo's Original Pirate Cruise (captainmemo.com), a cruise featuring treasure hunts, pirate stories and lots of face painting, water battles and music.

    Amusement Parks

    • Tampa is the land of amusement parks -- and no visit to the city is complete without making it to at least one of them. Legoland Florida (florida.legoland.com) is a good place to start. The park is divided into zones and features everything from mini rollercoasters to in-the-dark rides to areas where kids can try the latest Lego video games. Another must-see amusement park is Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (seaworldparks.com), which offers lots of animal interaction, wild safaris, heart-stopping roller coasters and even water rides.

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