Boca Raton Family Activities

Play in the Water

• The unspoiled, sandy South Florida beaches are a big part of the lure of Boca Raton, and your family won̵7;t want to miss them. Red Reef Park (ci.boca-raton.fl.us) conveniently off State Road A-1-A, is one of the city̵7;s most family-friendly public beach parks, with bathrooms, picnic pavilions and year-round lifeguards on duty. The water̵7;s close-to-shore limestone boulders -- home to stingrays, tropical fish, eels and turtles -- make this park a good place for your child̵7;s first snorkeling lessons. For a change of pace, head over to Coconut Grove Waterpark (pbcgov.com) in Burt Aaronson South County Regional Park. At this sprawling waterpark, little kids can splash in the water playground or float with you on the lazy river, while daredevil older kids can zip down one of the four-story water slides. Life vests are free, so be sure to ask for one if you have a not-yet-confident swimmer.

Learn Something New

• Team up to compete in the monthly family science challenges at the Children̵7;s Science Explorium (scienceexplorium.org), where your crew can win a prize for on-site activities like building a birdhouse or designing a space suit. While you̵7;re there, check out the museum̵7;s hands-on science exhibits and pick up a Grab̵7;n̵7;Go Eco Pack to help you explore Sugar Sand Park on the museum grounds. The Boca Raton Children̵7;s Museum (cmboca.org) hosts monthly ̶0;Family Fun Stop Days̶1; designed to encourage family play. The museum̵7;s exhibits encourage kids to play pretend, dress up and experiment with different activities and jobs.

Explore Nature

• Gumbo Limbo Nature Center (gumbolimbo.org) lets your family get an up-close look at some of south Florida̵7;s natural inhabitants. The new sea turtle tank in the pavilion is one of the most popular attractions, but kids will also be impressed by the butterfly garden, the view from the 40-foot-tall observation tower on the Boardwalk Trail, and environmental education exhibits inside the Nature Center. Check the center̵7;s calendar online for upcoming family events. At Daggerwing Nature Center (co.palm-beach.fl.us), keep your eyes peeled for hawks, otters, alligators and even bobcats as you explore the park̵7;s 40 acres of lake and swamp habitats. Inside the nature center, kids learn about local flora and fauna through interactive exhibits and live animal displays.

Play Indoors

• If it̵7;s too hot or too rainy to play outside, head to Playtown Cafe (playtowncafe.com) in the Shoppes at Boca Greens. The nutritionist-approved menu includes gluten- and nut-free options and goes way beyond the typical play place hamburger-and-fries menu, but the big draw is the play area, which includes a video game lounge, dress-up area and plenty of play structures. The Boca Raton Public Library (bocalibrary.org) has family programming, including puppet shows, crafts and juggling shows. Some programs require registration, so check the calendar for upcoming events.