Best Things to Do with Kids in Space Coast

The Manatee Sanctuary Park in Cape Canaveral is one of the best, most peaceful places near the port to enjoy the outdoors. This park spans more than 10 acres of nature on the Banana River. Plan a day excursion here. Talk the half-mile trail (and even try out the exercise stations, if you want to get in an outdoor workout); walk the riverside boardwalk; pack lunch and eat it under the covered pavilion; challenge your friends to a game of horseshoes; and best of all, watch for manatees, dolphins, osprey, waterfowl, fish and more. This park is not flashy — and despite the name, it doesn't necessarily mean you will see manatees. But it's a calm place to enjoy Florida's great weather and natural habitat.

Wickham Park is our favorite, off-the-beaten-path, non-touristy attraction on the Space Coast. This is a hotspot for college students, located adjacent to the Eastern Florida State College Melbourne campus, which means plenty of events, from a medieval festival to multicultural celebrations. Friday night is food truck night. Grab a meal to go and head for the beach, where you can spot dolphins. Wickham Park offers a ton of fun features, including but not limited to: camping (with electrical hookups), a plethora of trails, swimming, a pavilion, horse stables, multiple lakes, disc golf, volleyball, soccer fields, a dog park, amphitheater and more.

The Space Coast is home to the second-biggest group of Loggerhead sea turtles in the world. Your visit to the Space Coast is not complete without having the unique opportunity to "meet" one of them. Spend a day volunteering with the Sea Turtle Preservation Society, and reserve a spot on one of their guided hikes through sea turtle nesting spots. Well trained guides lead these late evening walks and can answer questions and teach about the turtles' ancient history. You will also see an educational presentation and learn how you can help keep them safe. Sea turtles nest March through October, with nesting season peaking in June and July. That's an ideal time to watch them. If you are lucky, you might get to see a turtle laying her eggs on the beach. It is highly important to stay quiet and leave your flash cameras and flashlights in the hotel room. You can also occasionally spot Hawksbill and green and leatherback sea turtles.

Jetty Park is one of the Space Coast's best beaches, and a great place to go camping and fishing, too. With many campsites (for different types of camping, from rugged to RV), picnic tables, laundry facilities, hot showers and toilets, electric hook-ups, a playground, a small beach bar and a small shop, Jetty Park is an outdoor adventure destination — the perfect vacation within a vacation, if you're looking for a relaxing experience in Florida's natural habitat. The beach here is pristine, accented by the Jetty Park pier — a fishing hub. This is an ideal area for families, because it even offers security and lifeguards at the beach. The water is calmer than some of the other Space Coast beaches, so children enjoy playing here. Watch for dolphins and manatees.

Ron Jon Surf Shop is the world's most famous surf shop, with a location in Cocoa Beach. You can find Ron Jon stores along the coast, from New Jersey to Maryland, but it's popular tourist attraction in the Space Coast, too. In fact, Ron Jon's Cocoa Beach location is the largest surfing shop in the world. Pick up souvenirs here, as well as some sunscreen, a new swimming suit and, of course, a surfboard. At Ron Jon's, you can find everything you need for a day at the beach. And whether you life chain stores or not, it is a Cocoa Beach landmark.

Calling all surfing canines on the East Coast! The East Coast Dog Surfing Association presents the annual Florida Dog Surfing Championship in at Lori Wilson Park in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Yes. You read that right. Every November, the Space Coast is home to one of the quirkiest surf events of the year: a surfing competition for dogs. The event is not just limited to surfing. It also includes dock jumping, beauty (and ugly) contests, an agility competition, educational seminars and exhibitions and dog adoptions. Two-legged friends can enjoy live music, food and other funky activities. If you're lucky, you might brush paws with celebs, like the Guinness Book of World Record surf dogs, Abbie Girl.

Kids love zoos, but Jungle Adventures is event better. See rare animals in natural habitat and jungle homes. Jungle Adventures is a bit of a hidden gem and often less busy than the Brevard Zoo. Here you can see black bears, panthers, wolves, deer, tropical birds and more — including the world's largest, 200-foot-long alligator. OK, it's really just a gift shop shaped like an alligator, but kids still love it. Sign up for a guided tour, take a swamp cruise (with hundreds of alligators in the water around you), hold babies and feed the gators and more. Sign up for educational, fun classes, like learning about different animal tracks or how to help Monarch butterflies.

The beaches on the Space Coast are incredible, but with warm weather year-round, the Palm Bay Aquatic Center is another popular water destination that's great for families. A highlight of the center is its zero-depth entry swimming pool, ideal for young children who may be intimidated by the ocean's waves. The pool is stocked with toys, a slide and diving boards. The pool is also handicap-accessible. If you're arriving with kids, look for designated family swim times. Want to get some exercise? Try a water exercise class, or sign your children up for swimming lessons. You can also rent the aquatic center for special events and birthday parties. After swimming when you get hungry, pack a lunch to enjoy on the picnic tables or grab a bite from the snack bar. The center also has on-site showers and restrooms, to save you a trip back to the hotel.

The only zoo in the U.S. to offer onsite kayaking tours, Brevard Zoo features over 900 animals from around the world. Get up close and personal with a white rhino during a Rhino Encounter from noon to 1 p.m., ride the Cape to Cairo express train, feed cockatiels and lorikeets in a free flight aviary, visit with the residents at the petting zoo and splash around in the Paws On Play lagoon. Free parking, on-site cafe and gift shop, educational programs, overnight adventures, camps and the option to rent the Nyami Nyami River Lodge for special events are all offered. So if you've never seen a meerkat, tapir, siamang, jaguar or come face-to-face with a giraffe, check out Brevard Zoo open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Last admission is 3:30 p.m.

The Space Coast is named for its unique history with NASA, centered around the Kennedy Space Center. Although NASA's last shuttle launch was a few years ago, you can still catch the occasional private rocket launch here. The Kennedy Space Center is the definitive place to visit for an exciting education in America's legendary space program, and to get a glimpse into the working environment of a real space exploration facility. Take a tour, check out exhibits of historic space events, see 3-D IMAX films that bring you face to face with missions of the past, present and future, and even go vertical in the Shuttle Launch Experience. General admission includes the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, featuring astronaut memorabilia, simulators and displays.