Visiting The Sarasota Area with kids....WHAT TO DO??

I have lived in Sarasota for the past 13 years and have a 2 and 6 year old. So when my clients ask me for recommendations for when they visit that are kid friendly I am happy to assist. So I thought that I would do a blog post for all to see!

There are so many fun and exciting things to do with children around the Sarasota area! Here are a few of my favorites with some tips to go along with them. I will keep adding different places to check out, so keep checking back for more of my favorites. 

Sarasota Jungle Gardens  
​This is a great place for all aged kids! They have 4 shows to see. They also have a lot of exhibits that include: Tiki Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, Bird Interaction Area Alligator/Crocodile Exhibits Reptile World Birds of Prey ,Playground, Jungle Trails, Flamingo Feeding Area, Petting Zoo, Gardens of Christ & a Koi Pond. They do have a picnic area and a place to purchase food. But I think you can bring in your own if you would like. 
Right when you walk in Kids can hold parrots and after the reptile show they can touch the alligator and snake! My kids love being hands on!
​The pricing is not bad either. I think it is definitely worth the price!!
Adult - $17.99
Senior (Age 62 & up) - $16.99
Child (Ages 4-16) - $12.99
Child (Age 3 & under) - Free

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Big Cat Habitat     
​I would say this is also a great place for kids above the age of one, if they are walking they would get the most out of it . Right when you walk in are cage after cages of Bears! You can buy meat to feed them. (all supervised by a zookeeper) We have not done this but I believe it is around $5.00 for one piece of meat. 
There is a petting area that is fenced in with goats. You can walk in and pet all the animals. My children love this part of the Habitat. They don't have much food to purchase so you might want to bring your own snacks and definitely some hand wipes!
The whole Habitat is not that large so you don't need a entire day to visit. It makes for a great early afternoon. They do have weird hours to make sure you check that they are open when you want to go. They're open from Wednesday - Sunday from 12:00pm till 4:00pm. The Bird Show is at 1pm & Big Cat Show at 2pm. Those are the main attractions so I would plan your visit with those times in mind!
As for pricing......It is definitely a cool place to go but I feel it is a bit on the expensive side for what it is. Make sure you check Groupon 1st. They run specials a lot. 
Adult (13+ years) - $18.00
Child (Age 2-13) - $8.00 
Child (Age 0-2) - FREE
​Active Military - FREE
Parking - FREE

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Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium ​      
We LOVE Mote!! Don't expect a huge aquarium but what they have there is pretty awesome! They don't have any shows that I know about, but they do have a Sting Ray petting pool and a reef animals exhibits that the kids can put their hand in and feel all the animals in the tank, like sea urchins and star fish. They have a 135,000 gallon shark habitat that the kids LOVE! Some of the Aquarium is outside which can get a bit hot in the summer time. There is a little cafe to grab a bit to eat, a root beer float or some ice cream! You can walk across the street to view the sea turtles and the manatee. Also on the other side of the parking lot is a small playground. The price to get in is listed below. I feel that what you get for the entry price is very fair and worth the money!
Mote Aquarium is open 365 days a year from 10am to 5pm.
Admission prices are:
$19.75 Ages 13 and over
$18.75 Seniors 65 and over
$14.75 Children 4-12
Children 3 and under are FREE
There are two awesome restaurants close by if you want to eat lunch afterwards! I highly recommend New Pass Grill. It's all outside on the water. There is no table service. You wait in line and order at the window. It's Definitely a unconventional restaurants but it is well worth trying!! In my opinion it's the best burgers in town! They also have a bate and tackle shop so when waiting for your food you can keep the kids entertained by looking at the fish and shrimp. The other restaurant close by is The Old Salty Dog. This is a sit down restaurant, table service and on the water. A very casual place to eat and relax after a great day at the aquarium.


I hope that you enjoy your trip to the Sarasota area and I hope that you visit some of these places and have a great time! Don't forget to check back as I will be adding places to visit.