Sarasota with Kids: What We Did

Hello, hello! Spring break is officially over and all three boys are back in school today… for some of the day. Anyone else have little ones who have a half day or even a canceled school day today due to the eclipse? That’s the boat we’re in and we have our eclipse glasses ready to check it out safely later this afternoon.

Though we’re back in school mode today, we thoroughly enjoyed our spring break. The highlight? Spending time with family in Sarasota, Florida!

We hopped on a plane and made our way to Sarasota for five days with Ryan’s mom and Les and filled our time in the sunshine state with a perfect balance of activities (see below!) and downtime playing Uno, catching and releasing lizards, eating ice cream and simply enjoying each other’s company. The trip went by a little too fast but it was such a good one that I wanted to share some highlights of our boys’ favorite Sarasota activities with you guys below, should any of you have plans to visit the beautiful beachside city in the future.

A few important notes: Our boys are 8, 5 and 3 and love nothing more than animals, outdoor adventure and the ability to run around, jump, explore and just be kids. We selected activities that mostly fell under this umbrella but there were more than a few things that we simply did not have time to do while we were there that sounded amazing.

Sarasota with Kids: What We Did

• Mote Marine Aquarium & Laboratory

Mote Marine Aquarium was a slam dunk for all three of our ocean-animal loving boys. We arrived right when it opened at 9:30 a.m. Which was key during spring break because by the time we left, the parking lot was packed. The aquarium is great for all ages and our family loved the otters, sea turtles, touch tanks (don’t miss the friendliest guitarfish who truly sought out touches!), the Lifecycle of the Seas section and the Mystery Reef. If you have toddlers or younger children, don’t miss the Mystery Reef! It’s tucked around a corner and is an indoor air conditioned space with a handful of interactive exhibits. Our boys loved it because it had room for them to explore and create coral reef forts, bop faux-lionfish on the head with a soft mallet and play within the interactive experiences. (Note: When we visited the aquarium again in 2025, the Mystery Reef section was closed following damage from the hurricane and I’m not sure if/when it will reopen.)

A few more things worth noting: We were incredibly impressed by all of the volunteers on hand at the aquarium. They were friendly and knowledgeable. And we spoke with many volunteers as we made our way through the aquarium and appreciated their presence very much! Our boys especially loved it when they told us the various animals’ names and stories about their personalities and quirks.

• Sarasota Bay Explorers Sea Life Encounter Cruise

One of my personal favorite activities from our trip to Sarasota was the Sarasota Bay Explorers Sea Life Encounter Cruise we booked through Mote Marine Aquarium. The two-hour tour took us around Sarasota Bay and Roberts Bay and we loved observing marine life (we saw dolphins and a manatee) in the beautiful teal water and also enjoyed scoping out some of the gorgeous waterfront homes in the area. The boat tour also look us around a couple of small bird rookery islands (essentially bird nesting/breeding islands) where we lucked out with the timing of our springtime visit and saw several nesting native birds, including pelicans, herons and vibrant pink spoonbills. Without a doubt the highlight of the boat tour occurred at the end when the marine biologist and an aquarium volunteer tossed a trawl net over the side of the boat and let in the bay for about five minutes before pulling it up filled with seagrasses that were teaming with life — we’re talking small fish, two seahorses (so cool!), a couple of crabs (both spider crabs and a snow crab), tiny shrimp and more. Many of the people on our tour had been on one of the eco boat tours before and I can absolutely see why this would be something you would want to do more than once, as I’m sure every boat tour is a little different!

• Save Our Seabirds

Save Our Seabirds pairs perfectly with an afternoon at Mote Marine Aquarium as it’s located on the other side of Mote Marine’s parking lot. This was high on our list of places to visit because our oldest son has dreams of opening an animal rescue center one day. Save Our Seabirds is a non-profit wildlife sanctuary that works to rescue, rehabilitate and release birds in need of care. It’s also free to visit. Though donations are accepted and appreciated. We made sure to grab the informational packet at the entrance. And I cannot recommend this enough as it includes information about the various birds, their injuries, what brought them to the sanctuary, their names and even some fun facts and words some of the more exotic birds know how to say.

• Caspersen Beach (aka Venice Shark Tooth Beach)

Chase and Ryder (ages 8 and 5) said Caspersen Beach was one of their favorite spots we visited during our spring break and for good reason. We found tons of sharks’ teeth! Located just 35 minutes south of Sarasota in Venice, Florida, Casperson Beach is also known as Shark Tooth Beach because there is pretty much a 100 percent chance you will find shark teeth among the sand when you visit. Make sure you bring sifting tools and bags to carry your loot of sharks’ teeth home with you!

One important note: The sand on this beach is dark which was fine for us since it wasn’t a hot day when we went. But you may want to wear sandals or water shoes if you’re going when it’s very warm outside as I have a feeling the sand can get really hot. Also, the beach is rocky and not ideal for swimming, especially for little ones. Our kids still loved climbing on the rocks and playing in the sand. But we spent most of our time at Casperson Beach looking for sharks’ teeth.

A spring break tip: Get there early! We arrived at the beach around 9 a.m. and claimed the last parking spot in the main public lot. But don’t worry! Even if the beach is filled with other people looking for sharks teeth, there are plenty to go around. And you’ll still walk away with a bunch!

• Jungle Gardens

(Can you spot the peacock!? Hint: Look up!)

Sarasota Jungle Gardens is a small, family-owned attraction nestled within 10 acres of lush tropical landscaping. We loved exploring this little gem of a place and had fun meandering along the shady trails to see everything from alligators, crocodiles and turtles to parrots, monkeys, lizards and flamingos. Our boys loved feeding the flamingos. (Some of them even walked out along the paths among the guests!) And we all laughed a lot when we took a little break to watch one of the shows. Chase was even selected as an audience volunteer to participate in the Wildlife Wonder show which made his day!

• Siesta Beach + Siesta Key Village

Siesta Beach is, without a doubt, the most famous beach in the Sarasota area. It’s beautiful and huge (which is key, as it’s also insanely popular) and has some of the softest sand I’ve ever felt! The water is a stunning teal color. And the sheer length of the beach is perfect for those who love long beach walks. Parking during spring break was nearly impossible. (We circled public lots along with a million other people before finding a paid lot and paying $20 to park to avoid the madness.) And while our boys loved our time at the beach both Ryan and I agreed we might opt to visit a different beach in the area during spring break simply because this one was so slammed with people.

That being said, we had a great day at Siesta Beach and we appreciate the fact that they had public bathrooms and lifeguards on duty near the public parking lot. (We also noticed a decent police presence which seemed to keep some of the spring break partying at bay.) One tip we heard from a local that I’ll pass along: Try to find parking in Siesta Key Village and walk out to the beach directly from the village. (An important note: This would be easier for those with older kids who aren’t hauling a bunch of stuff to the beach.) We parked near the village and enjoyed walking through the village after our time at the beach.

Daiquiri Deck

Ryan and I also have fun and blurry memories of past nights out at the Daiquiri Deck in our 20s. So we couldn’t resist popping in for daiquiris (and non-alcoholic daiquiris for the boys) when we saw a bunch of families enjoying live music at the hot spot in the late afternoon. (I think it turns into more of a nighttime scene later in the evening.) The boys absolutely loved their daiquiris. And we enjoyed a trip down memory lane while listening to Jimmy Buffett covers.

• Bayfront Park + Splash Pad

We made an impromptu stop at Bayfront Park next to Marina Jack. And it was a huge hit with our whole family. The boys enjoyed playing on the pirate-ship themed park until they got too hot. Then made their way to the splash pad where they ran around with the biggest smiles on their faces. A few kids brought balls to the splash pad and shared them with our boys. It made the experience even more fun for our crew as they dribbled a soccer ball around the streams of water. They had a great time getting out their endless kid energy. Bayfront Park is also a great walking area as you can get up close to the water enjoy beautiful views of the bay, boats and even some public art installations.

Questions of the Day

If you’ve ever been to Sarasota (or, better yet, live there!), let me know if there’s anything else you’d recommend checking out in the Sarasota area with children! 

Did you go anywhere for spring break this year? Any fun highlights or places to share?