Clarkd Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 We will be spending two weeks in Vero Beach FL. We have elderly family there. We have been there a few times before but have not found many kid friendly things to do. We have gone to the local playgrounds and the beach. Does anyone know of kid friendly attraction close by? Our kids are 6,5,4,3 yo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 There is an awesome children's bookstore called the Vero Beach Book Center. It is right off Indian River Drive. They have readings and book signings and stuff. Also nearby is a manatee watching place. It is right by the power plant that is on the intracoastal near one of the bridges out to the islands. In Fort Pierce, on North Hutchinson Island, is the Navy Seal Museum. (There is a fun pizza place near there called Sharkeys.) We have gone kayaking in Sebastian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkd Posted January 6, 2013 Author Share Posted January 6, 2013 Those are fabulous! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 The McLarty Treasure Museum is great. Everyone loves that. We also stop at Harvey's (I think that is the right name) and get Honeybells and other fresh citrus straight from the grove. We spend a week at the Disney Resort there each year and love it. We spend hours on the beach each day. My ds loves his metal detector. Hunting for sharks teeth etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkd Posted January 18, 2013 Author Share Posted January 18, 2013 Caroline, We went to the story hour with Miss Julie at the bookstore today. We had a great time! They are having an author reading Pansy at the Palace and we are going to that as well! A family we met at the beach mentioned The Environmental Learning Center in Wabasso, anyone ever been? Mumto2? Caroline? Thanks for the great recs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBugs Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 I have been to the Environmental Learning Center many times. It is great. The first Saturday of every month is free. On other days it is $5 for adults and free to children. For a dollar you can rent a little back back with binoculars and some containers for collecting items on a treasure hunt. There is a touch tank with sea cucumber, flounder, horseshoe crab, hermit crab, sea urchin... The kids LOVE it. If you can travel about an hour north, the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne is lovely. I also like the McKee Botanical Gardens in Vero Beach. I would think that is more of a draw for older people, but for some reason my kids really like it. It has some kind of old out door Spanish kitchen. My kids just like to hang out there and pretend they are cooking and they like to explore. It's really beautiful. If you travel south on A1A there is a park called Round Island on the border between Indian River County and St. Lucie County. On the Indian River side of the park we have seen manatees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Caroline, A family we met at the beach mentioned The Environmental Learning Center in Wabasso, anyone ever been? Mumto2? Caroline? Thanks for the great recs! You already have some good suggestions. Ds went with his Camp Fire USA group and loved it. He loves outdoors, nature activities and the like, so if your kids are into that, I think they'll enjoy it. If you're willing and able to go a little south, there's the Smithsonian Marine Exhibit in Ft. Pierce. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDmom Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 The Bok Tower gardens in Lake Wales--that's just over an hour from Vero, I think. They have a carillon tower where they play a couple of concerts a day. The gardens are beautiful and they will loan you a backpack with some nature picture books, magnifying glasses, bubbles, etc. it's a very kid-friendly place. An added bonus--the tower is on the only hill in the FL peninsula. ;) Also, I have been drooling over going to the Japanese Gardens somewhere around there (Ft. Pierce I think?) I'm a little fuzzy on FL geography south of Vero Beach. :p The only thing I've ever done in Vero beach was to go to the outlet mall right off I-95, but that's not particularly fun for kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 The Bok Tower gardens in Lake Wales--that's just over an hour from Vero, I think. If you go that far, you will be "dangerously" close to Legoland. Just sayin'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBugs Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Also, I have been drooling over going to the Japanese Gardens somewhere around there (Ft. Pierce I think?) I'm a little fuzzy on FL geography south of Vero Beach. :p The bonsai garden is at the Heathcote Botanical Garden in Fort Pierce, south of Vero Beach off Rt. 1. I think it is the largest collection in the US. We just went there last month and the bonsai collection was very beautiful. I thought my kids would be interested to see the children's garden, but it was a little sad. I think it must be a lot better in the summer. All in all, we really did enjoy the gardens, the kids especially liked that there was a cat following them around. However, they said they liked McKee Botanical gardens better, I think because the last time we went there were Dr. Seuss sculptures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDmom Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 If you go that far, you will be "dangerously" close to Legoland. Just sayin'. Oh, oh, oh! I have been told that LegoLand now offers homeschool days. I think it's the 3rd Monday of each month. I have organized a couple of field trips to LegoLand and the educational pricing was $8 for kids 3-18 and $25 for adults. So if you want to go to LegoLand, I would give them a call to confirm the details. Like right now. :D You have to show proof of homeschooling in order to get the educational pricing. If you don't have any proof with you, send me a pm and you can join my group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDmom Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 The bonsai garden is at the Heathcote Botanical Garden in Fort Pierce, south of Vero Beach off Rt. 1. I think it is the largest collection in the US. We just went there last month and the bonsai collection was very beautiful. I thought my kids would be interested to see the children's garden, but it was a little sad. I think it must be a lot better in the summer. All in all, we really did enjoy the gardens, the kids especially liked that there was a cat following them around. However, they said they liked McKee Botanical gardens better, I think because the last time we went there were Dr. Seuss sculptures. I looked it up and the gardens I was looking at before are the Morikami Gardens in Delray Beach. http://www.morikami.org/ ETA: looks like that's almost two hours away, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBugs Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 I looked it up and the gardens I was looking at before are the Morikami Gardens in Delray Beach. http://www.morikami.org/ ETA: looks like that's almost two hours away, though. Oh wow. That looks like a place I would really like to go. Thanks for the link :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 I am glad you are having fun! Caroline, We went to the story hour with Miss Julie at the bookstore today. We had a great time! They are having an author reading Pansy at the Palace and we are going to that as well! A family we met at the beach mentioned The Environmental Learning Center in Wabasso, anyone ever been? Mumto2? Caroline? Thanks for the great recs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 I have heard good things about the enviromental center. On the list for this year. Legoland is great in the UK. Would like to visit the Florida one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flmom Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge - http://www.fws.gov/pelicanisland/visiting/index.html (two hiking trails, great birding opportunities) McLarty Treasure Museum - http://www.atocha1622.com/mclarty.htm (have some Ais Indian artifiacts, which is a rare thing) Brevard County Barrier Island Center - http://www.brevardcounty.us/EELProgram/Areas/BarrierIslandSanctuary (check the calendar for the different events offered each month - the center is FREE all the time and the overwhelming majority of events are as well - it's extremely close to McLarty Treasure Museum - there is also a hiking trail) Coconut Point Sanctuary - http://www.brevardcounty.us/EELProgram/Areas/CoconutPoint/Home (just a bit north of the Barrier Island Center) Vero Beach Museum of Art - http://www.verobeachmuseum.org/ (It used to be free, but I see now they do charge admission - bear in mind it is a small museum and does not have a large, extensive collection) If you want to visit some attractions that are not a lengthy drive... Busch Wildlife Sanctuary - http://www.buschwildlife.com/ (FREE) Loggerhead Marinelife Center - http://www.marinelife.org/ (FREE) Lion Country Safari - http://www.lioncountrysafari.com/ Norton Museum of Art - http://www.norton.org/ ($12 admission, children 12 & under are FREE - really gorgeous ancient Chinese collection as well as the rest of the permanent collection) Turkey Creek Sanctuary and Nature Center - http://www.palmbayflorida.org/parks/nature/ (FREE) Oxbow Eco Center - http://www.stlucieco.gov/erd/oxbow/ (FREE) Manatee Observation & Education Center - http://www.manateecenter.com/ FPL Energy Encounter - http://www.fpl.com/community/learning/energy_encounter_overview.shtml (FREE) St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park - http://www.floridastateparks.org/stsebastianriver/default.htm (several hiking trails, visitors center) Riverwalk Nature Center - http://www.brevardcounty.us/ParksRecreation/Central/Riverwalk/NatureCenter (FREE) Florida Institute of Technology Botanical Garden - http://facilities.fit.edu/botanical_garden.php (FREE) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkd Posted January 21, 2013 Author Share Posted January 21, 2013 Had a great time at the Environmental Learning Center! Guide at the touch tank was fabulous! Saw a family of ospry. The kids all enjoyed the scavenger hunt we were given to complete on the trails! So fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkd Posted January 21, 2013 Author Share Posted January 21, 2013 Wow! Thanks flmom! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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