Family Fun Ways to Beat the Heat

Get soaked at the Splash Harbour Water Park at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Harbourside in Indian Rocks Beach with its two giant, twisting water slides, kids’ splash zone and winding lazy river.

Looking for a big thrill? The inflatable Hippo Waterslide near the Gulf Front Park Lot in Treasure Island is four stories tall!

Splash pads are especially popular with the younger set. The splash pad at newly renovated Coachman Park in Clearwater has nearly 70 nozzles and four vertical fountains. The Majeed Foundation Splash Pad at the St. Pete Pier is a hit with kids and parents – it’s conveniently located next to a snack pavilion. And Dell Holmes Park, located by Lake Maggiore, has a splash pad that’s open from April 1 through September 30.

When weather permits, hotel guests at TradeWinds Island Grand Beach Resort can enjoy a float park in the Gulf with inflatable slides, floating trampolines, chill-out loungers and more.

Just steps from the splash pad at the St. Pete Pier, the Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center will encourage your children’s sense of wonder with exhibits that are all about the natural waters that surround them. They’ll meet urchins and crabs at the touch tanks, create an island in an interactive sandbox, and learn how water and land interact to form Tampa Bay’s landscapes.

Join an eco boat tour and head out into the bay to explore the estuary, watching for dolphins and manatees and learning about the marine critters the naturalists bring up in their nets. Since you’re at the Pier, check out the small beach and plentiful dining nearby.

Thanks to Tropicana Field's huge dome enclosure, you can watch Tampa Bay Rays Major League Baseball games in air-conditioned comfort! Cheer for your favorite team without breaking a sweat. Catch an upcoming game, and watch for Family Fun Days during Sunday home games.

Just north of downtown St. Pete, the popular Great Explorations Children's Museum promises hours of hands-on fun for little ones. Kids are invited to create brilliant works of art, (safely) climb high in Longo’s Cove, experiment in a kid-sized science lab and much, much more. When it cools down a little, go see the flock of flamingos that lives next door at Sunken Gardens.

Nothing builds a child’s excitement like getting face-to-face with the dolphins, sea turtles, otters and other sea creatures that call the vibrant marine ecosystems of St. Pete/Clearwater home. Most of the residents at Clearwater Marine Aquarium were found injured or stranded, and many are being rehabilitated for release back into the wild. Head to the aquarium to enjoy animal care experiences, immersive exhibits, a kids’ zone and boat tours.  

There’s nothing quite as refreshing as ice cream or another frozen treat on a hot day, and St. Pete/Clearwater has an ice cream shop or gelato spot around nearly every corner. Try Paciugo Gelato & Caffe and Plant Love Ice Cream in St. Pete. The Hyppo Gourmet Ice Pops on St. Pete’s Central Ave. is a local favorite – your kids will be amazed by the variety of popsicle flavors to choose from. Can’t do dairy? No problem. Many Hyppo flavors are dairy-free.

With rows of vintage pinball machines and clusters of arcade games from the days of PAC-MAN and Donkey Kong, Replay Amusement Museum in Tarpon Springs will blow their minds. And don’t let the word “museum” fool you – for the price of admission, you and your clan can play each and every one of the more than 100 games to your hearts’ content.