Florida´s Family-Friendly Destination

The region of Brevard County on the Atlantic coast of Florida is ideal for families with children of all ages. The area is easily accessible and less expensive than many other options within Florida with over 70 miles of Atlantic coastline, inland waterways such as the Indian River Lagoon, vast expanses of nature to explore and the authentic inland communities.

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is always a must-see on the bucket-list and fascinating for children and adults wishing to delve into the past, present and future of space travel. However, even younger children will be captivated by experiences such as visiting the Rocket Garden with its towering rockets and historic space capsules; being inspired by the impressive IMAX-movies and mesmerised by the gigantic Space Shuttle Atlantis or simply have fun in Planet Play, an immersive space-themed interactive play area for children from 2-12 years.

Sports are best learnt at a young age, so children keen to try out surfing can be booked into one of the local surf schools for a lesson or two. The School of Surf on Cocoa Beach is one of several options offering individual lessons or half-day or full-day camps for budding surfers of all ages. After some key information to be learnt in the classroom it is out into the water to mount the board and ride the waves.

The region´s kayaking and boating options offer fun out on the water for the whole family. Visitors can book a tour on the Intracoastal Waterway with the Indian River and Banana River, venture further inland to the St. John´s River or tour the 72-mile Atlantic coastline. Depending on the location boaters are on look-out for alligators, dolphins, manatees or can even visit a sandy island to picnic and swim. Kayaking brings visitors closer to the water and tandem kayaks are ideal for families. Operators such as Fin Expeditions will take guests to more off-the-beaten-path areas to view Florida wildlife such as manatee, dolphin, stingray, many species of bird and fish in tropical lagoons whilst still being very accessible from Cocoa Beach. A unique kayak experience is to be found in family-friendly Brevard Zoo, the area´s second largest attraction, where guests can paddle through the giraffe and zebra habitats.

Back on land, families can explore the area´s many museums. The American Space Museum and Space Walk of Fame in Titusville is a haven of space memorabilia compiled by the space workers themselves and with very family-friendly admission prices of US$ 10 for adults and US$ 5 for children up to 18 years. The Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum, also in Titusville presents military aircraft from pre-WWI to the present on display and even airborne with child admission ranging from US$ 5-10 depending on age. A more whimsical family outing would be to The Wizard of Oz Museum in Cape Canaveral. Alongside an impressive collection of memorabilia from the famous film, visitors become immersed in the film itself followed an awe-inspiring Van Gogh experience with 3-D laser projections. In fact, this museum ranks third in the USA out of 616 children´s museums on TripAdvisor.

Florida´s Space Coast offers an array of family-friendly activities which are inexpensive or even free of charge when visitors simply enjoy being on the beaches or out in the nature. The accommodations in the region are predominantly mid-range properties, sometimes offering suites and often including items such as hot breakfasts and beach rentals, meaning that a holiday for a whole family can be enjoyed on a relatively small budget compared to other destinations.

More information and a trip planning tool can be found on the official website. Once in the area the Visitor Information Center at 267 W. Cocoa Beach Causeway, Cocoa Beach, 32931 Florida provides local information and as well as some popular photo opportunities.