30 Things to do with Toddlers in Pinellas

YOUR GUIDE TO FUN THINGS TO DO WITH TODDLERS IN ST. PETE-CLEARWATER

Looking for fun toddler things to do in the Clearwater + St. Petersburg area ? You’ve come to the right place! Below you’ll find lots of easy, local toddler-friendly activities.

We are two local Pinellas moms who started writing about family-friendly Pinellas as we were looking for things to do with our own kids. Our goal is to help other families find kid-friendly fun in our area.

Below you’ll find a variety of activities, from outdoor water play to cool indoor playgrounds. We also highlight a lot of free ideas, because nobody wants to be dropping $20 every time they need to get their toddler out of the house.

Let’s your next toddler outing!

1. Library programs

Library programs are the tried and true toddler activity. Our libraries have great programs like story time, dance parties, and unique programs like drum circles and craft experiences.

Plus, many of our libraries have great play spaces for little kids. Check out our list of favorite library kids areas around Pinellas that have the best play set ups.

2. Toddler Time at Get Air

My kids are obsessed with Toddler Time at Get Air trampoline park. It’s only little kids and parents can jump with them for free.

There is also a little kid time at SkyZone but Get Air’s is cheaper and seems limited to a little bit smaller kids.

Technically Get Air is in New Port Richey but it is a very short drive from North Pinellas that it’s an easy hop over from the Tarpon, East Lake and Palm Harbor areas.

3. Little Explorers

Little Explorers is an indoor play space for small children. When I chatted with the owner (she’s very nice!) she said there’s not a set age range but its definitely geared towards the toddler & preschooler age range.

You sign up for a session and it includes an hour of open play and a 30-minute class. As someone with more than one kid, I think it’s a little pricey for drop-in but could be an option for those interested in a package or membership.

4. Countryside Mall playground

Countryside Mall has a cute little play space that’s perfectly sized for toddlers. Since its designed for small children, you don’t have to worry as much about bigger kids running over a little guy like a regular play ground.

And obviously the best part is that it’s inside, which is essential during Florida summer months.

Find more indoor playgrounds around Pinellas to beat the heat

5. St. Pete Pier

St. Pete Pier has so many activities toddlers and is definitely worth a trip. Here are some toddler-friendly things to do at the St. Pete Pier:

• Glazer family playground: really amazing playground with an area for small kids
• Splash pad: smaller fountains making it toddler accessible
• Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center: small nature center at the end of the pier
• Small beach: with an accessible path making it more stroller-accessible
• Wide open spaces: lots of room to run around
• Cool features: small hills, circle of rocks with chairs around it, little nature paths on the pier — a toddler explorers dream.

Find more things to do in St. Pete with kids!

6. Children’s Museum at Dunedin Fine Art Center

The Children’s Museum at the Dunedin Fire Art Center is maybe our favorite hidden gem for kids in Pinellas.

It’s super interactive and costs a fraction of the price of other children’s museums in the area (plus, you can go for free using a Pinellas County library museum pass!). There’s a section for small children which has a nice chill vibe.

Read our ode to the DFAC Children’s Museum to get even more excited for your visit

7. Great Explorations

Great Explorations is a bigger children’s museum in our area. It is set up like a small village where kids can play in spaces like a grocery store, vet office, fire station, and dentist office.

They also have a dedicated little kids area, a cool sand box, big play climbing structure, and STEM building stations.

This is another museum you can visit with the Pinellas library museum pass too.

Check out our guide to Great Explorations before you go.

8. Tarpon Springs Aquarium

This may sound surprising, but Tarpon Springs Aquarium is actually our favorite aquarium in the Pinellas area. It’s a small with a mom-and-pop-shop feel but it offers so interaction that you don’t find elsewhere.

You can check out our whole guide to the Tarpon Springs Aquarium to see all the highlights. They recently added a petting zoo area in addition to the aquatic animals too.

And for more aquariums, check out our list of all the aquariums near Pinellas

9. Splash pads

Splash pads are really a toddler parent dream because you get the benefits of water play without all the drowning vigilance. And in Florida, they’re basically essential.

Here’s our list of all the splash pads in our area

10. Little Brew Cafe

Little Brew Cafe is an indoor play space that also has a coffee shop and cozy sitting areas for parents. Our kids went for a “parents night out” once and it was really awesome. We keep hoping they’ll host another one.

11. Munchkin Town

NOTE: Munchkin Town is currently closed because of hurricane damage. It has not been determined when/if they’re reopening.

Munchkin Town is another indoor play space designed for kids under 6. Unfortunately, they received damage during Milton and it’s unclear when they’ll reopen.

12. Itty Bitty Time at Playworld

Playworld is a huge indoor playground inside Highland Recreation Center in Largo. It is awesome and in the mornings on school days, they hold “Itty Bitty Time” for kids under 5.

Itty Bitty Time is a discounted rate and parents are allowed to climb the play structures with their little ones. It’s so fun.

13. Whimzyland

Whimzyland in Safety Harbor is a home of local artists that they’ve made into a beautiful and cool art piece. You can walk the grounds outside the house and explore all the art. My kids absolutely loved this and spent way longer there than I expected.

It’s free to visit but they do have a donation box to help support the art and art community in the area.

14. U-Pick Fruits

My kids have loved when we’ve gone to u-pick. This year we did u-pick blueberries and blackberries and it was perfect for them since most of the bushes are their size.

Another big u-pick season near our area is u-pick strawberries. There are lots of u-pick strawberry farms near Tampa.

Find a u-pick farm with our u-pick strawberry farm list and our u-pick blueberry farm list

15. Feed turtles at McGough Nature Center

Feeding the turtles at McGough Nature Center in Largo was so much better than I ever expected. There are so many turtles, so many.

TIP: There’s a coin-operated turtle food dispenser but you can also go inside to buy food in the nature center if you don’t have quarters.

They also have a cute, free little nature center to explore and some nature trails. There’s a small playground there but I’d say its geared more for older kids.

McGough makes our list of our favorite things to do in Largo for families.

16. Library Museum Pass

I love the Pinellas Library Museum Pass program as a toddler parent because it makes a museum trip low risk. You check out a free admission pass at the library and it works as your entry ticket.

You don’t have to worry about dropping a lot of money on tickets only to have your trip cut short by a meltdown or spending 45 minutes in the potty (been there, done that).

Plus, they have kid favorite museums like Glazer’s Children Museum, Great Explorations and the DFAC Children’s Museum available.

Our guide to the Pinellas Library Museum Pass Program has everything you need to know before you go

17. Preschool passes to theme parks

Did you know that many of Florida’s theme parks offer free preschool passes for small children? Most theme parks are free for kids under 3, but places like Busch Gardens, SeaWorld and Kennedy Space Center also have free preschool passes that keep kids free until they’re 5 or 6.

The catch is that you have to sign up for preschool passes at the beginning of each year to be eligible so plan ahead on this one.

Check out our guide to theme park preschool passes around Florida to learn more

18. Nature trails

Going on a nature walk is always a great activity. Walking a mile in a nature path could entertain my toddler for an hour easily.

There’s no shortage of trails around our area. Many parks also have small trails that are perfect for hiking with toddlers too.

Check out of list of favorite family-friendly hiking trails around Pinellas (many are stroller-friendly too!)

19. Horsepower for Kids

Horsepower Farm is a mom-and-pop animal sanctuary with lots of things for kids to do. There are petting zoos, play structures, train rides and more.

The 1st Thursday of the month they have a $5 deal which is perfect for toddlers. Since it takes place during regular school hours, most of the attendees are preschool age and younger.

TIP: Fill out the online waiver on their website before you go. And pack a change of clothes because you’ll leave truly filthy

Find more petting zoos and farms in our area

20. ZooTampa toddler time

ZooTampa puts on a special toddler event each month for families with zoo memberships. Each month they focus on a different letter and do animal-themed activities and animal encounters around that letter.

This is only open to members but given the high cost of a regular ticket, we definitely recommend considering a membership since it’s almost the same price as a regular ticket.

Here’s our guide to visiting ZooTampa before you go

21. Majeed Discovery Garden

The Florida Botanical Garden recently added a new children’s garden and it is excellent. There are many interactive areas that are so in-tuned with little kids.

My kids favorites were an area just full of huge sticks to stack and play with, and a working water pump that I had to drag them from.

Best of all, visiting it free and it is right next door to Heritage Village so you can make a full day of it. Highly recommend.

22. Boyd Hill Nature Preserve

Boyd Hill Nature Preserve is a large nature area in St. Pete with trails, a trolley nature ride and educational programming for kids.

Each week they hold classes for both toddler and preschool aged kids. There is a small cost to get into the Nature Preserve, but you can get a Pinellas Library museum pass for it from the St. Pete library branches.

23. Heritage Village

At first pass, I wouldn’t think of Heritage Village as a toddler activity. However, my 2-year-old and 4-year-old absolutely loved it. I was not expecting to stay long and we ended up there for hours.

They have some real toddler highlights like an old cars, boats and a train. And all the paths are stroller-friendly (though you have to leave the stroller parked outside the buildings).

Heritage Village makes our list of fun free things to do in St. Pete-Clearwater

24. Beach

Beach is a good choice when the weather is right! We particularly love the smaller beaches in our area (with easier parking and no crowds) and beach-front restaurants. Here are some of our favorites:

• Crystal Beach
• Philippe Park beach nooks
• The little beach at Safety Harbor Waterfront Park (near where the pier used to be before Helene…)
• Whiskey Joe’s on the Courtney Campbell Causeway
• The Getaway (this is one of our favorites, they have a great happy hour and tables right next to the water were kids can paly on an old boat ramp)

25. Jolly Trolley rides

What toddler isn’t a connoisseur of transportation vehicles? Riding the Jolly Trolley could delight my toddler for a long time. Plus, kids 8 & under are free on the Jolly Trolley!

26. Miniature Train Rides

On the theme of transportation, riding a model train around is also a toddler delight according to my kid. There are a few places to ride model trains in our area:

• Largo Central Railroad: On the first weekend of the month, there are free miniature train rides around Largo Central Park
• Palmetto Collection: On Tuesdays and Saturdays, the Palmetto Collection museum runs their model train and its included with admission (that we recommend getting through the Pinellas library museum pass program for free)
• Horsepower Farm: Horsepower farm has a model train that runs around the lake on their property and is included in admission.

All of these trains allow adults to ride with their child too.

27. Toddler gymnastics

Some of our local gymnastics centers offer either open gym time for little kids or toddler gymnastics classes (including drop-in classes).

• Future Flipz
• Bayside Sports Academy
• Tampa Bay Turners

28. Walk a causeway

I include walk a causeway on a lot of our lists because my kids love it so much. It’s feels like such a Florida thing to do.

You can walk along the Memorial Causeway to Clearwater Beach, the Dunedin Causeway to Honeymoon Island and the Courtney Campbell (our favorite since you can watch all the big trucks go by).

We recommend this activity in the early morning or evening since they aren’t shaded paths.

29. Manatee Viewing Center

This one is a little bit of a drive since it’s on the other side of the Tampa Bay. During the “cold” months (Nov-Apr), you can go see manatees congregate at the thermal effluence of Tampa Electric.

They’ve set up a whole free viewing center with an educational center, a sting ray touch tank and walking trails.

30. Seaside Seabird Sanctuary

Note: They received heavy hurricane damage and are working to rebuild, check their social media for updated opening information.

I grew up being taken to the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary by my grandparents so I have a soft spot for this one. We took my kids recently and they loved it too. Plus, it’s free to visit (donations much appreciated).

There are lots of bird enclosures to explore, but there’s also a cool little tower overlooking the beach and a small room with aquatic tanks too.

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Check out our list of cool experience gift ideas for local families