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Looking for an epic beachfront getaway for your whole family? Daytona Beach, Florida is enjoyable for kids and adults alike. It’s a seaside city that has it all! From 23 miles of sandy coastline and vibrant boardwalk activities to water sports and amusement centers, your kids will never get bored in this Florida city on the Atlantic coast.
To help you start planning your vacation itinerary, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most epic, enjoyable, relaxing, and engaging activities that your family will love. The weather is always sunny and the living’s easy in Daytona, so read on to discover the 15 best things to do in Daytona Beach with kids!
Dance and sing at a live concert.
Visiting Daytona Beach during the summer? You absolutely should not miss catching a live concert at Bandshell. This uniquely designed outdoor venue is situated right on the beach along the Daytona boardwalk.
Your family can enjoy a fun variety of performances that happen every Friday and Saturday as the sun sets on the horizon. For an extra special treat, opt for the Saturday night concert, as the show ends in fireworks. Tickets to the shows are free, too!
Play a game of miniature golf.
Mini golf is such a classic family vacation activity. With a variety of different themed courses to choose from, you can visit a location that suits whatever your children are interested in. Pirates? Can do. Dinosaurs? Yes. Daytona Beach itself has numerous miniature golf spots, so take your pick.
Head to D&D Blacklight Mini Golf for a magical galaxy atmosphere. Or try out the safari-themed Congo River Golf to feel like Indiana Jones. And if your kids enjoy pirate-themed everything, Pirate’s Island is the spot for you.
Zipline through the air.
Are your kids up for an epic tree-top adventure? There’s nothing quite as fun and exhilarating as a zipline ride.
Climb high up into the canopy at Daytona Beach Zipline Adventure in Tuscawilla Park, and get ready to soar through the air past palm trees and lush scenery. Your kids will love this thrilling adventure. Had enough of the zipline? You can also embark on the climbing and swinging tree-top courses.
Play in the sands of Daytona Beach.
Daytona Beach is an extensive stretch of beautiful sand along warm Atlantic waters. This is where all the action happens in Daytona Beach – the boardwalk, restaurants and shops, entertainment, and carnival rides!
Spend a day enjoying this beautifully developed section of the beach. The sand is tightly packed for about 12 miles, making it ideal for driving vehicles. The other section is very kid-friendly. Have fun building sand castles, boogie boarding, playing catch, or just relaxing in the sunshine.
Go fishing on the pier.
Want to teach your kids how to fish? You’ll have scenic opportunities right here in Daytona Beach.
The best places to try your hand at fishing are the Main Street Pier right at the center of all the boardwalk activities, or Sunglow Pier where you’ll enjoy incredible ocean views, sunsets, and less crowds.
The great thing is that if your kids are 16 or younger, they don’t need a license to go fishing.
Splash around at a waterpark.
If your kids are getting a bit bored of the ocean, there’s another way to cool off and have some excitement at the same time: head for Daytona Lagoon. This epic waterpark is chock-full of water slides, lazy rivers, wading pools, and tubing activities.
But the activities don’t stop there. Daytona Lagoon is a full-fledged entertainment center, with an arcade, go-karts, and even laser tag.
Get a sugar rush.
Take your children here at your own risk: they’ll love it, but prepare for high energy afterwards! Visit the Angell & Phelps Chocolate Factory. This factory produces its own chocolates, chocolate-covered pretzels and popcorn, and specialty items.
You can take a tour of its factory where you’ll learn about chocolate production. Then spend time shopping in its store for food to take home with you!
Cool off on a massive splash pad.
There are so many ways to cool off on a hot day in Daytona Beach. The beach and water park are an obvious choice, but consider the thoughtfully designed Sun Splash Park.
This seaside public park has 4-acres of splash pad to get wet and cool off in, as well as picnic tables, a nice pavilion, and walking paths. It’s a great place for an afternoon picnic with your kids, or a sunset stroll.
Have a blast on the boardwalk.
The Daytona Beach Boardwalk is a can’t-miss place to explore, have fun, play, and eat. This stretch centering around Main Street at the heart of Daytona provides convenient access to the beach, carnival games and arcades, amusement rides, seafood restaurants, and souvenir shops.
There’s ice cream too – but keep that under wraps if your kids have just a bit too much energy as it is.
Ride with a professional racecar driver.
There’s something Daytona has that not many other East Coast destinations can match: the Daytona International Speedway. This roaring track isn’t just exciting for watching a race – it offers a really unique opportunity: the NASCAR Daytona Experience.
Purchasing a ticket for this activity allows kids 14 and up to take a ride around the track with a professional race car driver! It will be a day they’ll never forget.
Escape into nature at Tomoka State Park.
Want to get out of the city and bustling beach crowds for a while? You and your kids might enjoy nearby Tomoka State Park.
This lush, 2,000-acre park follows the scenic Tomoka River, and is home to a plethora of unique wildlife like manatees and tortoises. Explore its trails for prime endemic birdwatching, go boating on the river, or enjoy a picnic lunch.
Climb to the top of Florida’s tallest lighthouse.
There’s something really cool about a historic lighthouse – even kids can appreciate them! To explore a unique light station rising up over the beautiful Florida coast, head to the nearby Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthouse.
For a small ticket price, you can enter Florida’s tallest lighthouse and climb to the top, which is nearly 200 feet up! The lighthouse’s museum also hosts workshops for kids.
Ride bikes on the beach.
It’s not that easy to find a beach with sand tightly-packed enough to ride bikes on. But at Daytona Beach, you’re golden! At most sections of the beach, the sand is so compact that vehicles of all kinds are permitted to drive along it.
So consider renting bikes at a shop like Blue Coast Shop, and take a leisurely ride on the sand! Younger kids will love the tandem bike options.
Catch a baseball game.
Are you and your children fans of baseball? You’re in the right place. Waste away a few hours at the Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
Not only can you cheer on the local minor team, the Daytona Tortugas, but you can also admire the incredible history of this stadium – it’s where Jackie Robinson made history as America’s first African American to play major league baseball!
Explore an art & science museum on a rainy day.
Ah, the inevitable rainy day has arrived in Daytona Beach. It’s not common, but it can happen. And when it does, consider taking the family over to the Museum of Arts and Sciences.
This wonderful museum has an interesting variety of science, art, and history exhibitions to explore. What’s more, the museum has a Child’s Play exhibit that’s interactive.
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Amy has been a full time travel blogger since 2012, blogging about couples travel alongside her husband on Two Drifters. Once a baby came into the picture, the travels changed, but definitely did not stop!
Amy is based in Raleigh, North Carolina where she lives with her son Malcolm (the adventuring toddler), her husband Nathan, and two mischievous cats.