Family visiting

[Redsmom]

Hoping that I can get some suggestions on places to go when our family visits us here in TV including a five year old grandson. Perhaps parks near the villages and casual restaurants with child friendly menu? Also, are there any children’s parks within the villages? Thanks in advance!

[dewilson58]

Lots of grands like the music at the town squares.......they love to dance.

Look at menu's online for appropriate food.

Boardwalk at LSL.

Might have to hit an area school for a playground.

[Garywt]

I agree with the music and there are ice cream places in Sumter and Brownwood. Golf cart rides are fun as well. We have not looked at kid friendly restaurants but there are IHOP, Steak and Shake and the like to go to. If you leave the reservation there is the space center, Daytona Beach, the Gulf Coast and a couple of air boat ride places near by. Of course there is everything Orlando offers as well. Enjoy.

[Willis56]

Lake Apopka wildlife drive . It’s open Friday,Saturday and Sunday.There were a ton of alligators the last time we visited and children of all ages would like it!

[vintageogauge]

Silver Springs glass bottom boat rides, Johnny Rockets for burgers, there was a small playground near Lake Sumpter Landing I think it's still there, family swimming pools, nature walk in Fenney also a family pool there, Putt and Play in Fenney, tour a few rec. centers, Russell Stover Candy on 44 just west of 301, they have all kinds of kids candies there plus ice cream cones, it will put a smile on his face for sure.

[thelegges]

Small New playscape in LSL across the street from Sonny’s.

[JMintzer]

Mystic Ice Cream on 466A...

Never too early to get them into the "classics"...

Get them an "adult" ice cream cone... That'll calm them right down... ;)

[super5089]

Homossassa Springs wildlife state park

[b0bd0herty]

Lots of grands like the music at the town squares.......they love to dance.

Look at menu's online for appropriate food.

Boardwalk at LSL.

Might have to hit an area school for a playground.

Small kids playground at Lake Sumter Landing just across the street from Sonnys BBQ. It's Wilkerson Creek Park & Children's Playground and there is a nice covered dining/picnic area beside it.

[edd.wade]

Parks, wildwood community bld, Leesburg at lake Harris, and state park on 44 east of BV.

[lakecottage2000@yahoo.com]

Venetian Gardens in Leesburg has a great playground, walking trails with wildlife and a really fun splash pad. Tavares and Eustis have splash pads too.

[skippy05]

Corny Amusement parks and ice cream parlors are dime a dozen. Book an airboat tour justins-jungle.com The hang-on ride. Now, those will be memories forever.

[riley2011]

Uncle Donald’s Farm. My granddaughter loved it.

[ChristineOK]

I know I saw a "ship" playground somewhere.... just forget where I saw it but it looked awesome. Can anyone clarify?

[lpkruege1]

Wild Bill's air boat ride to see the gators.

[markmorris24@yahoo.com]

Pirate Park in Sumter Landing. My grandkids LOVE it..

[BlkBlt6]

Bull riding right on 466A just east of the villages. They do a great job of entertaining the audience.

[wsachs]

How about Mt Dora and a boat ride thru the Dora canal. The captain usually lets small kids pilot the boat! Lots of fun and walking around Mt. Dora is fun too.

[bruce213]

Homosassa springs is a great day trip 3 hrs round trip driving 3 hrs at the park/zoo. Another good one is the Orlando science museum a little pricey for adults but great for kids and it has AC.

[bruce213]

Tampa has a great zoo.

[dennisgavin]

Tree tops minature golf next to the American Legion on Rolling Acres Rd

[J1ceasar]

One of the downfalls of The villages is absolutely very little for children and teenagers to do. Has others have suggested if it's warm enough there are certainly family pools, the parks in Orlando of course if you can stand a few hours on your feet and the heat, I would also suggest even for a 5 year old Ocala has a very nice museum only 40 minutes away, and there's a great teaching museum / zoo in Gainesville where you get a docent to walk with you personally and teach you about the animals. Venetian gardens in Leesburg is about 20 minutes away from most of the villages and is good for a child. There are lots of diners in and around the villages as well that are child safe and friendly. Red lobster, Olive garden, and the chains are very good too. For the adults who can take a 60 minute ride you should go to Winter Park and visit the Tiffany museum, Mount Dora for walking around and exploring wonderful retail stores as well as several interesting French and German restaurants for the adults but lunch time it's okay for kids. Enjoy yourself and if I were you I would talk to your CDD board and try to get one or two kids parks built

[Dantes]

Airboat ride

[vitacr]

Pirate park at LSL near Sonny's, boat ride at LSL off boardwalk, Uncle Donald's Farm, music at the squares, family pools. Cracker barrel restaurant for a decent kid's menu. Enjoy

[Pkro13]

Uncle Donald’s Farm for the younger grandchildren. They get to feed the animals. You get a hayride where you go in the field and feed the cows. Take a picnic lunch and spend the day.

[reggiethurlow]

Hoping that I can get some suggestions on places to go when our family visits us here in TV including a five year old grandson. Perhaps parks near the villages and casual restaurants with child friendly menu? Also, are there any children’s parks within the villages? Thanks in advance!

The wildlife park in Homosassa, Florida is an excellent place to take visitors. One high light is watching them feed the manatees, and feeding the hippo. It takes about an hour to drive there.

[TandHSTAR@AOL.com]

There is a playground at Lake Sumter Landing across the street from TooJays and BBQ place

[macawlaw]

Lots of good suggestions so far! I won't repeat any of those.

I don't know any child who doesn't like Five Guys Burgers.

Don't forget shuffleboard and corn toss. You also need things to do at home. Sidewalk chalk (drawing, 4-square, hop scotch), squirt guns, jump ropes, etc. would help keep kids entertained at home. My suggestion would be to go to the Dollar Store and pick up a bunch of dollar surprises to hand out when the kids need a diversion. I would also consider purchasing some inside family games. Operation, Trouble, Life, etc. are fun for all ages.

Have fun!

[Charsaunt]

Another great spot no one has mentioned is Weeki Wachee Springs State Park in Spring Hill (not too long a drive from TV). Would be a wonderful place to take younger kids and the highlight is the live mermaids who perform underwater. This would be something the kids won't see often and something to remember.

Enjoy their visit no matter what you do!!!

[Briand]

This is the BEST in the area - we always take our guests here - both children and adults!

[susankchittum@gmail.com]

Swamp Fever offers an air boat ride that is fantastic. Only $35 pp and lasts about an hour and then you have an opportunity to get up and person with a 5 ft. Alligator. We’ve taken two sets of visitors and they loved it!

[charmed59]

If the 5 year old wants to try racquet sports the platform tennis courts at the big rec centers (sea Breeze, Eisenhower, Rohan, Everglades) are great. Small courts with fences all around so they don’t have to chase errant balls. Get kids racquets and spongy balls, or they can even try pickle ball in those courts.

[swiley]

Have had many visitors from tots to teens since I have lived in TV. Hands down, everyone’s favorite activity has been just running around on a golf cart. We have done many of the other things mentioned by others and had lots of fun but it always comes back to riding in the carts.

[MaryRDH]

Playground pirate ship in Sumter Landing and large playground on Powell Rd by the Wildwood community center.

[lorelei1954@hotmail.com]

Wild Bill's Airboat Ride, only about 20 mins. away is great for all ages.

[jagdl]

There is a beautiful park right across 44 near Brownwood. Lake Okahumka state park. It's a day park complete with playground with a climbing dome, picnic tables under roof, a Frisbee golf course, paved walking trails. Nice bathrooms. I think charcoal grills. There's a boat launch area as well.

[Syd2008]

If you do not mind a 45 minute ride the Giraffe Ranch outside Dade City is good fun!!

[Kenny 23]

Gatorland on SR 44, petting zoo and baby aligators.

Water park in Leesberg, lake area.

[3105boy]

Hoping that I can get some suggestions on places to go when our family visits us here in TV including a five year old grandson. Perhaps parks near the villages and casual restaurants with child friendly menu? Also, are there any children’s parks within the villages? Thanks in advance!
Check out the RC racing....cars, power boats, sail boats. Cars and sailboats at Everglades on Friday at 10AM. Villages model power boat races 1st and 3rd Saturday 10-noon at Veterans Memorial Park in Fruitland Park.

[Dgodin]

Intead in the Sun that a new Camp Villages catalog is coming out soon

[Bilyclub]

Just to clarify the two errant posts. Lake Okahumpka Park is not owned by the state, but by Sumter County.

Lake Okahumpka Park | Sumter County, FL - Official Website (https://www.sumtercountyfl.gov/205/Lake-Okahumpka-Park)

[Rsenholzi]

Wild fl has a drive through zoo, walk through zoo with tons of alligators and other smaller animals and an airboat ride

[Quixote]

Other than the Kennedy Space Center, following are suggestions made by fellow posters….

* Endangered Animal Rescue Sanctuary (EARS), a short distance off 301 in Citra (north of Ocala). Founded, owned, and operated by two women whose life focus is on rescuing what would otherwise be an animal that could never be returned to the wild. Donation plus supplies ro care for the animals; I hey’ll tell you what they need (e.g., paper towels, bleach). Reserve space in advance; a docent will be assigned for your visit. Do a search for their website.

* De Leon Springs State Park, a bit over an hour east of TV. It’s an eclectic experience—the old sugar mill of a former sugar cane plantation is a make-your-own pancake restaurant with griddles built into each table. Regular flour and buckwheat batter are available, as well as a variety of toppings. There’s a beautiful swimming platform built over one of Florida’s huge artesian wells (or are they called .’aquifers’?) There is a small museum in the Park, places for walking, and I believe there is an airboat concession which I would guess also requires reservations. More information can be f:ohdear:ound the rhe Florida Stare Parks website.

* Kennedy Space Center and
* Saint Augustine …
… are a bit far, and one or the other may be of particular interest to older grandkids. The Space Crnter exposes us to the reality of a half century and more of space exploration history; for the young’uns, there might even be a specific area of interest. Saint Augustine is true, hokey, ‘Step-right up, folks’ tourism some will be enjoy these places more than others. Extensive information on both, attractions can be found on their websites.

[oceanman]

My kids and grandkids come here regularly, the most recent time being Easter, and their ages go down to 4. Those are some good suggestions but what my grandkids like most and what is free is going to the rec centers outside. Many have shuffleboard, bocce ball, horseshoes and cornhole toss, and some have tennis. They usually have two or three games going, for instance shuffleboard and bocce ball and sometimes three going. The kids will play at one for ten minutes and then will go and play at another. It is also outside so they get to run around and squeal. If there is tennis there will be rackets and balls in the shed and they play tennis. Not tennis like we know it but they like hitting the ball back and forth because they have seen it on TV and they finally get to "play" it. Another fun thing is to reserve the ping pong room at a rec center and they play ping pong. They love hitting the ball back and forth, and again they get to run arou
nd and squeal. Some rec centers have two tables set up and some have four. The kids love the rec centers mainly outside--it is like summer camp.

[Red Rose]

My 5 year old grandson is visiting and we went to Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive and it is amazing. It's open Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We saw lots of alligators in their natural environment, saw turtles and birds swimming with their tiny babies. It's only 1 hour South of The Villages. The scenery is magnificent and you just drive through in your car. I was amazed. Plus, it's free.

[SusanKD]

We went to Tampa to see the star of movie dolphin tales. Clearwater marine aquarium. Tour this and took boat ride in the bay for dolphin sightings. They have rescued marine life that can’t live in the wild so they live at this aquarium.