Best Winter Break Ever: Your Family Fun Bucket List in Tampa Bay
‘Tis the season for sleigh loads of winter break fun in Tampa Bay!
The kids are out of school, and you probably have guests in town looking for something fun to do! Lucky YOU for calling Florida home because there is no shortage of FUN family-friendly things to do this winter break in Tampa Bay!
Looking for Things to Do in Tampa Bay?
>>This Weekend’s Top Picks
>>Holiday Fun in Tampa Bay
>> 40+ Free Things to Do with Kids
Here are some of our favorite ideas to help you put together the Ultimate Winter Break Family Fun Bucket List.
Related stories to check out:
- The BEST New Year’s Eve Fireworks Displays in Tampa Bay for Kids
- The BEST Christmas Events in Tampa Bay for Families
- 40+ Free and Super Cheap Things to Do with the Kids in Tampa Bay
Book a Winter Break Camp
If you have to work or the kids want a day to play with other kids, there are several Winter Break camps available. MOSI and Glazer Children’s Museum offer some of our favorite winter break camps to not only keep kids busy and having fun, but also learn! See Our Favorite Winter Break Camps in Tampa Bay here.
Visit Christmas Town at Busch Gardens!
Squeeze in even more Christmas fun before the end of the year! Christmas Town is a holiday must! Walk among millions of lights–there are so many that Busch Gardens starts installing the lights over the summertime! This event is held every night through January 5, 2025. It’s included with admission.
One of our favorite things to do with the kids is the Holly Jolly Express. Sip on hot cocoa and listen to your favorite Christmas songs as you go for a ride through the park.
Go Ice-Skating outside at Winter Village in Downtown Tampa
How about an outdoor ice-skating experience in Florida? It can happen at Winter Village at Curtis Hixon Park in Downtown Tampa! There is a market featuring local vendors for last-minute holiday shopping and eats and treats if you get hungry, and you can even try a game of street curling!
You will need to book your ice skating time in advance. It’ll be open through January 5, 2025.
Experience some beautiful holiday light displays throughout Tampa Bay!
There are some other incredible light displays in Tampa Bay like the ZooTampa, Downtown Tampa and St. Pete, and the Holiday Lights at Largo Central Park. We have a complete rundown of our favorite holiday light displays here.
One must-see is the Chick-fil-A on Waters Ave in Tampa, which is pretty much magic. You can experience it as a drive-thru or go inside. And be sure to check out the front windows for some playful fun with the cows!
Check out Aqua Lanterns at Clearwater Marine Aquarium
Aqua Lanterns Chinese Festival of Lights at Clearwater Marine Aquarium is a gorgeous MUST SEE! Dive into a sea of lights and wonder at Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s luminous new after-hours experience, Aqua Lanterns! As the sun sets, the aquarium transforms into a glowing seascape filled with stunning illuminated sea creature sculptures up to 13-feet tall. Stroll through this mesmerizing marine world and discover over 30 beautifully crafted lantern displays next to the amazing real animals that will inspire you throughout the aquarium. Featuring dazzling lantern displays, Aqua Lanterns will be open Wednesday through Sunday evenings and on select dates during the holidays!
Go Nose to Snout with the World’s Largest Fossil Triceratops
If you didn’t already know, we have a record-breaking dinosaur on exhibit here in Tampa and he’s a sight to see! You don’t have to have kids with you to experience Big John the Triceratops at Glazer Children’s Museum. We’re sharing more about the paleontologist who found Big John and the Tampa family who brought the dinosaur to Tampa.While you’re at the museum, you can also head to Gingerbread Village on the second floor and add your own create to the village! It’s on display through the end of the year.
And of course, for the dinosaur lovers out there, there is Dinosaur World in Plant City which is always a must-see!
Go Explore What’s on Exhibit RIGHT NOW in Tampa Bay
Grossology at MOSI | Through January 5, 2025
Tampa
Get grossed out with MOSI and discover how the human body works in the most entertaining way possible! Starting September 14, Grossology: The (Impolite) Science of the Human Body will dive into the slimy, stinky world of all the gross things our bodies do. Meet wacky characters like the snotty Nigel Nose-It, climb the human skin wall, interact with the soda-slurping Burp Man, explore different body odors, play a life-sized game of Operation, and more! Included with museum admission.
The Questioneers at Glazer Children’s Museum | Through January 5, 2025
Tampa
Join the Questioneers at GCM to read, question, think, and play! Based on the book series, this exhibit will celebrate S.T.E.A.M (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) along with the book’s characters – Iggy, Rosie, Ada, Sofia, and Aaron. Kids will be able to use S.T.E.A.M to solve everyday mysteries and think more critically about the world.
LEGO® Ferrari Race & Build Experience at LEGOLAND Florida Resort
Winter Haven
Prepare to become the ultimate race car driver at this interactive experience for the whole family. The moment guests enter the attraction, they are greeted by a life-size LEGO® Ferrari 296 GTS model followed by interactive zones for guests to hop into the driver’s seat by building, tweaking, and racing their own car creations. Get a FIRST LOOK at the LEGO Ferrari exhibit here!
Explore NEW-ish Parks in Tampa Bay
When we say you have to see it to believe how incredible it really is, we mean it when it comes to Bonnet Springs Park in Lakeland. You can read 10 Things We Love About Bonnet Springs Park here.
This privately built park sits on 168 acres on the outskirts of downtown Lakeland and we have a feeling it will quickly become one of your favorite ways to play too. It’s also home to the NEW Florida Children’s Museum which is amazing!
Coachman Park in Clearwater re-opened this year and it’s equally as epic! The $84 million renovation includes a new park space, gateway plaza, pedestrian promenade, scenic overlook, playground, splash pad, and performing arts venue.
Set sail on the Lost Pearl pirate ship and/or high-speed jet boat adventure on the Bay Rocket in Tampa
The Lost Pearl pirate ship is sailing once again in Tampa and they have a super cute Pirate’s Christmas Cruise you MUST experience with the kids! We’re sharing more about our sailing on the Pirate’s Christmas Cruise here! The Pirate Water Taxi’s River of Lights Cruise is another great way to see all of the pretty lights and even leave a letter to Santa with the Elf on the Barge. Both ships make a stop to visit the elf!
The 2800-horsepower Bay Rocket jet boat is one of the newest additions to the Yacht Starship fleet, and it’s ready to launch you and the family to heart-pounding speeds and 180-degree turns for a thrill ride on the Bay like no other.
And when we say ‘like no other’, we mean it. The Bay Rocket is one of only five-speed boats like it in the country. Similar jet boats can be found in waterfront cities like New York, Boston, Chicago, and San Diego…and now Tampa.
Kids must be able to sit and buckle in their own seats in order to ride.
Head to a U-Pick Farm
It’s not quite U-pick season in Tampa Bay, but a few places are offering U-pick opportunities, like Dooley Groves in Ruskin. They have citrus available–check with their website to see what they have before you go.
Florida Sweeties in Dade City is another local farm offering u-pick citrus. Stay up-to-date on what they have available and their u-pick hours by visiting their Facebook page here.
We’ve got a full list of Winter U-Pick events in Tampa Bay here.
Try a new restaurant with the kids
We’re sharing some of our favorite family-friendly places to eat with the kids, and BONUS…many of these spots have outdoor space to eat, like Sparkman Wharf and Armature Works. The St. Pete Pier has some pretty cool offerings, too! RIght now, they have a pop-up Putt Putt even during the holiday season!
Explore Tampa’s Riverwalk
Tampa Bay Parenting Contributor Maggie Rodriguez shared some of her favorite ways to explore and dine along the Riverwalk! Some of our favorite spots include lunch at Ulele, stops at Julian B Lane Riverfront Park, and a ride on Pirate Water Taxi to give your feet a break. Check out her adventures here.
Swim with the Manatees
Yes, you CAN swim with the manatees and this is prime time to do it! The only place in North America where you can legally swim with the manatees is in Crystal River and Homosassa. We’ve done the manatee tour with the Adventure Center on Plantation on Crystal River which was great!
They supply the sanitized wetsuits, snorkel gear, and even hot chocolate and coffee on the boat. While manatees gather in the springs year round, the prime season is November through March as hundreds of manatees head for the warmer waters of the springs to thermoregulate.
Explore TECO Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach
This is a wonderful outdoor adventure for the entire family! You can walk the stroller-friendly boardwalks to view the manatees as they seek the warmth of the clean water coming from the Big Bend Power Station. There is also an observation tower along the trail and plenty of spaces to enjoy an outdoor picnic and it’s FREE. We’re sharing more details here about what to expect when you go.
Experience Art at FloridaRAMA in St. Pete
FloridaRAMA St. Pete is an exhibit you’ve never seen, heard, or even smelled before! More than 60 artists were commissioned during the pandemic to bring it together. You can go and simply enjoy the whimsical art that celebrates weird, wacky, wonderful Florida, or choose a different adventure and try to crack the codes and mysteries you’ll find throughout. Learn more about what it’s like here!
Explore the great outdoors in Tampa Bay
Lauren Gay of OutdoorsyDiva.com shares her favorite outdoor adventures in Tampa Bay from trips to the beach like Shell Key Preserve to the Treetop Canopy at Myakka River State Park…she’s got it all on her list of favorite outdoor adventures in Tampa Bay here!
Celebrate the Holidays with a quick trip to Orlando
Our team is sharing a TON of holiday fun in Orlando from holiday events at Disney World, Sea World and Universal! Check out their stories here!
Plan for GASPARILLA!
Take advantage of the early bird deals if you want to upgrade your day with First Mate seats or even bleacher seats! This is a great way to view the Ashley Children’s Gasparilla presented by Chick-fil-A on January 20, 2024 and the adult Pirate Fest the following weekend. We’ve got all the details on the Gasparilla 2024 parades here.