Family Fun in Jacksonville

5 Florida Hot Spots When Traveling with Small Children

By Robert Rousseau

Everyone needs a break; that's what vacations are about. But when your travels involve bringing young children (3 to 6 years) your focus has to be twofold. First, you must find a destination where there are plenty of child-friendly options that will keep children like yours occupied (or you'll constantly be worried about how your kids are acting and that's no vacation). Second, the options spoken of earlier must also be enjoyable for you.

That's a tall order. But the good thing is that Jacksonville, Fla., and its surrounding areas fit the bill. There are several places to go where both parents and young children can enjoy themselves at this northern Florida travel destination.

Here are 5 places to go with young children in Jacksonville and its surrounding areas:

Many parents go on vacation hoping to gain something on the trip (a new view of life, improved relationships, etc.). While you're at it, why not try to offer up the same to your 3- to 6-year-old?

If you're staying on Jacksonville Beach or nearby, a quick trip down A1A will land you in the neighboring town of Ponte Vedra where a unique travel experience awaits. Through the use of the GTMNERR: Environmental Education Center, parents can conceivably offer their child the building blocks to look at the world we live in from a different vantage (in these days of Global Warming, such could be tied to the Earth's future). Further, since you'll be there with them, it can also strengthen bonds.

"We try and make learning fun," says Janet Zimmerman, Education Coordinator at GTMNERR's Environmental Education Center.

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