13 Things To Do With Kids In Lake Nona

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Lake Nona, AKA Medical City, is a new and upcoming neighborhood in Orlando that is one exit away from the Orlando International Airport. Lake Nona is located around 25 minutes from the theme parks and 25 minutes from downtown Orlando. While they might not have as much to do as some of the older, more established neighborhoods, there are definitely some fun activities and unique finds in Lake Nona.

Things to do in Lake Nona with Kids

Here are 13 things to do in with kids in Lake Nona, including parks, aqua parks, ropes courses, live music and more.

Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge

The Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge rescues injured animals and has lots of native Florida animals for kids to view including foxes, bobcats and more. It is a smaller facility, so it is perfect for those with little legs. During the year, they also hold specialty events at holiday times such as Easter and Christmas, so you are able to combine a visit to see the animals with a fun festival. Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge is the perfect place to interact with animals without breaking the bank.

Beep Bus

Have you ever been on an autonomous vehicle? No, then you will definitely want to take a ride on the Beep Bus in Lake Nona. You can take a ride on the bus, at no cost, from Lake Nona Town Center to Canvas. Kids, and adults too, will get a kick out of riding this self-driving bus. While this is a fun activity, note that the bus does go pretty slowly in order to remain safe.

Boxi Park

On a Friday or Saturday evening or even Saturday or Sunday afternoon, Boxi Park is a nice place to grab a pre-dinner drink and appetizer, dinner or dessert. Boxi Park is a container park, with all the food places housed in shipping containers. There are a variety of restaurants serving different food choices including lobster rolls, tacos, chicken, burgers and more. On the weekends, Boxi Park also has live music or a DJ. Boxi Park also features a beach volleyball court and a park for the little ones to play in. Boxi Park is located across from the Lake Nona Town Center.

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Canvas Restaurant

Canvas restaurant has the best view in Lake Nona. We recommend starting off your day here. Grab some breakfast from the market and sit in the alcove overlooking the water. They have coffee drinks, smoothies and a variety of breakfast items.If you arrive later in the day, grab some coffee and pastries and sit outside in the garden area, by the water or if you prefer AC, on some of the comfy couches inside. Right outside of Canvas is the Glass House exhibit. It is a great spot to grab some family photos.

Drive Shack

Drive Shack is a driving range located in Lake Nona. All ages are welcome. Part of the highlight of Drive Shack is the games that you can play to help improve your golf game and that you can play with golfers of different skill levels. There are different targets so you can make the game easier or harder as necessary. The game that is recommended for children is Monster Hunt, where kids have fun killing monsters by hitting them with a golf ball. At Drive Shack, you get your own private bay for playing and you can order food which is delivered to your bay. If you are looking for family fun, you will definitely find it at Drive Shack.

Heroes Community Park

One of the newest parks in Orlando is Heroes Community Park. This park has a variety of fun options for kids including a playground, soccer fields, and hiking/biking trails. There are also pavilions for parties. The park is close to Nona Adventure Park, so you could combine both activities in one day.

Lake Nona Town Center

The Lake Nona Town Center is in the heart of Lake Nona. There are three restaurants located in the Lake Nona Town Center, Chroma Modern Bar & Kitchen, which serves small plates; Bosphorous which serves Turkish cuisine; and Park Pizza which serves pizza and wings and has craft beers. All three options have good food for kids and they all have lots of outdoor seating. In between the restaurants, there is an open green space that is perfect for kids to run around. In the Town Center is also the beacon, which is a digital art installation. Most nights it rotates through a variety of art pieces, but during the year, they also have movie nights where they show movies on the Beacon. Every week in the Town Center, on Fridays they hold Art after Dark on Fridays which features local artists selling their wares and on Saturdays, they have a Farmers Market.

Live and Local

Live and Local at Crescent Park in the Laureate Park neighborhood in Lake Nona is a great way to get out on a Thursday night. There is live entertainment each week featuring a variety of local entertainers. It’s a big park so children can run around and all music played is family-friendly. Families are encouraged to bring a picnic and enjoy having some family time together out on the lawn. If you would rather have someone else do the cooking, stop into Canvas prior to the show to grab some eats to go.

Moss Park

Hidden in Lake Nona is a beautiful county park where you can try different outdoor activities. If you are a lover of the water and have your own canoe and kayak, you are able to launch it on the lake in Moss Park. Moss Park also has great trails to go walking or hiking with the kids. If you love to camp and want to go somewhere closer to home, Moss Park allows camping. They have spaces for both RVs and tents. If that wasn’t enough, Moss Park also has a playground for kids to run around and play. There is even a permanent orienteering course in Moss Park to try. There is a small fee of $3-5 to get into Moss Park depending on how many people are in your vehicle.

Nona Adventure Park

One of the best things to do in Lake Nona is visit Nona Adventure Park. This is a great Saturday activity for families. They have a ropes course and a giant inflatable aqua park suitable for kids 6 and up. Younger children might have difficulty climbing around the inflatable obstacle course so, parents should stay with them to help them over obstacles. Nona Adventure Park also has a cable park for older kids (or parents) who want to water ski, knee board or wakeboard. If you don’t know how, they also offer lessons. Their cable system can run up to 10 riders at a time. You can grab a bite to eat Splashes Bistro after your chosen activity

Going on a trip? You will definitely want to check out Viator for all of your activity needs. You can book food tours, water activities, walking tours and more.

Sculpture Garden at Lake Nona Wave Hotel

The Lake Nona Wave Hotel just recently opened in Lake Nona and is a great place to see and be seen, but what is there to do there for families? Well, right in the back of the hotel they have an amazing sculpture garden with a variety of different sculptures. Adults can grab a drink from the bar inside and bring it outside to one of the benches while the kids can run around and check out all the sculptures. The best part, is that there is no cost to enjoy the sculpture garden.

Sweet Mama’s

Sweet Mama’s is a Lake Nona institution and precedes all the recent growth in Lake Nona. This is definitely the breakfast spot to stop into if you are in Lake Nona. No boring eggs and pancakes here. Sweet Mama’s has elevated breakfast to an art form. Grab some Bananas Foster French Toast, Homemade Biscuits and Gravy, a Greek Omelette and more. Whatever you are in the mood for, and even things you didn’t know you wanted, you will find at Sweet Mama’s.

The USTA National Campus

The United States Tennis Association National Campus is a great place to watch or play tennis. They have tennis lessons for kids and adults. They also feature a variety of matches during the year that you can attend from college matches to professional matches. Many of the matches are free to the public, but you must register in advance. If you like pickle ball, the USTA also has pickle ball lessons and games that you can play. The Grill on the National Campus is a great place to grab some eats post-practice or during an event.

13 Things To Do With Kids In Lake Nona

Things to do in Lake Nona with Kids