Orlando Field Trips for Kids

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I am homeschooling my kids this year, and as such, I have decided to make Friday our field trip day. It gives us all a chance to get out of the house and go somewhere educational and hopefully fun. Since we are going on a Friday, I am hopeful that crowds will be less than what they would be if we went during the weekend.

While we all know that the Orlando area has a lot of fun activities, that’s why we are the vacation capital of the world, but what is there to do in terms of educational activities in Orlando for kids? Turns out there is a lot.

Orlando Field Trips for Kids

Here are fun Orlando field trips to take with the kids this year.

Albin Polasek Museum

Take the kids to learn about art at the Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Garden. The museum has over 200 works on display both inside and outside. At the museum kids can learn about Albin Polasek and his work and learn about sculpture as an art medium.

While in the sculpture garden, kids can participate in a fun scavenger hunt. The face of the Greek God Pan is hidden in 26 places around the property. Kids will definitely love searching for him.

Glass Bottom Boats at Silver Springs State Park

The Glass Bottom Boats at Siver Springs State Park is a great option for an Orlando field trip. This is where the Glass Bottoms Boats were first developed. On the Glass Bottom Boats kid will enjoy looking at and learning about the different species of fish in the springs. You will also see different artifacts and even some movie props down below.

30-minute tours are offered everyday and don’t require a reservation. 90 minutes tours are offered Friday, Saturday and Sunday and do require reservations.

Kennedy Space Center

At Kennedy Space Center, kids can learn about rockets, NASA and space exploration. At Kennedy Space Center, kids will be able to take a look at a model of the Hubble Space Telescope, explore an international space station, see different rockets and capsules, and so much more. There might be too much to do in one day, that you might have to return for a second visit.

Leu Gardens

We visited Leu Gardens earlier this year, and while the day was hot (I recommend visiting at a cooler time of year or early morning) we had a good time walking around and exploring. Leu Gardens has a variety of flower gardens, a vegetable garden (with giant vegetables), a butterfly garden and a pond.

Kids can learn about plant life, the migration patterns of butterflies (my son taught me about this one), pollination and more.

Right now, Leu Gardens has an exhibit on Fairy Doors, which will add a fun element to the garden.

Tip: Leu Gardens offers a free day the first Monday of the month

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LunaSea Alpaca Farm

LunaSea Alpaca Farm is a great alternative to the zoo or a traditional farm. At LunaSea, they only have alpacas and a couple of llamas. Kids will learn all about these animals and be able to go into the pens to interact with the alpacas and to feed them. All tours are help by the owner of the farm, who is every knowledgeable about alpacas. Kids can ask any questions about alpacas or llamas that they want during the tour and get them answered .

Marine Discovery Center

Kids can learn about different animals that live in the Indian River Lagoon at Marine Discovery Center. While there is a small museum that you can explore at no cost, you will definitely want to join one of the tours that takes you out into the lagoon. The Marine Discover Center offers both boat tours and kayak tours last two hours and they are offered at various times of day. Tours are guided by a naturalists. On the tours, kids will learn about conservation efforts while spotting dolphins, sea turtles, birds and more.

Please note that for kayak tours, kids 6-12 must ride with an adult. Children under 6 are not allowed in a kayak.

Murals of Mills 50

Take the kids to Mills 50 and do a walking tour of the murals in the area. Walking the murals and discussing what the kids like or dislike about the murals makes for a fun morning out. We started at 1336 North Mills and made our way down to 730 North Mills and then back up the other side. There are some great places to grab coffee, breakfast or lunch along your walk.

Outschool has over 10,000 classes that will delight kids of all ages. Kids can take cooking classes, music classes, art classes, Harry Potter classes, math, science and much more!

Orlando Science Center

The Orlando Science Center is a great place for a field trip, maybe more than one. At the Science Center, kids can learn about Dinosaurs, weather in Florida, engineering and more.

The Science Center has rotating exhibits that come through every year. The exhibits are usually focused on something that kids can relate to, but incorporate science. We have seen exhibits on Super Heroes and on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The kids loved both. Later this year, the Science Center will have an exhibit on Pompeii and how it was destroyed.

Orange County Regional History Center

In the Orange County Regional History Center, kids can learn about the history of Central Florida. Kids can learn about early life in Florida and florida peoples, including Florida’s indigenous people, first contact between the Spanish and Native Americans living in Florida, Florida pioneer life and Afircan Americans in Central Florida history. Kids can also learn about the region’s natural environment and cattle and citrus, the two main economic drivers of the region in the past. The museum also has an exhibit on how Orlando became the theme park capital of the world and how people have been traveling to Orlando for 100 years.

If you are looking for a structured activity, the museum holds a homeschool day every month with a 2- hour activity. The program is mainly geared towards elementary aged children.

Scavenger Hunt Lake Eola

A great option for a field trip is a scavenger hunt around Lake Eola with Let’s Roam. I did this activity recently with my kids. The scavenger hunt takes you around downtown and Lake Eola and to view different works of art that are in the area. There are questions about the art to answer that helps kids learn more about the different pieces. Even better, kids are getting exercise as you race from one location to the next. As the scavenger hunt is a private hunt, you can stop partway through the hunt to take a ride on the swan boats, have a picnic or have lunch at World of Beer (they have outdoor seating) located in the park.

The Zoo

Central Florida Zoo and Brevard Zoo are great options for a field trip. Kids can learn about and interact with different kinds of animals. At the Brevard Zoo, kids can learn about animals that live in Florida, as well as about animals from the Caribbean and the Rainforest. Kids can also learn about Kangaroos and different kinds of birds.

At the Central Florida Zoo, kids can interact with barn animals, feed giraffes and have visit with the rhinos. They can also learn about invertebrates, amphibians and reptiles.

If you want to add on some fun to your educations field trip, both zoos offer tree top treks.

Which one of theses Orlando field trips are you looking forward to taking with your kids this year?

Orlando Field Trips for Kids