Making happy childhood memories has to be a top reason to visit Panama City Beach in the first place. A vacation here should be fun and jam-packed with happy memories that your kids can look back on for years to come.
Lucky for you, Panama City Beach has lots of fun things to do for families to enjoy.
Check out this short list of fun things to do with kids next time you’re in Panama City Beach, and plan the perfect family vacation.
| Where to keep your kids happy | Website |
| Sandpiper Beacon Beach Resort | www.sandpiperbeacon.com |
| Thomas Donut & Snack Shop | www.thomasdonutandsnackshop.com |
| Shipwreck Island | www.shipwreckisland.com |
| David’s Sno-Balls | www.davidssnoballs.com |
| Sea Dragon Pirate Cruise | www.piratecruise.net |
| Airboat Adventures | www.swampvette.com |
| Just Jump | www.justjump.com |
| Blacklight Mini Golf at Race City | www.racecitypcb.com |
The Sandpiper Beacon Beach Resort
The perfect vacation starts with the perfect place to stay. If keeping kid’s happy and entertained is a top priority, then staying at the “FUN Place!” is a solid start.
The Sandpiper Beacon offers so many fun amenities included in the price of your stay, that many guests never leave. From the indoor lazy river, to the mini golf, waterslides, multiple pools and arcade the hardest part will be keeping up with the kids.
If it sounds unusual that your kids happiest vacation memories would be the Hotel you stayed at, that’s because you’ve never stayed anywhere like this before. Take a look at the list of reasons you should consider staying here.
Thomas Donut & Snack Shop
This iconic place has been part of thousands of Panama City Beach family vacation traditions for years.
The tasty treats served here go well beyond just doughnuts.
Their Texas Style Kolaches are pretty popular, and have been known to sell out.
They’re available in three different flavors, so you may just need to try the trio.
Shipwreck Island
Most Panama City Beach Hotels don’t have an indoor lazy river, multiple pools and waterslides.
So a lot of families have to look elsewhere for some thrills.
That’s where Shipwreck Island water park comes in.
It’s been a popular Panama City Beach attraction for years, and for good reason.
There’s a small splash pad for younger kids, as well as larger and more exciting thrills for teenagers and young adults.
David’s Sno-Balls
Another Panama City Beach staple, David’s Sno-Balls serves up authentic New Orleans style Sno-balls and beignets.
We haven’t found of a kid yet, who doesn’t love a stuffed Sno-ball with delicious ice cream in the center.
Parent tip: don’t leave this for the very last thing you do at night unless you want the kids bouncing off the hotel room walls.
We suggest timing it after a meal, and before visiting an attraction.
Sea Dragon Pirate Cruise
If one of your vacation goals is to give your children happy vacation memories as they grow up, this is a classic experience that every kid loves. Being a pirate for a day is tough to beat.
The Sea Dragon’s crew all get into character and offer an interactive experience your kids will never forget.
It’s a two hour cruise in the Gulf that includes sword fighting, swabbing the deck, firing the “Kid cannon” and reading a treasure map to finding sunken treasure.
That’s not all though, there’s also a water gun fight, face painting, limbo, a pirate dance party and temporary pirate tattoos.
Airboat Adventures
The pristene white sandy beaches aren’t the only way to experience the real Panama City Beach.
An airboat adventure will take you through the area’s rivers, creeks and marshlands on an Everglades-style airboat.
This is an excellent way to teach your younger kids about Florida’s geography, and learn about nature.
It’s common to search for dolphins, bald eagles, osprey and alligators on your tour.
Plus your tour guide will share facts and fun stories along the way.
Just Jump
If you’ve got kids, then you’ll already be familiar with the phrase ‘bouncing off the walls’. Plus, if you’ve visited any of our ice cream shops or they somehow got full of sugar another way, Just Jump can help.
You purchase time in 30 minute increments so the kids can bounce for an hour or 90 minutes etc. There are multiple different areas inside, including a space for littles with an enclosed play course to explore and mini foam pit.
Bigger kids can jump, bounce, and flip to their heart’s content throughout the building.
Anybody planning to jump will need special socks with rubber grips on the bottom to bounce. They sell them here, or you can pick up a cheaper, identical pair from any large box store to save a few extra bucks.
Blacklight Mini Golf at Race City
If there’s one activity you really ‘have’ to do before you can say your Panama City Beach vacation is complete, it’s mini golf. There’s a few to choose from in Panama City Beach, and many of them are really great.
But only one could make our list, and the fantasy/adventure themed course at Race City is our pick. It’s indoors, so it’s a great way to beat the heat for a while. That also makes it the only mini golf in Panama City Beach you can play when it’s raining too, which can happen.
The most compelling reason this is our top pick has to be the dozen other fun activities you can do at Race City afterwards as well. Whether you’re racing on the fastest go karts on the beach, playing in the indoor mega arcade, or riding the only rollercoaster in Panama City Beach. Race City is fun day or night!
