If this tells you anything about the level of family-friendliness in Palm Beach Gardens, here goes: we moved to Palm Beach Gardens specifically because of all the families, friendliness and fun!

Kid-Friendly Shopping

One of the most popular kid-friendly stops is Downtown at the Gardens, an open-air shopping and dining destination with a carousel that my kids clamor to ride. It was made specifically for this shopping center with flamingos, walruses and other animals in lieu of traditional horses.

We’ve spent hours there, starting with a brunch at TooJay’s, riding on the carousel and checking out the shops—Swoozie’s is the best for fun gifts, Hibiscus Beach Kids is a favorite for protective sun wear, and Lola Chiq has the cutest clothing and accessories—and then grabbing lunch with the family at Yard House or dining al fresco at Paris in Town (which overlooks the carousel courtyard and is great for people watching, too!). See an afternoon movie, paint pottery at Craft Haus or enjoy fro-yo at Froyotopia, and during the holidays, you must see the evening light shows choreographed to music. Downtown at the Gardens is an easy, all-in-one-destination that’s also pet-friendly. 

Just next door is the popular Gardens Mall, featuring some of the best shopping in the area, including Build-A-Bear and Claire’s, both incredibly popular with my little ones and located right near the Sears entrance. Don’t miss Ms. Fields right above on the second floor, if you need some sustenance in the form of delicious sugar and chocolate. The mall also has a great food court, and my 5-year old son loves visiting the giant fish tank in the Nordstrom kids’ shoes department.

Free Family Fun 

For some free family fun, head south and visit the expansive Burns Road Park, which features one of the best playgrounds in the area, with plentiful seating where you can easily have a picnic lunch in the shade. Right on the same campus, there’s an amazing Aquatic Complex with a splash pad that makes for hours of fun. There’s also rock-climbing pool wall, water slides, lap pools and more. The aquatics center is $3.50 for residents and $7 for non-residents.   

If you’re at Burns Road playground, be sure to cross the street and visit the fire station for any of your little firefighters in training. The team there is incredibly friendly and loves visits from little ones. Your kiddos can even sit in a fire truck—it’s the perfect photo opp, and the visit makes for a great 20- to 30-minute activity.  

One of our favorite family events is the Gardens GreenMarket. From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Sunday, the market—which has exponentially grown in recent years—is an absolute must for scoring the freshest fruits, amazing breads and treats, cider donuts (you haven’t experienced the greenmarket until you have a cone of cider donuts!), cheeses, homemade crafts, fresh flowers and so much more. We always run into families there and leave with so many treats for the week. It’s located just north of Burns Road at the Palm Beach Gardens Municipal Complex.  

If it’s particularly hot or rainy, head to Triumph Kids, a 5,000-square-foot indoor sensory gym located on Alt A1A that features a zip line, trampoline, swings and lots more, in addition to “kids’ night out” programs and holiday-themed events. The owners are incredibly nice, and our kids will play here for hours. It’s only a few doors down to our favorite little hidden gem of a sushi spot, Yu-Mi. It’s incredibly tiny, so be prepared to wait (it’s worth it!) or order takeout.

Little Bites   

For more family-friendly dining options, head over to PGA Commons on PGA Boulevard, where there are more than a dozen restaurants and plentiful outdoor seating, along with cool life-sized games like checkers and chess that keep the kiddos entertained while meals are being prepped at spots like Rocco’s Tacos, Vic & Angelo’s and Spoto’s Oyster Bar, for example. 

In addition to all of this family fun, there are so many events during the year at these spots and others. I guarantee plentiful family fun comes easy in Palm Beach Gardens!