Palm Beach with Kids: Food, Fun, and Chocolate Factories

The Palm Beaches offers the perfect balance family fun, situated literally and figuratively between Orlando’s all-kid and Miami’s all-adult vacation paradises. Families will find museums, waterparks, beaches, and outdoor fun for every vacation style. Palm Beach area resorts fit every family budget, too. Families can use the warm weather to take an ice cream tour of the area to hit the various parts of the Palm Beaches, but don’t miss out on the area’s biggest chocolate factory.

My family has two magical places in Florida it loves, and being only two and a half hours apart, we love combining our Orlando adventures with a vacation in the Palm Beaches.

Things to do in Palm Beach With Kids

The Playmobil Fun Park

My kids have been curious about the Playmobil Fun Park for years. They stumbled upon it on the website while browsing the catalog. We adore these toys for their durability, and the creative play they have provided our kids for years.

I told my children that we were doing a surprise stop on our trip and had shirts in the backseat that they could tie and improvise blindfolds as we approached it. I worried others would look into our rental car and think I was kidnapping some children.

Things to Do In Palm Beach With Kids includes the Play Mobil Fun Park. — The Playmobil Fun Park was paradise for my kids for $1 entry each. Photo courtesy of Robin Hutson, Mindful TravelingMom

I removed their blindfolds after I carefully steered them in front of the main door, five minutes before it opened. Just as I was about to remove my daughter’s blindfold, she shouted it out with a correct guess.

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I can’t imagine what it would be like to be a local mom with this place down the road for some indoor play. For only a one dollar entry fee, children can explore and play all Playmobil organized by theme: pirates, princesses, city, jungle, farm. It’s all there.

The Norton Museum

The Norton Museum is one of the cultural headquarters of Palm Beach with an impressive permanent collection of contemporary and European art. The museum, undergoing rapid expansion, offers diverse and robust programs for the community, many of which are suitable for families.

Free admission at the Norton Simon Museum is just one of many Things to Do In Palm Beach With Kids, — The Norton Museum in Palm Beach offers free admission, an eclectic permanent collection, and robust programming for families. Photo courtesy of Robin Hutson, Mindful TravelingMom.

This is a very good art museum to take children because the scale of it is intimate enough that it’s not overwhelming. Parents will likely be able to see and enjoy the art for themselves before the waning attention span of young kids.

By the time my son was doing somersaults on the gallery sofa, nearby guards politely smiled before looking the other way and letting me know they welcomed our family for all of its styles of art appreciation.

check out the NortonSimon Museum when looking for Things to Do In Palm Beach With Kids — The Norton Museum contains an intimate collection with a variety of installations easy to keep children’s interest. Photo courtesy of Robin Hutson, Mindful TravelingMom

Just when my children started begging me to leave. The “Art After Dark” series includes an activity for children. The night we were there featured the visual qualities of letter writing. A local art teacher led a craft exercise displaying a variety of two dimensional materials, stamps, and envelopes.

Armed with glue sticks and scissors my children became completely focused on the task of drafting visual letters to friends. And once again, I found that even though I had to drag my children into a museum, I also had to drag them out.

Kids will love the activities at Art After Dark, one of many Things to Do In Palm Beach With Kids — Art After Dark offers a children’s activity. My kids loved the visual letter writing and postcard making led by a children’s art teacher. Photo courtesy of Robin Hutson, Mindful TravelingMom

The Loggerhead Marine Life Center

Ever wondered about turtles? The Loggerhead Marine Life Center is an incredible opportunity to learn about the loggerhead turtle. All of its resident turtles are in some form of rehab at this center. They can be seen in tanks with glass walls. There’s a fascinating outdoor exhibit in addition to multiple learning stations making this an educational must for the whole family.

The retail shop has an extensive collection of toys that every child will want to bring home.

Family Restaurants and Treats in the Palm Beaches

Hoffman’s Chocolate Tour & Ice Cream

Hoffman’s chocolates as a local company that has a national presence known for incredibly high quality chocolates I found in the yummiest Easter baskets and Christmas stockings.

Get ready for a shopping spree at Hoffman's retail store as one of many Things to Do In Palm Beach With Kids — It’s hard to leave Hoffman’s retail store empty handed. Christmas and Easter are big business here. Photo courtesy of Robin Hutson, Mindful TravelingMom.

Chocolate tours can be arranged for a fee for small groups of the public can easily enjoy A video about the making of chocolate while watching the factory the action in the factory happen

One must have chocolate at Hoffman's, another of the many Things to Do In Palm Beach With Kids — Hoffman’s offers chocolate tours and factory visits. The message is heavily weighted on the health benefits of chocolate, so be prepared for your kids to demand a healthy snack of chocolate. Photo courtesy of Robin Hutson, Mindful TravelingMom

The ice cream is not to be overlooked. In fact, I would say it was exceptional in quality and taste and worth a drive on a family’s Palm Beach food tour with kids. Buy the chocolate and take it back to your room, but get a big portion of ice cream to eat right there. I think it’s obvious but Hoffman’s chocolate ice cream was A-MA-ZING.

Tempting Things to Do In Palm Beach With Kids includes a chocolate factory tour. — Taking a young child into the factory tour requires a keen eye. In addition to the hair nets, I would have appreciated some type of soft handcuff to keep my son’s hands safely away. Photo courtesy of Robin Hutson.

Sloan’s Ice Cream

Sloan’s is a Palm Beach institution, a bright pink storefront on Clematis in West Palm Beach. This location is near many shops, restaurants, fountains, and community spaces.

We all scream for ice cream at Sloan's, Things to Do In Palm Beach With Kids — Sloan’s on Clematis Avenue in West Palm Beach. Photo courtesy of Robin Hutson, Mindful TravelingMom.

Sloan’s also has an extensive retail selection of toys and novelties, so there’s something for everyone to browse and enjoy. The ice cream was great, but I still think Hoffman’s is the city’s best-kept secret.

Tommy Bahamas Café

I’d been told by numerous locals the Tommy Bahamas Cafe was great for families. I hadn’t visited this chain restaurant in several years, but I’m so happy we did after the Loggerhead Marine Life Center.

Put Tommy Bahamas Cafe as one of the Things to Do In Palm Beach With Kids — Tommy Bahamas Café offered great food for adults and kids. We’ll be back! Photo courtesy of Robin Hutson, Mindful TravelingMom.

We started with their signature round loaf and flavored butter. After our guacamole appetizer, my daughter —with her mouth full— broke a rule to speak to say, “This is the best food I’ve ever had.”

Things to Do In Palm Beach With Kids including eating healthy at Tommy Bahamas. — My kids loved the healthy menu at Tommy Bahamas. Photo courtesy of Robin Hutson, Mindful TravelingMom.

The children’s menu was exceptional and offering a nice variety that was beautifully presented. My kids feasted on grilled chicken over pineapple with broccolini, complete with cocktail umbrella.

The dessert tray threw them over the moon. We only had room for one dessert for us to share, and we chose the incredible Oreo mud pie.

When it's all about desserts on your list of Things to Do In Palm Beach With Kids — Chocolate mud pie from Tommy Bahamas was our choice, but you can’t go wrong with their dessert tray. Photo by Robin Hutson, Mindful TraveingMom.

Best Palm Beach Resorts for Families

A guide to Palm Beach with kids: where to play, stay, and eat on a Florida family vacation! — Pin for later!

Five Star Palm Beach with Kids

Palm Beach has several wonderful beach resorts for families. The Breakers and The Eau offer contrasting five-star experiences: the old and new Palm Beach. The former is one of the most illustrious and historic American resorts modeled after Italian palaces. The latter is whimsical and modern, designed by Jonathan Adler.

Palm Beach Family Suites

Many families prefer the flexibility of space and kitchens, and this is where the Marriott Singer Island steps in to offer suites with kitchens overlooking one of the best beaches in the Palm Beaches. The Marriott Singer Island offers a family pool with daily kid activities, waterslide, a kids club, and a playground next door.

The Palm Beaches is a larger area than people realize, and we adore each trip that shows us more and more of this vacation paradise for families.