As a parent, you want what’s best for your children. And when it comes to their education, you want them to receive the best possible instruction. But what if mainstream schools aren’t meeting your child’s needs? Or what if you simply want to give them a more well-rounded education? Or maybe you’re a roadschooling family like us and want to know where to head to next!
Here in Cape Coral, Florida, we have an abundance of educational resources, activities, and field trip options available for homeschooling families. So whether you’re just getting started or are looking for new ideas, this is the place for you!
Rotary Park
Rotary Park in Cape Coral is an excellent place to take kids to learn about animals and nature. And it’s free! I could spend all day reading at this gorgeous park.
Some of the amazing learning opportunities at Rotary Park include:
- Butterfly House with Captain Redfoot, a turtle who walks the park every Friday morning
- Gardens
- Lookout towers
- Serene reading areas
- Playground
- Reptile house
- Lots of wildlife – birds, lizards, alligators, turtles
- Hiking trails
- Little Free Library – leave a book and take a new one
- Dog park
If you have time to prepare for your trip to this park, I suggest bringing the National Audobon Society Field Guide to Florida. Your kids can learn all about the animals, plants, trees, and insects that are native to Florida. It’s a great substitute for a science curriculum, especially for elementary age students.
We had such a magical time at this slice of heaven. It is so peaceful and serene. There is lots to learn and something here for your whole family to enjoy!
The Bent Brush
Art class? Look no further!
The Bent Brush is an art studio in Cape Coral where you can paint your own pottery. They have so many options for pottery – figurines, coffee cups, plates, bowls – there will be something for everyone in the family to do.
First, you’ll choose the piece of pottery you’d like to customize. Next, you’ll paint your pottery choosing from tons of paint color options. Lastly, the art studio will fire your piece to give it that glazed, shiny finish.
The whole family will enjoy showing their creativity and you’ll all be able to take home a keepsake as a memory of your fun-filled day!
Fossil Expeditions
If your kids like hunting for fossils, this is the tour for you. Fossil Expeditions, located in Fort Myers, offers fossil collecting tours for the whole family. Their tours offer lots of examples of the fossils you are looking for and facts about the animals. Find shark and horse teeth, tortoise shells, and fossils from alligators, dolphins, and much more.
It’s like a giant treasure hunt. Kids will love this science and history-related field trip!
Shell Factory and Nature Park
There is so much to do at Shell Factory and Nature Park, located in North Fort Myers. Recently, we took a trip there and spent several hours there, and still didn’t get to do everything.
Here are some of the fun things your kids will enjoy:
- Over 400 animals – birds, farm animals, reptiles, cats, and more
- A petting zoo with cows, goats, pigs, guinea pigs, and more
- Aviary to walk through – turkeys, peacocks, and more. Be sure to take “Birds of Florida” to see how many birds your kids can point out!
- Feeding many of the animals
- Dinosaur exhibit
- Aquarium
- Playground
- Alligator pit
- Tons of birds – some of which say “Hi!” when you walk past their enclosure
- Zipline
- Carousel
One of the highlights of our trip was when one of the sweet workers pulled us aside and asked if my son wanted to see a baby guinea pig. He was only 2 days old and so small and sweet.
We were also super surprised to hear a craven say hi to us! I didn’t even know they talked!
Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve
If you are wanting to spend a lot of time exploring nature, check out the Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve, located in Cape Coral.
It is an excellent choice on a hot day, as it is a mostly shaded hike.
Enjoy lots of wildlife – alligators, turtles, birds, plants, lizards, fish, and insects. If you want to make it even more educational, take “Birds of Florida” – a great kid’s book with 87 different types of Florida birds. You can turn your visit into a scavenger hunt for your kids to spot as many native birds as possible.
There are several piers with water views and you can even kayak through the mangroves.
Veterans Memorial Park
While you’re at Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve, you might as well head next door to Veterans Memorial Park.
History lovers will enjoy all of the historical memorials – Iwo Jima, Iraq War, Korean War, and Vietnam Memorial. They did an excellent job of commemorating those who fought for our country. Sometimes for special events, there are even war veterans at the park.
There are also kayak rentals, lots of wildlife, and you might even get lucky and see a manatee!
Shaker’s Acres
Shaker’s Acres in North Fort Myers, is a great educational option for homeschooling families as they have several options available, divided by age group.
They offer:
- Tours of the farm
- Egg-hatch project where you get to watch eggs hatch in an incubator over a 30 day period.
- Clay art
- Feeding the farm animals
- Storytime
Kids can play, learn, and get messy at Shaker’s Acres. They’ll love it!
Captain Nelson Tours
Captain Nelson Tours offers 3-6 hour tours on a pontoon boat. The tour explores the waters of southwest Florida. Although not guaranteed, most tour guests report seeing alligators, dolphins, turtles, sharks, and sting rays.
You can look for shells and sand dollars, hunt for shark teeth, build sand castles on the beach, or just work on your tan.
Check out this Children’s Encyclopedia of Ocean Life so your kids will be able to identify some of the wildlife they see.
Sanibel & Captiva Islands
Sanibel and Captiva Islands, near Cape Coral is easily my favorite place in the US that I’ve been to. With its turquoise water and huge shells, it can only be described as magical.
There are tons of hiking trails and nature preserves with wildlife to see. We found like 25 live clams in the ocean there yesterday! Then, we went hiking and found a bird feather, so I took the opportunity to teach my son that people used to write using feathers (quills) and inkwells before ink pens were invented.
Next, we talked about how trees are used to make paper, and that completely blew his mind.
My reason for mentioning this is because you can learn a lot, just by exploring. He will remember our exploring days much more than he would have remembered learning about it from a textbook. That’s one of the reasons I love travel homeschooling so much.
You can turn it into a math lesson by counting coconuts, seashells, or writing math problems in the sand. You can turn it into a science lesson by asking your kids to identify the seashells they collect by using a seashell handbook.
Make it a beach day by visiting the lighthouse on the eastern tip near the causeway, or head to the North tip of Captiva for a more touristy feel.
If you are not staying in Sanibel, one caution I have is to go early or late because parking is a nightmare! Renting a bike may be a better option, unless you just want to stay on the beach right over the causeway, in which case you can just drive right onto the beach and create your own parking spot!
Karma & Coconuts
Karma & Coconuts is an art studio that offers classes 5 days a week.
They offer classes on:
- Wire wrapping
- Beading
- Acrylic painting on canvas
- wine glasses
- Coconuts
- Wood pallets
- Chalkboards
- Sculpture
- Stained glass
- Resin
- Textile art
If you have an art lover in your family, they are sure to find something here to expand their knowledge.
Alligator Alley
Alligator Alley is a stretch of highway (I-75) between Naples and Fort Lauderdale. You’ll drive past 80 miles of swamps filled with all kinds of wildlife and you guessed it – alligators. Tons of them.
We even got to get super close to one (in our car, of course) because it was coming out of the swamp onto the road.
One caution before heading to Alligator Alley – make your restroom and gas stops before starting because you’ll drive for a long time without seeing any place to stop.
If your kids are like my son, they will have lots of questions about alligators. I love this book that has lots of fast facts for kids about alligators and crocodiles.
Imaginarium History and Science Center
Kids love the Imaginarium History and Science Center in Fort Myers and can learn so much there.
Ever wanted to feel what its like to be in a hurricane? Step into a hurricane simulator.
Kids can get hands-on touching and feeding a sting ray, turtle, or fish. There is an extensive aquarium, lots of dinosaur replicas, and an outdoor fossil hunt.
They offer an indoor playground and an area for future engineers to build rollercoasters and more.
History lovers will enjoy learning about role southwest Florida played in World War II.
Conclusion
If you’re considering homeschooling your child in Cape Coral, I hope you enjoyed reading about all the great things this city has to offer. With its many parks and beaches, as well as all the educational opportunities available, this city is perfect for families who want to learn and have fun together.
There are so many educational things to do in Florida. Here are some ways to explore nature in Florida.
We are a traveling homeschool family and spend a lot of time in southwest Florida because it is absolutely beautiful. Here is an article if you’d like to learn more about how traveling with school-age kids is possible.
Have you discovered any hidden educational gems in or near Cape Coral? Let us know in the comments!
