5 Tips on How to Enjoy SeaWorld with Little Kids #VisitSA

**I received tickets to SeaWorld as a thank you for this post. All opinions are my own and the piece was not reviewed prior to posting.**

Traveling in the heat of summer with small children can be tough. The balance of their energy level along with making sure they don’t overheat can be hard! Recently, I took my girls on a summer road trip to San Antonio, TX. Along with other fun events, I planned a day at SeaWorld! It was the ‘main attraction’ and the girls were more than excited. Unfortunately, the temps were supposed to top 90 degrees and in Texas with the added humidity, that is really, really hot. With a little planning, I came up with some tips on how to enjoy SeaWorld with Little Kids and keep them cool at the same time!

Plan Events Through the Day

Most of the shows at SeaWorld are at a certain time. So knowing ahead of time where you need to be and what is coming next can be a great benefit to you and your kids. They have something to look forward to and you have a plan that makes the day run smoothly. I asked at the front for the map and then figured out the must see shows. I made sure there was time to walk from show to show with three kids and no stroller allowing for them to need a rest. I tried to plan so that we saw everything on one side of the park at the same times and then moved to another part.

MUST sees are the Hydro Power Ski Show, Canary Row Caper and, of course, Shamu! All new shows are playing all summer long!  All of these shows are part of your admission and any you can get to are totally worth it!

Meet the Animals

Since I started the planning for this trip, I wanted to have an opportunity to have my girls meet the Dolphins. The Dolphin pool is amazing but I wanted the up close and personal version. I wanted them to be able to ask questions and touch the dolphins and for it to be an educational experience! I searched the options, which range in price from $15 a person to $80 a person. I wanted the more in depth experience but decided that they might be better if my kids were older. With all under 7, I decided the Dolphin Touch at only $15 a person was enough. I purchased the tickets online and chose the time I wanted to do the event.

It was TOTALLY WORTH IT!

The kids got to learn enough about Brie, the 6 year old Dolphin that they stayed interested. They got to feed her and touch her for as long as they wanted. The trainer even helped my smallest one reach Brie by having Brie come up closer on the ledge. They still talk about this experience today and my middle daughter even wanted a stuffed dolphin to remind her of Brie! It was very cool and I think any child (and adult) would love it!

There are other experiences as well with the Penguins, Belugas and more. Check the site and buy tickets right online.

Bring the Swimsuits

I was aware that my kids would probably get wet on some rides at SeaWorld. But I did not know, or remember, that they have an entire water park for kids that is perfect for that time of the day when everyone is hot and you are tired. Luckily, I had my kids swimsuits in my backpack just in case. When I was tired of walking and water alone could not cool them off enough, I let them loose in the water park and climbing in the play park. While keeping an eye on my kids, I was able to sit and relax a little while they spent their energy. The water park was large enough that they did not bore and it was a great way to cool them off instantly!

Plan Time to Get Snacks and Drinks

At one point during the day, I realized that even though we had a very late breakfast, I had forgotten to feed my kids lunch! Nor had I planned to stop and get water every 15 minutes. Water goes fast on a hot summer day so planning water breaks and food breaks is important. So while planning events and shows is important, make sure you schedule in food and drink breaks too so you are not snacking on the run!

Let Them Be Kids!

Schedules or not, kids will be kids. At SeaWorld, being a kid is important. Though I had a set number of exhibits and shows I wanted to get to, I had to can a few to let me kids be kids! I did not plan for the extended time outside the Flamingo exhibit or the many, many, MANY times my kids wanted to stand at the end of the Journey to Atlantis and get soaked when the boat came down. Nor did I anticipate that they would all want to ride the Shamu Express 15 times. So, we never got to the penguins and we missed a show or 2 but they had a memorable day full of childlike excitement and discovery and I had an amazing time watching them.

SeaWorld is an experience all kids should have in their childhood. Seeing animals that are rare and hard to see otherwise is amazing and the learning experience is invaluable! When was the last time you went to SeaWorld?