We're mostly sunshine and rainbows down here on the Suncoast—but we also know you can't get those rainbows without a little rain. When the weather's gray and drizzly, you may not be able to hit the beach or parks, but fear not: there's still loads of things to do with little ones. Here are our favorites.

🛼 Hit The Rink

Astro Skating Center

3611 Third Street W., Bradenton, (941) 747-8602, astroskatingcenter.com

Grab your skates and blades or just rent some at Astro Skating Center, where you can glide around again and again to everybody's favorite tunes. It's a full circle moment when parents can share their childhood pastime with the kids. 

Ellenton Ice & Sports Complex

5309 29th St. E., Ellenton, (941) 723-3663

At our improbable portal to winter, families circle with equal parts grace and wobble, teenagers hold hands and pretend not to, and hockey players thunder by in drills behind plexiglass. Bundled in scarves, you can imagine you’ve stepped into a borrowed season.

🎳 Strike!

Bowlero Bowling Alley, Party Venue and Sports Bar

7221 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, (941) 921-4447; 4208 Cortez Rd W, Bradenton, (941) 758-8838

At Bowlero, the lanes glow neon under blacklight, transforming a simple game into something closer to a carnival. With 40 bowling lanes, arcade games and a sports bar, it’s spectacle disguised as sport. The soundtrack is equal parts Top 40 and retro sing-alongs, with the traditional fare like nachos at the ready. 

🕹️ Play to Win

Livingston’s Amusement Center 

5947 Clark Center Ave., Sarasota, (941) 925-7665

Behold, a 50,000-square-foot echo of the arcade era. It smells faintly of pizza and  buzzes with the sound of air hockey and go-cart races. You can play nine-ball, win plastic trinkets with impossible claw machines or watch adults chasing childhood with a handful of tokens. The décor feels locked in the 1990s, but that’s its charm.

🛝 Fly High

Urban Air Adventure Park

6450 Professional Parkway W., Sarasota, (941) 206-6745, urbanair.com

The newest indoor play place on the block, Urban Air offers ample opportunities to jump, soar and play on slides, climbing walls, and ropes courses. There's even an indoor sports court for basketball and soccer aficionados. 

SkyZone

6180 Edgelake Drive, Sarasota, (941) 363-6359, skyzone.com

You don't have to be a gymnast to cash in on SkyZone's more than 30,000 square feet of trampolines, foam pits, ninja warrior courses and climbing walls, but we do suggest grownups double check their creaky knees before bouncing through the air. We love SkyZone's dedicated toddle zone, to keep the littles extra safe.

Altitude

201 Cortez Road W., Bradenton, (941) 584-4700, altitudetrampolinepark.com

Another trampoline park for young and old, with designated time slots for kids under six, and ultraviolet black light-lit weekend parties for everyone else. We love watching kids practice their basketball dunks with the aid of a little extra lift.

🔭 Learn a Little (The Fun Way)

The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature

201 10th St. W., Bradenton, (941) 746-4131

This spot is part natural history, part science lab and part planetarium. It’s the largest museum of its kind on the Gulf Coast, and on a rainy day its galleries become a cocoon of fossils, dioramas, and star-filled domes. Children press faces to glass to see manatees in the rehabilitation habitat, while adults find themselves absorbed by mastodon bones or cosmic shows. 

The Ringling Museum of Art 

5401 Bay Shore Road., Sarasota, (941) 359-5700

Welcome to a shelter of a different sort. Visit the Venetian-style palazzo that John Ringling built to house his collection with galleries spanning old masters to contemporary work. Canvases bloom with color and centuries. Plus, a built in restaurant and cafe make it extra cozy.

Mote SEA

225 University Town Center Drive, Sarasota, (941) 374-2673, mote.org

Opening soon on Oct. 8, Mote Science Education Aquarium (SEA) is going to be everyone's favorite spot on rainy and sunny days. At Mote SEA, everyone is sure to ooh and aah at creatures ranging from penguins to sea otters, sharks to sea turtles, and, of course, manatees. With 146,000 square feet to roam, it'll keep you busy all day long.

🧩 Break Free!

Escapology

5507 Palmer Crossing, Sarasota, (941) 894-0428, escapology.com

Kids and adults use their brains in creative ways to solve puzzles in nine different escape room themes. Request "kids mode" when booking and watch as your children command the space, leading the group with problem solving tailored toward young minds.

Kids Empire

701 Cortez Road W., Suite 701, Bradenton, (941) 292-0331, kidsempire.com

If you're a local grown-up who remembers Discovery Zone in the 90s, this spot will bring some serious nostalgia with its net tunnels in the sky where kids can crawl to their next adventure. Every square inch is foam-padded and primed for maximum rowdiness.