I am always looking for ways to have fun and create lasting memories with my kids. So, when the opportunity came to go to SeaWorld and enjoy their Just for Kids Festival, I jumped on it!

Here are 5 reasons YOU should take your kids!

1. It is educational. As a busy homeschool mom, I will use any and all opportunities to educate my children. So, I was thrilled to see that I really didn’t have to do much, other than sit back and let SeaWorld do the educating.

Your kids will learn about many different animals and their habitats, eating habits, and more. Plus they will learn valuable information about taking care of the environment!

It is a science lesson all wrapped up in more fun than you can squeeze in a day–and the best part is, they don’t even realize it!

2. Close Encounters. In the new “Sea Garden” they will have several opportunities to not only “meet the keepers”, but they will also see some amazing animals–and even get to touch a few!

On our trip we saw and learned more about: the awesome and fabulous bald eagle, a majestic African fish eagle, an adorable miniature horse, and a very sophisticated laughing kookaburra! It was very cool!

Laughing Kookaburra

My sweet girl fell in love with this miniature pony.

This is Maddie. She fell out of her nest at 5 weeks and was permanently injured and was declared unreleasable by the government. Now, she lives a happy life at SeaWorld–helping kids appreciate wildlife!

Another thing about the Sea Garden I want to mention is the incredible statues! Each one is made from trash that washes up on the beach! You would never know that it was trash. They are each so incredibly beautiful and creative!

Can you believe this is made from TRASH that washes up on the beach?? Amazing!

My little girl loved this pretty starfish!

This was my favorite. I was amazed that someone made an octopus like this–out of trash! SO beautiful!

3. Interactive Games and Challenges. My daughter loved this. You are given special event maps for the kids to use during their adventure. The map shows the various areas around the park that are dedicated to the Just for Kids Festival.

It also has 4 Starfish at the bottom. These stars are a very cool part of their experience. You see, they go around the park, and these 4 stars represent special locations where they will play a challenging game (not too challenging. They are age-appropriate), and learn about some animals, their habitats, etc. Once they have participated in the game and listened to the Animal Ambassadors, they get a cool animal card and a stamp for their map!

Once all 4 stars are stamped, they get a very nifty little “junior” ambassador SeaWorld key chain with a picture of Shamu!

My daughter loved it! She felt like she accomplished something.

4. Conservation and the Environment. Unfortunately, our environment has suffered a lot from the poor decisions people have made over the course of time. Because of this, the beautiful creatures that were created to bring us joy, are suffering. They are losing their habitats, lives, and quality of life.

It makes me sad.

Thankfully, there are places like SeaWorld, who educate children (our future), work to protect the environment, and help rehabilitate animals that are adversely affected by our poor choices.

It makes me happy that my daughter is learning to appreciate animals and the planet she stewards!

5. It’s F.U.N. Of course you cannot have an event for kids without fun! And, let me tell you, it is FUN! There are dance parties, music, roller coasters, kid-friendly activities, close encounters, rides, interactive games, face-painting, awesome shows, story time, and more!

Speaking of “awesome shows”… We saw Cookie Monster RAP at the Elmo Rocks show! OMG! It was hilarious! I never thought I could enjoy Sesame Street characters this much! I think the parents in the audience liked it just as much as the kids–maybe more! They had some 80’s tunes sung by Bert, Ernie, Cookie Monster, Abby, Zoe, and of course Elmo himself!

Loved it! It was totally awesome!

This was one of my favorite parts of the day! I will never forget when Cookie Monster rapped!

OK, so go and grab your SeaWorld tickets and head on out to the Just for Kids Festival! It is going on Saturdays through April 12, 2014!

Then, come back and tell me about all the fun your kids had–and don’t forget to see Elmo Rocks!

About the Author: Lara is a busy mom of two who loves traveling, good food, and enjoying life! You can read more about her at AdventuresofaTravelingFoodie.com