Jekyll Island is a scant hour and twenty minutes from Jacksonville, FL, so it’s easily a day trip for us. The kids only ask “are we there yet?” once or twice during the drive! It is just over the FL/GA border, and is truly an island. There are endless amounts of activities, so many that we could easily spend a few days there and not do it all, despite the small size of the island. Jekyll Island is about 7 miles long and 1.5 miles wide. It has several hotels, numerous restaurants, a state park with a campground, and even an airport! Come along as we check out four fun activities for kids to do on Jekyll Island, GA.
Note: these activities were done on two separate day trips, a little over a year apart. You may notice the kids are much bigger in some pictures than others!
TIPS
It is well worth it, but you have to pay $8 to get onto Jekyll Island for the day. You can pay by credit card as it is an automated machine you pull up to for access. You also have the option of purchasing a 7 day pass for $38, or $55 for a 12 month tag.
Bike riding is VERY popular on the island, so I had to be sure to not accidentally drive into any crosswalks, as they are ALL around!
On to the kid friendly activities!
Jekyll Island Mini Golf
This is a more “old school,” straight forward course, with simple obstacles. There are two courses, one easy and one advanced. The easier course was plenty challenging for my crew (ages 8, 7 and 4), and they had a lot of fun, which is the whole point right?! At Christmastime there are also special holiday inflatables and props up all around the courses, which adds a festive touch.
The pricing is very fair:
Kids 5 and under are free!
Ages 6-10 are $5.50
Ages 11 and up are $7.00
You can play again during the same day for half price, and there are all day playing prices as well:
11 and older is $16
6-10 years old is $11
A ten play game ticket is $46
You can also rent bikes at the mini golf location! As previously mentioned, bike riding is a VERY popular way to get around the island and is something I’d love to do on one of our future trips.
The Wharf Restaurant
I made a reservation in advance (you can do it easily here online), and since COVID reservations are encouraged.
The Wharf Restaurant has an idyllic location: on the water! What is it that is so calming and peaceful about the water?? It is the island’s only waterfront restaurant and bar that offers weekly live music. Pretty neat!
My crew and I were treated to a table at the window, and we enjoyed watching the wildlife as we ate. We saw lots of birds, and the kids were in awe of the fishing boat that went out, with birds flapping overhead. There is also ample outdoor seating.
The food was good too! I wouldn’t call the menu cheap, but it could have been a lot worse! Lunch entrees range from $12-$20, and kids meals were $6. My littles declared the mac n cheese and chicken tenders “delicious!”
I also have to note the friendliness of the island, with starting with our server, Amanda! She had that beautiful southern twang, and called me ‘sweetie,’ which my kids thought was hilarious. “Mommy you aren’t a kid!” Apparently in our house only kids can be called ‘sweetie.’
Jekyll Island Dolphin Tours
When you ride with Captain Phillip and his crew you will be on board with former Navy rescue divers! How much more safe does it get than that?! Unfortunately the day we went out it was pretty cold and windy, so the dolphins were hiding from the boat! However, our guides were wonderful. We learned a lot about the island and I’d definitely try again on a day with better weather.
The Georgia Sea Turtle Center
The sea turtle center is essentially an education, rehabilitation and treatment center for sick or injured sea turtles. While it’s not flashy or fancy, it is really a neat experience, and one we would recommend. I liked that it wasn’t overwhelming to my kids, and since it only had three areas to access, it was very manageable. We spent about an hour and a half there, learning and seeing the center in action.
When you walk in the front entrance you are in the center’s colorful gift shop. All proceeds from the gift shop go directly to the center and it’s mission. Past the gift shop is a large room with 5 learning centers. When you buy your tickets you receive a rectangular piece of paper that you emboss at each station, as you participate in the activities. This kept the kids very interested!
Inside this room there is also a viewing window that allows you to see into the center’s treatment room. While we were visiting we saw a turtle getting his jaw worked on, after being hit by a car.
The final area of the center is the Rehabilitation Pavilion. It is where the turtles are rehabbed, and talks are given several times a day that explain where each turtle came from, and how they are being helped. We also learned some ways we can help!
Sea Turtle Safety
Keep your lights out at night during nesting season. The bright lights can distract the hatchlings and they head away from the ocean instead of towards it!
Drive safely! Boaters should slow down in coastal areas. Boat injuries can be fatal for sea turtles. They come to the surface to breathe, so they are often on top of the water.
Adopt a sea turtle patient through the Turtle Center at www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org
Keep your distance from turtles you may see. If you find a stranded turtle call 800-2-SAVE-ME, which is the Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Don’t litter! Wildlife can become entangled or eat something they shouldn’t!
At the center, we just wandered around and enjoyed what our general admission included, but there are also behind the scenes tours, ranger walks and even a summer camp available for rising 1st graders-7th graders.
Admission to the center was reasonable as well. Plus you are supporting the sea turtles when you pay your entrance fee! It’s a win win!
There are also yearly memberships available, starting at $35 for an individual, or $75 for a family. We’d highly recommend this experience, as you learn quite a bit, and get to see turtles up close!
The Jekyll Island Public Playground
Located next to the Jekyll Island Mini Golf Course (I love that the island is easy to get around due to is small size), the Jekyll Island Public Playground is fun for kids of all ages! It was very large and all of my kids could play comfortably on it. I mostly watched from a nearby bench, until I realized my 3 year old was going up a high, tricky ladder by herself! After we established she was not to attempt that without adult assistance, I was able to relax 😊. She’s a bit of a daredevil! My oldest enjoyed making his own Ninja Warrior Junior course out of the monkey bars and various apparatus’, and my middle was content to climb and slide with her little sister. I think they would have stayed for hours had we not needed to head home!
Something we did not see but tried to participate in is a bit of an island wide hide and seek! Read this link HERE for the whole story, but basically in the months of January and February plastic globes are hidden around the island (in easy to see public places). A few are hidden each day, and if you find one you take it to the Jekyll Island Guest Information Center (it’s on the left just before you get to the toll booths to get on the island). At the info center they will give you a real glass globe as a keepsake! My kids were super into it, so I think we may have to try to go back and try it sometime!
Other recommended activities for kids on Jekyll Island include Summer Waves water park and dining at Tortuga Jacks!
I hope this post will encourage you to get out and explore nearby your home- you don’t have to go to far flung places for an adventure! Of course, getting our is very fun 😊 but local is also great! Also, if you liked this post, don’t forget to subscribe to my email list so I can update you when we find new fun things to do! Feel free to follow along on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest as well!
Abby
Love this! So thorough, but a quick read, and fun!