Have your kids ever wanted to have a party with penguins from Antarctica or see Elmo and his Sesame Street friends dancing and singing in person? Well, activities like these and many others are available at SeaWorld’s Just For Kids festival. SeaWorld is continuing their 50th Celebration in 2014 with this fun, made-for-kids event. They describe it as a “celebration through the eyes of a child.” We were extended the opportunity to experience the festival as guests of SeaWorld and my little munchkin and his cousins couldn’t get enough. If it weren’t for Florida’s amazing inclement weather (cutting our visit very short), we would have stayed the whole day!
We did have a tour guide that took us to our first stop, the incredible Elmo Rocks! show at the Seaport Theater. It really does rock and the kids loved it! The cast brings the dancing and singing from the stage into the audience, which makes for a great experience. You definitely don’t want to miss Elmo and some of his friends like Abby Cadabby and Cookie Monster.
Our next and final stop with our tour guide was to see the Animal Ambassadors in the new SEA Garden. Let me just tell you a little about the SEA Garden – it houses over-sized replicas of sea life, all made from trash collected on the beaches and in the oceans. We couldn’t believe some of the items used that were washed onto the shore after falling or maybe even thrown off boats. There were even a few folding chairs complete with the cup holders! That’s right, even large items like that are being thrown into our beautiful oceans. It’s really amazing, yet sad that these beautiful sculptures were designed from so much garbage.
After seeing the amazement of the SEA Garden treasures, the Animal Ambassadors were there to shift our focus and give us an up-close and personal opportunity to see, learn about, and even touch one of the many rehabilitated animals they have rescued. The majority of injured animals that are rehabilitated at SeaWorld are actually birds and probably the most marvelous sight was an American Bald Eagle. Unfortunately, she never learned to fly because of a wing injury when she was very young. I’m honestly not a big fan of birds in general, but I was completely taken aback by this eagle; I just couldn’t look away. For many of these rescued animals, it would not be safe to release them back into the wild. Due to the nature of their injuries, it would make for a very difficult time to survive without the help of the staff that care so much for them.
We were really looking forward to the Rockin’ Rockhopper Party in Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, with the DJ, face painting, and of course penguins. There are also many other activities for the kiddos as well, such as games and meeting Puck, who is the star of Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin. Unfortunately, we missed the party due to inclement weather, but I can guarantee that my munchkin and I will go back to check out the rest of the activities this weekend!
For the short amount of time we were able to spend at the Just For Kids festival, it really was a very fun and educational experience. Although this event is in the spirit of SeaWorld’s 50th Celebration, if they do it again in future years, I hope it will be offered on both Saturdays and Sundays, so that families can take full advantage of the fun!
Don’t miss out on the last event date and explore the fun in store, this Saturday, April 12! The Just for Kids festival is included with your SeaWorld Orlando park admission!
Vanessa Morales is currently a full-time mom to a very busy toddler. She and her husband share a love of traveling and enjoy sharing those adventures and different cultures with their son. She also loves to bake and always looks forward to trying new recipes.Disclosure: We were provided complimentary admission to SeaWorld in order to facilitate this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
All photos © Vanessa Morales for modernmami™, except for SeaWorld’s Just For Kids logo
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