Anyone Been to the Keys (Key West) with Little Kids??

KW is a lot about parting and bars. I would not leave the kids at home though. They will like the pier at Sunset. They have cats that perform tricks and other street performers. You can't really drink the water there bottle water for the most part. I'd stay in a resort if you go so you have the pool for the kid. It stays up late at night type of place. Are you driving down? Then there are kid friendly areas. If you stay in Marathon area thre is key colony, Penny camp, the marine institute. Its more of a relaxing by the pool and enjoying the weather kind of place. Not cheap though.

Key West is NOT overcrowded in June. Hot, yes, but isn't it hot everywhere in FL?? And I live in the Keys, so I know!!

Little kids, well, there is the Aquarium, the conch tour train, and the trolley. They might get a kick out of that. Duval Street is not really kid friendly (t-shirt shops and bars and restaurants, oh my!). Smathers beach if you're looking for some fun in the sun. I've lived down here for 24 years. There isn't really much to do for kiddos.

Edit: I just read a comment from a poster who stated you cannot drink the water in Key West. That is NOT true. I am not sure where that information came from but there is nothing wrong with the water in the Florida Keys. The Keys are not a third world part of the world.

There is a very nice beach in Marathon...for the life of me I cannot recall the name of it but it's very nice. Bahia Honda state park is not free but you might get a "discount" if you show your FL drivers license. Not much to do up and down the keys unless you like driving along the highway and seeing the scenery.

There's not much for kids to do on Key West.
There's Hemmingway House (and lot's of 6 toed cats), heaps of bars, some shops, there was a tiny treasure museum and that's about it.
It's crowded when a cruise ship comes into town.
You can take a charter boat (or plane) to Dry Tortugas, but carrying the kids around all day will be tiring.
Bahai Honda Key has a beautiful state park.

http://bahiahondapark.com/

http://www.fla-keys.com/

A good strategy would be to stay somewhere in the middle keys then take day trips driving up and down the keys.

Hi, we took our kids a couple of summers ago, they were 5 and 2 at the time, it was July and it was fine. We live in Tampa and didn't think the weather was worse than here. We have also gone in December and February to the keys and found it a little too chilly to go in the water much.
The Casa Marina has a nice beach and outside atmosphere for kids, popsicles served free poolside for instance, and hammocks. If you're not feeling a resort I would recommend camping perhaps at Boyd's campground. Excellent amenities, like a pool, but kind of in the middle of nowhere (we camped there when my oldest was 10 months). On our last trip down we enjoyed going to the Butterfly Sanctuary(?) on Duvall near the Southernmost Point, the boys were very interested, and there were butterflies everywhere. We walked over to Mallory Square at sunset and watched the street performers. There are ways to get around the area without walking down Duvall and avoiding the tacky shops and bars.
You can also drive north to Key Largo area and take a glass bottom boat tour- absolutely amazing. I fear that Key West has a bad rep for families, but mine loved it and why not have a little adventure? We loved being able to walk everywhere.

I went there in November with my 5 year old. (You can read the responses I got for the same question in the "read more" section.)

There are a few things to do with kids - an aquarium, a butterfly museum and the trolley tour. It is definitely an adult place and you don't see many kiddos around, but I don't think it's a place you SHOULDN'T bring kids. There isn't much of a beach - and what is a beach is all rocks.

It's very expensive to do anything like snorkle because you have to take a boat out to where you can snorkle. We would have loved to do a glass bottom boat ride, but the water was too rough when we signed up. Check with the welcome center for coupons and discounts.

Have fun!

I have not taken my own kids, but I did go with my parents when I was 9, and unless things have changed a lot, I don't remember there being much to do for kids, especially very young children. I remember there being a lot of bars, resturants, and shops, it was July and about 100 degrees. No true sand beach there either. If you could find out ahead of time if there are activities for young kids, then I would say go for it.

My husgand and I went to KW a long time ago before kids. It's not really a kid-drienly town - lots an dlots of bars. Also the beaches are not sandy beautiful beaches - there are alot of rocks. It's more of a place to spend in the pool.

If I had to take the kids anywhere that was beachy I'd do Sanibel Island (at least there are shells to collect). We realized ater spending time in Sanibel with our then 2 1/2 yr old daughter that we could have gone to a loca Holiday Inn with a pool since all she wanted to do was spend time in the pool.

To me KW is a town for partying...

It's not really a kid friendly place, IMO.... Us adults LOVE going down there, but we leave the kids at home... Lots of bars, "different" types of people, partying, etc... I personally wouldn't bring my son to Key West... Another key, maybe, but not Key West.

Key West is not kid friendly!

I wouldn't go to Key West with little children. Especially in June. It will be hot, overcrowded, and expensive. It's the touristy spots that will be the worst.Especially when cruise ships stop at the port. There are lots of shops,bars, beaches aren't very sandy. I am from Florida, and wouldn't suggest going there with small children. I think it's more fun for adults.

I would maybe go down for a weekend with my husband and leave my son with his grandparents.

I have never brought kids, but when we went we stayed in Marathon. A much quieter town with a beach. It is in the middle between Key West and Key Largo, so you can go in to town for snorkeling, and the rest of the things everyone mentioned. The only thing is I don't know what kind of hotels are they. We stayed at a small one on a bayou and we fished out our back door. It was kid friendly, but I don't remember the name for it. It had nice small restaurants and not so much of the partying like Key West. Good Luck!