Through the Eyes of a 10 Year Old: Fun Things to Do in Belize with Kids

A few week ago, 10 year old Tejas, his two older brothers and his parents came to visit Ambergris Caye.   Tejas was armed with his new awesome camera (Canon SX60) and a serious love of animals.

Here he is with Elsie.

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We had just under a week to try to wow these guys with Belize…we went on the CSI: Night Crocodile Tour (loved), we went to the Belize Zoo (and watched the big cats being fed), we went to Cayo Frances Farm & Fly for fishing, lobster hunting and paddle boarding and they went snorkeling at Hol Chan & Shark Ray Alley.  All great things that they loved.

In the end, you find that Belize does most of the work for you.

Here is a picture, I took, of Tejas with his family on the sandbar on the leeward side of Ambergris Caye.

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Here are the photos and captions that Tejas sent me when I asked for his favorites.  What really stood out on his visit…

“These photos are of Elsie (Three- legged cow-dog) , Lance Koaladon (a tiny Crocodile) ,  and the animals at Belize Zoo”

Elsie looking REALLY tired 🙂

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Elsie posing and looking happy (like always)

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Lance Koaladon! (he isn’t very scary, but he tries to be) – These pictures were taken on the ACES crocodile tour

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After the crocodiles, we went to The Belize Zoo.  Here are the pictures of the Jaguars, Carlos the Puma, Monkeys, The Tapir, The toucan, and the Coatimundis.

The jaguar is begging for more chicken.

IMG_0852Carlos also has his eyes on the chicken.

IMG_0860Close-ups of the monkeys.

IMG_0830IMG_0832IMG_0927 I never knew the toucans had blue on their beaks.

IMG_0910Coatimundis are like baby anteaters with straight noses

IMG_0906IMG_0907And Tapirs are one of my 50 new favorite animals.

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After taking 16 GB of pictures and video, I went back to California and looked through all of my pictures.

There you go.  For some Belize is the sea vistas…or flowers…or restaurants or street life…Tejas saw Belize for her awesome animals.

So, from me, a quick list of fun things to do with kids when you are visiting Belize.

  1. Snorkeling:  Kids as young as 4 can paddle around and look through their masks and see FISH!   They love it.  Younger kids can certainly go on the trip.  At Shark Ray Alley, the sharks and rays come right up to the boat.  They love it.YOLO (15)
  2. Fishing:  Fishing from the docks is very popular here in Belize and kids love it!
  3. Kayaking and Stand Up Paddleboarding:  Whether with a parent or alone, this is always good time.
  4. Playing on the Beach: Crabs, tiny fish, snails, shells…kids can spend hours in the shallow WARM water just…exploring.  Hermit crab racing is always good times.kids playing
  5. The Belize Zoo:   It’s always called the zoo that is for “non-zoo” people.  See the amazing native animals of BeA lize up close.  At 41, I LOVE IT THERE.
  6. Crocodile Tour:  Head out with crocodile Chris and watch him catch and tag a croc.  He also knows SO MUCH and you’ll end up becoming a bit of a crocodilian expert.
  7. Movie Night and Ice Cream at the Truck Stop:  Wednesday night is movie night.  Watch the sunset and pull up a chair to this outdoor theater.  (Check their facebook page for the movie listing that week.)  They also have some of the finest ice cream around and ALWAYS with kid friendly flavors like Reese’s Pieces or Oreo.   Deeelish.truck stop ice cream flavors
  8. Painting Class with Melody:  Melody is the mother of 2 and a fantastic artist.  Give her a call or stop by her shop and set up a paint class.  It’s perfect when you want to stay out of the sun…or on a rainy day, PLUS, you’ll exit with a fantastic souvenir.  Check her out at Belizean Melody or her website:  PaintNSplash.

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9.  Maya Sites:  Exploring and climbing Mayan sites like Xunantunich and Lamanai are definitely on the list.  Especially for those who are interested in history.

For those who actually HAVE kids, please let me know what you do when you visit.  Tejas and his family were not ready to leave…I need to expand my list for next time.

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