This Best Meet-up Places for Playdates in Orlando Guide provides information about the best places in Orlando to meet up with children 8 or younger. 

Each place has the following requirements in common:

  1. It’s shady
  2. The children can roam free with barely any oncoming vehicle traffic, or pedestrian traffic. 
  3. It’s free (or very cheap). 
Tucker Ranch

70 Tucker Rd
Winter Garden, FL 34787

Hours: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Tucker Ranch is a favorite for parents with young children. The entire playground is shady and it’s just the right size for children 8 and younger.

There’s also a lovely shelter that you can reserve for birthday parties if you get there early enough.

Chapin Station

501 Crown Point Cross Rd
Winter Garden, FL 34787

Hours: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

view of playground with slide and a little house-looking structure in the background.
Playground at Chapin Station

Chapin Station is another favorite for younger children because of the two playgrounds. It also has a basketball court and cute garden with hidden butterfly sculptures.

Butterfly garden on the West Orange Trail

West Orange Trail
1064 Tildenville School Rd
Winter Garden, FL 34787

Hours: dusk to dawn

sign that reads "Butterfly Garden" with facts about butterflies. Sign leads into a small garden with a tree in the center.

If you find yourself on the West Orange Trail, you should stop by the Butterfly Garden. It has plenty of benches to sit down, it’s closed off enough that you don’t need to worry too much about the kids running off.
The only thing is to be careful with the parking lot right next to it. There’s a fence, but it’s best to be safe.

Splash Pad in Downtown Winter Garden

119 S Lakeview Ave
Winter Garden, FL 34787

Hours: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM

A brick pavilion with water spourting out of ground, like a fountain. Small children splashing around. Resturant in the background.

Mead Botanical Gardens

1300 S Denning Dr
Winter Park, FL 32789

Hours: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Mead Botanical Gardens is such a lovely and peaceful outing. Even the younger children will be amazed by the flowers and plants in the 48-acre urban oasis. And the best part is that it’s free every day! They even have activities (some of them require a small fee).

Splash Pad in Bithlo Community Park

18501 Washington Ave
Orlando, FL 32820

Hours 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM

This is probably the best splash pad on the list. It’s water coming out of everywhere and children of all ages love it.

Kraft Azalea Garden

1365 Alabama Dr
Winter Park, FL 32789

Hours: 8:00 AM – Dusk

Kraft Azalea Garden is often called Orlando’s secret garden. It sits on the shore of Lake Maitland and is shaded by wonderful cypress trees.

Harry P. Leu Gardens

1920 North Forest Avenue
Orlando, FL, 32803

Hours: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Free on Mondays. 

oversized hummingbird made of flowers sucking from oversized flower made from flowers set in the middle of a greenery.
Leu Gardens Event

Harry P. Leu Gardens, or Leu Gardens for short, is a cute botanical garden that caters to everyone. With dinosaurs in the garden to Instagram-worthy wedding spots, it’s a great meet-up place for playdates because your little ones can roam free.

Apopka Splash Pad

10 S Forest Avenue
Apopka, FL 32703

Hours 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Lake David Park Splash Pad

450 S. Lake Ave.
Groveland, FL 34736

Hours: dusk to dawn

Reiter Park

311 Warren Avenue
Longwood, FL 32750

Hours: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Closed on Mondays

UCF Arboretum

4312 Scorpius St
Orlando, FL 32816

Hours: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Closed on the weekend

The UCF Arboretum is probably one of UCF’s best-kept secret. It’s a mini forest in the heart of Orlando and holds some of Florida’s most prominent trees (cypress, oak, sand pine, saw palmetto, and Florida longleaf pine). It’s part of UCF’s Arboretum and Sustainability Initiative and is a great place to take the little ones for an educational playdate or to just let them roam around.

There are many places to take children younger than eight for playdates in Orlando. If we missed one that you like, please let us know in the comments.

Orlando Mom has several guides to fit all your needs from Food & Beverage guides to the most sought-after Summer Camp Guide. We are constantly updating our guides to fit the community’s needs. Be sure to check back constantly and see what we have.

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Kattie Muniz
A college professor, mother of 4, self-proclaimed foodie, writer, reader, teacher, yogi, Kattie likes to keep busy. According to Kattie, she has two rounds of children: first round are 15 and 11, and second round are 4 and 1.5. She was a teacher for 10 years and once she had baby #4 she decided it was time to find something that fit her crazy life as a snack [babe] and a chauffeur. During this time she decided to start a brand called SnackB*tchPodcast, which led to her owning a marketing business. During that time she helped clients tell their story through short-form and long-form writing, and she learned a lot about what it takes to truly connect with people. Kattie was born in Miami, grew up in Nicaragua, lived in Miami and Virginia for a bit, and now lives in the storybook city of Winter Garden. Her life has been adventurous and she welcomes change and everything that life has to offer. The one thing that stays constant is her love for coffee, reading, and drinking beer and wine. What she loves about Orlando is the outdoor seating at many breweries, the family-friendly vibes of many restaurants, and of course the nature. Growing up in Nicaragua she basically lived outside and enjoys that Orlando offers the same opportunities with its many hiking trails, lakes, and rivers. However, her favorite place with always be the beach. She currently loves visiting Sarasota but aspires to visit every Florida beach before her daughter goes off to college. One thing that life has taught Kattie is that you can only control what you can control and to let go of what you can’t. She’s excited for what’s to come and can’t wait to share that with Orlando Mom Collective and City Mom Collective. For along with her on SnackB*tchPodcast on Instagram and Spotify and listen to her raw and vulnerable observations, funny family moments, and most of all easy-to-follow cooking tips.

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