May is booming with family-friendly activities throughout the region. From cultural festivals honoring Celtic and Latin heritage to Mother’s Day arts and crafts sessions, spring celebrations flourish across Southwest Florida. Don’t miss this month’s events.
May 3
AIR Cinco De Mayo Family Party at Golden Gate Community Park, Naples
The Adaptive Inclusive Recreation (AIR) team hosts a festival celebrating Latin culture with themed games, arts and crafts, and delicious bites. Active littles take turns at pinning the tail on the donkey or swinging at a piñata, while hungry tots nosh on foods like nachos, tres leches and flan. Check out the designated quiet corner if you or the kids need a break from the action. Learn More
May 4
Make and Take at Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples
CMON’s museum art educator teaches kids to exercise their creative muscles. Little artists design personalized gifts for their moms or mother figures. Attendants help kids use a 3-D laser printer to personalize wooden picture frames or pop-up flower cards. Learn More
May 5
Snow White at Artis—Naples
The Naples Ballet teams up with the Naples Philharmonic to bring the classic fairytale and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s score to life in Hayes Hall. In the show, the titular character escapes her wicked stepmother and befriends seven lovable dwarves, finding her way to a happy ending. Learn More
May 7
Cocina Latina Kids/Teens Cooking Class at Lake Kennedy Center, Cape Coral
Cape Coral’s Chefs in Progress cooking school brings budding chefs, ages 6 to 15, into the fold to learn to make tostas de pollo—sandwiches with marinated grilled chicken, salsa and avocado—while the head chef teaches them about the dish’s significance in Latin America. All cooks leave with commemorative patches to sew onto an apron at home. Learn More
May 11-16
Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic at Gulfshore Playhouse, Naples
Potterheads unite: This parody show of the J.K. Rowling classic puts sideline characters front and center. Follow the Puffs, who may not be destined to save the world but have a very important role to play in the narrative. Learn More
May 18
Biz Kidz Expo at Coastland Center Mall, Naples
Ave Maria-based nonprofit Young Entrepreneurs and Rising Stars hosts this educational trade show, where budding business owners—ages 7 to 18—present their baked goods, trendy jewelry and robotic inventions to a panel of judges. Kids who place in the top three earn prize money to make their pitches a reality. Learn More
May 18
Day of Celtic Music at Fishermen’s Village, Punta Gorda
Dive into Celtic festivities with the whole family. Kellyn Celtic Arts Dancers perform traditional Irish step-dancing as groups like Naples’ West of Galway, Mac Tier Band, Celtic Conundrum and McIntyre Band take turns playing Irish jigs and folk songs. For the littles, Cape Coral’s Divas ‘N Doll’s Fairy Hair installs temporary shimmery highlights, and other vendors offer face painting and balloon animals. Learn More
May 18
Spring Community Day at Artis–Naples
The arts institution invites kids to hear several musical performances, including sets from Naples Philharmonic and The Naples Philharmonic Youth Symphonia. For creatives, tiny guests make collages inspired by the Old Masters and get their faces painted, while adventurous kiddos join a scavenger hunt through the Baker Museum. Aspiring musicians play with instruments like violins and trumpets. Learn More
May 18
Youth Fishing Tournament at Boca Grande Community Center
Mini anglers, ages 13 and under, bring a guardian, fishing pole, tackle box and lawn chairs to cast in this catch-and-release tournament. Leave the lures at home—the tournament provides the bait. Learn More
RECURRING
May 12
Mini Buddhas at Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples
Second Sundays welcome yogis of all ages and their guardians to join in 30 minutes of movement, play and music. Bring your own mat if you have one. Learn More
May 7, 9, 21, 23
Homeschool at Calusa, Fort Myers
Early this month, students, ages 5 to 8 and 9 to 12, sit in on age group-specific lessons in hydrology while exploring states of water and the water cycle. At the end of the month, children dive into Florida’s water system, learning where they get their water from and how to protect the state’s aquatic ecosystems. Each class has interactive arts and crafts, games and activities for kids, such as experimenting with a groundwater model. Learn More
May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
Tierra & Friends: Music and Movement Class at Whiz Kids, Naples
The weekly guardian-and-me class for kids ages 0 to 8 celebrates the differences in musical genres. Veronica Mosquera, head of the organization and host for nationally touring Disney’s Encanto: The Sing-Along Film Concert, leads each class, handing out instruments like shakers and props like scarves to enhance each child’s international musical journey. Learn More
