Okay, maybe you were just looking for activities at home, in which case I recommend the kid-friendly games and music videos on Noggin.com and NickJr.com. But if you're looking for adventures out and about--ohhhh, boy, can you have a lot of fun for free in this area! This is going to be a long one! In addition to lots of great libraries, bookstores, playgrounds, state parks, and malls (check out the Playmobil shop at the Florida Mall!), you can also spend lots of free playtime at...guess where? Disney!
No, I don't mean the parks or the waterparks, so don't get too excited, sorry. But Downtown Disney (aka Disney Village Marketplace) is a dining/shopping/entertainment area that has no admission price. My daughter and I have spent countless hours in the "Once Upon A Toy" store, just playing with Mr. PotatoHeads (with Disney-exclusive pieces) or My Little Pony's. It's one of her favorite things to do. (By the way, if lunch time comes up, definitely go for Earl of Sandwich, just across from that store--the sandwiches are extraordinary, with prices comparable to Panera, believe it or not!) Also next to that store is a large interactive fountain. Okay, let's call it the "poor man's waterpark"--but you see lots of families on vacation, bringing their kids in swimsuits from the hotels, just to play in that spot. It's irresistable. Why let them have all the fun? There's also a baby-sized interactive fountain, near the Art of Disney Store and Rainforest Cafe. (For another great interactive fountain, just off-property but possibly closer to Davenport, check out the Town of Celebration near Hwy 192). In between, you can find a train ride and a carrousel. They do cost a couple of bucks each, but it's more affordable than a park ticket, and your child will totally adore you for it.
Down a few steps from the Rainforest Cafe is the dock for the resort shuttle boats. These are open-air boats, also totally free, with friendly captains who can tell you all kinds of amazing facts about everything you see from the waterway. (Just a warning, though--get a potty break first! The ride is long and you might have to wait a while for the next boat). Just tell the captain you're heading to Port Orleans, and you can stop in at the food court there for hot fresh-cooked beignets (powdered-sugar-covered puffy donutlike things--yum) and a cafe au lait. Just a warning, though--it's hard to get kids past the lively cartoon-crocodile statues and fountains as you pass the swimming pool ( and no, please don't bring your swimsuits and try to go swimming there--they don't like that--resort guests only--have a little pride! : ) )
--Okay, but back to more free stuff ; ) --on the other side of the Marketplace you'll find the Lego Imagination Center. Oh boy, watch out! Lots of stuff to play with, INCREDIBLE Lego sculptures and window displays, plus a really fun slide (gets crowded, though). And the soap/candle shop near Ghirardelli and World of Disney has always been fun to...well..sniff around. That's another one I can never get my daughter to leave!
Aside from that, it's fun to explore many of the other resort (hotel) areas, such as the Boardwalk and Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, if you can find a good excuse to go in. It's hard to count on sometimes, though; the security guards won't always let you in without a reason (dining and such), especially in busy holiday seasons.
Slightly more accessible, though, is the Fort Wilderness campground, where you'll find hiking trails (lots of deer and armadillos), bike & boat rentals, the trolley horse barn, pony rides (for a few bucks--not sure of the age limit, though), resort shuttle boats again (some going past Magic Kingdom, where you could certainly hop off and cruise on the monorail around the lagoon and over Epcot without ever going through the park gates!), and, at night, free outdoor movies and campfire sing-along with Chip and Dale. Bring your mosquito repellent and s'more materials (or buy a s'more kit there).
Now, I pray that I haven't made a mistake in spilling my secrets; because, uderstandably, Disney doesn't exactly publicize all these resort boats and campground activities, except to the resort and campground guests. Unlike the big parks, these are quiet areas that are not meant or equipped to accommodate mobs of locals that just want to drop by; So if anyone reading this just happens to be the sort of person who looks for someone to scream at every time things don't go as planned, please don't bother attempting these adventures. You'll probably get the response that they're "not for the general public" and get the doors closed to the rest of us. If, however, you can be friendly, appreciative, subtle, and respectful toward the cast members and the guests who are paying big bucks to stay there, you will find that everyone is very kind and welcoming right back to you. Fort Wilderness has a very laid-back, less-commercial, neighborhood feel--truly the backwoods of Disney--and they like to keep it that way. I tend to agree!
I know I've gone on too long already, but earlier I mentioned the fountain at the Town of Celebration. I wanted to include a link to their website ( http://www.celebration.fl.us/specialevents.html ) because they have some really fun community events, especially in the fall/winter seasons. This link will give you the entire 2006 calendar. Scroll all the way down, and you'll discover the bubble-snow nights in December! Ahhh, that fresh Ivory-liquid smell of freshly fallen snow! (But it does look fairly real in snapshots, and the kids absolutely love it). The only warning I have, though, is that Celebration doesn't have public restrooms, aside from port-a-potties during the bigger events. So if you visit, make sure you plan your potty breaks for when you're getting coffee at Barnie's or something; then you'll be fine.
--Well, that should keep you busy for awhile! Have fun!
