Things To Do In Lakeland Highlands

Kids learn with all five of their senses—that's literally what puts the V in the name of Explorations V Children's Museum. Spread across three floors, the museum brims with hands-on activities in a range of permanent exhibits. And the organization's interactive approach to learning has helped it earn accolades, such as a grant from Disney's Helping Kids Shine award program.

On the lower floor, an exhibit charting the journey of the Florida orange begins with local history and ends with a look at global ecosystems. On the first floor, the exhibit Marvelous Me! teaches about the human body with an interactive skeleton and memory tests; Water Matters teaches water conservation with interactive stations. At the top of the museum, check out the temporary exhibits and the Dragon of Toys, a colorful sculpture of plastic trinkets. It's also here that instructors conduct daily programs ranging from open art studio sessions to nutritional cooking classes.

Golf Etc. Lakeland helps golfers through the entire process of upgrading their arsenal, from finding brand-name equipment to adjusting their current gear to fit their game. Brothers Luke and J.J. Miller—the latter of whom coaches golf at Southeastern University—run the shop and personally oversee the custom club-fitting process. In the hitting bay in the back of the store, visitors are likely to see Luke—who fits and maintains clubs for many local pros—analyzing a client's swing with technology that helps him prescribe the right club or zone in on any modifications, such as adjusting the length of the shaft or replacing the club head with a jai-alai basket. Golf Etc. also features an indoor putting green for golfers to test out prospective flatsticks, and J.J. and Luke regularly perform club re-gripping and repair services.

Brooke Pottery features fine ceramic crafts and a host of handmade doodads from more than 400 American artists. A glazed, tri-colored McQueeny Belt Bowl ($48) offers a fetching soup-holding alternative to cupped palms, while the Heart Coaster Set ($40) lovingly shields countertops from clammy cocktails and over-fizzed sodas. Decorate feng shui–deficient gardens with ash-wood Chi Energy Amber wind chimes ($35), or embellish tree limbs with colorful Aloha Chimes ($42). For kids, the Blues Band Harmonica ($7) provides hours of fun in the key of harmonica.

Helmed by the brother-sister duo of Chanel Bellotto and John Dedes, Skate World's funcentric rollo-dome and family-focused atmosphere have garnered the attention of Lakeland patrons and NBC's Channel 8 News alike. Roller-aficionados and timid trundlers glide along the rink with the zeal of a businessman diving across a conference-room table made of slip 'n slides. Freewheelers can practice time-honored moves, such as shoot-the-duck and the two-arm flail, under the dance-inducing disco ball, flashing colored lights, and pumping tunes. Between rounds of going around, reenergize with a snow cone ($1.25), cotton candy ($2), nachos ($2.50), and more from the fully stocked snack bar (not included in this Groupon).

Gold's Gym began more than 45 years ago and today features an impressive array of next-generation fitness gadgets, a results-oriented focus, and clean facilities. With today's deal, a member of Gold's Gym's staff of certified personal trainers will test each client's strength, flexibility, and body-fat percentage, among other metrics, before designing a personalized fitness regimen. Then, clients can follow up with regular attendance at the friendly gym, where they can hop on a cardio machine, pump up in a controlled manner on strength-training machines, acquire a golden glaze in the tanning beds, and loosen up in the yoga and Pilates studios.

Although there aren’t online reviews for Peak Fitness in Lakeland, the company has provided testimonials from clients who saw results.