Key West is basically a place for fishing - diving - lounging - eating and (heavy) drinking. In the past - it had a reputation for lots of illicit drugs (don't know how current that reputation is). It is also a cruise ship stop - and a popular Gay and Lesbian tourist destination (I don't mean the latter in any disparaging way - I just want to give you some idea of the flavor of the place). It is definitely not one of the prime beach destinations in Florida. And I wouldn't put it high on my list in terms of family destinations unless the family is interested in the things mentioned above.

In terms of child friendly areas with better beaches - I would look at places like Palm Beach (I especially like the Breakers - it is "child friendly" these days - perhaps more than I would like - check out the summer packages). Or perhaps points further north on the east coast if you don't want/need a big deal resort hotel. Or maybe even the beach resorts in the Panhandle (a summer beach destination formerly called "The Redneck Riviera" - but it has gotten more high end in recent years). The characteristics of the east coast beaches are different than those on the west coast (forget about waves on the west coast unless there's a hurricane). What kind of beach are you looking for?

What other activities is your family interested in? There are fun things that kids/families like to do here in the summer - canoeing/kayaking - going to the "hot springs" (which are basically "cold springs" - 72 degrees all year - some have tubing). Fishing (even if you don't have/want a boat - a lot of towns have public piers). Do you play golf?

Tell us more about what you'd like to do - and perhaps we'll come up with some ideas - Florida is a very big state! Robyn