30 Things to Do in Miami for Kids

Are you planning a Miami vacation and looking for the best things to do in Miami for kids? Don’t worry, Miami may have a reputation for nightlife, but it’s also a very family-friendly vacation destination in Florida.

Things to Do in Miami for Kids

Here are some of the best things to do in Miami for kids and the best things to do with kids in Fort Lauderdale, listed in no particular order.

You may also want to check out some things to do nearby if you feel like taking a day trip: 30 things to do from Miami to Key West, the 25 Best East Florida Beaches, and the Ultimate List of Florida Lighthouses.

1. Visit the Miami Children’s Museum

During a trip to South Florida, no family will want to skip a visit to the Miami Children’s Museum. Young children will love all the interactive exhibits within the 60,000 square feet of space.

Don’t worry about missing the Miami Children’s Museum; it definitely stands out!

Everyone in the family can pretend to work in the grocery store, bank, and even a television studio. There is even a wellness center, so kids can learn all about being healthy. Basically, there are so many fun things to do here. You may need more than one day to do it all!

2. Wander Around Matheson Hammock Park

The best place to visit in Coral Gables is Matheson Hammock Park. One of the best things to do at this park is swim in the man-made atoll pool. Palm trees surround the pool, creating a picture-perfect setting.

Another great thing to do is walk along the nature trails.

3. Get Outside at Oleta River State Park

This state park is about a half-hour drive from Downtown Miami. It is a great place to go mountain biking. There are more than 10 miles of bike trails to choose from.

Other activities in the park include fishing, kayaking, snorkeling, swimming, and walking. This is one of the best places to see dolphins, manatees, and great blue herons.

Fun fact, did you know that Florida has 175 state parks?

5. Learn at the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science

This science museum can be found inside Museum Park in Downtown Miami. Amongst all the science exhibits is a planetarium and a three-level aquarium.

During your visit, you can travel to outer space, visit sharks, and perform a few science experiments.

6. See the Wynwood Walls

Wynwood Walls is an outdoor museum. The walls are all covered with colorful murals. This is one of the free things to do in Miami for kids.

If your kids are interested in rock climbing, head into Wynwood Rock Climbing. Training classes are available for all ages. So, no worries if this is your first time hitting the rock climbing wall!

7. Have Fun at South Pointe Park

South Pointe Park is a must-visit destination in Miami for families. This park has a playground, splash pad, and a pier you can walk along. Stand on the pier to watch the cruise ships pass by.

8. Drive Around Star Island

If you are lucky, you will get to drive around Star Island during your vacation in Miami. This is a gated community, but sometimes the guards allow people to enter if they ask to drive around.

One of the many luxury mansions on Star Island.

To reach Star Island, you must drive over the MacArthur Causeway. You can easily take a guided tour of this island if you don’t want to drive yourself. At least during the guided tour, you will be told some of the celebrities that own the homes.

You may also want to visit the Venetian Islands when you are in Miami. You can also take a boat tour for an even better look.

9. Avoid the Miami Seaquarium

At Florida Travel with Kids, we tend to stay away from recommending activities with captive animals, and whales and dolphins in particular. We prefer either seeing animals in their natural habitat or at a rescue or sanctuary.

Just looking out towards the ocean will allow you to see some of the marine life in Miami.

We do not recommend the seaquarium due to its captive dolphins and an orca whale that is kept in the smallest tank in North America. You can read more about the disturbing history of the Seaquarium here.

10. Visit the Gold Coast Railroad Museum

The Gold Coast Railroad Museum will be a hit with any train lover. There are more than 40 rail cars inside this museum. You will also find a model train display.

I recommend visiting on the weekends. That is when they offer train rides to guests.

11. Zoo Miami

The largest zoo in Florida is Zoo Miami. This zoo has a different approach to how they care for their animals. Instead of placing them all in cages, the wild animals are allowed to roam in their geographic territory.

So while we typically do not recommend visiting zoos, this is not one of the worst ones.

All the animals from Asia live in the Asia region. Africa’s animals live in the African region. As long as the animals would normally live together peacefully in the wild, they live together at this zoo.

12. Animal sanctuaries near Miami

If you’d like to avoid zoos altogether, here are some alternatives:

• Pelican Harbor Seabird Station
• McCarthy’s Wildlife Sanctuary
• Everglades Outpost Wildlife Rescue

13. Take an Airboat Tour of the Florida Everglades

Airboat rides can be a lot of fun in Everglades National Park. Miccosukee Airboats are not too far from Miami. While out on the airboat, you can learn more about American Indian life. Plus, you can spot the alligators that live in the water there. You may even find a few baby alligators.

Sawgrass Recreation Park is another option when you are considering airboat tours in the Everglades. An airboat ride is fun for the whole family!

We recommend a 60-minute tour with Banana Joe Tours.

14. Head to the Beach

There are quite a few pristine beaches in Miami. A couple of those beaches are better for families. During the day, South Beach can be a great place to swim and run along the shoreline. If you stop by Mango’s Tropical Cafe, you can listen to live music while grabbing a drink.

At the northern end of Miami Beach, you will find North Beach Oceanside Park. And Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park has a beach. That beach is near Key Biscayne.

The lighthouse at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park is also on the Ultimate List of Florida Lighthouses

Other wonderful beaches in Miami include Sunny Isles Beach and the beach in Crandon Park.

15. Experience Some Culture in Little Havana

Different cultures can be found everywhere in Miami. If you want to introduce your children to Latin culture, Little Havana is the place to go. Your older kids will love the colorful art.

The entire family will devour all the Cuban food. Although, it will be the ice cream at Azucar Ice Cream Company that everyone will really want. Imagine eating flavors like orange blossom almond, sweet plantain, and Cuban vanilla.

You can enjoy a walking and food tour.

One of the best times to visit Little Havana is during the Calle Ocho Festival. This festival is held every year during the month of March.

16. Take a Ride on the Miami Trolley

The best way to see the sights in Miami is to take a ride on the Miami Trolley. These trolleys are hop on and hop off. So, you can get off at any attraction and catch the next trolley later.

17. Get a Few Laughs at Monkey Jungle

Pathways are fenced-in all around at Monkey Jungle. These fences allow the monkeys to run and swing beside, and even over, people who are walking around.

This is a great way to watch monkeys live their best life. The monkeys get to be wild, and yet you get to see their antics up close.

Just keep an eye on your surroundings. You never know what could fall from above you.

18. Go Swimming at the Venetian Pool

The Venetian Pool is about a 20-minute drive from Miami. This pool is located in Coral Gables. It is one of the most beautiful swimming pools in the world.

The entire pool is fed spring water from an underground spring. The freshwater pool features grottos and waterfalls.

It is best to visit this pool in Coral Gables during the summer months. The freshwater seems to be colder all year long. During the summer, you will have a better chance of swimming in slightly warm water.

19. Explore Pinecrest Gardens

Pinecrest Gardens used to be where Parrot Jungle was located. This destination is now a tropical garden and a petting zoo. You will even see exotic birds during your visit.

The kids will love the splash pad area here.

20. Have a Blast at FunDimension

FunDimension features arcade games, laser tag, bungee jumping, and bumper cars. This is one of the favorite places during a family vacation when it starts to rain. Or if it is a hot day and you all need a break from the heat and humidity.

21. Explore Jungle Island

Jungle Island is also called Watson Island. One of the best things to do at Jungle Island is exploring the Treewalk Village. Although, kids of all ages will fall in love with the climbing wall.

You can participate in numerous animal encounters at Jungle Island. Consider visiting with a flamingo or jumping around like a lemur before spending time with one.

22. Get Splashed at Tidal Cove

Tidal Cove is a water park that is located at the JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort. Guests can access this water park for free. Everyone else needs to purchase day passes.

Your day at Tidal Cove can be spent on the water slides or in the aquatic playground. There is a lazy river for those times you need to relax.

23. Catch a Florida Panthers Hockey Game

There are quite a few sports teams based in Miami. During your vacation in Miami, you can easily catch a Florida Panthers hockey game. If you miss hockey season, there’s always Miami Marlins baseball, Miami Heat basketball, and Miami Dolphins football.

24. Visit Santa’s Enchanted Forest – Tropical Park

If you want to head to an amusement park while in Miami, Santa’s Enchanted Forest is waiting for you. This is the largest holiday theme park in the world.

Your family can ride on more than 100 rides. There are plenty of other kid-friendly activities to keep everyone busy. ‘

25. Visit the Berry Farms

A trip to Berry Farms must be done between the months of December and May. This is when the farm is open to the public.

During your visit, you can take a guided tour of the farm. The kids can play on the bounce pad or tackle the obstacle course. There are hayrides you can take too.

This is one of the best outdoor activities for kids in the Miami area. Don’t miss the best strawberry farms in Florida for similar activities.

26. Go Shopping at Bayside Marketplace

The kids will love picking out souvenirs while shopping at Bayside Marketplace. This outdoor shopping area is on Biscayne Boulevard. It is right next to Biscayne Bay.

Before you head into the stores, you may want to take a guided tour of the bay. Climb on board one of the tour boats and listen to who owns all the homes on the bay.

It is the perfect way to spend a lazy afternoon on the calm water in Miami.

27. Go Shopping at Coconut Grove

Coconut Grove is another fabulous shopping center in Miami. You can all wander along CocoWalk to shop or grab a bite to eat.

28. Explore Flamingo Gardens

There are plenty of places to run around and play with your family in Miami. Flamingo Gardens is the perfect place to chill out and relax after all that running around.

These botanical gardens are also a wildlife sanctuary. As you wander around, you will see flamingos, panthers, alligators, otters, and peacocks.

29. Go Snorkeling Near Coral Reefs

One of the top things to do for older kids in Miami is snorkeling near the coral reefs. There are quite a few places you can check out for this adventure.

I recommend starting with the Half Moon Shipwreck in Key Biscayne. You may want to try snorkeling at Biscayne National Park. Since about 95% of this park is underwater, you should find some great places to snorkel.

30. Visit the Turtle Hospital in Marathon

We know that most guides for things to do in Miami for kids will contain recommendations for things like the Seaquarium, zoo, or Lion Country Safari. However, as mentioned above, we like recommending places that are doing good for the animals and releasing them back into the wild – if possible.

One of the best places to see sea turtles in Florida is the Turtle Hospital in Marathon. Guests are invited to take a guided educational tour of the hospital facilities and the sea turtle rehabilitation area.

If you love sea turtles, check out the 10 best places to see sea turtles in Florida.

Things to do in Miami for kids

I hope you enjoyed this guide with things to do in Miami for kids. Did your favorite family-friendly Miami activities make the list? If not, share them with us in the comments!

More things to do in Florida

If you enjoyed this post with things to do in Miami for kids, you might also enjoy:

• The 40 best places to eat in Key West Florida
• 35 Things to Do in Key West with Kids
• The best Gulf Beaches in Florida
• The best place to find sharks teeth in Florida

We also have many posts about Orlando, theme parks, Key West, etc. If it’s about Florida, you can find it here! If you have any special requests for blog posts, let us know in the comments.

About Florida Travel With Kids

Florida Travel with Kids was started by a family who loves to travel the state of Florida with kids! This site will help you explore the fun state of Florida and all of the kid-friendly activities you’ll find here.

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