27 Best Things To Do In Miami with Kids
Miami isn’t all nightlife and celeb spotting – there’s plenty of fun things to do with kids, too! To help you put together an itinerary for your family trip, we’ve compiled a list of the best things to do in Miami with your little ones.
From free activities to fun nighttime entertainment, there’s plenty of family fun to be had in Miami – read on to find out our top picks.
Top 15 Fun Things To Do In Miami With Kids
Experience the Upper Buena Vista outdoor oasis
Upper Buena Vista outdoor mall is a brilliant place for a family day out – pets included! Offering an outdoor oasis where children can play and tuck into a selection of colorful foods (we love Amazonica’s choladas and waffles and the scrumptious fruit platters from Devia Juice Bar). Plus, while the children are having fun, you can make use of UBV’s other services, like dog grooming, hair salons, and clothing boutiques!
Enjoy interactive exhibits at Miami Children’s Museum
Give your kids the chance to play, learn, imagine, and create at Miami Children’s Museum. Featuring a range of interactive exhibits and experiences, including a sensory room, construction zone, and music maker studio, it’s a fun day out for anyone with young kids!
Enjoy entertainment for all at FunDimension
Featuring an indoor playground, laser tag arena, bumper cars, bungee jumping, virtual reality, and arcade games, there’s something for everyone to enjoy at FunDimension. The boutique-style indoor family entertainment center offers the chance for families to engage in activities together, as well as a lounge bar where parents can socialize while kids play.
Learn to wakeboard
Why not head to Gator Bait Wakeboard & Wakesurf School on Key Biscayne and scrub up on your watersports skills? Whatever your age or skill level, learn how to wakeboard, wakesurf, waterski, and slalom during an instructor-led class. It’s certainly one of the most fun things to do with kids in Miami!
Encounter exotic animals at Zoological Wildlife Foundation
Explore a range of wildlife and get up close to exotic animals at the Zoological Wildlife Foundation. With over 40 species to discover, many of which are available for intimate tours and encounters, there’s plenty for kids to explore at this five-acre zoo!
Discover over 500 animal species at Zoo Miami
At Zoo Miami, kids can observe and discover over 500 animal species living in open-air exhibits that replicate their natural habitat. Expect to see a mix of animal species sharing living quarters, as Zoo Miami groups species that live harmoniously in the wild together. Spanning across 750 acres of land, Zoo Miami is the largest zoo in Florida, meaning traveling on foot can be tiring for little legs. However, to make your day a little easier, you can hire a safari cycle for the family and explore the zoo on wheels!
Go on an exhilarating speedboat adventure
Enjoy the sites of Miami in true Miami Vice-style on an exhilarating Thriller Miami Speedboat Adventure. For a truly magical experience, hop on a ride in the early evening and watch the sun set across the Miami skyline. The perfect trip for thrill-seeking kids, teenagers, and adults!
Explore Jungle Island
Jungle Island is a brilliant place to go with the kids in Miami. Along with various animal encounters (sloths, flamingos, lemurs!), kids can go on a tree-top climbing adventure, explore the Treewalk Village and attempt the climbing wall in the super fun playground.
Experience the Everglades
There’s so much to explore at the Everglades National Park! From alligator-spotting airboat rides to cycle trails, there’s an adventure to be had for all in this astounding subtropical wilderness. While you’re at the visitor center, be sure to pick up a Junior Ranger book for the kids, designed to connect young people to their national parks through various activities.
Discover a range of sea life at Miami Seaquarium
There’s something for children of all ages at Miami Seaquarium. Get up close and personal with a range of sea life through animal encounters, explore the various exhibits, and enjoy the exciting killer whale, dolphin, and sea lion shows.
Go swimming at Matheson Hammock Park
Matheson Hammock Park is a great safe place to take kids sea swimming. The park is set within beautiful scenery and features a man-made atoll pool, flushed by the tidal action of Biscayne Bay, meaning the waters are much calmer than your average beach.
Have an ace time at Topgolf
Book a bay at the Topgolf driving range for the whole family, order some food, and put your golfing skills to the test. See who scores highest when hitting microchipped golf balls at giant targets, or immerse yourself into the world of virtual reality with the Angry Birds game.
Make a splash at Tidal Cove
If your kids enjoy waterparks, they’ll love Tidal Cove! Situated in Aventura’s JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa, Tidal Cove features an emoji-themed aquatic playground for kids, a 60-foot tower with seven water slides, a lazy river, and a VIP adult pool area. Guests of the hotel can access the pool for free, but members of the public will need to purchase a day pass.
Watch a theater show
The Adrienne Arsht Center on Biscayne Boulevard puts on various specially-designed performances throughout the year to introduce children to live performing arts. The center also hosts a Family Fest series, featuring free family-friendly performances by leading artists.
Swim around Miami’s Venetian Pool
Spend the day at the Venetian Pool in Coral Gables – a spring water pool created in 1923 from a coral rock quarry. With waterfalls, caves, and lookout towers set on a backdrop of palm trees, kids will have a whale of a time at the Venetian Pool!
* Children must be a minimum of 3 years old and 38 inches tall to enter the facility.
Free Things To Do In Miami With Kids
Head to the beach
You can’t go wrong with a day at the beach – it’s one of the best free things to do with kids in Miami, and there’s plenty of beautiful beaches to choose from. Some family-friendly beaches include Crandon Park Beach, Matheson Hammock Park, Lummus Park Beach, and South Pointe Beach. Pack your sunscreen, a picnic, and a bucket and spade and get ready for a day of fun!
*You may have to pay for parking at some beaches.
Explore the aquatic wonderland of Biscayne National Park
Biscayne National Park is a little different to most parks because it’s 95% water. So, if your family enjoys water-based activities like kayaking, diving, and boat rides, it’s a brilliant place for you. Alternatively, if you don’t fancy getting into the water, there are various scenic riverside trails, which kids will enjoy just as much. Head to the visitor center first if you’re unsure of what activity to take part in – while in the center, children can learn about the ecosystem through different exhibits.
*Admission to the park is free, but fees will be incurred for some activities and tours.
Visit The Bass Museum
With free admission for the under 6s, The Bass contemporary art museum is a great place to visit with kids. If you’re looking for something free for the whole family, on the last Sunday of each month, the museum offers free admission to all guests as part of its Family Day. Alternatively, you could visit the public artwork in Collins Park (just outside The Bass), which features installations like the famous Miami Mountain neon sculpture.
Get a milkshake...at a petting Zoo
What started as a roadside fruit stand is now a popular tourist destination offering exotic fruits and vegetables, renowned for its fruit smoothies and milkshakes. At Robert Is Here, there’s also a free animal farm and play area open to the public, complete with picnic tables. While you don’t have to buy anything, it may prove hard not to!
Enjoy a family fun day at HistoryMiami
Every second Saturday of the month, HistoryMiami puts on free Family Fun Days, where children can take part in art-making, music activities, storytelling, and mini exhibit tours. If you’re not attending a Family Fun Day, museum admission is free for under 6s.
Visit Southpointe Park
Southpointe Park is a brilliant place to take the kids for a day out. Not only does the picturesque park have its own beach, but there’s also a playground with a splash pad for little ones. Take a walk down the pier to enjoy stunning panoramic views of the beach and Miami skyline, and enjoy spotting the cruise ships as they pass by.
Explore Little Havana
A brilliant free thing to do in Miami is to explore some of the wonderful neighborhoods, and Little Havana is one you won’t want to miss. Make sure to take a walk down the Calle Ocho strip on South West 8th street – the heart of this vibrant Cuban neighborhood, brimming with Latino culture, food, and music.
Head to Wynwood Art Walk
Wynwood Art Walk is a free outdoor event that kids will love! Hosted every second Saturday of the month at 6pm, there’s plenty to keep kids occupied at this vibrant event. Explore the street art and gallery openings, taste some delicious food, and immerse yourself in the art and culture of the Wynwood district. Make sure to check out the Wynwood Walls graffiti murals while you’re there, too!
Things To Do In Miami With Kids At Night
Visit an enchanted night garden
If you’re looking for a magical evening experience for your little ones, head to the Fairchild Garden NightGarden. Perfect for the whole family, you can enjoy interactive light and sound experiences, go on a fairy quest, and navigate your way through an illuminated maze.
Go to the movies...outdoors
Pack some snacks and head to an outdoor movie at the New World Center SoundScape Park. The SoundScape Cinema Series shows movies every Wednesday at 8pm, and not only is it a great evening activity to do with the kids, it's also a free one.
Enjoy a laser light show at Frost Science
By day, the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science offers a range of interactive exhibits, a planetarium, and an aquarium. But visit at night, and you’ll be in for a unique Miami experience, enjoyed by adults and kids alike. Twice a month, Frost Science hosts fascinating laser light shows in its 67-foot planetarium dome, offering a brilliant sensory experience.
Observe the neon lights of Ocean Drive
If you're in Miami with the kids at night, you won't want to miss Art Deco District's colorful lights and architecture. Watch the sun set at South Pointe Park, then go for a wander down Ocean Drive and take in the sights of the neon lights – a magnificent experience for both kids and adults!
So, there we have it – 27 things to do in Miami with your kids! We hope we’ve given you some inspiration for your next Miami adventure with the little ones. For even more ideas, take a look at our top Miami attractions guide.