20 Top Things to Do With Kids in Miami, Florida

Enjoy the Great Outdoors at Oleta River State Park

If you need a break from the hustle and bustle, head to Oleta River State Park, about a 30-minute drive from downtown Miami near North Miami Beach. With over 10 miles of mountain bike trails, four miles of beginner-level trails, and three miles of paved trails, it's the perfect place for a bike ride—note that anyone ages 16 and under must wear a helmet, as per Florida law. Other popular activities include camping, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, snorkeling, swimming, walking, running, rollerblading, and picnicking. It's also a great spot for viewing great blue herons, roseate spoonbills, dolphins, and manatees.

Go On an Airboat Adventure in the Everglades

While parts of the Miccosukee Indian Village—which features a number of interesting exhibits and artifacts, the chance to try traditional Indigenous foods, and an educational demonstration about alligators—are temporarily closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, you can still embark on an airboat adventure through the Everglades with Miccosukee Airboats.

Located about about an hour from downtown Miami, these affordable airboat tours offer a closer look at American Indian life in South Florida, and an unforgettable ride on the "River of Grass." Nearby, the Miccosukee Indian Gift Shop is a great place to pick up some traditional art, crafts, jewelry, and other souvenirs created by local Indigenous people.

See the Florida Marlins Play Baseball

If you're looking for a fun day outside with the family, take in a Marlins baseball game at loanDepot Park. Cheer on the Florida Marlins as they take on teams from around the country, enjoy some peanuts and cracker jacks, and show the kids what professional baseball is all about. Ballpark tours are also available on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., and 2 p.m. and make a great option if you or the little ones don't have the time—or the attention span—for a full game.

Head to the Nearest Beach

Miami’s beaches offer a great opportunity to get some exercise or just enjoy some fun in the sun. Children can build sand castles and splash in the low tide pools at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, located about 20 minutes south of downtown Miami in Key Biscayne, or run away from the waves crashing along the shore in South Beach. Another popular family-friendly favorite is North Shore Open Space Park (also called North Beach Oceanside Park) at the top end of Miami Beach.

About 45 minutes north, Hollywood Beach offers a different vibe with its 2.5-mile pedestrian-friendly "Broadwalk" promenade, a popular spot for joggers, cyclists, rollerbladers, and families since it opened in 1923.

Soak in the Culture of Little Havana

Miami is a multicultural city and the best place to enjoy its Latin scene is in Little Havana. Older kids will love the colorful art and everyone will enjoy their fill of delicious Cuban food. El Jardin, an outdoor food court located between 15th and 16th Avenues, is a great place to have a family-friendly lunch. Artsy kiddos will love the vibrant mural painted outside Cafeteria Guardabarrenco. While you're in the neighborhood, treat the whole family to ice cream at Azucar Ice Cream Company, where they can try a variety of interesting flavors like orange blossom almond, guarapiña (sugarcane and pineapple), montecado (Cuban vanilla), and platano maduro (sweet plantain), among other tasty options.

On Calle Ocho (8th street) between 17th and 12th Avenues, stroll by the art galleries, enjoy some casual dining, and take in a fun festival—if you happen to be in town in March, don't miss the annual Calle Ocho Festival.

See the Colorful Murals in Wynwood

At The Wynwood Walls, kids will be inspired by the colorful murals. Think of it as a free outdoor museum, with more than 80,000 square feet of wall art created by well-known muralists and a parklike setting perfect for stretching your legs. After enjoying the murals, stop by the Wynwood Kitchen & Bar, where you can all sit outside and share some Latin-inspired small plates.

Commune With the Animals at Zoo Miami

Zoo Miami is fast becoming one of the best zoos in the nation—the warm Miami climate allows it to keep a wide variety of animals from Asia, Australia, and Africa like no other zoo in the U.S. One of the first free-range zoos in the country, the display areas are entirely cageless. Instead, animals are grouped according to their geographic territory and those that tend to live together peacefully in the wild inhabit the exhibit space together as they normally would in nature.

Have Fun at the Miami Children's Museum

The Miami Children's Museum is a must-see destination for families planning a trip to South Florida. Its motto—Play, Learn, Imagine, Create.—shines through in the variety of interactive exhibits allowing children to explore everything from a supermarket to a television studio. Kids can have fun getting involved with and learning about art, music, banking, pets, construction, health and wellness, and safety, all while picking up valuable lessons along the way.

Learn About Sealife at the Miami Seaquarium

The Miami Seaquarium is located in the heart of the tourist area between downtown Miami and Miami Beach, featuring an outdoor aquarium show with dolphins as well as exciting exhibits about sea turtles, seals, penguins, sea lions, and manatees. You'll find touch tanks, dolphin encounters, and a natural mangrove forest you can walk through. When you need a rest, there are several dining and snack areas in the park.

Do a Day Trip to Everglades National Park

With 1.5 million acres of swamps, sawgrass prairies, and sub-tropical jungles, Everglades National Park is one of the most unusual public parks in the United States. Located on the southern tip of Florida, it's home to 14 rare and endangered species, including the American crocodile, the Florida panther, and the West Indian manatee. While a large portion of the park is primitive, explored only by adventurists and researchers, guests have ample opportunities to walk, camp, fish, canoe, spot alligators, and learn about the flora and fauna around them at one of the visitor centers.

Explore the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science

The $305 million Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science facility is located in Museum Park in downtown Miami. You're bound to find a learning adventure for the whole family at this impressive museum, which features a three-level aquarium with a 31-foot-wide clear oculus so you can view sharks and other South Florida reef fish. A 250-seat planetarium also takes visitors on journeys into outer space and beneath the ocean with 3-D projection.

Take the Miami Trolley Around Town

Riding around town on the Miami Trolley is a fun way to get to know the area without wearing out the smallest children in your group, especially if you're visiting for the first time. The free trolleys run until 11 p.m. and take you to many Miami attractions. It's a hop-on, hop-off type of adventure the kids will love. The Trolly Tracker feature on the website can also tell you exactly what the wait time will be like at any particular stop.

Laugh in Monkey Jungle

"Where the humans are caged and the monkeys run wild" is Monkey Jungle's motto. This park in southern Miami-Dade County allows humans to walk through carefully constructed wire pathways while many species of primates scamper above your head, swing through trees, and interact with each other in ways difficult to observe in captivity. Keep your eyes open; you never know what's hanging above you.

See the Famous Coral Castle Up Close

Visit the Coral Castle Museum, an enchanting sculpture garden located about 45 minutes south of Miami in Homestead that's carved out of limestone. From 1923 to 1951, one man single-handedly created a 1,100-ton coral rock castle. Today, you can do a self-guided tour with audio stands along the way or take a docent-guided tour of the property.

Visit Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

For children who are captivated by the opulence of a world that could create "Beauty and the Beast," the fairy-tale architecture of Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, a waterfront Italian Renaissance-style villa, will capture the imagination. You can tour the house, but know that the kids might want to try and get lost in its hedge maze labyrinth. 

The Discover Vizcaya audio tour provides an educational way to learn about the property's interesting history and all the native plants in the gardens. The museum also offers a series of monthly Family Programs that are free to the public with museum admission. From late-May to early September, active U.S. military personnel and up to five family members can get in free thanks to the Blue Star Museum Program.

Swim in the Venetian Pool

The Venetian Pool, located about 20 minutes from Miami in Coral Gables, is perhaps one of the most beautiful swimming pools in the entire country, if not the world. The enormous 820,000-gallon freshwater pool, formed in a coral rock quarry, is fed by an underground spring and features waterfalls and cave-like grottos. Go when it's hot since the water has a tendency to be a little on the cold side.

Built in the 1920s, it was once the place to see and be seen. Movie stars like Esther Williams and Johnny Weissmuller of Tarzan fame regularly stopped by for a swim and to enjoy its gondolas and orchestras.

Learn All About Miami's History

The HistoryMiami Museum offers an array of exhibits, featuring the 10,000 years of history that have transpired in this corner of South Florida. The museum offers family fun days with crafts, music, and storytelling the second Saturday of every month.

You can also join one of Miami's many coach, boat cruise, and eco-walking tours to further explore the waterways, neighborhoods, architecture, culture, and history of the city. Learn about Little Havana or check out the interesting history of Stiltsville, where a series of colorful wooden houses were built on the flats of Biscayne Bay inside Biscayne National Park.

Take in a Broadway Show

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts is known for bringing Broadway shows to Miami. While some of them are great for kids, there are additional children's performances like puppet shows and kid-friendly musicals held here as well. During the summer months, the theater brings older kids together for Camp Broadway Miami, a theater camp for children ages 10 to 17.

Climb a Lighthouse

At Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, located along the southern tip of Key Biscayne, you'll find beautiful sandy beaches with picnic facilities, kayaking, and opportunities to explore nature. Kids will love climbing up the stairs to the top of the 65-foot tall Cape Florida Lighthouse, the oldest standing structure in the greater Miami area.

Play at Pinecrest Gardens

Pinecrest Gardens, once the location of Parrot Jungle, is now a park featuring tropical landscaping, a playground, a petting zoo, and a water playground. The gardens host events like concerts, farmer’s markets and outdoor movie nights. Remember to bring along some swimsuits for the little ones so they can take advantage of the park's Splash 'N Play zone (entry is included in your $5 park admission).