Miami is a giant playground for families — sunshine, wildlife, hands-on museums and beaches made for sandcastles. Here’s our happy list of the best things to do with kids.
Zoo Miami is the headliner. One of the best zoos in the country, this sprawling county-run park lets you feed giraffes, ride camels, cool off at the water play areas and meet animals from five continents. Go early in the day, bring sunscreen, and don’t miss the Wings of Asia aviary.
The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science is a full day of wonder. Kids can touch a stingray, walk under a 500,000-gallon aquarium, explore a three-level planetarium and dive into hands-on exhibits about the Everglades, the human body and outer space. The rooftop views over Biscayne Bay are a bonus for the grown-ups.
The Miami Children’s Museum on Watson Island is built for little hands: a pretend supermarket, a cruise-ship play area, art studios and a climbing wall keep toddlers through tweens busy for hours. Check their calendar for free community days.
For outdoor time, Crandon Park on Key Biscayne has calm, shallow water perfect for small swimmers, plus a nature center and a vintage carousel. Matheson Hammock Park’s man-made atoll pool is another gentle-water favorite, and the free splash pads at Bayfront Park are a downtown lifesaver on hot afternoons.
Don’t overlook the parks and gardens: Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden hosts butterfly days and family festivals among the palms, and the Deering Estate’s bayfront grounds are made for picnics and spotting manatees. Many museums offer free or discounted days each month — check before you go and plan around them.
End the day where Miami does it best: the beach. Build a sandcastle at South Beach, chase the sunset at Key Biscayne or join a family drum circle under the palms. Happy kids, happy parents, happy Miami.
Photo: NancyHeise (public domain), via Wikimedia Commons.
