Miami is a vibrant, multicultural city known for its beaches, sports teams, and amazing nightlife. However, there’s so much more to experience in Miami, especially for families. From world-class museums and kid-friendly attractions to interactive wildlife parks and outdoor adventures, Miami offers an incredible variety of things to do with kids of any age.
When planning your next family trip to Miami, be sure to include some of these top attractions and activities that are fun, educational, and entertaining for the whole group. With theme parks, beach days, tours, shows, and more, you’re guaranteed to make amazing memories together as a family in this sun-drenched Florida city.
Explore an Interactive Wildlife Park
One of the most unique things to do in Miami with kids is visit an interactive wildlife park like Zoo Miami or Jungle Island. At these zoological attractions, it’s more than just walking around looking at animals behind glass.
You’ll be fully immersed in hands-on animal encounters, live shows, feeding demonstrations, touch tanks with stingrays, and so much more. It makes wildlife exciting and animated for kids who will love getting up close with exotic animals from around the world. Complete with playgrounds and rides, these interactive parks promise a full day of family fun.
Spend a Day at the Beach
Miami is synonymous with beautiful beaches, so no family trip here is complete without ample beach time. Iconic stretches like South Beach with its vibrant, art deco backdrop is perfect for families looking to swim, build sandcastles, go biking or rollerblading along the boardwalk, or simply relax under an umbrella.
Other family-friendly beaches include North Shore Open Space Park, which has calmer waters for young kids, and Matheson Hammock Park with gentle waves in an enclosed lagoon area. Many Miami beaches have amenities like playgrounds, volleyball courts, snack bars, water sports rentals, bathroom facilities, and parking. So pack your beach bag and treat the kids to quintessential Florida fun.
Marvel at Miami’s Museums
From hands-on children’s museums to world-class art galleries, Miami is a cultural mecca with fascinating museums the whole family can enjoy. The highly interactive Children’s Museum of Miami lets kids learn through 15 themed exhibits focused on science, global culture, literacy, and health.
They can climb a giant tooth, shop at a pretend grocery store, get creative in an art studio, and much more. For art lovers, Perez Art Museum Miami features cutting-edge international exhibits alongside gorgeous bay views. Families can participate in monthly Family Day programs with tours, art projects, live performances and story time. Whether you have a mini Matisse or budding biologist, Miami’s museums unlock fun and impactful learning.
Lace Up Your Skates for Family Fun
Miami isn’t just about sun and sand. Cool off at one of the city’s many ice skating rinks for family bonding at the chilly indoor rinks. At Bayfront Park’s Museum of Ice Cream, families can explore this wonderland of ice cream art installations before hitting the small ice rink outside.
The Florida Panthers practice facility, the Ice Den, offers multiple NHL regulation sized skating rinks for the whole crew to practice their triple Salchows. The rinks keep kids busy year-round with skating lessons, hockey clinics, birthday party packages, and public skating sessions. Gliding gracefully or wobbling around the rink, it’s smiles all around enjoying this unique South Florida experience.
Marvel at a Performance at Miami City Ballet
Share your love of dance and music with the kids by treating them to a magnificent performance put on by the renowned Miami City Ballet. As Miami’s premier professional ballet company, they dazzle audiences with diverse repertoires of classical and contemporary works at venues across the city.
Their family-friendly shows are shorter with accessible story lines that intrigue little viewers, while exposing them to the athleticism and artistry of dance. With affordable ticket prices for kids, kid-focused events like meet and greets with the dancers, and interactive hands-on areas, Miami City Ballet’s performances make dance delightful.
Sail Away on Thrilling Boat Tours
Miami’s premier location along turquoise Biscayne Bay waters means families can take to the high seas on exciting boat and yacht tours. Choose from sightseeing cruises to see Downtown Miami’s impressive skyline, speedboat rides for adventurous kids loving high-speed turns and saltwater splashes, snorkeling trips to discover colorful coral reefs andmarine creatures up close, or catamaran sunset cruises for stunning evening views.
Many boat tour companies cater specifically to families by offering kid discounts, ensuring life jackets in all children’s sizes, pontoon boats with safe flat decks for tiny ones, and even clear kayaks for peering below at sea life. With the wind in your hair and mesmerizing ocean vistas all around, Miami boat tours make for epic family memories.
Root for Miami’s Pro Sports Teams
Get the whole family cheering together at one of Miami’s beloved professional sporting events. Baseball fans will love catching a Miami Marlins game at loanDepot Park as they take on rivals with exciting plays at home plate. The stadium boasts special promotions on family packs, kids deals, activities like running the bases post-game, and even pools in the outfield for cooling off.
For football, grab tickets to see the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium with exhilarating touchdowns, on-field entertainment, giveaways, and a family-friendly environment. Hockey lovers can watch the Florida Panthers skate up and down the ice at high speeds with amazing dexterity. No matter which local team you root for, sports games promise endless family entertainment all season long.
Have a Ball at an Amusement Park
No family trip to Miami is complete without a visit to an awesome amusement park packed with record-breaking rides, nostalgic attractions, and kid-approved shows. At Super Bowl LIVE Miami, the whole family can play like football superstars on the NFL-themed rides while exploring interactive games and football skill challenges.
Rapids Water Park thrills kids with over 30 exhilarating waterslides like tidal waves, steep drops, surf simulators and uphill water coasters across the massive park. For little tykes there’s a Surfer’s Cove water play area and relaxing lazy river. Enjoy sky-high views while swirling down different slides or test your skills at carnival style games!
Learn & Play at Miami Children’s Museum
At Miami Children’s Museum, families can role play, climb, learn and more in 14 interactive exhibit spaces focusing on art, culture, community and communication. Kids can play supermarket in KidSmart with shopping carts and shelves stocked with pretend groceries. Construct toy boats to float along an energetic river in Wind, Waves & Water.
Turn little ones into pilots in Adventure Air, a kid-sized aircraft complete with lights, sounds and controls. And express creativity in Art Studio experimenting with paint, clay, craft materials and basic art techniques. With daily hands-on activities and programming, the educational fun just never ends. It’s the ultimate indoor playground for inquisitive young minds.
Fly High on Aerial Adventure Courses
For active kids and thrill-seeker families, soar to new heights on exhilarating treetop obstacle courses and zip lines found across Miami’s natural parks and ecosystems. At Amelia Earhart Park’s Aerial Adventure park, they can climb cargo nets, swing on trapezes, and zip along cables crisscrossing towering oaks draped in Spanish moss.
Oleta River State Park sets kids loose on suspension bridges, 50-foot climbing challenges, and adrenaline-pumping ziplines with unparalleled views across Biscayne Bay’s glistening waters. Designed with kids (some starting at age 5!) in mind, each self-paced course balances fun with safety, taking family bonding to new heights – literally!
Taste Exotic Fruits at a Tropical Farm
Pick freshly grown pineapple, mango, lychee, jackfruit, dragon fruit and more at a Miami fruit farm for an authentically Floridian experience. At area orchid farms like Florida’s Fruit Farms and RF Orchids, families can wander u-pick gardens plucking just-ripened tropical treats bursting with sweetness under the warm Florida sun.
Kids can discover exotic varietals they’ve never tried before like Canistel with a flavor reminiscent of sweet egg custard. Choose fruits by the bucketload to take home or have the staff cut up samples for immediate snacking. Many farms also have playgrounds, picnic tables and petting zoos for well-rounded family fun amid lush bounties of Miami’s freshest harvest.
Explore Colorful Street Art on Wynwood Walls
No family visit to Miami is complete without checking out the vibrance of Wynwood Walls. This district houses the world’s largest outdoor street art collection with jaw-dropping murals covering over 80,000 square feet of walls. Let your kids’ creativity run wild gazing at towering technicolor artworks crafted by artists from around the globe.
They can even make their own mark at the Wynwood Walls Family Art Days held monthly, with special kid-centric tours, live painting demos, and hands-on graffiti workshops perfect for mini Banksys. Wynwood Walls brings these sprawling urban canvases down to a kid’s level with scavenger hunts to uncover unique works tucked down side streets. With new pieces going up all the time, the ever-changing exhibit makes each visit entirely new again.
Conclusion
With gorgeous weather year-round, Miami offers the quintessential backdrop for making special memories with your family. From world-class museums and thrilling boat adventures to vibrant cultural attractions and interactive wildlife encounters, Miami keeps kids smiling with enriching activities tailored for family fun.
When planning your ideal Miami getaway, be sure to include some of these top things to do with kids of all ages.
With this expert Miami travel guide in hand helping navigate the best family-friendly experiences in Magic City, your crew is guaranteed to have a blast bonding together in the Florida sunshine. So round up your family squad and get ready for the Miami vacation of a lifetime exploring this amazing destination together!