7 Best Family Things to Do in Miami Beach

This Copacabana-inspired promenade is a great starting point for taking in Miami Beach’s seaside vibes. If you’re nostalgic and remember watching the Miami Vice series, then Lummus Park and most of the length of Ocean Drive might bring back some of the memorable scenes. The winding pathways under the shade of tall palms and sea grape trees make for a pleasant walk towards the beach. Before hitting the sand, you can find grassy sections where you can sit and watch the kids play.

This state park is a great spot to head up to for some kayaking fun. Other activities to try in the beautiful outdoors include cycling along beach and lush mangrove trails, canoeing, and even camping. It’s one of the city’s main parks and recreation sites. Paddle boats can be great for families with kids. You can also plan for picnicking in the park, with specified areas where you can set up barbecues. Admission is around $6 per vehicle with up to 8 passengers, or $2 per person.

This museum promotes playful learning, with an emphasis on inspiring imagination and creating together. Some of the fun exhibits include a music-makers studio with a big piano pad where kids can create tunes by stepping on giant keys. There’s also an interactive virtual aquarium where their physical artwork becomes an animated and digitised part of a rich undersea environment. The Miami Children’s Museum doesn’t allow adults without children or children without adults into its museum to play. General admission is around $20.

You can swim, play, and enjoy various ball games at Flamingo Park, an urban sports and recreational space at the centre of South Beach. You can bring your skates or rollerblades and roll down its tracks or bring racquets and hit the courts at its tennis centre. There’s an eight-lane running track, as well as a field with artificial turf that’s great for soccer. Younger kids can enjoy the playground onsite, or swim with mum and dad at the aquatic centre.

As the scenic part of South Beach, South Pointe Beach blends striking seascapes with a host of fun recreational activities. There’s a fishing pier where you can enjoy quiet walks over the waves, while a vast urban green space nearby offers fun spaces to bike or skate. You can head down to an observation deck for better views over the coastal area. Wave riders can find a fun surfing playground at the beach breaks before the pier.

Fun and family-friendly, South Pointe Park has a vast playground with a splash pad that the little ones will instantly love and find hard to leave. It’s close by Lincoln Road, and is also great for watching both sunrises and sunsets. South Pointe Park is relatively quiet and great for avoiding the common crowds further north. As a bonus, it’s right next door to the namesake beach, where you can swim, play on the sand, and take in the beautiful coastal views with occasional cruise ships sailing past.

Even though it’s relatively small compared to the botanical gardens of most other cities, the 4-acre Miami Beach Botanical Garden is a great spot for relaxing escapes among nature’s artistry. Lush pathways lead you past water features and flower gardens, with its botanic collection ranging from palms and orchids to native Floridian species. You can also find a beautiful Japanese and bamboo garden with a red bridge, great for photoshoots. Their free summer art camps, usually between June and August, are free and great for kids.