By Jan Engoren and Yours Truly

A good friend whose nephew from Europe is coming to town with his children  asked me what they could do while they’re here. This prompted some serious research resulting in  a pretty comprehensive guide to family things to do in Miami year round, rain or shine, for all ages, which I’m sharing in this two part series. After we started to work on this I realized some of the activities can also work for single adults, couples and groups. In this, Part 1 find outdoor adventures, sporting activities, and for the more adventurous. In Part 2 find nature and ecology, museums and performing arts with kids programs and the tried and true.

Family Things to Do in Miami: Outdoor Adventures

 Miccosukee Indian Village

 

Chehantamo – Welcome! Learn about Miccosukee  history and culture in the Museum, which offers visitors a glimpse into the Tribe’s unique way of life.  View historical documents, archival photographs and original artifacts.

 

Alongside permanent exhibits showcasing the early life of the Tribe as they adapted to the Everglades, the Museum hosts rotating exhibits highlighting historical and contemporary Native American, First Nations and Aboriginal life. Learn about alligators through their alligator demonstrations – sure to be a hit with kids of all sizes.  The Miccosukee learned early on how to capture alligators for food and commodities like their skin.

 

Watch in awe as a brave demonstrator explains centuries-old traditions and rituals that have been handed down by generations of Miccosukee with their bare hands. As times have changed, the Tribe’s relationship has evolved towards conservation and education about the alligator’s role in this unique environment.

 

Miccosukee Indian Village Is located at Mile Marker 36, US Highway 41, Miami, Florida 33194.  Tel:  (305) 552-8365.  Visit Miccosukee.com.

 

Haulover Park

 

Offering year-round park and recreation programs for children, adults and people with disabilities and dozens of outdoor activities such as archery, boating, camping, baseball, basketball, football, biking and even horseback riding, spending a day at Haulover Park is a must-do family event.  But wait, there’s more!  You can enjoy RV camping, roller hockey, swimming, golf, shooting, skating and even, mountain (yes, mountain!) biking.

Highlights include kayaking and snorkeling off Key Biscayne, biking through scenic trails and nighttime owl walks. Programs also offered for students from K-12.

Please note:  Construction is currently underway at the boat ramp parking lot and boat ramps.

Haulover Park is located at 10800 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida 33154.

Tel:  (305) 947-3525.  Visit miamidade.gov.

 

Walking and Eating Tours of Miami

 

There are several companies offering walking and food tours of Miami but my favorite is Miami Culinary Tours. Lace up your sneakers and choose from a variety of tours of Miami neighborhoods, including a walking and lunch tour of Little Havana’s authentic Cuban cuisine or an “Eat Like a Local” tour of South Beach, or a walking and eating tour of the Wynwood Arts District or the Design District. You’ll learn something new about Miami, eat well, and meet interesting people. What more does one need?Miami Culinary Tours  (T.786-942-8856)

 

 

 

Matheson Hammock Park

Spend the day sunbathing, boating or swimming.  This huge park has a marina for boaters, green space for picnicking, bike trails for cyclists of all skill levels and a small beach for sunbathing.

The picturesque park has an artificial atoll pool that’s great for kids to splash around in and good for bathing.  Other amenities include a fishing pier, kite-boarding, a picnic area and restaurants.

Matheson Hammock Park has one of the city’s most popular boating docks, so plan to arrive early. It is located at 9610 Old Cutler Road, Miami, Florida.

Tel:  (305) 665-5475.  Check their website for current prices and hours of operation.  .miamidade.gov/parks.

 

Family Things to Do in Miami: Sporting Activities

Puttshack Miniature Golf

 

Not your father’s mini-golf.  They’ve rewritten the rules – pairing modern tech with crazy courses and cool vibes with game faces for one hell of a good time. Taking the best parts of the game – the fun, accessibility, hanging with your BFFs – and powered a new game with modern technology.

The world’s only tech-infused mini-golf course, this Brickell City Centre outpost occupies 27,000 square feet, including an expansive outdoor terrace that overlooks the Miami cityscape. It features three nine-hole competitive mini-golf courses complemented by food and beverage offerings in a lively atmosphere.

Great for kids 7 years of age and older, until 8 p.m., when the crowd changes to young adults 21+.  All children must be supervised by an adult.

Puttshack is located at Brickell City Centre, 701 South Miami Avenue, Miami, Florida 33130.

Tel:  (786) 233-7888.  Visit puttshack.com.

Tidal Cove Waterpark

 

Get your adrenaline going!  Everyone’s a kid at Tidal Cove Waterpark, located at JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa.  Older kids and adults can get their adrenaline fix in the Aqua Drop, a thrill ride with an intense, vertical drop, the Constrictor, an inner-tube ride or the Boomerang waterslide with its steep drop that sends you up a near-vertical wall for a moment of weightlessness before zooming back down into the splash pool.

 

Other rides include the Master Blaster, the world’s first uphill waterslide, the Whizzard, an enclosed high-speed Aqua-Tube, twisting and turning until its surprise drop at the end and the FlowRider Triple. For younger kids, enjoy the Kids Cove, an emoji-themed aquatic playground for younger thrill-seekers. Don’t miss the ice-cream-shaped tipping bucket and try to stay dry!

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With the purchase of a Resort Day Membership, guests receive admission to Tidal Cove Waterpark, lounge chairs, towels, and poolside service.  Please check the website for current hours and pricing.

For a splurge, try their $800 premium lazy river cabana for a maximum of 10 people with day passes, shaded luxury cabana, mini-fridge stocked with soda, water and tropical fruit, dedicated server, flat screen TV, towels, validated parking (2 per booking) and personal safe for valuables.

 

Tidal Cove is located at 19999 West Country Club Drive, Aventura, Florida 33180. Tel:  (786) 279-6152.  Visit tidalcovemiami.com.

Note: Numerous hotels and resorts offer day passes for the pool and beach. For a list of more, click here.

Yoint County Academy

 

Offering lessons and classes all over Miami-Dade, this skate academy meets at public skate parks and can also provide individual lessons for beginners.  Their goal is to make skateboarding fun.  Their second objective is to focus on discipline toward proper preparation for basic riding and learning tricks.

Classes are taught by real-life skateboarders who teach kids the ropes.  Group lessons available with four participants.

Visit yointcounty.com.  Tel:  (786) 394-7314 .

Skatebird Miami

 

Skatebird Miami is the first entertainment venue featuring a state-of-the-art skatepark. They offer a covered 12,000 sq.-ft. skate plaza and an outdoor 18,000 sq.-ft. pump track.

 

Daily classes and summer camps are offered by Skateboard Supercross Academy (SBSX) for all ages and abilities. Skateboards, roller blades, bikes and scooters are welcomed in the park. This multifaceted venue is a 32,000-square-foot skate park with an outdoor street-style plaza for traditional tricks and a covered pump track ideal for when it rains.

 

Perfect for professional skateboarders and rollerbladers, but also accommodates beginners and young kickboard scooter riders. The park holds regular skate camps and classes and offers memberships for frequent riders. Parents can visit the small shops that line the pump track including a barbershop, tattoo parlor, streetwear fashion and galleries.

Skatebird Miami is located at 533 NE 83rd Street, Miami, Florida 33138.  Tel:  (305) 603-8015.

 

Family Things to Do in Miami and Nearby: For the More Adventurous

 

Bluefoot Pirate Adventures

 

Ahoy, Matey!  Come aboard the U.S. Coast Guard certified vessel, “Bluefoot,” for a fully interactive children’s pirate adventure.  Meet the notorious pirate Barnacle Bill and look for sunken treasure in the high seas (ok, it’s the intracoastal waterway). Learn how to talk like a pirate, battle a real pirate with authentic water cannons, and more. Arrive 30 minutes early for dress up and pirate tattoos.

 

 

Bluefoot Pirate Adventures is located at 801 Seabreeze Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33316.

Tel:  (954) 530-8302.  Visit bluefootpirates.com.

Tree Top Trekking Miami at Jungle Island

 

What kid wouldn’t have a blast in an outdoor treehouse adventure or experiencing nature like Tarzan?

 

Rounding out the family things to do in Miami is Treetop Trekking Miami, South Florida’s first and only aerial zipline adventure park situated across six acres on Watson Island’s Jungle Island.

 

Choose from three exhilarating courses catering to kids ages five and up. Courses are color-coded based on difficulty level and offer more than 55 elements, seven zip lines and ample opportunities for visitors to get out of their comfort zone and be immersed in nature.  Trek from tree to tree on suspended bridges, Tarzan swings, swinging logs, cable traverses, and of course, ziplines.

 

Immersed yourself in nature and experience a new perspective on Miami with their amazing aerial adventures.

Additionally, at various points along the courses, guests climb over ponds and can see and hear animals from below and up high. Several of the resident critters surrounding the adventure park include capybaras, gibbons, lemurs, iguanas and ibis.

For younger kids, their self-guided Discovery Courses are just the ticket. Made for kids 5 and up that are over 45″ tall, kids will test their balance as they explore the junior aerial courses filled with wood bridges, balance logs, net walkways, ziplines, and much more, all suspended 3-7 ft off the ground.

 

For younger kids, 3+, check out the tree-house village. Located in a lush jungle setting, kids and parents can climb from tree-house to tree-house on a network of bridges and ramps.

 

Tree Top Trekking Miami at Jungle Island is located at 1111 Parrot Jungle Trail, Miami Florida 33132.  Tel:  (321) 277-7310.  Visit miamitreetoptrekking.com.

For Part 2, more family things to do in Miami: nature and ecology, museums and performing arts, and the tried and true, click here.