Fun Things to Do in South Florida with School-Aged Kids

If you’re planning a Florida family trip, you might be wondering:
what are the best things to do in South Florida with kids — and how do you actually plan it as a family?

South Florida is not just Miami. It’s a region made up of Miami, the Everglades, and the Florida Keys, and it works best when you experience it as a connected trip rather than treating each place separately.

This guide is for families with school‑aged children looking for a mix of beaches, wildlife encounters, boat trips, and outdoor experiences — not just theme parks and structured attractions.

Quick Answer: What Are the Best Things to Do in South Florida With Kids?

The best approach is to combine:

• Miami → beaches, neighbourhoods, food, boat trips

• Everglades → wildlife, airboats, nature experiences

• Florida Keys → road trips, snorkelling, relaxed outdoor time

Together, they create a varied, flexible trip that feels more like an adventure than a single destination.

Many families visiting for a holiday build this into a wider itinerary, such as:

• a 5-day Everglades, Florida Keys and Miami itinerary for families

• or a longer 2-week Florida family itinerary including theme parks

In this guide, we’ll break down the best South Florida attractions for families, what’s actually worth doing in each area, and how to plan the route so it works smoothly with kids. Where relevant, we’ve included activities, tours and experiences we used or considered. These may be affiliate links, but we only recommend options we’ve tried or would confidently choose again — with the aim of helping you plan a smoother, more enjoyable trip.

What are fun things to do in South Florida with kids?

The best way to think about South Florida isn’t as one destination — it’s about the mix of experiences across Miami, the Everglades, and the Florida Keys.

Visiting Miami with Kids

But starting with Miami, this is where you ease into the trip. For us, Miami worked best when we stopped trying to “see everything” and instead focused on a few things that naturally fit around the day — especially anything that got us outdoors or near the water.

Miami really revolves around the beaches. There are the iconic areas like Miami Beach and South Beach, but also more local, relaxed spots — we stayed near Hallandale Beach in Aventura, which worked really well for us. From here you can tag on activities like bike rides alongside the beachfront.

From there, we layered in one or two simple activities. For Joshua, the standout was getting out on the water. We did a boat trip out towards Raccoon Island — part wildlife spotting, part swimming stop — and that balance worked really well. It didn’t feel like a structured “tour,” more like a relaxed break in the middle of the day.

If you’re planning something similar, it’s worth looking at the different options available — some are much more family-friendly than others in terms of pace and stops:
→ Compare Raccoon Island boat tours (family-friendly options)

There were also plenty of indoor things to do should the weather not be on your side, multiple museums and indoor activity centres.

If you want a full breakdown of these activities, what actually worked (and what didn’t), see:
→ Fun things to do in Miami with kids

Everglades National Park or Big Cypress National Preserve

The Everglades ended up being one of the most unique parts of South Florida for us — completely different from the coast and much more about wildlife and being outdoors.

A lot of what you do here is fairly simple, but that’s what makes it work well with kids.

• Airboat rides — fast, noisy, and easily one of the most memorable things we did. It’s the part Joshua still talks about, mostly because of the speed and the excitement of spotting alligators from the water.

If you’re planning to include this, it’s worth comparing the different options — some are much more family-friendly in terms of group size and pace:
→ Compare Everglades airboat tours (family-friendly options)

• Alligators — we didn’t have to look hard, there were loads (especially around boardwalk areas)

• Shark Valley tram — a good low-effort way to see more of the park

• Anhinga Trail or boardwalk trails — depends on which area you’re visiting, but both are easy wins with kids

• Boardwalks — probably the easiest way to see wildlife without a lot of walking

What worked really well for us was keeping it simple — one main activity (the airboat) and then a couple of easy walks to break up the day.

For a full activity breakdown:
→ Things to Do in the Everglades National Park with School-Aged Kids

For international visitors, cost is also something to think about. Since January 2026, Everglades National Park has a higher entry fee for non‑US visitors, which can quickly add up for families.

Because of that, it’s worth comparing alternatives like Big Cypress National Preserve, which offers a very similar feel (boardwalks, wildlife, airboats) without the same entry costs.

If you’re deciding between the two:
→ Big Cypress vs Everglades National Park (which is better with kids)

Visit the Florida Keys

Key Largo to Key West Road Trip

For us, the Florida Keys were amazing, we loved the outdoor activities plus the addition of the road trip down to Key West.

The drive down to Key West itself — especially along the Overseas Highway — ended up being just as much of the experience as the stops. We did this as a one-day trip from Key Largo to Key West, and with the right pacing, it felt like a proper adventure rather than a long drive.

As for the route itself, the stops flowed naturally rather than feeling rushed:

• Islamorada (Robbie’s Marina) — feeding the tarpon was a simple but really memorable stop

• Long Key / Marathon (optional) — more about breaking up the drive than adding “must-see” attractions

• Key West — the final destination, with enough going on to explore at your own pace

The Florida Keys are best experienced as part of a road trip rather than a single destination.

→ See our Key Largo to Key West one-day road trip itinerary with kids

Snorkelling in Key Largo

We based ourselves in Key Largo, which worked really well with kids. What made a big difference wasn’t just the location, but the accommodation itself.

We stayed in a beachfront condo at Kawama Yacht Club, and it ended up being part of the trip highlight — private beach access, calm water for swimming, canoes, and space to BBQ in the evenings. It meant we didn’t need to plan every hour of the day.

If you want to see exactly what worked:
→ Kawama Yacht Club Key Largo review (family beachfront stay)

One thing that really stood out in the Keys was the snorkelling. It’s one of those experiences that sounds simple, but actually becomes one of the most memorable parts of the trip for kids — being in the water, spotting fish, and doing something very different to a typical beach day.

If you’re planning to include it, it’s worth looking at the different tour options — some are much better suited to families in terms of boat size, pace, and how beginner-friendly they are:
→ Compare Florida Keys snorkelling tours (family-friendly options)

For more ideas on what to do across the Keys:
→ Things to do in the Florida Keys with school-aged kids
→ Are the Florida Keys worth visiting with kids?

Wildlife and Animal Experiences

South Florida is particularly strong for wildlife experiences, and this is where it really stands out compared to more traditional family destinations.

For us, these were the moments that stuck — not big attractions, but close-up encounters and outdoor experiences, some great family options include:

• the Turtle Hospital (Florida Keys, Marathon) — simple but very engaging for kids

• Dolphin Research Center (Florida Keys, Marathon) — great if your kids are interested in animals

• spotting wildlife in the Keys and Everglades — especially alligators and birds

• Key deer in the Lower Keys

• and in Miami, places like Jungle Island or Miami Zoo

It’s that mix of hands-on, real-world experiences that makes South Florida feel a bit more meaningful than just another theme park stop.

Final Tips for Visiting South Florida with Kids

• You will need a car — public transport is limited

• Distances are longer than they appear on a map

• Traffic in Miami can be significant — avoid peak times

• Plan rest days, especially with younger children

• Mix city time with beach days and wildlife experiences for balance

Final Verdict – Is South Florida Good for School-Aged Kids?

Yes, especially for children who enjoy animals, beaches, and boat trips. Works best as part of a Florida road trip, not as a single base location. Offers a strong balance of nature, relaxation, and light activities compared to theme park-heavy itineraries

plan your South florida trip

If you’re planning your South Florida trip, these guides will help you decide what’s worth doing — and what actually works with kids:

About Plan Family Escapes

We’re a UK-based family sharing real, experience-led travel guides based on trips we’ve taken with our school-age son Joshua across destinations like Lapland, Turkey and India.

Everything we share is based on what we’ve personally experienced — with honest advice on what actually works when travelling with kids, focusing on making family travel easier, more comfortable and genuinely enjoyable.