# Things to do with toddlers and little kids in Miami and Fort Lauderdale: the parent guide

> Miami is warm all year, so plan around heat and afternoon rain more than cold.

- Last checked: 2026-10-28
- 10 places for ages 0–6, with admission and menu prices from each place’s own site
- Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/miami/guide/
- This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/miami/index.md
- Visiting guide (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/miami/visiting/index.md
- City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/miami/llms.txt

## Kid-friendly restaurants

### Versailles (Little Havana, Southwest 8th Street)

- The Cuban restaurant on Calle Ocho that’s been open since 1971. Grab pastries from the walk-up window.
- Price level: $$
- Good for: A lunch everyone can agree on.
- Skip if: it’s a weekend at peak lunch; expect a wait.
- Website: https://www.versaillesrestaurant.com/

## Indoor play and rainy days

### Miami-Dade Public Library System (Miami-Dade County)

- Free storytimes, baby programs and bilingual music sessions at branches across the county.
- Price level: Free
- Good for: A free morning anywhere in the county.
- Skip if: it’s a holiday.
- Website: https://mdpls.libnet.info/events

### Broward County Library (Broward County)

- Free story times, baby lapsits and toddler play at branches from Hollywood to Deerfield Beach.
- Price level: Free
- Good for: A free morning in Broward.
- Skip if: it’s a holiday.
- Website: https://broward.libnet.info/events

## Parks and outdoor play

### Flamingo Gardens (Davie, 3750 S. Flamingo Rd)

- Botanical gardens with an Everglades wildlife sanctuary, and a storytime the first Sunday of the month.
- Price level: $$
- Tickets: kids 3–11 $17; adults 12 and over $24; 2 and under
- Hours: Daily 9:30am–5pm; last entry 4pm
- Good for: Kids who want to see birds up close.
- Skip if: it’s after 4pm; that’s last entry.
- Price source: https://flamingogardens.org/ (checked 2026-10-28)
- Website: https://flamingogardens.org/

### Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (Coral Gables, 10901 Old Cutler Road)

- 83 acres of tropical gardens and lakes, with NightGarden after dark from Nov 12.
- Price level: $$
- Good for: A long stroller walk in the shade.
- Skip if: it’s midday in summer.
- Website: https://fairchildgarden.org/visit/

## Museums, zoos and big outings

### Miami Children’s Museum (Watson Island, 980 MacArthur Causeway)

- Hands-on pretend-play exhibits on the causeway to Miami Beach, open every day.
- Price level: $$
- Tickets: kids $26; adults $26; under 12 months
- Hours: Daily 10am–6pm
- Good for: A hot or rainy day with kids 1 to 8.
- Skip if: it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas; it’s closed.
- Price source: https://www.miamichildrensmuseum.org/tickets-admissions (checked 2026-10-28)
- Website: https://www.miamichildrensmuseum.org/tickets-admissions

### Frost Science (Downtown, 1101 Biscayne Blvd)

- A science museum with an aquarium and planetarium in Museum Park on the bay.
- Price level: $$$
- Hours: Daily 10am–5pm
- Good for: Preschoolers who love fish.
- Skip if: you want somewhere cheap; tickets add up for a family.
- Website: https://www.frostscience.org/

### Zoo Miami (South Miami-Dade, 12400 SW 152 Street)

- A big open-air zoo with more than 2,000 animals. Bring a stroller and plan for sun.
- Price level: $$
- Tickets: kids 3–12 $26; adults 13 and over $30; 2 and under
- Hours: Daily 10am–5pm; last ticket 4pm
- Good for: A full morning outside.
- Skip if: it’s past 4pm; that’s when the last ticket is sold.
- Price source: https://www.zoomiami.org/hours (checked 2026-10-28)
- Website: https://www.zoomiami.org/hours

### Young At Art Museum (Plantation, inside Broward Mall)

- A hands-on art museum where kids make things, with flat $12 admission.
- Price level: $
- Tickets: kids $12; adults $12; under 2
- Hours: Wed–Sun 11am–6pm
- Good for: A rainy afternoon in Broward.
- Skip if: it’s a Monday or Tuesday; it’s closed.
- Price source: https://youngatartmuseum.org/visit/ (checked 2026-10-28)
- Website: https://youngatartmuseum.org/visit/

### Museum of Discovery and Science (Downtown Fort Lauderdale, 401 SW Second Street)

- Fort Lauderdale’s science museum, open seven days.
- Price level: $$
- Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–5pm; Sun noon–5pm
- Good for: A rainy day in Fort Lauderdale.
- Skip if: you want to be outside.
- Website: https://mods.org/visit/

## Free things to do

- Miami-Dade Public Library System
- Broward County Library

## Best for under 3s

- **Miami Children’s Museum**: Free under 12 months.
- **Flamingo Gardens**: Free for 2 and under.

## Things to do with a baby or a 1-year-old

### Baby and lap-sit storytimes

- **Baby Storytime** (Broward County Library): Wednesdays at 10:30am · Deerfield Beach Percy White Branch. Stories, rhymes and bubbles for you and your baby. https://broward.libnet.info/event/17066069
- **Baby Lapsit** (Broward County Library): Thursdays at 10:30am · Main Library. Join us for songs, lap bounces, and fingerplays tailored just for babies. https://broward.libnet.info/event/17067381
- **Baby Lapsit Storytime** (Broward County Library): Fridays at 10:30am · Northwest Regional Library. Join us for songs, rhymes, and stories specifically selected for the developmental needs of babies before they start walking. https://broward.libnet.info/event/16785921

### Babies get in free

- **Flamingo Gardens**: 2 and under. https://flamingogardens.org/
- **Miami Children’s Museum**: under 12 months. https://www.miamichildrensmuseum.org/tickets-admissions
- **Zoo Miami**: 2 and under. https://www.zoomiami.org/hours
- **Young At Art Museum**: under 2. https://youngatartmuseum.org/visit/

## Library storytimes

- **Miami-Dade Public Library System**: Weekday and Saturday mornings at many branches. Free storytimes, tummy time and bilingual music sessions. https://mdpls.libnet.info/events
- **Broward County Library**: Weekday and Saturday mornings. Free story times, baby lapsits and toddler play. https://broward.libnet.info/events


## Happening this week

- **MiChi-Boo! at Miami Children’s Museum** (Sat 10am–6pm) at Miami Children’s Museum. Included with admission ($26; Florida residents $20; under 12 months free). https://littlesweekly.com/miami/#e-michi_boo_at_miami_childrens_museum
- **Spooky Science Monster Mash at Frost Science** (Sat 11am–3pm) at Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science. Free with paid museum admission. https://littlesweekly.com/miami/#e-spooky_science_monster_mash_at_frost_sci
- **HalloSCREAM in Pompano Beach** (Sat 6–8pm) at McNair Center. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/miami/#e-halloscream_in_pompano_beach
- **Halloween Fest at Bonnet House** (Sat 11am–4pm) at Bonnet House Museum & Gardens. Adults $25, kids 6–17 $8, 5 and under free. https://littlesweekly.com/miami/#e-halloween_fest_at_bonnet_house
- **Spooktacular Storytime in Miami Beach** (Sat 10:30–11:30am) at Miami Beach Regional Library. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/miami/#e-spooktacular_storytime_in_miami_beach

Full list with every outing: https://littlesweekly.com/miami/index.md

## Holiday pages

- [Santa in Miami and Fort Lauderdale: breakfast with Santa, photos and Santa trains (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/miami/santa/index.md)
- [Christmas lights in Miami and Fort Lauderdale for little kids (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/miami/christmas-lights/index.md)

## About this list
- Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city.
- How we choose and check listings, and how to send a correction: https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/ (corrections: hello@littlesweekly.com).
- Sponsored spots are labeled on the HTML pages and are not part of this editorial list.
- How to cite: “According to Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/…), …” and link the page you quote.

## FAQ

### Is Miami good for toddlers?
Yes. The Miami Children’s Museum is built for them, and library storytimes run all over Miami-Dade and Broward.

### What’s free for little kids in Miami?
Library storytimes and baby programs, plus city events in the parks.

### What can we do in Miami and Fort Lauderdale on a rainy or cold day with a toddler?
Go indoors: Miami-Dade Public Library System and Broward County Library. They’re all under one roof, and most work for a short visit around nap time.

### What can we do with a baby, 1-year-old or 2-year-old in Miami and Fort Lauderdale?
Miami Children’s Museum: Free under 12 months. Flamingo Gardens: Free for 2 and under. Free for the littlest: Zoo Miami (2 and under) and Young At Art Museum (under 2). See [best for under 3s](https://littlesweekly.com/miami/guide/#under3).

### Where are the free storytimes in Miami and Fort Lauderdale?
Miami-Dade Public Library System: Weekday and Saturday mornings at many branches. Broward County Library: Weekday and Saturday mornings. Library storytimes don’t need a ticket, but times change by branch, so check the calendar first. See [library storytimes](https://littlesweekly.com/miami/guide/#storytimes), and this week’s dated sessions are on the [Miami weekly list](https://littlesweekly.com/miami/).

### How do you choose the places in the Miami and Fort Lauderdale guide?
Every one of the 10 places is somewhere we’d take a baby, toddler or preschooler, with a note on who it suits and when to skip it. Prices, hours and menus come from each place’s own site, and 4 of them have checked admission or menu prices. The guide was last checked Oct 28, 2026. [How we choose and check](https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/).

### How much is the Zoo Miami for a toddler, and who gets in free?
2 and under; kids 3–12: $26; adults 13 and over: $30. We checked this on [its official site](https://www.zoomiami.org/hours) on Oct 28, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you go.

### How much is the Miami Children’s Museum for a toddler, and who gets in free?
Under 12 months; kids: $26; adults: $26. We checked this on [its official site](https://www.miamichildrensmuseum.org/tickets-admissions) on Oct 28, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you go.