# Visiting Miami and Fort Lauderdale with toddlers and little kids: the plan

> Stay downtown or on Miami Beach for the children’s museum and Frost Science, which are a short drive apart. Zoo Miami is far south, so give it its own morning. Here’s a plan with nap time built in.

- Last checked: 2026-10-28
- One- and two-day plans with a nap in the middle
- Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/miami/visiting/
- This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/miami/index.md
- City guide (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/miami/guide/index.md
- City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/miami/llms.txt

## Top 2 can’t-miss spots

- **Miami Children’s Museum** (Watson Island, 980 MacArthur Causeway): Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. Cost: $26 per person. Site: https://www.miamichildrensmuseum.org/tickets-admissions
- **Frost Science** (Downtown, 1101 Biscayne Blvd): Opens at 10am. Site: https://www.frostscience.org/

## If you have one day

1. **MORNING**: Miami Children’s Museum (Opens at 10am · Watson Island, 980 MacArthur Causeway · $26 per person). https://www.miamichildrensmuseum.org/tickets-admissions
2. **Nap**: Back to the hotel for nap. If your little one sleeps best in the car, take a loop.
3. **AFTER NAP**: Frost Science (Closes at 5pm · Downtown, 1101 Biscayne Blvd). https://www.frostscience.org/

## If you have two days

Day 1 is the one-day plan above. Day 2:

1. **MORNING**: Zoo Miami (Opens at 10am · South Miami-Dade, 12400 SW 152 Street · $26 kids, $30 adults). https://www.zoomiami.org/hours
2. **Nap**: Back to the hotel for nap. If your little one sleeps best in the car, take a loop.
3. **AFTER NAP**: Flamingo Gardens (Last entry at 4pm · Davie, 3750 S. Flamingo Rd · $17 kids, $24 adults). https://flamingogardens.org/

## Where to stay

- **Downtown Miami** (downtown): The children’s museum and Frost Science are a short drive apart. Near Miami Children’s Museum and Frost Science.

## Easy restaurants near the big stops

- **Versailles** (Cuban, Little Havana): Calle Ocho classic with a walk-up window. https://www.versaillesrestaurant.com/

## Rainy-day backup plan

- **Miami Children’s Museum**: Indoors.
- **Young At Art Museum**: Indoors, in a mall.

## Practical tips

- Heat: Plan outdoor stops for the morning and bring water; afternoon storms are common in summer.


## 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 and Fort Lauderdale kid-friendly?
For a family with kids under 6, yes. Our Miami and Fort Lauderdale guide lists 10 places we checked for little kids, plus 2 free places and 2 picks for babies and toddlers. This page adds 1 easy restaurant near the big stops and free storytimes at 2 library systems. This week’s list has 23 dated outings for ages 0–6. See [free things to do in Miami and Fort Lauderdale](https://littlesweekly.com/miami/guide/#free) and [this weekend’s list](https://littlesweekly.com/miami/).

### Where should we stay with a toddler?
Downtown Miami or Miami Beach puts the children’s museum and Frost Science close together.

### What if it rains?
The children’s museum, Frost Science, Young At Art and the Museum of Discovery and Science all work.