Playgrounds and things to do with kids in Miami (19)

Shaded playgrounds, paved nature paths and seasonal splash play make this a good mixed-age park for longer outings.

A real playground in a big Coconut Grove lawn, with Glass & Vine next door when parents want food without leaving the park.

Large gated playground with a ship and big slide for older kids plus a little train area for younger ones.

A pirate-themed water park with Shipwreck Island for toddlers and Pirate's Plunge for the ones who want the big slides.

A nature-themed playground with climbing structures, slides and swings, and enough open space around it for a scooter.

A boat to climb and a wave wall with sea creatures set into it, right on the bay in the middle of downtown.

A 20,000-square-foot playground built round a rocket ship, with rock walls and musical instruments at ground level.

More than 3,000 animals plus feeding experiences and shows make the huge open-air zoo worth a full family day.

A three-storey indoor playground with laser tag and a 7-D theatre attached, which is what a rainy afternoon in Wynwood needs.

Forty-odd railcars to walk through and a train ride at weekends, next door to the zoo if you want both in a day.

Second Saturday is a free family day, with the city's history laid out at a height a child can look into.

Close encounters with sloths, lemurs and orangutans, and a zip line and wind tunnel for the ones who want a turn.

Built for kids, with interactive galleries, pretend-play spaces, a two-story sand castle and an outdoor playground.

Kids get alligator demonstrations, airboat rides and a museum while learning about Miccosukee culture in the Everglades.

A large aquarium, planetarium and hands-on science exhibits give kids plenty to touch, test and explore.

U-pick fields and a corn maze in season, the kind of outing that tires children out without a ticket queue.

Ten acres of formal gardens to wander with a maze of hedges, fountains and a stone barge out in the bay.

An outdoor gallery of huge murals, seen at walking pace, with the rest of the district's walls free to look at.

Small enough that children hold a primate and feed a camel rather than watching from behind a rail.