If you’re looking to explore Greater Miami & Miami Beach with your teenager, you’ll find plenty for teens to do. For starters, they can race across Biscayne Bay in a speedboat, watch professional sports, test their own paddling, golf or ninja skills, or just enjoy a day in nature or at a fun museum. Here’s our guide to the best activities for teenagers and their families in Miami.

Famiy biking past an alligator at Shark Valley — Biking the trails at Shark Valley

Outdoor Adventures to Explore

Everglades and Biscayne National Parks

Miami is the only place that is home to two national parks. Everglades National Park is an ecosystem unlike any other in the world, one where you can hike through sawgrass prairies, hardwood hammocks and ancient swamps. Ride a bicycle to explore the paved trails at Shark Valley, or head to the Flamingo Campground and take a daylong hike to a secluded beach along the Coastal Prairie Trail.

Miami’s other national park is a hidden treasure – almost literally, since 95% of Biscayne National Park is underwater. Families can take guided eco-adventure tours from the Biscayne National Park Institute.

Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden

Whether you’re from Miami or here on vacation, don’t miss the tropical landscape at Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden in Coral Gables. It offers student discounts and has plenty of places to walk and take Insta-worthy pictures, plus a greenhouse, butterfly experience and gift shop.

Kayaking at Oleta River State Park — Go on an adventure on the water

Out On The Water

Miami is all about the water. It’s easy to kayak and paddleboard off the shores of many parks and beaches. Rent a kayak at Oleta River State Park in North Miami Beach and paddle through mangroves and out to Biscayne Bay. Use our guide to help plan your beach day.

Tidal Cove

Tidal Cove at the J.W. Marriott Miami at Turnberry Resort and Spa in Aventura offers mind-blowing waterslides with minimal wait times. Teens can speed down the almost-vertical Aqua Drop, twist through the Constrictor or power through the Master Blaster, the world’s first uphill water slide, while you relax in the Lazy River or the lagoon-style Laguna swimming pool.

Hammerheads, rays and more swimming over visitors in the Gulf Stream Aquarium at the Frost Museum — Sea life swimming overhead at the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science

Indoor Adventures to Enjoy as a Family

Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science Science

Wander six levels of exhibits that include a re-creation of the Everglades and a 500,000-gallon tank filled with hammerhead sharks, rays and other Gulf Stream marine life at the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science in Downtown Miami. Don't miss the Planetarium Show which is included with your paid admission. If you want to experience a laser light show set to music, check out the Laser Evening during your visit.

Escape Rooms

Teens are savvy enough to figure their way out of a lot of situations, and they can put this knowledge to good use in an escape room. If you’ve got a group together, check out Fox in a Box in Downtown Miami, Great Escape Room in Coral Gables or PanIQ in Wynwood, and see what kind of themed experiences you can get into (and, hopefully, out of).

Obstacle courst at Planet Air Sports — Planet Air Sports

Adventure Parks

Dezerland Park

If you’ve ever watched “American Ninja Warrior” and thought, “I could do that,” you’ll want to test your skills at Dezerland Park. This complex in North Miami boasts its own warrior course, where many aspiring contestants train. Dezerland also has more than 200 video games in its Miami Arcade plus go-karting, roller skating, trampolines, rock climbing and a virtual reality park.

Planet Air Sports

It’s not often that you can ski, bowl and bounce on trampolines in the same afternoon, but all that and more is possible at Planet Air Sports in Doral. It’s home to Miami’s only indoor ski slope, where teens can learn the basics of skiing and snowboarding. They can also try to navigate a ropes course, climbing wall or ninja course, and then jump into the trampoline park and bounce around like they’re little kids again.

Family posing for a picture at a Miami Heat Game — Family at a Miami Heat Game

Spectator Sports

Miami is home to three professional sports teams, so whatever time of year you’re in town, there’ll be a game going on. Watch Miami Dolphins football at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens (also home to University of Miami Hurricanes football). You can see Miami HEAT basketball games at the Kaseya Center in Downtown Miami. Miami Marlins baseball games are played in Little Havana at loanDepot Park, where teens can enjoy everything from hot dogs to croquetas at the concessions in left field.

View of Bayside Marketplace, Hard Rock Cafe and Skyviews Miami Observation Wheel — Bayside Marketplace for shopping, food and fun

Neighborhoods To Explore

Downtown Miami

Bayside Marketplace

Teens will enjoy stepping into one of the many boutiques or grabbing lunch by the water at Bayside Marketplace, at the foot of the Miamarina in Downtown Miami. The breezy outdoor market is home to the Hard Rock Cafe Miami, Bubba Gump Shrimp Company and much more.

Waving from a yellow Thriller Miami Speedboat in South Beach — Tour Miami from the ocean with Thriller Miami Speedboat Adventures

Thriller Speedboat Adventures

Take your teens out on Thriller Miami Speedboat Adventures’ 45-minute high-speed tour of the Biscayne Bay, the Miami skyline, Fisher Island, Star Island and more. Tours leave directly from Bayside Marketplace.

Box office at Rooftop Cinema Club South Beach — Sunsets and movies at Rooftop Cinema Club South Beach

Miami Beach

Lincoln Road

Miami Beach’s iconic Lincoln Road pedestrian mall is perfect for teens. The street is filled with shops teens will love, such as H&M, Gap and Zara. When night falls, watch a movie under the stars at the Rooftop Cinema Club South Beach.

Wynwood

Wynwood Walls

The pop art murals lining the walls in Wynwood are far more alluring to teenager than the art they’d find in a more traditional museum. Ready for a break? Stop by Coyo Taco or Asian food hall 1-800-Lucky. If you’re craving something sweet, grab a craft donut at The Salty or check out James Beard Award Finalist and Bib Gourmand awarded Zak the Baker for artisanal desserts.

Explore

Experience Miami's Concerts & Live Music Events

Discover the Best Miami Spas

Planning a visit to Miami? Check out these itinerary ideas

Use our Hipster Guide to plan the perfect weekend

Love Music? Let's Go to a Concert

Summer in Miami

Miami Beach's Luxury Oceanfront Hotels

Top Resorts for Families

Discover Miami's Best Ice Cream Spots

Looking for Restaurants with Live Music?

Coldplay | July 26

Florida Supercon | July 18-20

Indulge with Miami Spa Months Deals | July-Aug

Pampering Treatments During Miami Spa Months

Miami For Teens

Thank you for your submission !

STAY IN THE KNOW WITH ALL THINGS GREATER MIAMI & MIAMI BEACH