In July, Miami buzzes with activities for kids. Whether you want to enjoy the weather outdoors or escape the heat with an indoor activity, you will find plenty of ways to enjoy Miami. Take the youngest members of your family along as you visit zoos, parks, museums and other summertime attractions.
At Monkey Jungle, more than 400 primates run free over 30 acres of reserved land. Monkey Jungle is one of the only protected monkey habitats in the United States and it provides a home for members of 30 species of primates, including spider monkeys and gibbons. Your kids can watch Java monkeys interact with guides during scheduled feedings and learn about orangutans during special presentations. Monkey Jungle also offers guided tours, group rates and birthday party packages.
The Miami Children's Museum encourages kids and families to learn through play. Open daily throughout the summer months, the museum's permanent interactive exhibits include a two-story sandcastle, a health and wellness center and a world music studio. The museum also welcomes several traveling exhibits each year. In July 2011, your kids can visit a traveling construction and design exhibit featuring Bob the Builder. If you live in Miami or will be visiting for an extended period, consider sending your kids to the museum's summer day camp for a week or two in July.
Zoo Miami aims to encourage kids and families to appreciate wildlife. More than 100 exhibits cover the zoo's 740 acres. As you wind through the zoo on three miles of walkways, you will encounter 2,000 animals representing 500 species, including 40 endangered species. Let your kids get up close and personal with small animals at the children's zoo, where they can ride camels, gently touch reptiles and stroll through the butterfly garden.
Miami Seaquarium combines education with entertainment. Eight different shows featuring dolphins, killer whales, sea lions and other marine mammals delight kids while demonstrating animal behavior. Between shows, kids can explore exhibits and listen to presentations about the animals not featured in shows, including crocodiles, sharks, manatees and tropical fish. Children 5 and older can interact personally with dolphins in the dolphin encounter program. The program begins with an informative presentation about dolphins then lets kids and adults wade into the water to play, touch and feel a dolphin.
