One of the good things about living in South Florida is that you have a wide variety of things to do and places to visit. Whether it’s in the city or outside the city you can find plenty of fun and relaxing activities to do with your family. If you and your kids enjoy nature and the outdoors then there are three places that you definitely need to visit any time of the year. It may require a little bit of driving since they are outside of the city but it definitely makes for a great little family field trip and adventure with your kids!
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
Within 30 minutes from Downtown Miami is the island town of Key Biscayne where you can find one of the most beautiful nature places to visit in South Florida. If you drive all the way down the island you will reach Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park which has plenty to offer and makes for a very relaxing and peaceful experience with your kids. One of the things that makes the state park so unique is that they have a historic lighthouse in which you can actually take a tour and climb the 109 steps to the top to get some of the best views of the city and ocean. Plus, they also have nature trails along with a keeper’s cottage and a beautiful beach.
The park has plenty of activities for you and your kids to do. Here are a few fun ideas that you can do while you’re there:
Have a picnic or BBQ at the beach
Take a tour of the lighthouse
Rent some kayaks
Go fishing
Ride bicycles
Go for a nature walk
Fly a kite
I definitely recommend making this your first place to visit and field trip to take with your kids since there is so much to see and do there. Plus, it’s not too far from the city and is the perfect little day retreat!
Everglades National Park
If you take a drive down to Homestead, right before heading to the Florida Keys there’s a very popular park called Everglades National Park. This very peaceful, relaxing, and lush wetland preserve is home to hundreds of animal species and makes for the perfect field trip with your kids. You can find plenty of nature and hiking trails there along with boardwalks and visitor centers that offer educational resources about the Everglades. If your kids love animals and the outdoors then they will really enjoy a visit to the park and they might even get to spot an alligator, bird, or other wildlife while they’re there!
Here are just a few ideas of some of the activities that you can do with your kids and family:
Camping
Stargazing
Kayaking or canoeing
Wildlife observation
Ride bicycles
Take a walk on Mahogany Hammock Trail
I would definitely recommend making plans to visit Everglades National Park and maybe even plan a weekend camping trip especially if you have older kids. Something that I always recommend doing is taking a telescope to go stargazing at night. If your kids enjoy astronomy and anything related to space then they will definitely love it, especially because there’s a high chance of spotting shooting stars!
Ah Tah Thi Ki Museum
One of the most educational and peaceful nature places to take your kids on a field trip is the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum. The museum is located in Clewiston in the heart of the Florida Everglades and it is part of the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation. It’s a place that not too many people have heard about since it’s about a good hour and a half to two-hour drive from Miami so it’s very secluded from the city.
The cool thing about the museum is that it has over 180,000 artifacts and it’s a great cultural and historical experience for kids because they can learn all about the Seminole Indians and even some Florida history. My favorite thing about the museum and the reason why it’s a must-nature place to visit is that it has a beautiful mile-long boardwalk that is fully surrounded by trees and wildlife. Plus, they have a small Indian village there where you could sometimes catch a glimpse of Seminole people making their well-known bead jewelry and other handmade crafts.
Something else that I would highly recommend in addition to visiting the museum for a day is checking out their annual American Indian Arts Celebration which is usually held in the beginning of November each year. At the festival, they have alligator and wildlife demonstrations, food, music, dancing, arts and crafts, and much more so it’s a fun event that your kids and family will enjoy. Plus, it’s a unique cultural experience for your kids so I definitely recommend it!
So the next time you and your family are looking for an outdoor adventure and field trip to take make sure to check out these three places because they will definitely enjoy it!
