South Miami kids can cool off this summer at the Founders Park splash pad! Photo courtesy of City of Aventura
Top 21 Splash Pads and Spraygrounds near Miami and Fort Lauderdale
Get to know your baby during the My Grownup and Me classes at Baby Stars! Photo courtesy of Baby Stars
15 Best Mommy-and-Me Classes in Miami for Kids
Task-tackling service Taskrabbit is able to take on tons of back-to-school projects you may not have even considered outsourcing.
25 Back-to-School Tasks You Didn't Know You Could Pay Someone Else to Do
GUIDE
Classes Guide for Miami Kids
Keep kids laughing and splashing in the pool with these fun games you can play anywhere! Photo by Blue Orange Studio courtesy of Canva
20 Favorite Swimming Pool Games for Kids
Head to Fort Lauderdale this summer for the Movies By Moonlight free movie series. Photo by The Loop FLB, courtesy of Las Olas Oceanside Park
Cheap and Free Outdoor Movies in Miami this Summer for Kids
We've launched a partnership with Care.com to bring background-checked nannies and sitters to the Mommy Poppins Directory.
Find Trusted Babysitters and Nannies Now on Mommy Poppins–Powered by Care.com
Anclote Key, made up of four islands off the Gulf Coast's Tarpon Springs, is a popular gathering place for boaters. Photo courtesy Visit St. Pete-Clearwater
Best Sandbars Near Orlando and Central Florida for Families Interested in Adventure
Get up-close with crocodiles at Zoo Miami. Photo by Ron Magill for Zoo Miami
55 Fun Things To Do around Miami with Kids Before They Grow Up
Get ready for back to school with all the right supplies, classes, and tips.
GUIDE
Back-to-School Guide 2023-24
GUIDE
Ultimate Miami Kids Summer Vacation Guide
Free splash pads and spraygrounds are easy ways to enjoy the summer without breaking the bank. Photo courtesy of City of Fort Lauderdale Parks and Recreation
25 Awesome Free Things To Do in Miami This Summer With Kids
Gulfstream Park’s Music in the Park features the greatest collection of local homegrown performers. Photo courtesy of The Village at Gulfstream Park
Free Summer Concerts and the Best Outdoor Music Festivals for Families in Miami South Florida
Get close to underwater creatures at the Frost Science Museum's massive aquarium. Photo by Jackie Jones
Frost Science Museum: Miami's Must-See Family Attraction
The Burger Shack welcomes small children who enjoy the state-of-the-art playground, attached to the restaurant. Photo courtesy of Burger Shack at Lighthouse Cove
Restaurants in Miami Where Kids Can Play While Parents Eat
Go snorkeling in the stunning water at Tranquility Bay Resort. Photo courtesy of the resort
30 Things To Do in the Florida Keys with Kids (Besides Key West )
Photo courtesy of Just 4 Fun Family Fun Center
Best Indoor Playgrounds and Play Spaces in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, & West Palm Beach
Preschool camps near Miami allow young kids to explore the exciting world around them. Photo courtesy of Funky Fish Ocean Camp
Best Summer Camps in Miami & South Florida for Preschoolers
Kids at Ladybug Yoga summer camp enjoy yoga, arts & crafts, dance, karate, movies, music & drama, playground, water play, and more! Photo courtesy of Ladybug Yoga Camp
Best Free and Affordable Summer Camps in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach
Photo by Jackie Jones
Butterfly World in Coconut Creek: Why Kids Love this South Florida Bug Zoo
Kids will delight at the sight of these aquatic giants. Photo by Charlotte Blanton
The Best Places to See Manatees Near Orlando
Photo courtesy of Ocquatics Swim School
Swimming Lessons for Miami Kids: 10 Best Swim Schools in South Florida
JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Tidal Cove Waterpark - Photo courtesy of Tripadvisor
Best Ft. Lauderdale and Miami Beach Hotels and Resorts for Kids and Families
All Aboard South Florida's New Train: Riding the Brightline to Miami
There are more than just lions at Lion Country Safari.
Lion Country Safari: Drive-thru Zoo with Wildlife, Water Rides, & More in South Florida
Kayaking is one of the many outdoor activities available at John D. MacArthur Beach State Park.
  VIDEO
West Palm Beach with Kids: 40 Things To Do in West Palm Beach, Florida
Treat little ones to a day of fun and glitter at the Kids & Family Festival, located on the Hialeah campus of Miami Dade College. Photo courtesy of the school
Robots, Outdoor Movies, and More Fun Things to Do in Miami This Weekend

Christmas Weekend Things To Do in Miami & South Florida: Lights, Santa, Reindeer, & Mermaids!

Zoo Lights photo courtesy of Zoo Miami
Zoo Lights photo courtesy of Zoo Miami
12/21/22 - By Lindsey Scannell

Merry Christmas! The holidays have arrived, and we are in full celebration mode. This is the time to gather your family together and head to one of the many festive events on our calendar for a happy Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa weekend. Continue the Santa and reindeer fun at a scavenger hunt (with prizes!) at A Very Merry Garden. Squeeze in some last minute shopping or just indulge in festive spirit being Merry in Mizner Park with roaming performers. And Zoo Lights Miami has one million bright and dazzling tree lights, a 26-foot LED holiday tree, animal visits, and Santa making a few last appearances.

Check out all our picks for this holiday weekend, including more things open on Christmas Day than you might have thought!

More Things To Do in Miami this Week with Kids:

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

A Very Merry Garden: Reindeer Round-Up & Santa Letters photo courtesy of the event
A Very Merry Garden: Reindeer Round-Up & Santa Letters photo courtesy of the event

Christmas Weekend Things To Do in Miami and South Florida with Kids

Zoo Lights Miami

Miami - December 22 & 23, 2022
Walk through more than one million bright and dazzling tree lights, see a 26-foot-tall LED holiday tree, and enjoy animal appearances and appearances by Santa at this fun holiday event. READ MORE

Cookies and Milk with Santa

Davie - December 23, 2022
It’s Christmas on the farm and Santa is ready for your family with milk and cookies, story time and a hayride at this magical event. READ MORE

Merry In Mizner at Mizner Park

Boca Raton - December 23, 2022
Experience pop-up entertainment sprinkled throughout Mizner Park as entertainers roam around while performing. READ MORE

Mrs. Claus Holiday Art Workshop

Plantation - Through December 23, 2022
Mrs. Claus is in town and ready to get crafty this holiday season! Kids can create an ornament masterpiece and snap a photo with Mrs. Claus. READ MORE

Old Town Trolley's Holiday Sights & Festive Nights Tour

Key West - December 23, 2022
See all the best decorations on a holiday tour of historic Key West homes in a splendid cascade of lights and other decorative touches to see which local can outdo the other in a friendly, holiday-inspired competition. READ MORE

Mermaids and Mimosas

Fort Lauderdale - December 25, 2022
B Ocean Resort hosts a fintastic brunch with bottomless mimosas and swimming mermaids galore. READ MORE

Christmas Day Live Music at The Square

West Palm Beach - December 25, 2022
After all the presents are opened, enjoy live holiday musical performances to cap off your Christmas holiday. READ MORE

Holiday in Paradise

West Palm Beach - Through December 31, 2022
(Open Christmas Day!)
Sandi and the Ferris wheel light up every night in December, awaiting families with photo ops, rides, and tons of fun. READ MORE

A Very Merry Garden: Reindeer Round-Up & Santa Letters

Miami - Through January 1, 2023
(Open Christmas Day!)
Santa’s reindeer are hiding across the Garden, soaking up as much sun as possible before heading back to the North Pole, and the gardeners need your help to find them. Find all of Santa’s reindeer for a chance to win a prize. And stop by Santa's post office to send a letter! READ MORE

Santa’s Enchanted Forest

Miami - Through January 8, 2023
(Open Christmas Day!)
Miami's seasonal theme park opens only for the holidays with more than 100 rides, shows, and attractions, plus Santa Claus visits, Christmas karaoke, and plenty of holiday lights. READ MORE

Santa’s Circus and Magical Village

Miami - Through January 1, 2023
(Open Christmas Day!)
Santa Claus is coming to town and making a high-profile appearance at this interactive walk-through event with an abundance of merry and spectacular attractions, lights, activities, and circus performances. READ MORE

Winter Wonderlab Science Weekends in December

Fort Lauderdale - Through December 31, 2022
(Open Christmas Day!)
Are you a future meterorologist or just intrigued by the weather? This exhibit helps kids to experience, understand, and question why weather happens and why Florida weather is so different from anywhere else in the world. READ MORE

NightGarden: A Magical Light Experience

Miami - Through January 8, 2023
(Open Christmas Day!)
Walk through gardens transformed into an illuminated magical fairyland with technicolor flowers and unique sculptures. The magic includes lighting effects, outdoor holograms, motion sensing technology, projection mapping, and music. READ MORE

Nights of Lights

Pinecrest - Through January 1, 2023
(Open Christmas Day!)
Enter a winter wonderland with thousands of twinkling lights, a holiday-themed maze, and sparkling lights that are bigger than ever before. READ MORE

Miami Central The Polar Express Train Ride

Miami - Through December 29, 2022
(except Christmas Day)
All aboard The Polar Express Train Ride, a fun and festive train ride filled with music, smiles, laughter, cookies, hot chocolate, and that perfect sleigh bell to symbolize the first gift of the Christmas Season. READ MORE

Best Holiday Lights, Drive-Thru Light Shows, and Christmas Light Displays in Miami & South Florida

The holidays need drive-thru lights, boat parades, and over-the-top home displays to truly sparkle! READ MORE

Places featured in this article: