How We Pulled Off a Miami Vacation With Our Kids

Miami is known for its nightlife, art scene, and college spring breaks. In fact, the last time I was there, I was in my twenties, single, and there was no sleep, bus, club, another club (hopefully, you got my Lady Gaga reference). 

But did you know that it’s also the perfect place for a family vacation?   

Yes! I traded in girls’ trips for a nuclear family vacation in South Beach. I skipped the amusement parks and long lines in Orlando and opted for luxury, fun, and relaxation in Miami. The best part: my whole family enjoyed it.

How To Enjoy Miami With Kids

If you’re wondering whether Miami can be family-friendly, take it from me—it is. Whether you’re building sandcastles with your little one or catching up on high school drama with your teen, the city has a little something for everyone. Here are my suggestions.

Choose the right accommodations

The key to making this a successful family trip was finding the right location. The Loews Miami Beach Resort allowed us to reconnect with our teenager and make lasting memories with our kindergartener who, believe it or not, had never been to the beach. This hotel seamlessly blends South Beach luxury with family-friendly fun, making it an ideal choice for parents looking to relax while keeping their kids entertained.

My ultimate hack for parents traveling with kids with large age gaps is to request connecting rooms. This kept the peace because lord knows our 6-foot-2 teen would not enjoy sleeping next to his little brother. The beds were so comfortable, it induced immediate sleep for the 5-year-old. And if you’ve ever been around a kindergartener for more than eight hours, you know that deep sleep is what we parents pray for. 

Our 14-year-old enjoyed being up late listening to music on his headphones, uninterrupted. Meanwhile, my husband and I struggled to stay up past 11 p.m. to watch HGTV’s Celebrity IOU; it wasn’t long before it was watching us.

Find the best activities for all ages

No matter where you travel to with your family, finding activities everyone enjoys is important. This is what helped make our trip special.

• Taking the kids to the beach. Our hotel offered direct access to the beach. It was super clean and perfect for building sandcastles. The Loews provides food and beverage service on the beach so no need to struggle in the sand with trays of food and drinks. We had the choice of complimentary beach chairs but opted to rent a daybed so we could all be together. It was well worth it for comfort, convenience, and privacy.
• Playing games. We enjoyed the property’s lawn games. We played the giant connect four, table tennis, mini golf, and cornhole games, which brought us closer together.
• Scheduling pool time. The pool at our hotel was a vibe. It’s a zero entry to a six-foot depth pool. My teen and I chilled in the hot tub and caught up on his high school drama. We decided to pack a life jacket for our 5-year-old swimmer, but there were plenty of noodles to keep the kids (and some adults) afloat.
• Using the kids clubs. In our case, the Sobe Kids Club gave us a much-needed break from our youngest son. If you have kids with large age gaps you know that they need their space. They’re usually either wrestling or provoking the other to chase them down. Our 14-year-old could not have been happier for the break. Our younger one drew art, made slime, decorated a cookie, and ate a balanced lunch with other kids his age. When we picked him up, he didn’t want to leave!

Head to a museum

Miami has several museums families can visit, including the Miami Children’s Museum and the Museum of Ice Cream. I highly recommend the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science. This is one of the few institutions worldwide to have both an aquarium and a planetarium in one museum. I truly enjoyed how this place brought the two boys together.

When you have kids with an age gap, you don’t always get to enjoy both of their phases because you’re constantly bouncing between their different life stages. It was priceless to see them working together and having fun. They rode bicycles to generate power and used their upper body strength to learn about gravity.  

Dine out

You can’t go wrong with most of the dining options in Miami. I loved that our hotel’s restaurants offered activity books and crayons for the little ones. Here are my food suggestions:

• Bar Collins. Order the sushi! The table will enjoy the warm chocolate cake adorned with popcorn.
• Preston’s Market. The pancakes are amazing!
• Rao’s. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. The shrimp scampi, meatballs, and carbonara were our favs.

Capture the moment

Parents don’t always make it into vacation photos, so I booked a Loews Miami Beach Family Photoshoot with Focal Point Experience, and I’m so glad we did! Photoshoots with kids typically require photographers to be flexible because you never know if kids will cooperate. 

It took a while for our 5-year-old to warm up but the photographer never got frustrated. The photographer gave excellent direction so that we could get through the shoots quickly and the results were picture-perfect.

Extend your stay when you can

My advice for your last day is to see how you might be able to extend your stay. Your hotel may have an option like ours did. Checkout at our hotel was at 11 a.m., but booking the Soak Cabana gave us almost an entire extra day. It included a personalized butler, a duplex-style setup, a shower, bathroom, A/C, TV, sunscreen, and more. You can enjoy the pool, freshen up, and head straight to the airport or your next adventure like we did!