Insights

Artful Adventures: Summer Activities for Kids and Families in Miami

Scuba divers next to an underwater sculpture.
The Reefline, Miami. Experience the majesty of “Heart of Okeanos,” Image by Petroc Sesti.

Miami may be famous for its nightlife but it’s also a treasure trove of creative, family-friendly experiences, especially during the summer months. Whether you’re a local or planning a cultural getaway with kids in tow, the city offers plenty of art-inspired activities to spark curiosity, creativity, and connection. From hands-on camps and workshops to free museum days and outdoor sculpture hunts, here’s Art Market Liaison’s go-to guide for art activities the whole family can enjoy.

Outdoor (and Underwater) Art Adventures

Not all art experiences happen indoors. For a unique twist, explore these outdoor (and even underwater!) options:

The ReefLine: Miami’s first one-of-a-kind underwater sculpture park features site-specific works by renowned international artists, including Carlos Betancourt and Alberto Latorre, Leandro Erlich, and Petroc Sesti. Located along the sands of Miami Beach, the hybrid reef structures have been engineered to foster coral growth and marine biodiversity, with a publicly accessible snorkel trail offering inclusive and immersive access to underwater art and marine ecosystems. The ReefLine is accessible by boat, snorkeling, or scuba diving. Children can visit with adult supervision – just be sure they’re strong swimmers and fitted with the right gear.

Bayfront Park’s Isamu Noguchi Sculpture: Designed by celebrated American sculptor Isamu Noguchi, this 10-foot slide is more than just a playground feature – it’s a fully functional work of art. Located in Bayfront Park, Slide Mantra reflects Noguchi’s vision of integrating art with public space. When he first proposed redesigning the area, he advocated for the removal of a waterfront library to create open sightlines to the bay. Embracing the park’s lush, palm-filled landscape, Noguchi used curving pathways and sculptural elements to shape a space that encourages movement and interaction. Today, the slide invites kids (and playful adults) to engage directly with the art – making it a fun, interactive highlight for families and a picture-perfect Instagram moment.

Wynwood Walls: One of Miami’s most iconic open-air art destinations – perfect for a family stroll and a colorful backdrop for portraits. Once a warehouse district, Wynwood was transformed in the early 2000s into a thriving arts hub. Today, the district features large-scale murals by renowned artists like Shepard Fairey, Maya Hayuk, and Kenny Scharf, alongside emerging voices from around the world. Families can wander at their own pace or join a guided, kid-friendly tour to learn more about the stories, techniques, and cultural influences behind each piece.

Miami Children’s Museum

Located on Watson Island, the Miami Children’s Museum is packed with interactive exhibitions and programs that blend learning with play. Their themed summer camps are a standout, offering weekly sessions tailored to specific interests. Camps still running this summer include: 

  • Hollywood & Broadway Stars Week (July 21–25, 2025): Budding performers can explore the world of theater and film through improv games, short movie-making, and costume design.
  • Mad Scientists Week (July 28–August 1, 2025): For the curious and hands-on child, this week is filled with exciting experiments across chemistry, physics, and biology—all designed with kids in mind.

Check-out their website for year-round activities, from Mini Mondays geared towards infants and toddlers to other hands-on art activities, art studio drop-in workshops and the museum’s Glass Lab

The Bass

The Bass, located along the famed Miami Beach, offers eight weeks of imaginative summer art camps for kids ages 5–12, running from June 9 through August 8, 2025. Campers can experiment with painting, sculpture, drawing, and mixed media, often inspired by the museum’s exhibitions. Sessions are structured to foster creative thinking, encourage self-expression, and introduce young artists to contemporary art practices.

Beyond the summer season, The Bass offers a variety of programs for families and children of all ages – from Bass Babies, multidisciplinary and sensory sessions are designed for toddlers, to Family Days, offered as part of free admission to the museum on the last Sunday of each month offering afternoons of art-making, exploration and fun in The Bass Creativity Center. Make sure to check out the museum’s Kids and Families page on its website for the latest programming and events.

Pérez Art Museum Miami 

Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) offers a wide range of programs designed to spark creativity in children and families, with bilingual resources and art-making guides available in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole.

  • PAMM Art Storytime invites pre-K children and their caregivers for an enriching mini museum experience, followed by a hands-on art activity in the Vattikuti Learning Theatre. Held on select Saturdays from 11am to 12:30pm, this program blends storytelling with visual arts. Space is limited and pre-registration is encouraged.
  • PAMM Free Second Saturdays is one of the museum’s most popular programs, welcoming families to make art together in a festive, inclusive environment. Led by experienced, multi-lingual teaching artists, each session features hands-on workshops, guided tours, live performances, and guest artist appearances. Admission is free all day, with art-making from 11am to 3pm every second Saturday of the month.
  • Art Station brings PAMM’s teaching artists into the spotlight, transforming the museum’s ad-hoc studio space into a hub of collaborative creativity. Families can also continue their art adventures at home with printable activity sheets and Take-n’-Make kits created by PAMM Teaching Artists and inspired by works on view. These resources offer accessible, hands-on prompts designed to engage children of all ages with the world of art.

Local Art Classes

For families looking for more personalized or ongoing art instruction, Miami is home to a number of independent studios, offering art classes for every age group. Is there a better way of spending the weekend, mixing creativity with fun ?

  • Yesi Makes Art: Artist Yesenia “Yesi” Tefel offers vibrant workshops tailored to kids, with a focus on process over perfection.
  • KidCreate Studio: A mobile art studio serving North Miami, offering themed art camps and birthday parties for kids ages 3–12.
  • The Art Shack, Miami: This beloved studio provides age-specific classes for toddlers to teens, focusing on both fun and foundational skills.

Thank you for your interest in AML!

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