Top Indoor Playgrounds In Miami
Keeping the kids entertained when rainy days scare the outdoor fun away doesn't have to be a huge challenge. Past the joys of entertaining them in house, Miami's indoor play options abound. The city's best indoor playgrounds promise pint-sized fun for the whole family.
Planet Kids Playground
2403 N.E. 2nd Ave.
Miami, FL 33137
(305) 573-1379
www.planetkidsplayground.com/
Price: $10 regular admission open play 6 months to 8 years old/$7 siblings
Planet Kids Playground and Cafe is a great indoor option for parents for families near Miami Beach and downtown Miami. Planet Kids offers open play for kids, birthday parties and classes for little ones. The three-story open play area boasts tons of fun slides and obstacle courses. Specialized toddler, pretend play/dress-up, and arts and crafts areas offer options to keep everyone entertained. Planet Kids is also great for parents, with a cafe featuring an impressive variety of sandwiches, salads, snacks and gelato as well as a kids' menu. As an added bonus, Planet Kids offers playgroups, after-school programs, day camps and field trips.
Happy Playz
8735 S.W. 136th St.
Miami, FL 33176
(305) 233-4008
happyplayz.com/
Price: $8 for 0 to 24 months/$10 for ages 2 to 6/free for one adult per child/$5 additional adults/free adults 55 and older
Happy Playz offers indoor, age-appropriate fun for kids. For children ages 0 to 2 years old, mirrors and a kaleidoscope area stimulate developing senses. A three-story area for children ages 2 to 6 years old encourages kids to work together while exploring a new and fun environment. Other areas offer pretend play where kids may be doctors, firefighters and even chefs. Happy Playz does not require appointments or membership. Parents here enjoy free WiFi, and a menu appropriate for the entire family.
Related: Best Indoor Party Places for Kids
Play-In
2501 N.W. 2nd Ave.
Miami, FL 33127
(305) 576-7604
play-inmiami.com/
Price: $10 ages 3 and below/$15 ages 3 and up (open play)
Play-In prides itself on the fact that its indoor playground offer three areas chock full of multi-sensory experiences. The physical area includes climbing, jumping, slides and even zip lines. The quiet area's dark room is gently lit and includes an illuminated ball pit. The creative area allows kids to experiment with arts and crafts. Play-In also offers yoga classes for kids, mommy and me yoga, an after-school program to help kids with their homework, and an art academy that offers classes on topics such as drawing, painting and clay modeling. Play-In boasts two summer camps for kids, a general option and an art camp. It goes one step further to include applied behavior analysis, and recreational, occupational, speech, and physical therapies.
Play au Lait
9025 SW 72nd Place
Miami, FL 33156
(305) 514-0248
www.playaulait.com/
Price: $9.95 ages 0 to 2/$11.95 ages 2 to 5/$18.95 ages 6-12/all prices include two adults
Play au Lait offers fun open-play areas separated by age group. The 0 to 2 play area focuses on activities that develop children's motor skills. Kids have free range to crawl, roll, jump and play with age-appropriate toys. The area for kids ages two to five gives space for them to be a little rowdier, climbing, crawling and leaping their way to exhaustion. A three-story play area and bounce house encourage hard-core physical exercise. The area for kids ages 6 to 12 is 6,000 square feet of places to run, bounce and slide. This area includes more than 144 obstacles, rock climbing walls, trampolines and an exciting vertical drop slide. Play au Lait also offers party packages and an extensive menu for both parents and kids.
Jump A Roos
20505 S. Dixie Highway
Cutler Bay, FL 33189
(305) 238-5867
www.jumparoos.com/
Price: $5.99 children younger than 2/$9.95 for ages 2 and older/free for adults and children not playing
Jump A Roos is a great place for kids 12 years old and younger to go nuts kids their age. The open play area at Jump A Roos includes obstacle courses, slides, games and toys. For parents, free Wifi, large screen TVs and a concession area make the hours fly by. Jump A Roos also offers two-hour party packages and age-based classes. Morning and afternoon classes are offered in areas such as gymnastics, cheerleading, dance, sports, music and even taekwondo.
Related: Best Kids Birthday Party Spots
Victoria Burns graduated with a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Miami, where she currently teaches. She also writes educational articles and blogs on various psychological and women's issues. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.