Whether you’re trying to find a fun place to play during precious weekend hours, or you just need to get out of the house with your toddler on a Wednesday morning, going to the same, neighborhood playground can get old. Instead, we recommend visiting some of these more “out there” playgrounds, themed for nature play, science play and so much more. Read on for our six favorite unique playgrounds for South Florida kids.
Pirates Cove Playground at Patch Reef Park, Boca Raton
Where: 2000 West Yamato Road, Boca Raton, FL
If your kiddo wants to go on an ocean adventure, but you’d rather keep them on dry land try Pirates Cove in Boca Raton. The play structure is built to resemble a pirate ship, perfect for kids who want to imagine they’re at sea. They can climb, swing and slide, or use the water cannons and fountains on the water adventure island. There is a toddler area for kids ages two to five, and an electronic playground on the other side of the park that is great for older children.
Tom Sawyer’s Play Island at Amelia Earhart Park, Hialeah
Playsi & Miami-Dade County
Where: 401 E 65th St, Hialeah, FL
Within this giant 515-acre park (which contains five lakes!) you’ll find a treehouse playground designed for kids between two and 12. The 7,500-square-foot playground has spinners, slides, climbing structures, balance beams, swings and musical instruments. Kids can play under a canopy of oak trees and even walk through a natural cave. It’s the largest playground in Miami Dade County, and with the wakeboarding, mountain biking and farm village, we have a feeling you could easily spend your whole day here.
Tiger Shark Cove Park, Wellington
Where: 13800 Greenbriar Blvd, Wellington, FL
It wouldn’t be South Florida without another oceanic playground. This Wellington spot offers its visitors hours worth of entertainment thanks to a large Tiger Shark play sculpture, sand castle, sunken pirate ship play area, crab shack, submarine with portholes, obstacle courses, swing sets and a soft, rubberized flooring for those still mastering their running skills.
Playworld Playground at Zoo Miami, Miami
Zoo Miami
Where: 12400 Southwest 152nd Street, Miami, FL
This combination wet and dry playground is built to let your kids run as wild as the animals at Zoo Miami. Jungle Journey has a jungle gym, wobbly bridge to cross, a life-size gorilla and hippo to escape, and a hollow log for climbing on and through. When they’re ready to cool off, they can head to Ocean Voyage to splash in 28 water features, including one of our favorite splash pad features in Miami—a whale tail waterfall.
Science Playground at Sugar Sand Park, Boca Raton
Sugar Sand Park
Where: 300 S Military Trail, Boca Raton, FL
We can’t get enough of Sugar Sand Park and all it has to offer, including this incredible Science Playground. It reopened after a year or so of renovations in 2017, and was made much more accessible for kids of all abilities. A train station-themed toddler area will keep the youngest visitors busy while swings, slides, and science activities (find out how much you’d weigh on other planets, dig for dinosaur fossils) can entertain everyone else. There is an ocean animal-themed splash pad, carousel ($1 per ride) and the awesome Science Explorium in Sugar Sand, too.
Scott’s Place Playground, Wellington
We love any place where kids can play together, and this horse-themed, barrier-free playground has it all. More than 300 community volunteers came together to help build this local park, which includes a play set with ramps, swings, slides and a jungle gym. There is also a brick pathway that leads to a reading nook, which has a chest full of stories for kids.
