Toddler activities guide

Things to Do With Toddlers

Short outings, flat walks, shallow water and the practical details that decide whether a morning with a two-year-old works.

How we keep this useful

Picked and checked by hand; updated when hours, venues, menus, or source pages change.

1. Delray Beach Children's Garden

Messy outdoor play in a contained garden, with a published what-to-bring list so nothing catches you out

Garden beds at Delray Beach Children's Garden — Photo: Delray Beach Children's Garden · source

Address: 137 SW 2nd Ave., Delray Beach, FL 33444
Hours: Open garden Friday 9 a.m.-12 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m.-12 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Age fit: Early childhood programs and open garden play
Parking/access: Free street parking on SW 2nd Ave. (look for the blue gate) or the rear lot/sandlot on SW 1st Ave. (double wood gate)

2. Catherine Strong Splash Park

Water play you can leave after twenty minutes without having packed for a beach day, with a playground and restrooms on the same site

Water features at Catherine Strong Splash Park — Photo: City of Delray Beach · source

Address: 1500 SW 6th St., Delray Beach, FL 33444
Hours: Monday-Sunday 8 a.m.-9 p.m.
Age fit: All ages

3. Sandoway Discovery Center

works for a short indoor visit if you time it. The invertebrate touch tank opens at 12:30 and 2:30 p.m., and the animal encounter is at 3 p.m. Admission is $10 per person for ages 3 and up. Hours are noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, closed Mondays. The house rules are toddler-relevant: no running, and no tapping on the tanks.

Sharks swimming at Sandoway Discovery Center — Photo: Sandoway Discovery Center · source

Address: 142 S. Ocean Blvd., Delray Beach, FL 33483
Hours: Monday closed; Tuesday-Friday 12-4 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday 12-4 p.m.
Price: $10 per person, ages 3 and up
Age fit: Admission charged from age 3; children must be accompanied by an adult at all times
Parking/access: Free lot off Ingraham Ave., 10 spaces

4. Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens

is free for children 5 and under, which makes an ordinary Tuesday morning cheap. It is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The garden loop is seven-eighths of a mile on compacted natural material with benches along the way; the museum notes that the path surface may not suit every wheeled device, and larger-tire wheelchairs are recommended.

Front garden at Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens — Photo: Daderot / Wikimedia Commons · source · license

Address: 4000 Morikami Park Road, Delray Beach, FL 33446
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; last ticket 4:30 p.m.; closed Mondays and major holidays
Price: 5 and under free; adults $18
Age fit: Children 5 and under free
Parking/access: Accessible parking near the main entrance; ramp access to the gardens at the south end of the Cornell Cafe; garden path is compacted natural material and may not suit every wheeled device

5. Wakodahatchee Wetlands

A flat, railed three-quarter-mile boardwalk with benches and shaded gazebos, where you can turn back at any point

Address: 13270 Jog Road, Delray Beach, FL 33446
Hours: 6 a.m.-7 p.m. daily
Price: No admission or parking fee
Age fit: All ages
Parking/access: Restrooms opposite the boardwalk entrance on the east side of the lot; water refill station beside the restrooms; no overflow parking