Delray Beach is a family-friendly paradise in South Florida, making it a fantastic destination for families seeking a blend of sun, sand, and exciting activities to enjoy with their kids.

Children can explore marine life at the Sandoway Discovery Center, embark on mini-golf adventures, or play at the Silverball Arcade, making it an ideal destination for enjoyable family activities.

This round-up of fun things to do in Delray Beach with kids contains affiliate links, where I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Putt’n Around

Fun 36 hole mini golf course in downtown Delray Beach. Choose from two Florida-themed 18 hole courses – The Everglades is perfect for beginners and The Ocean course is a little more challenging. Get food and drinks delivered right to your hole!

Silverball Museum

Pay by the hour and play as much as you’d like! Silverball Museum is filled with vintage games – Pinball, Arcade, Original Coney Island Skeeball, Shuffleboard and more! Located right off Delray’s Atlantic Ave, they serve food and drinks.

Sandoway Discovery Center

Get up close and personal with marine life. Sandoway Discovery Center is in a historic house across from the Atlantic Ocean. The former home swimming pool turned shark tank! Kids can see daily shark and stingray feedings, native Florida animals, and other sea creatures in tanks, while learning about ocean conservation.

Penny Lanes – Bowling & Arcade

Need things to do on a rainy or very hot summer day? Penny Lanes sets the stage for the ultimate fun experience with bowling, arcade games, dining, and movies! Located in Delray Marketplace, you could spend an entire day here or explore the outside shopping plaza.

Girls Market

Girls Market is not only a you-pick strawberry farm – they makes pizza, homemade ice cream, and have a petting zoo! This place has it all; and I’m not talking about just horses, goats, and bunnies. Yes, they have that as well, but they also have donkeys, exotic birds, pigs, turtles, snakes, lemurs, and even a hedge hog. 

Delray Municipal Beach

The beach in Delray Beach is award-winning as one of the best in the world! Clean and safe with chair rentals available. It also offers beach volleyball, picnic tables, making it a great spot for family fun. Additionally, parents can explore nearby shops and restaurants on Atlantic Avenue.

Explore Boca Raton’s Beaches Nearby

Delray Beach Children’s Garden

Lush community garden located just 2 blocks from downtown Delray that serves as an urban retreat for kids in the area. The garden has a pond with fish and turtles, water play table, fairy garden, sand pit, craft area, and a vegetable garden. Great place to let your kids explore without any worry! They host birthday parties and have weekly education programs.

Wakodahatchee Wetlands

Wakodahatchee’s constructed wetlands are a free and family-friendly outdoor destination, featuring a 3/4-mile boardwalk through ponds and islands where wildlife nests. With over 178 bird species, turtles, alligators, and other animals, it offers a diverse and captivating natural experience for kids.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens

Get outside and stroll(or skip) through the beautiful gardens that feel like your transported to Japan while kids also burn off some energy. The 16 acre garden is filled with bamboo trees, waterfalls, and a world-class bonsai collection. There’s lakes filled with koi fish, turtles and even a few baby alligators.

Bedner’s Farm

Bender’s Farm is a must-visit during the fall season, offering a close-to-northern pumpkin patch experience, complete with sunflower picking and a thrilling corn maze adventure. Year-round, the farm offers U-pick vegetables, but the real highlight for my kids is the chance to interact with a variety of animals, from petting and feeding goats, donkeys, cows, and llamas to getting up close with kangaroos, skunks, otters, birds, lemurs, and sloths.

More Family Fun Nearby

There’s many fun things to do in Delray Beach with kids but even more nearby! Here’s a list of more kid friendly activities near Delray Beach, FL.

Boomers Arcade & Action Park

Boomers Boca Raton offers more than just an arcade—it’s a hub of excitement and entertainment! Enjoy activities like mini-golf, laser tag, go-karts, batting cages, bumper boats, and bumper cars. While our kids absolutely adore this place, be ready to budget accordingly as the fun options can add up quick!

Gumbo Limbo Nature Center

Gumbo Limbo in Boca Raton offers a fantastic free experience for families with kids. Their impressive rehabilitation facility cares for injured sea turtles, and you can also enjoy observing local tropical fish in large aquariums with daily feedings at 12:30. Explore the 20-acre coastal preserve with a wooden boardwalk leading to the intercoastal or visit the butterfly garden, where you might spot large banana spiders.

Boca Ice

Need a place to cool off from the hot Boca Raton heat? Boca Ice & Fine Arts Center offers ice skating, ice bumper cars, hockey, figuring skating and even an Alpine Ski Machine where you can ski and snowboard on. Boca Ice just opened in 2023 and is at the top of our list for things to do in Delray Beach with kids!

Patch Reef Park

One of our favorite parks nearby Delray Beach – the Pirates Cove Playground has a pirate ship, rocks and cargo nets to climb and even a water island splash area with cannon to spray! Patch Reef Park has 6 pickleball and 15 tennis courts, plus athletic facilities consist of 3 soccer/lacrosse fields, 3 baseball fields, and 3 outdoor basketball courts.

La-La Land

With a sprawling 15,000 square feet of indoor play space, this facility is guaranteed to keep your kids entertained for hours on end. Inside, you’ll find a ninja course, a three-level play structure, exhilarating slides, foam ball fountains, an exciting rope course, and even a rock climbing wall. For the little ones, there’s a separate toddler section to ensure safe and age-appropriate fun.

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Sugar Sands Park

Sugar sands wins best park in Boca Raton by a mile. The massive playground is on a cushioned ground and has a splash pad in the center of it. There’s also a large carousel you can purchase tokens to ride.

Children’s Science Exploratorium

Inside Sugar Sands Park is the indoor Children’s Science Exploratorium which is a hands-on science center with interactive exhibits. Outdoors, there’s more nature trails and a butterfly garden. Kids love to fill up water cans and water the plants outdoors.

Mizner Park

A place where kids can have fun but adults love. Mizner park offers amazing restaurants, great shopping, bowling and even movie theater. In the center of this outdoor luxury landmark is a large park with fountains, pergolas, a giant chess board, and a tiny mini golf section.

Florida Everglades Airboat Adventure and Wildlife Encounter

This exciting airboat ride is a great way to experience Florida’s subtropical ecosystem of the Everglades. Skim across the grassy water at speeds up to 40 miles per hour while looking for wildlife like alligators, fish, turtles, and wading birds. After the ride, get access to the park’s Alligator and Reptile Exhibit. (Weston, FL)

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Palm Beach Zoo

The Palm Beach Zoo is a great place to visit and explore if you live in South Florida or are visiting. With over 500 animals situated in lush tropical surroundings, it offers unique animal experiences and even a water splash pad. 

Butterfly World

Looking for a place to be in nature and see lots of butterflies? I mean A LOT of butterflies – over 20,000 exotic butterflies and 6 aviaries with hundreds of birds. You can hand feed small parrots called Lorikeet and walk through a creepy live bug zoo. In their gift shop you can purchase butterfly plants and even butterfly cocoons to hatch at home. (Coconut Creek, FL)

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Xtreme Action Park

If you like Boomers in Boca, you’ll love Extreme Action Park! It’s the largest indoor entertainment venue in Florida, which is over 200,000 square feet offering many attractions including Go Kart Racing, Bowling Lanes, Arcade Game Room, a Ropes Course Adventure, a Trampoline Park, Roller Skating Rink, Escape Rooms, Laser Tag, and Virtual Reality Games. (Fort Lauderdale, FL)

Coconut Cove Waterpark

On hot days, cool off at the Coconut Cove Waterpark. A fun outdoor attraction featuring two 4-story waterslides, an 986-foot lazy river, an interactive water playground and more. (Coconut Creek, FL)

Where to Eat

Delray Beach is renowned for its vibrant Atlantic Avenue, teeming with shopping opportunities and an array of incredible dining options. Fortunately, we reside just a few miles from this bustling hub, and here are our top recommendations for family-friendly places to eat:

1. Elisabetta Ristorante – Delicious pizza, homemade pasta, and authentic Italian cuisine.
   
2. El Camino – Mexican, try the brisket nachos that can easily satisfy the entire family.
   
3. City Oyster – Amazing sushi and seafood, complemented by a solid kids’ menu.
   
4. Hawkers – Asian street food. Make sure to end the meal with their “JoHe Bag of Donuts”.
   
5. Rocco’s Tacos – Mexican food and tableside guacamole.
   
6. Boston’s on the Beach – Oceanfront sports bar.

Where to Stay in Delray Beach

Delray Beach, Florida is an excellent family-friendly vacation destination. If you’re seeking accommodations for your family in Delray Beach, here are some top recommendations:

1. The Ray Hotel: Delray’s newest hip hotel – Discover a world of tropical luxury, delicious dining, and in the heart of downtown Delray. Free shuttles to and from the beach and a rooftop pool.
   
2. The Opal Grand Oceanfront Resort & Spa: A luxurious oceanfront retreat known for its stunning beachfront location and upscale amenities. Guests can enjoy elegant accommodations, fine dining, a spa, and easy access to the vibrant shops and restaurants along Delray Beach’s Atlantic Avenue.
   
3. Crane’s Beach House Boutique Hotel & Luxury Villas: This charming boutique hotel boasts a tropical atmosphere, lush gardens, and a heated pool. It offers a variety of accommodation options, including villas with full kitchens, making it perfect for families seeking a more relaxed and private setting while still being close to the beach and downtown Delray Beach.