Coconut Grove’s small-town feel ideal for kid-friendly activities

Dayton Eckert, 11-years-old, skateboards with his friends in the skate area of Peacock Park.

Coconut Grove’s sense of small-town familiarity and numerous kid-friendly locations makes the area an ideal place for families, all year round.

For those interested in outdoor activities, the Grove’s Kennedy, Blanche and Peacock parks all have their own playgrounds. Peacock Park, located on Biscayne Bay, near many shopping and dining Grove staples, boasts a large, open, grassy field.

Peacock Park is a great place for children to play, run, have a snack,” said Susan Larson, mother of David, 6, and Abigail, 4. “We always have a great time here.”

Peacock Park is also home to One Cool World, a 10,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor skateboard facility complete with ramps, stairs and rails.

Eve Delray, 11-years-old, jumps off a ramp at the skate area of Peacock Park in Coconut Grove. Delray skateboards with her friends at the park on a regular basis as a favorite weekend and after school activity. Photo by Chelsea Matiash

A short walk west from the park leads parents and children straight towards the Bookstore In The Grove, on the corner of Virginia Street. The charming bookstore, with toys and teddy bears decorating its shelves, has a children’s section where kids are welcome to flip through the pages of their favorite books on mushroom-shaped stools.

“This is a wonderful place for her — cozy and colorful,” said Linda Roberts of her 4-year-old daughter.  “And I can enjoy it, too.”

Parents can find clothes and accessories for their tots throughout the Grove at kid-only spots like Tula Tupi, Hippo and Brenda’s Boutique, where ballerina tutus reign supreme. Cocowalk’s Gap also has a baby’s and kid’s section.

And every sweet tooth can be satisfied with frozen treats from Coco Gelato or smoothies from Dolce Vita.

Cocowalk is planning to open a Muvico movie theatre in mid-April, complete with stadium seating. When opened, the theatre will provide yet another activity for families spending the day in the Grove.

Coconut Grove also promotes various children-targeted recreational programs and educational activities at different locations throughout the year.

Every Saturday in the Coconut Grove library’s “kid section” of the basement, Miami-Dade County certified teachers offer free science, math and reading tutoring. They also host an early literacy  ”Reading Ready” program for guardians of children from birth to age 5. The S.M.A.R.T (science, math, and reading tutoring) program runs during the school year then takes a hiatus during summer.

“We teach the caregivers how to prepare the child with the six early literacy skills they need to learn how to read when they actually go to school,” said librarian Jean Cabral.

And children can learn and explore at the Miami Science Museum, which offers ongoing presentations, classes and workshops. The “Cabaret Mechanical Theater” exhibit, now open through Sept. 6, brings over 40 mechanical sculptures to life through cranks and gears, some of which can even be operated by visitors.

So whether its playing, shopping, eating or learning, it seems that the Grove has something to appease every family, all year long.