Travelling with tiny tots or trendy teens shouldn’t mean that you forfeit ideas of all-inclusive luxury, romantic beachfront dining, and relaxing, open-air spa treatments that a holiday to the Caribbean so often conjures up. With kid’s activities covering all ages, from splash pools for water babies, to kid’s cooking classes and stylish teen Xbox lounges, you can rest and relax in the knowledge that your youngsters are enjoying their holiday as much as you’re enjoying that much-needed break. Below, you can find our favourite kid’s clubs in the Caribbean, island by island.
Beaches Ocho Rios – A Spa, Golf and Waterpark Resort, Jamaica
This family-orientated, all-inclusive mecca boasts not just one, but four kid’s clubs accommodating all ages from babies to teens! The infants program ensures the youngest of your entourage is well cared for, with Certified Nannies and a wonderland of toys, cribs and rocking chairs, while those a little nippier on their newly found feet will be shell collecting on the beach, splashing away in the toddler pools or getting to know their favourite Sesame Street characters with story-telling, cookie baking and magic shows. For all ages, it’s all hands on deck at Beaches 27,000 sq.ft. waterpark; Pirates Island is a fantasy world of swash-buckling waterslides, water cannons, kid’s splash zones and cool ice-cream machines for your budding pirates. Landlubbers can get into the swing with junior golf lessons or challenge their friends in the Xbox Play Lounge with Kinect, Just Dance, FIFA and more. And what to do about the tweens and teens? Too old for the kids camps, but still too cool to hang out with mum and dad? Trench Town is a stylish games area with football tables, air hockey, electric basketball cages and plasma TV’s, as well as the Scratch DJ Academy where they can learn to spin, scratch, blend and mix their favourite beats. Just for teens, Liquid nightclub is a South Beach inspired lounge with cabanas, bright lights, the latest sound equipment and exciting guest DJs, which is strictly ‘no adults allowed’ until it turns into an adults-only dance bar later in the night.
Turtle Beach by Elegant Hotels, Barbados
Barbados may be known for its world-class rum and carnival-like culture, but that is not to say there isn’t something here for younger visitors, too. On the island’s lively south coast, Turtle Beach by Elegant Hotels is just a 15 minute transfer from the international airport, so you needn’t worry about those tired tantrums following your flight, but perhaps prepare yourself for the journey home as none of the family will want to leave this beachfront, activity-fuelled, Caribbean escape. The Flying Fish Kids Club is complimentary and open daily 09:00-21:00, where kids can try out new water sports on the glistening beachfront with the hotel’s newly revamped Aqua School, attend chaperoned film nights while you enjoy your romantic dinner, or play video games, pool and air hockey in the exclusive games area. During the holidays, Turtle Beach prepares weekly activity schedules to keep all ages entertained, including exhilarating go-karting at Bushy Park Race Track, Calypso dance lessons, and family boot camps with fitness-based obstacle courses, and a two hour sunset cruise!
Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas
Discover the legend of Atlantis, a water world of dolphin cays, shark lagoons, sunken wrecks and the Aquaventure waterpark, found in the beautiful Bahamas. Your young adventurer can join the Sea Squirts program, exclusively designed for kids aged 3-6 years and offering a look into the intriguing world of sting rays, baby sharks and schools of fish with accompanied feeding sessions and paddling in the shallow waters. Those seeking a more hands-on interaction will love to become a Trainer for a Day, where groups of no more than 12 children at a time will care for turtles, swim with dolphins, feed exotic birds and learn from the Atlantis Marine Mammal Specialists, and all these happy family memories can be captured by the professional photographer. The fast and furious of the family can race down the Challenger Slide of Aquaventure’s Mayan Temple, or test their driving skills on the Atlantis speedway, a thrilling, remote-controlled racetrack. And if after all this excitement, the evening comes and there’s still plenty more fuel in the tank, teens can join the party at Crush nightclub, for dancing, video gaming and Facebook photo-sharing.
Windjammer Landing, St. Lucia
Windjammer Landing in St. Lucia makes an ideal choice for your family escape to the Caribbean, offering a range of island villas with up to five bedrooms, benefitting from the privacy and independence of your own kitchen, plunge pool and ample living space, as well as all the resort’s fantastic facilities! The Jacquot Fun Club prioritises entertainment and education for your young ones, where children aged 4-12 can learn to say ‘Hello!’ and ‘Thank you!’ in the Jamaican Patois language lessons, or design their own t-shirt, which they’ll surely be wearing for the rest of their stay, with tie-dying in the arts and crafts sessions. Registration takes place daily from 10:00-16:00, and in the evenings from 18:30-22:00, kids and teens alike can participate in the themed nights, from bonfire and karaoke nights, to pyjama parties and mocktail mixing classes.
Carlisle Bay, Antigua
Grab your bucket and spade for a fun-filled trip to Antigua, a picturesque collection of verdant rolling hills, lush rainforest, and coconut-lined beaches, a perfect setting for your little ones to explore. The Cool Kids Club at Carlisle Bay is open 7 days a week, with both morning and afternoon sessions, for children aged 6 months-6 years. Qualified childcare professionals will take care of your youngsters as they rummage around the jungle gym, build impressive sandcastles on the soft, pristine sands and go hunting for lizards, or even treasure! For those a little older, the Crew Blue program operates in the US and UK school holidays, providing activities during the week for kids aged 7-12 years. Whether it be whizzing through Antigua’s rainforest on a thrilling zipwire adventure, or boarding mega doughnut rides through the crashing waves, all ages are sure to be kept entertained by Carlisle Bay’s complimentary activities.
Dreams Sands Cancun, Mexico
As part of your Unlimited-Luxury® experience, families can enjoy endless activities during the day, splashing in the two oceanfront swimming pools, leaping from the ocean trampoline to the crystalline waters, or curling up under a beach blanket for movies under the stars in the evenings. But when parents want to laze on the beach without wiping the sun cream from kids’ eyes or dabbing the melting ice cream from their hands, the Explorer’s Club saves the day. Outdoor activities include water sports, treasure hunts and sandcastle contests, while indoors you can find messy arts and crafts, video games, and storytelling. The highlight of the week, however, is the beach camping adventure, where your young explorers gather around the campfire for an evening of singing, dancing and star gazing, while you enjoy being wined and dined.
Grace Bay Club, Turks and Caicos
With 1,100ft of beach frontage lining the clear, reef-protected waters, Grace Bay Club makes an idyllic destination for your family Caribbean escape, and while you relax with a custom massage from the on-site Anani Spa, the kids will be treated like VIP guests at the Very Important Kids club. Not only will your youngsters – babies, kids, or teens – be welcomed with a fruit punch, receive evening amenities, and be personally greeted by the General Manager, they will also get unlimited use of the playroom, treehouse area, and water sports facilities. With Kids Town, trips are made weekly to the nearby Conch Farm where children will learn about aquaculture, or get up close to the exotic marine life that lives in the surrounding waters with snorkelling and scuba workshops. Teens aged 9-15 years may also join the weekly mocktail party, sunset reggae cruise, or evening bonfires for an exciting, sociable event without their parents as chaperones!
Spice Island Beach Resort, Grenada
This may be one of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, but Spice Island Beach Resort still offers space for your youngsters; The Nutmeg Pod is a supervised, brightly decorated, children’s activity centre with a weekly schedule of organised activities, games, and arts and crafts. This safe area includes electronic game stations - perfect for square eyes! – and a host of board games for all ages to enjoy. Open daily from 09:00-17:00, and offered free of charge, the Nutmeg Pod offers peace of mind if you wish to try kayaking, sailing or paddle boarding alone, or alternatively, the whole family will love trips through the rainforest or on-site tennis!
Wherever in the Caribbean you’re planning on visiting, be it the island of jammin’ Jamaica, the mega-resorts of the beautiful Bahamas, or the collection of idyllic Cayman Islands, you’ll find everything from small, boutique-style hotels to fun-filled, all-inclusive resorts with facilities and services to cater for your whole family.
