These Hotels Feature Exceptional Kids Clubs

Like nearly all my assumptions about parenting, I was mistaken about kids clubs as well. I once believed I would never be the type of parent to drop my children off at what I perceived to be mediocre daycare facilities. My childhood vacations were all about family togetherness. Wasn't the essence of traveling to bond as a family?

What I didn’t grasp was that children genuinely enjoy spending time with their peers, which is a key offering of kids clubs. They can experience enriching activities under the supervision of local educators and caregivers that they wouldn’t otherwise have while just hanging out with their parents.

My initial experience with kids clubs occurred in January 2022 when my husband and I took our son and daughter on our first significant family vacation post-pandemic lockdowns. Our son, who had just turned five, was finally eligible to join a kids club (most require kids to be at least four or five years old), and I was honestly amazed by the experience.

At the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, we enrolled our son (our daughter, only three at the time, was too young) in the complimentary Kids for all Seasons program. He enjoyed it so much that he cried as we were checking out. The activities were a wonderful mix of classic fun and enlightening experiences that highlighted Maui’s fragile ecosystem. They explored natural tide pools along the rocky shore, observing small crabs and sea urchins up close while learning about the importance of protecting these delicate creatures. Lei-making classes also introduced them to the cultural traditions of Native Hawaiians.

Essential Insights on Hotel Kids Clubs

Kids clubs vary widely. Some programs may be included in the hotel or resort's nightly rate (common at all-inclusive resorts), while others could incur an additional charge (which can range from reasonable to significant). Availability might be all day or limited to specific hours, and some clubs operate only during peak seasons—such as summer, spring break, and winter holidays. Typically, there's a minimum age requirement, and advance reservations are often recommended, although some clubs accept walk-ins if space allows. Younger kids may join if their parents accompany them (which might not be the goal for some families), and some locations provide dedicated babysitters for infants and toddlers in the club. An ideal kids club operates without parental supervision, allowing children to engage independently under the guidance of trained counselors and staff employed by the hotel or resort.

Top Hotels Featuring Exceptional Kids Clubs

Around the globe, many kids clubs provide a fun space for young guests to play, create, and unwind. However, some properties elevate the experience by incorporating enriching activities that educate children about sustainability, cultural heritage, and health. This setup allows kids to enjoy some independence while simultaneously gaining valuable insights into the destination's culture, people, and environment, all while having a great time and receiving attentive care.

Here are our selections for the finest kids clubs worldwide that combine enjoyment with enrichment, chosen by Dinogo staff and contributors who are also parents.

Camp Blackberry at Blackberry Farm in Tennessee

Nestled within the expansive 4,200-acre Blackberry Farm in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains, Camp Blackberry welcomes children aged four and up to engage in a variety of activities, including cooking, painting, foraging, farming, fishing, and soap making. Sessions are offered three times daily: from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (including breakfast and lunch); from 1 to 5 p.m.; and from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. (including dinner), each costing $175. Kids aged 10 and older can participate in the Youth Discovery program, which includes wildlife hikes, gardening, and caring for farm animals. Additionally, Blackberry Farm organizes an Adventure Series (priced per experience) aimed at families, designed to cultivate an appreciation for farming life through navigation skills and immersive activities.

Grow With Six Senses at Six Senses Resorts

The Six Senses Resorts, a collection of eco-friendly luxury destinations around the globe, prioritize sustainability by aiming to give back more than they consume. Their initiatives focus on restoring essential ecosystems and supporting local communities while striving for zero waste and minimized carbon footprints. The kids club, Grow With Six Senses, embraces six dimensions of wellness (social, environmental, physical, spiritual, emotional, and intellectual) and inspires children to reconnect with nature and their peers. Activities emphasize physical engagement (yoga, cooking, farming, and composting), relaxation (spa experiences and meditation), and local artistic expression (like Vietnamese origami or Portuguese tile painting). Additionally, all Six Senses Resorts provide babysitting services for an extra fee.

Some properties with exceptional programs include:

• Six Senses Laamu, Maldives: The Junior Marine Biology program caters to ocean enthusiasts aged 7 to 12, offering science experiments, snorkeling excursions, and the chance to create conservation videos with marine biologists. (Enrollment fee: $80.)
• Six Senses Ninh Van Bay, Vietnam: The complimentary Just Kids program at Vooc Village is available for guests aged 4 to 12 and includes numerous activities focused on arts, crafts, exploration, sports, ecology, and outdoor fun, such as learning about local langurs and participating in farming tasks at the resort’s organic garden. The program runs daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Six Senses Yao Noi, Thailand: The Junior Eco Warrior program welcomes kids aged 4 to 12, featuring activities like building hornbill nests and enjoying nature hikes. No enrollment fee is required, but advance reservations are recommended.—Marianne Perez-Fransius, Dinogo contributor

Guidepost Montessori and Green School Bali at Ayana Estate in Indonesia

Nestled among the expansive blue swimming pools, lush greenery, and playful monkey statues of the 403-room family resort Rimba by Ayana in sunny Jimbaran Bay, Bali, is a meticulously organized, minimalist, child-led space that, starting summer 2023, hosts camps for kids aged 2.5 to 6 years. Guided by Guidepost Montessori, a Hong Kong-based institution, this club’s qualified instructors offer engaging programming focused on the Balinese kembali principle of reconnecting with nature, featuring activities centered on the ocean, sustainable agriculture, and Indonesian heritage.

For an additional fee of approximately $485 per week (with promotional packages available for property guests), children can engage in outdoor-focused activities across the stunning 242-acre Ayana Estate, where beaches, jungles, and an organic farm create a picturesque backdrop for four resorts (offering a range of accommodations and 26 dining options). Weekly themes at Guidepost Montessori include “cultural connections,” where children craft Balinese items daily (like lyang-lyang kites, batik fabrics, and damar kurung lanterns) and learn traditional Balinese dances to showcase for resort guests. Older kids aged 7 to 12 can also join Green School Bali’s Green Camp on the same estate, exploring themes such as bamboo construction, survival skills, and junior scientific pursuits. —Kathryn Romeyn, Dinogo contributor

Jungle Jam at the Shore Club in Turks and Caicos

Nestled in a vibrant cottage at the southern end of the resort, surrounded by bougainvillea, is the Shore Club’s Jungle Jam kids club (included in the hotel rate and operating daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). This program provides children aged 4 to 10 (and those under 4, with a guardian) with a rich sense of the local environment.

The accommodations at this oceanfront resort in Providenciales include everything from standard rooms and suites to expansive 8,800-square-foot private villas complete with saunas and personal butlers. The resort is situated along a private stretch of Long Bay Beach, where children can join guided wildlife excursions with kids club counselors to search for local reptiles, birds, butterflies, hermit crabs, and snakes along the shoreline, as well as look for parrot fish in the crystal-clear waters.

“Critter Scavenger Hunts” unfold along an eco-trail that meanders from the entrance of Jungle Jam, allowing children to explore a scrub-brush landscape where they may encounter vibrant birds, native orchids, curly-tailed lizards, and anoles, all while learning about bush medicine and the historical uses of tropical plants on the island. Other activities include “oven-to-tummy” cooking classes where kids familiarize themselves with kitchen tools while creating “jungle pies” and pizzas, along with sand-sculpting sessions on the beach that incorporate seashells into their creations.—Terry Ward, Dinogo contributor

Kids Club at Marbella Club in Spain

A historic gem on Spain’s southern coast, Marbella Club is a vast beachfront paradise that features its own Kids Club. Open daily year-round from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (with fees of 100 euros for a full day and 65 euros for a half day), this expansive Kids Club welcomes both guests and day visitors aged 4 to 14. The program engages children with gardening, cooking, music and dance, wildlife encounters, and science experiments, among a wide range of other activities. Emphasis is placed on movement and exercise, as well as learning about the region’s cultures and customs.

Kids for All Seasons at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts are renowned not only for their outstanding service and luxurious accommodations but also for their complimentary Kids for All Seasons programs available at many locations. Catering to children aged 4 or 5 to 12 (depending on the resort), this program is tailored uniquely by each individual property. Thus, you won’t encounter one-size-fits-all offerings; instead, you'll find a daily itinerary that reflects the local culture and lifestyle. What truly distinguishes these kids clubs is how educational experiences are seamlessly integrated into the day’s activities, making learning feel natural and engaging rather than formal.

Some properties with exceptional programs include:

• Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea: Younger guests enrolled in the Kids for All Seasons program (available daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) explore the journey of food by planting seeds, harvesting crops, and engaging with the resort’s chefs. During school vacations, naturalists from the Maui Ocean Center lead sea turtle activities and provide touch pool experiences to inspire future ocean conservationists.
• Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita: In 2021, this family-friendly destination located 45 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta introduced a KidsWell component to its Kids for All Seasons program, emphasizing children's mental health and well-being (available for ages 5 to 12, open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.). Along with cultural activities that celebrate the Huichol community—such as crafting spiritual symbols called Ojos de Dios (God’s Eyes) and making Mexican Catrina dolls—children engage in stress-reducing practices like breathwork, journaling, meditation, watercolor painting, and wildlife experiences.
• Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay: The newly opened, plastic-free Umah Rare Kids’ Club—translating to “house of children”—launched in July and was constructed with locally sourced materials to promote holistic and sustainable play. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. for kids ages 4 to 12, the club features a reading nook and a garden with a wooden climbing structure and splash pad.
• Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai: The recently introduced Young Guardians of the Earth program at this luxury resort in Hoi An, Vietnam, emphasizes sustainability and science. On Tuesdays, young visitors can learn about composting, while Sundays focus on gardening. The initiative aims to educate kids on the importance of reducing, reusing, recycling, and regenerating.

KidsOnly at One&Only Mandarina in Riviera Nayarit, Mexico

Located just north of Puerto Vallarta, One&Only Mandarina caters to both parents and children, particularly with its KidsOnly club, which boasts a 42,000-square-foot playground designed by art director Brigitte Broch for kids aged 4 to 11. Young guests can spend hours exploring this jungle-themed village filled with treehouses, hanging bridges, slides, climbing walls, and nature trails. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., this complimentary club serves as a living outdoor classroom, home to 50 tree species, an insectary, and a butterfly farm. Programming includes topics like the life cycle of insects, and children also create art that reflects local Huichol traditions.

Kids’ Outdoor Adventure and Tree House at Boschendal in South Africa

In addition to a fantastic tree-house-themed playground, both guests and day visitors can enroll children aged 4 to 12 in a two-hour or full-day immersive farming program at Boschendal, one of the oldest wine estates in South Africa’s Western Cape. This working farm promotes itself as an “ethical village,” where parents can enjoy organic farm-to-table meals, fine wines, and beautiful landscapes, while children explore topics such as upcycling, composting, waste management, foraging, harvesting, animal welfare, and worm farming in the Kids’ Outdoor Experience program. (Advance reservations are needed, with a small fee of $8 to $14 per session.)

Le Studio by Petit VIP at Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes in France

Children aged 4 to 12 staying at the opulent and conveniently situated Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes in the charming seaside town of Cannes enjoy complimentary unlimited access to Le Studio by Petit VIP. Open daily (with exceptions during festivals like the Cannes Film Festival) from 10 a.m. to noon and 2 to 4:45 p.m., plus the option to book from 7 to 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, this kids club for young sophisticates offers language workshops and conservation education while embracing Cannes' creative spirit. Kids can delve into sculpture, photography, gastronomy, music, circus arts, and, of course, cinema. They can even produce and perform their own music video on stage. For $37, young guests can enjoy a meal that includes an appetizer, main dish, and dessert (meal reservations are required 24 hours in advance).

Lil’ Wranglers at Brush Creek Ranch in Wyoming

For those in search of an entertaining and educational dude ranch experience, the luxurious all-inclusive Brush Creek Ranch is the perfect destination, set on 30,000 acres in the North Platte River Valley of south-central Wyoming. The Lil’ Buckaroos program, designed for babies and toddlers up to three years old, is available for an additional fee and includes activities like fishing, arts and crafts, and lessons about the local wildlife (Brush Creek Ranch is home to horses, goats, and llamas). The nightly rate includes the Lil’ Wranglers program for children aged four to nine, which provides an introduction to horsemanship, ranch ecology, history, and culture. Young ranch hands can explore the on-site creamery, interact with Alpine, Nubian, and Mini Nigerian goats, and learn milking techniques. They will also enjoy hiking, gold panning, horseback riding, pond fishing, and baking classes, among other outdoor activities.

Ritz Kids at the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island in Florida

One of Florida's most breathtaking stretches of barrier island beachfront serves as a natural playground for families staying at the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island, located just south of the Georgia border in northeast Florida. The on-site Ritz Kids program emphasizes environmental stewardship on this barrier island, which is home to a rich variety of wildlife and cultural history, including the indigenous Timucua Native American heritage. On one day, children might delve into the fascinating ecosystem of a coral reef to discover the roles of different fish, known as the “doctors” and “security guards.” Another day might involve learning about the vital role of trees in Florida's ecosystems through engaging games and activities inspired by Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein. The Ritz Kids program operates daily, offering a full-day program from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for $175 per child (including snacks and lunch) or a half-day option from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. or 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. for $100 per child (including snacks).

In addition to the Ritz Kids program, families can partake in the property’s Ecology Field Trips. Led by the resort’s naturalists, these excursions provide an immersive experience into barrier island ecology and history, where participants can help replant sea oats and learn about beach erosion on Boneyard Beach. There’s also an opportunity to explore the historic African American community of American Beach, known for being home to Florida’s tallest sand dune and one of the few beaches open to African Americans during segregation. Another exciting field trip includes searching for marsh rabbits and alligators within the 300 acres of protected land in the Ron Sapp Egan Creek Greenway. The Ecology Field Trips start at $300 per person. Additionally, every afternoon, the resort’s naturalist team hosts complimentary hunts for shark teeth along the 13-mile beach.— T.W.

Tortuguitas at Esperanza in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

This Auberge beach resort provides an enhanced kids club experience for children of all ages, including one-on-one babysitting services for the little ones. At Tortuguitas, children aged 4 to 11 can craft piñatas, learn to stand-up paddleboard, and engage in various arts and crafts activities within the well-equipped clubhouse, while teenagers can enjoy games and bikes in a designated area. However, Esperanza’s offerings extend far beyond, allowing kids to fully immerse themselves in the stunning landscapes where the saguaro meets the sea along the southern Baja peninsula. One day they might be releasing baby turtles into the Pacific with the conservation group Tortuguero Pescadero AC, and the next, they could take a plein air painting class or create clay masterpieces under the supervision of a local artist. Evenings conclude with stargazing and delicious s’mores. Tortuguitas operates daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a full-day fee of $120 and a half-day fee of $75. Similar experiences are available at Auberge’s sister property, Chileno Bay, just a short drive away. Here, a recording studio enables kids to produce their own songs, and private movie nights can be arranged on the beach or in the in-house theater.—Tim Chester, deputy editor at Dinogo