Kid-Friendly and Family-Friendly Spas
Dateline: 03/08/99
I enjoy escaping to spa resorts alone with my husband. I have the luxury of being able to leave my children with my parents. The kids enjoy being with their grandparents and my husband and I enjoy each other's company. However, may people can't or don't want to leave their children behind. Luckily, there are a number of spas that are kid-friendly and family-friendly. To entice families, many resorts provide supervised "camps" to occupy, entertain, and educate children while their parents enjoy the other activities at the resort, such as the spa. Many of the resorts offer different programs for different age groups, from infants to teens. Some of the programs only run during the summer and holidays. Some have programs for the whole family to enjoy together. The following are just a few examples:
La Costa Resort
and Spa
In Carlsbad, California - Camp
La Costa offers children a chance to experience all the wonderful facilities at the
resort in imaginative and entertaining ways in fun-packed days of supervised activities.
During special holidays, Camp La Costa has programs that enhance the children's enjoyment
of the festivities and teaches them something, too. Camp La Costa Nightclub keeps the fun
going after the sun goes down with a pre-dinner mixer, appetizers, a nutritious dinner, a
scavenger hunt, special "story hour," and/or a swing at the piñata.
Ages: 5-12 years (baby-sitting for children under age 5 can be arranged through the concierge)
Available: 365 days/year
Hours: Camp La Costa - 10:00 am to 5:00 pm daily
Cost: $40 per child, per day, including lunch. (the hourly rate is $10 per hour not including lunch)
Hours: Camp La Costa Nightclub - 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm every Friday & Saturday
Cost: $30 per child, per night, including dinner.
Disney
Institute
In Orlando, Florida- Camp Disney offers kids an exciting variety of programs and
behind-the-scenes field trips. It's the perfect way for them to make new friends and spend
time exploring art, entertainment, nature, and Disney enchantment with their own age
group. While kids ages 10 to 15 are invited to join their families in most adult programs,
Camp Disney is where they can have their own kind of fun creating and enjoying their own
magic.
For ages 7-10 years:
Artsurround (3.5 hours at Epcot® - design, paint, and sculpt their own "mouseterpieces")
Broadway Bound (3.5 hours at Disney-MGM Studios - a behind the scenes look at what it takes to act, sing, and dance)
Discovery Island Kidventure (3 hours at Walt Disney World® Resort - bird watching by boat, hiking through a marsh, and visiting Discovery Island)
Face Magic! (3.5 hours at Disney-MGM Studios - discover how illusions are created with theatrical makeup)
Swamp Stomp (3.5 hours - "nature safari" through an untamed cypress swamp)
For ages 11-15 years
Art Magic (6 hours - how Disney Imagineers and designers create illusions in Theme Park attractions and an examination of the animation process)
Discovery Island Explorers (3 hours - discover what it's like to be a junior zookeeper.)
The Funny Papers (3 hours - learn "cartooning secrets" that can help transform sketches and stories into comics )
Show Biz Magic (6 hours - an up-close look at all the elements of a "good show" and the behind-the-scenes support systems)
Rock Climbing for Youth (2 hours - learn rock-climbing techniques )
Grand Wailea Resort
In Wailea, Maui, Hawaii - Camp Grande is
a special haven for children, covering over 20,000 square feet. This "Children's
Resort" is staffed with highly qualified, energetic personnel and is equipped with a
children's restaurant (serving mostly ice cream and hot dogs!), a whale-shaped wading pool
with fountain, a movie theater, game room, craft room with pottery wheel and kiln, and a
computer room complete with 4-color Macintosh computers.
Ages: 4-12 years
Available: 365 days/year
Hours: Half Day 9:00am - 12:00pm. Includes lunch or 12:00pm - 4:00pm. Includes activity pool excursion.
Cost: $40*
Hours: Full Day 9:00am - 4:00pm. Includes lunch and pool excursion
Cost $65*
*Special Members receive 30% off Camp Grande rates
Daytime Activities: nature hikes, activity pool excursions, exciting introductions to Hawaiian culture. Special workshops are available by advance reservation which include Lei Making, Hula Dancing, Computer Graphics, Tile Painting, T-Shirt Dying, Clay Sculpting and Pottery.
Nighttime Activities: A wide range of activities to keep children of all ages entertained. Often great games like walkie-talkie and flashlight tag are organized.Private baby sitting services can be arranged.
The
Phoenician
In Scottsdale, Arizona at Camelback Mountain - Kids can join "Kactus
Kid", the official Funicians Kids Club mascot on a journey of adventure and discovery.
This dynamic, supervised children's program features daily themes to spark the
imagination, with innovative games, crafts, recreation and learning activities, while
taking into consideration that day's participants and their interests. Registration is at
the Activities Desk in the main lobby by 10:00 p.m. the night prior to participation.
Ages: 5-12 years (baby-sitting for children under age 5 can be arranged through the concierge)
Available: 365 days/year
Hours: Full-day 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Cost: $50.00 includes lunch and a Funician's Club T-shirt
Hours: Half-day 9:00 am - 12:00 noon or 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Cost: $35.00 with lunch or $28.00 without lunch
The Sagamore
On Lake George at Bolton Landing in New York - The Teepee Club is a
supervised enrichment program which offers a variety of activities for children ages.
Counselors help children develop an interest in the arts, discover a love for nature and
learn new athletic skills.
Ages: 4 through 13 (Children under 4 may join the Teepee Club's Day Program with a baby-sitter)
Available: Seven days a week July 1 through Labor Day. After Labor Day, during holidays and weekends (all day Saturday and until noon Sunday).
Daytime Hours: 8:00am - 4:00pm, includes lunch
Cost: $25 per child on the European or Modified American Meal Plan and $20 per child on the Full American Meal Plan
Evening Hours: 5:00pm - 9:00pm, includes dinner (Children under 5 are invited to attend the Evening Program if accompanied by a baby-sitter.)
Cost: $25 per child or $15 per child if on the Modified or Full American Meal Plan.
Activities: Authentic 22-foot teepee, outdoor playground, board games, cartooning, sketching, beach, arts and crafts, pirate picnic, swimming, scavenger hunt, clown shows, magic shows, sand sculptures, Olympic games, creative rhythm and dance, jazz dance, nature walks, face painting, boat ride, lawn games, pen pal club, talent shows, puppet theater, and "kids creations" art gallery.
Sanibel Harbour
Resort & Spa
Overlooking Sanibel and Captiva Islands in Florida - The Kids Klub daily
program includes memorable souvenirs in the Kids Klub duffel bag, movies, scavenger hunts,
swim parties, arts and crafts, and lunch. Activities change daily.
Special evening events on Friday and Saturday include three hours of counselor supervised movies and activities with dinner and dessert. Price is $12.00 per child.
Ages: Under 5 years old
Available: 365 days/year
Hours: 10 am to 4 pm
Cost: $20.00 per child per day
Activities: Beach, Pool (steps wide enough for toddlers to splash), Munchkin Tennis (age 4+), Shelling, Legos
Ages: 5-12 years old Kids Klub
Available: 365 days/year
Hours: 10 am to 4 pm
Cost: $20.00 per child per day
Activities: Munchkin Tennis (age 4-10), Game Room, Basketball, Board Games, Cruises, 3 pools, Beach, Volleyball, Island Bike Rentals, Fishing Pier, Croquet, and Bocce Ball
Ages12-17 years old
Available: 365 days/year
Activities: Kayak rentals, Spa (16+ years old), Volleyball, Fishing Pier, Island Bike Rentals, Fitness Trail, Beach, 3 pools, Tennis, Game Room, Cruises(teen) and Billiards.Other local attractions including Discovery Zone, Sunsplash Water Park, Wildlife Refuge and the Imaginarium can be arranged by the concierge.
For an expanded and continually updated list of kid-friendly and family-friendly spas, visit Kid-Friendly Spas in Net Links section of The Mining Company's Spa Site. At the time of writing this article, this page has listings with short descriptions and links to 53 spas in 15 states and 9 countries. Most of the spas are part of resorts that offer many activities to satisfy interests of all kinds and all ages - golf, horseback riding, tennis, hiking, outdoor adventure, ..., and, of course, spas. The spas are not just afterthoughts. Many are award-winning. The following Kid/Family Friendly spas are winners of the 1998 Conde Nast Readers' Choice Award. The following number indicates their rank in the top ten.
1. Grand Wailea Resort Hotel and Spa, Maui,
HI* **
2. Peaks at Telluride, Telluride,
CO*
8. Las Costa Resort & Spa, Carlsbad,
CA*
9. Topnotch at Stowe, Stowe,
VT
10. Sanibel Harbour, Fort Meyers, FL
* Also in the top 10 in 1997
** Also in the top 10 in 1996
Marriott Camelback, Scottsdale, AZ was #6 in
1997 and #3 in 1996
Be sure to read the L.A. Time syndicated colunmist's, Eileen Ogintz, Taking the Kids article, Kids at the Spa!
Visit The Mining Company's Travel With Kids site for more information about family vacations.