The Fun Is Guaranteed At These All-inclusive Family Resorts With Extraordinary Kids Clubs

The Bucket List Family gives five tips for traveling with kids

The Bucket List Family sold everything to travel around the world. Here are their tips for traveling with children.

• All-inclusive family resorts offer a wide range of amenities and activities, including kids and teen clubs.
• These clubs provide supervised activities for children of all ages, from infants to teenagers.
• Activities range from arts and crafts to water sports, and some resorts even offer specialized programs for teens and children with autism.

One of the most appealing perks of all-inclusive family resorts is the wide range of amenities and activities available for every member of the family. For the younger travelers in the group, a fabulous kids or teen club can turn a regular family vacation into a trip of a lifetime. At these all-inclusive resorts with extra-special kids and teen clubs, the fun comes guaranteed through visits from favorite cartoon characters, cool ways to connect with nature, and the latest in video game technology. And when the kids and teens are having tons of fun on vacation, everyone in the family wins. 

Locations in Jamaica and Turks and Caicos

Family-friendly Beaches Resorts has all-inclusive properties in Jamaica (Negril and Ocho Rios) and the Turks and Caicos (Providenciales). Run by professionally trained childcare experts and provided at no extra cost at each resort, the excellent Beaches' Kids Camp includes climate-controlled nurseries with nannies for infants and programs for toddlers to teens divided by age group.

Little ones love the visits from favorite Sesame Street characters and activities like face painting and sandcastle building, while older kids and teens get to take part in scavenger hunts, dive-in movies, and karaoke. Beaches Resorts also completed the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards training and Autism Certification program to help all kids have a great vacation.

Cancún, Mexico

The best all-inclusive resorts with kids clubs cater to all ages, not just the youngest members of the family, and that's certainly true at Club Med Cancún, where kids club experiences are available for babies through teens. (Read our full review and resort guide here.) Professionally trained staff care for children ages four months to 23 months in the Baby Club Med kids program, giving parents some alone time. 

Petit Club Med offers a variety of experiences for two- and three-year-olds, including arts workshops and treasure hunts. Snorkeling classes and trapeze lessons are just some examples of the fun four- to 10-year-olds can have, while Club Med Passworld welcomes 11- to 17-year-olds for activities like archery, waterskiing, music mixing, and movie nights on the beach. 

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

At the 444-room Hilton Vallarta Riviera all-inclusive resort on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, there’s an adults-only wing and a family-friendly side of the hotel to help all guests have the kind of vacation they desire. On the family side a colorful kids club space offers arts and crafts stations, a soft play area for babies and toddlers, and bean bags for reading or watching movies. The activities program for ages four to 12 includes scavenger hunts, dance classes, and jewelry-making.

Teens have their own slate of activities too, including photography workshops, beach and pool games, and nightly entertainment. A Teens Zone serves as a just-for-them lounge area with pool, air hockey, ping pong, and foosball tables, plus video gaming stations and a DJ lab for creating remixes and playlists.

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

At Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana's playfully designed Club Nick, young guests ages four to 12 can jump in a ball pit, play with other cartoon-loving kids, and take part in daily supervised activities and experiences. Surprise visits from favorite characters like Dora the Explorer, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and SpongeBob SquarePants add to the fun. 

As part of the Autism Double-Checked program, the beachfront all-inclusive resort has an autism concierge to answer questions and offers an Autism Passport tool for guests to convey essential information like communication challenges and sensory sensitivities so staff members can facilitate their stay. A second Nickelodeon all-inclusive resort with an equally cool kids club, Nickelodeon Riviera Maya, is located in Playa del Carmen along Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. (Read our full review and resort guide here.)

New Paltz, New York

Surrounded by 40,000 acres of forest and situated on a glacial lake with views of the Catskill Mountains, the all-inclusive Mohonk Mountain House in New York’s Hudson Valley is a picture-perfect setting any time of year. Its complimentary kids club for ages four to 12 (offered all summer long and on weekends and holidays during the rest of the year) makes the most of the resort's location, operating under the philosophy of "let kids be kids." 

Family-friendly activities at this New York State gem include everything from crafts and scavenger hunts to hikes and movie nights. The resort's Junior Naturalist program is integrated into the kids club and offers experiences like animal tracking, tree identification, and fossil hunts.

Vieux Fort, St. Lucia

Located on Saint Lucia’s south coast, Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa is divided between an adults-only wing and the family-friendly Splash wing, home to amenities like the CocoLand Kidz Klub. This kids club offers different levels of programming for ages three and under, ages four to seven, and ages eight to 12. On the schedule? Daytime activities like beach hikes, cooking lessons, and kite flying and evening programs for kids ages three and up like dinner and a movie and karaoke. 

Kids can also play on the club’s pirate ship playground, mini rock wall, and splash pad, plus meet the rescued animals at the Coco Corral. A club space for teens includes an Xbox and two pool tables, plus activities during the summer and holidays, like a reggae beach party and bonfire. 

Maho, St. Martin / Sint Maarten 

Designed just for guests ages three to 12, the Beach House Kids Club at the all-inclusive Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, Casino & Spa in Sint Maarten includes an attractive indoor space for supervised activities and 2,500 square feet of outdoor play areas that includes a playground. The club sits adjacent to the resort's Aqua Park, a 1,400-square-foot pool with three animal-themed, kiddie-sized waterslides. 

While at the club, kids might encounter members of the Beach House Crew, like pop star Iggy Iguana and studious Penelope Pelican. These playful characters lead young travelers in singing, dancing, and learning about the island’s history and culture. The resort also has a Teen Zone with video games, board games, and pool, air hockey, and foosball tables.

Locations in Los Cabos, Playa del Carmen, and Nuevo Vallarta, México

Kids of all ages can enjoy a vacation to remember at the all-inclusive Grand Velas resorts in Los Cabos, Playa del Carmen, and Nuevo Vallarta. The kids club for children ages four to 12 offers arts and crafts activities, Spanish classes, games, and other fun experiences. At the teen club, video gaming booths feature Xbox and PlayStation consoles and seats with built-in speakers, while the mini disco is the place to be for dancing and karaoke. Even little ones get special treatment from the resorts' baby concierges, who can help with forgotten items from your baby packing list or personalized nanny services (for an additional fee).

Akumal, Mexico

The 774-room Bahia Principe Grand Tulum all-inclusive resort boasts a design inspired by both its natural surroundings and the Mayan heritage of its Riviera Maya location. The resort's kids club (called Zamá after the original name of Tulum’s walled city) offers a colorful space for games, reading, and outdoor play, as well as activities that teach kids about the Mayan culture. 

At the teen club, older kids can hang out and watch movies, play video games, and attend DJ-led dance parties. Resort suites offer plenty of room for larger families, and the little ones will love the slides and water features at the children’s water park (one of three pool areas at the resort).

Tulum, Mexico

Young guests at the beachside all-inclusive Hilton Tulum Riviera Maya can head to the resort's stylishly decorated kids club each day for arts and crafts sessions, organized fun in the splash pool, board games, or some play time on the swings, monkey bars, and jungle gym. 

Teenagers also have their own space packed with things like a movie theater and video games, plus air hockey, ping pong, and billiards tables. It’s all part of the resort’s Family Zone, which also includes an area for parents with an adults-only pool and food and beverage options for both grown-ups and kids. The family can even book a room inside this kid zone for easy access to all the fun.

Locations in Mexico and the Dominican Republic

At the all-inclusive Royalton Riviera Cancún in Mexico and Royalton Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, children ages four to 12 can head to the Clubhouse Kids Club for some arts and crafts or game time, a little TV watching with new friends, or sliding and climbing at the outdoor playground. 

They might also get a visit from Turbo the Turtle, a character at the resorts who teaches kids about ways to reduce their carbon footprint and take care of the environment around them. The supervised Hangout Teen Lounge offers a variety of activities and socializing opportunities for guests ages 13 to 17, from movies and video games to beach volleyball and dance lessons.

The fun comes guaranteed at these all-inclusive family resorts with extraordinary kids clubs originally appeared on FamilyVacationist.com.

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