Family vacations are all about disconnecting from the stresses of daily life and rejoicing in new experiences. But sometimes, parents and kids need a little alone time when traveling together, and many fun hotels for kids have dedicated spaces to meet this need – ahem, guilt-free childcare. Unique kids clubs at some of the best family resorts offer fun, interactive programming with an educational spin to entertain, socialize, teach, and inspire young minds.
Carmel Valley Ranch in Carmel-by-the-Sea takes the kid club concept to the next level, and is among the top destination hotels in the U.S. with its kid-favored, parent-approved sanctuary.
Girl taking archery lessons.
Families were at the top of mind when Carmel Valley Ranch underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation that wrapped up in summer 2024. Among the additions are the Adventure Den, a kids’ cottage that comprises an elaborate indoor-outdoor program for ages two to 12. Crafts, story times, cooking activities, dancing, and more – all designed specifically for their respective age groups – are centered around daily themes. For example, kids might make pressed flower art on Farmer Fridays or learn how to whip up snow cones on Splash Saturdays.
Traveling with children: These 9 family-friendly hotels have kids clubs that are way beyond ordinary
The Adventure Den is located in River Ranch, the resort’s family recreation area, complete with a pool, splash pad, fire pits, and a cafe for easy refreshments.
Beyond the kids’ club, children of all ages can enjoy unique activities such as glow-in-the-dark hiking, a bee-keeping class, rancher lessons, farm animal meet-and-greets, and scavenger hunts.
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These 9 family-friendly hotels have kids clubs that are way beyond ordinary originally appeared on FamilyVacationist.com.
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The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY. FamilyVacationist.com and TourScoop.com are owned and operated by Vacationist Media LLC. Using the FamilyVacationist travel recommendation methodology, we review and select family vacation ideas, family vacation spots, all-inclusive family resorts, and classic family vacations for all ages. TourScoop covers guided group tours and tour operators, tour operator reviews, tour itinerary reviews and travel gear recommendations.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Carmel Valley Ranch kids club takes family travel to next level