As luxury travel has become more multigenerational, hotels and resorts have responded with a growing number of activities for children.
And increasingly those resorts are going beyond a simple babysitting service-style kids club. The programming involves educational components that help young travelers learn about the unique environment and the culture of the destination.
Rosewood Hotels and Resorts, for instance, this year is rolling out Rosewood Explorers, a concept that is says "aims to introduce children to the many wonders of the natural world, teach the importance of contributing to the global environment, inspire appreciation for different cultures and spark a lifelong passion for all that the planet has to offer."
Each program is tied to the local destination, with the first debuting in Phuket. Activities there include friendship-bracelet weaving on a traditional Thai loom, Thai martial arts and outdoor adventure scavenger hunts to find indigenous flowers and plants.
"Rosewood Phuket, with its beautiful tropical forest and beachfront setting at Emerald Bay, is the perfect environment to introduce Rosewood Explorers, within the context of the resort's focus on sustainability and conservation," says Niamh O'Connell, Rosewood's group vice president of guest experience and wellness.
In New Mexico at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa, which is owned by the Santa Ana Pueblo, children's activities are focused on the area's strong Native American culture. At Camp Hyatt, kids can create their own sand paintings, play Native American games and explore the nearby Rio Grande. The 550-acre resort also has onsite stables for horseback riding, as well as tribal-member-led classes in Pueblo oven bread baking and jewelry and pottery making.
Kids activities at L'Apogee ski resort in Courcheval, France, include learning the scents and flavors of the region's Savoyard produce, making perfume, exploring the local flora and fauna, even studying the unique patterns of snowflakes.
At Six Senses Ninh Van Bay, which recently launched an Earth Lab to showcase its sustainability efforts, children have a chance to get involved through the Grow With Six Senses program, including learning about its organic gardens and chicken farm. There are also experiences for teenagers, including a trivia competition where they can test their own knowledge about environmental issues.