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Contact the director of the kids’ programs at your hotel or resort before you go on the trip and ask them any questions you may have. The best tip is to ask the same sort of questions you would ask of a childcare provider at home. The following are a few issues that you may want to discuss.
Day Camps vs. Specialized Programs
Some hotels offer day camps for younger guests, but many all-inclusive resorts offer deeper programs involving day hikes and visits to area attractions. Decide which of these options you and your children are most comfortable with, and select your hotel or resort accordingly. For example, the Club Med Sandpiper in
Hours and Flexibility
Find out if your child be allowed to leave and rejoin the kids’ programs as he or she wishes. Some children will want to spend part of their day with you and return to the program later on in the day. Also, find out what the evening childcare options are, in case you want to get away for an romantic evening out.
Program Size and Age Groups
How many kids will be participating in the day camp or program? If only a few children show up, will the program still take place? What are the ages of the kids participating and will the children be divided into groups accordingly?
Variety of Activities
Ask if your kids be interacting with other kids their age inside a designated playroom or will they be out exploring, swimming, and having adventures. The best kid-friendly beach resorts provide a variety of interesting programs for youngsters which go far beyond simply babysitting your children. Your kids should have their own special vacation memories to take home with them.
Ratio of Kids to Caregivers
Are you concerned about the safety of leaving your child alone with other adult supervision? Ensuring that your child receives ample adult supervision is very important. As Babycenter.com reports, an adult-to-child ratio of 1-to-4 is necessary for infants, while the ratio is 1-to-6 for two- to six-year-olds. Be sure to ask hard questions of the resort or hotel that you choose.
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5 Responses
This is a super useful post, Allison. When planning a vacation at a resort or on a cruise, its also *critical* that you check on what age they start accepting kids into the kids program. Some programs start at 3, others at 4, and some at 5. This can make a big difference. Also, when i recently traveled to the Bahamas with my family, I found that the exact hours and program for Camp Lucaya, at the Sheraton Our Lucaya Resort, differed from the latest information I got off the Sheraton site and what I got off the Sheraton central reservations line. In this case, I should have called the property directly to confirm the details. It all worked out well and we had a great vacation at the Sheraton Grand Bahama Island, which is rated 1 of the top childrens programs in the Caribbean according to Child Magazine.
Anyway, I’d love to see the “Top 10 questions one should ask a resort child care program.” Maybe this can be the idea for a future post!
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