Child Care Turns Educational

Child care during vacation has traditionally meant hiring a sitter or placing the children into a kids program for a specified amount of time. Many cruise lines and high end resorts are changing the face of child care by integrating education into the kids’ down time.

While being educated during a vacation may not sound like the typical person’s idea of a good time, performing learning activities under the guise of excitement and fun is the perfect way to sneak a little bit of education for kids. Cruise lines and resorts alike are discovering there is a great interest on the part of their patrons in providing a service that not only occupies their child’s time but makes the best use of it, as well.

From Regent Seven Seas Cruises offering Jacques Cousteau themed kids’ clubs to a Tanzanian animal reserve teaching tracking skills and outback survival, there are a variety of means to keep young minds active even while enjoying themselves on vacation. Resorts such as Hyatt Regency in Scottsdale, Arizona provide instruction of native crafts from the Hopi Indian; Four Seasons in British Columbia teaching tricks of the trade of dogsledding; near Miami, Florida the art of playing golf as well as an introduction to marine biology including whales are all locations where kids will find themselves immersed in fun and entertaining hobbies.

When children are too young to participate in such invigorating programs, some resorts and cruise lines are stepping up to accommodate their needs, as well. Often these kids’ programs are designed for children between the ages of three and five, with the caveat that they be toilet trained. For the younger set, private babysitting is available on board Disney cruise ships, and at Beaches Resorts and Almond Resorts providing private nannies and daycare for the wee ones.

Vacationing with family can sometimes be a challenge when the parents have activities they wish to participate in that are not appropriate for young ones. By adding this much needed feature of educational child sitting to their amenities, cruise ships and resorts are making family vacationing easier for many families.