Arkansas festivals, family fun activities and Arkansas events make it the perfect place for fun and affordable family vacations. Whether you prefer toy shopping or antique store hopping, white-water rafting or ballroom dancing, theme park hopping or cave spelunking, horseback riding or fine dining, you’ll find a surplus of exciting activities for the whole family in Arkansas.

No doubt that Arkansas is one of the most family-friendly states in terms of summer travel.
Here are some of the suggestions for your Arkansas summer vacation trip planning:

Ozarks Vacations

The Ozarks

The bulk of the northern part of Arkansas is taken up by The Ozarks, a plateau surrounded by mountains. So you and your family can go to get away from the fast pace of life and enjoy the beauty of nature together. This region gives your kids a chance to experience a rather unique culture within America, because the people of the Ozarks tend to have a dialect and lifestyle which differ greatly from what your kids normally experience. In addition, this region is filled with museums and places of historical significance so it makes for a great educational summer trip.

Quartz Crystal Travel

Arkansas is famous for its abundance and quality of quartz crystals. And an exploration of their history in the area can be an exciting family trip. There are dig-your-own crystal mines which your children will love. There’s lots to do around the mines. You can explore the Ouachita mountains where the crystals are primarily located. These mountains have hot and cold springs and lots of nature and Native American history.

Little Rock

If you and your family are looking for more of an urban destination inside of Arkansas, you should head to the capital city of Little Rock. It’s got all of the treats of a city including the Magic Springs / Crystal Falls Theme and Water

Lake Activities

Arkansas admittedly does get a little bit warm in the summer. So you might want to consider some lake activities when planning your itinerary. Arkansas has plenty of these to choose from so you can design your lake vacation around your family’s desires and needs. For instance, Bull Shoals Lake offers activities like tubing for older kids, Table Rock Lake has swimming and fishing and Beaver Lake is located near caves that can be explored.

Parks, the IMAX Theatre and Aerospace

This area is famous for center, bowling alleys and skating rinks and many museums. However, Little Rock is a kind of small town charm that would be lacking if your did your summer vacationing in a larger place.

• resorts where kids are welcomed and even worshipped with special activities and everything from kids’ discos to supervised kids’ programs and special child nutrition.
• kids-friendly resorts where are welcomed but where they’ll need to make their own fun with family help. There are no supervised kids’ programs at these resorts.

Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort & Spa

This kid friendly resort is situated on Providenciales, one of the most popular Turks & Caicos Islands. There are specially designed activities and events geared towards keeping the little ones occupied at all times in this resort. And there are plenty of activities for the youngest members of your family. They will have an enjoyable time as they hang out with their favorite Sesame Street characters between visits to the beach. Activities for children include a free kids club, supervised pools for children with juice bars and Xbox stations scattered throughout the resort. The resort also plans to open family style suites and a gigantic water park.

Atlantis Paradise Island

Atlantis Paradise Island resort can be a great choice for families searching for hotels in the Bahamas. This famous hotel features a 30,000 square foot pool, water slides set within Mayan architecture, and a gigantic dolphin habitat the kids are sure to love. The Coral Towers near the center of the hotel are the home of the Kids Friendly Club where your children will be kept occupied for hours.

The Four Seasons Great Exuma at Emerald Bay

This is a great resort with a relaxing atmosphere and plenty of activities for both adults and children alike. Children between the ages of 5 and 12 will enjoy free kids activities including kite flying, hair braiding, and crafts. There are also activities for teens. The whole family will have a chance to play volleyball, spend time in mother-daughter classes, and family golf clinics.

Beaches Negril Resort & Spa

The Beaches Negril Resort & Spa in Jamaica’s Negril is situated on the famous Seven Mile Beach. Activities for children include visits with Sesame Street characters, trips to the water park, and dessert at the self-serve ice cream station. If you need, the resort can provide your children with an accredited nanny.

Westin St. John Resort & Villas

The Westin St. John Resort & Villas is one of the most popular family-friendly resorts in the United States section of the Virgin Islands. This resort is situated on the Great Cruz Bay. Children will enjoy jumping on water trampolines, climbing in and out of the pool’s spectacular waterfall, and embarking on their own exploratory safaris. There are plenty of family activities to participate in this resort including bingo games, races, and trips to some of the nicest snorkeling beaches.

Destin

If you dream about white sandy beaches and emerald green water, then the Destin is your destination.  It’s a quiet, family-oriented community. So you can enjoy a relaxing time building sandcastles and splashing in the emerald green surf.

Clearwater

White beaches and clear gulf water gave the name for this place. Your kids will have a chance to to sail on a real pirate ship aboard Captain Memo’s Pirate Cruise here. A relaxing family beach vacation in Clearwater can be  also filled with theme park fun.  Busch Gardens Adventure Park is just across the bay in Tampa, and all the theme park thrills of Orlando are only 2-1/2 hours away.

Siesta Key

Siesta Key is located in kid-friendly Sarasota, Florida. It’s “whitest and finest sand in the world”  is extremely popular. It is made of 99% quartz and is cool on little feet no matter what the air temperature. This sand is great for making sand castles.  With it’s year round lifeguard protection and shallow water, it’s one of the safest beaches for small children.  Nearby Marina Jacks, a playground with splash fountains,  along with O’leary’s Tiki Bar & Grill, and water sport rentals.  

Daytona

Actually Daytona is great place for a spending a vacation with tweens and teens.  Lots of activity going on here right at the beach.  The boardwalk is fun for all ages with shops, arcades and amusements on a pier that stretches out into the ocean. Cars are allowed to drive on the beach for a fee. Besides surfing is very popular here.

Sanibel, Captiva

Casa Ybel Resort lies off the mainstream path along the shell-studded natural beaches of Florida’s Sanibel Island. In fact, the beach is literally covered in shells. So if you want to add a perfect shell to your collection then this place is the best place for you. While in operation since the turn of the century, a modern and renovated Casa Ybel offers adults a place to “get away from it all”. And for the kids plenty of adventure is offered. Actually the Casa Kids Club is ready to welcome the kids whose ages are from 4 to 11. The three-hour daily program consists of indoor and outdoor games and the variety of craft projects. Swimming and other activities are sometimes available. But it depends on the ages and abilities of the children in attendance on any given day.

Cheeca Lodge – Islamorada

Islamorada offers luxury accommodations and plenty of activities for every age. This place provides your kids with a half day of fun activities that include fishing off Cheeca’s pier, arts and crafts, lagoon swimming and snorkeling, scavenger hunts, hermit crab races, sand sculptures and beach exploration. All these funny activities are avaliable for children ages 5 and up.

Family Beach Vacations

If you want your beach vacatioon to be the best one, then here are some helpful tips for you. Remember: you should look for resorts that include a lot of extras in the price, such as:

• First of all a premium location directly on the beach, or complimentary shuttle to a nearby safe and clean beach are definitely necessary.
• Special suites or other room configurations for families. They can include foldout or pull-out beds and easy access to activities.
• What about food? All-inclusive resorts will offer all meals and drinks as part of the price of your stay. Menus and restaurants that cater to kids’ tastes, such as hotdogs and ice cream will be very convenient.
• At the beach resorts there should be sports and activities for the age groups of your kids. Many resorts have kids’ clubs that keep your kids involved and having fun all day long.
• May be you would like to be involved in some family activities.
• Pool areas. There can be  even rivers, fountains and waterslides
• Babysitting. It can be very helpful especially in the evenings when the two of you (adults) would like to enjoy an adults only dinner without kids.
• And some words about safety. Don’t forget to check into the safety precautions and layout of the resort. Because some destinations are far more kid-friendly than others. And depending on the age of your children, different types of beaches may be more appropriate. For example, teenagers may want large waves and slightly rougher water for trying out surfing, sailing or windsurfing. However for young children and toddlers you should look for a quiet and calm beach.

Keep in mind that most cruises don’t provide activities for kids under the age of 4. Moreover, the kids won’t be allowed in any pool unless they are toilet trained.

The guard rails on most ships are not designed to be child safe. Unlike Disneyland where guard rails are vertical and less than six inches apart, nothing separates toddlers from the sea on a cruise ship except widely spaced horizontal bars.

Babies under the age of 1 year may almost be cruise-compatible, if they sleep easily and are generally even tempered. Cruise ship cabins are small. And a crying baby may create a great deal of discomfort for parents and fellow travelers who have paid hundreds or thousands for the perfect vacation. The stress of trying to keep an unhappy child quiet may not be the most restful vacation for mom.

It’ll be a perfect vacation for every member of your family, if you travel with five to twenty of your closest relatives, kids included. There’s always someone to hang out with and stuff to do. Kids and adults can mingle freely. Everyone has their own cabin to retire to and no one has to clean up.

Cruise Ships Requirments

But it can be difficult if a small family takes a cruise and there are fewer adults than children. A mother and father, taking care of three young kids can have a tough time keeping everyone happy and well cared for. Remember, that a cruise ship requires constant monitoring of children in order to keep them safe and happy. So if parents have a chance to take along an extra adult oreven two, they may have a great time.

No doubt that every family should take a cruise with kids, because it is the unforgetable adventure of a lifetime. You’ll be surprised, when you find out what an amount of information your children can learn every time you go ashore. You’ll certainly love the relaxed days you can spend playing on the ship.

However if you have children under the age of 4, think twice before taking a cruise. If you have more young children than adults in your traveling party or can’t afford to get a family cabin or connecting cabins, you may want to hold off taking your cruise for a year or two. It’ll be really a good idea!

Nowadays practically all ski resorts welcome families with kids. They are ready to offer kids’ programs and ski and snowboard schools. Many kid friendly resorts prepair special opportunities, such as child-care centers, nurseries, and cool programs for teens.

Colorado Family Ski Resorts

First of all you should decide where to go. For example, Colorado’s ski destinations are legendary. Utah’s motto  and Smuggler’s Notch (in Vermont) are also great places to go skiing.

But quite often the families with children prefer to go local. So if there’s a ski resort in driving distance, then it’s a good idea to load up the gear and head for the hills.

You should also keep in mind while choosing a family ski resort that sometimes non-celebrity places can be perfect ones for families. There you can get uncrowded slopes, lower prices, manageable size, friendly ambiance.

Family Skiing

Anyway you should keep in mind that skiing is just basically expensive, given the cost of gear plus lift tickets, not to mention travel to, and lodgings near, the slopes. So plan you budget carefully before the trip.

And please, don’t waste time while spending your vacation at the skiing resorts. It’s amazing how much time we can waste getting onto the slopes. Just look for the “ski in/ski out”, because it’s a lovely convenience, when kids can put their gear on right outside your lodgings, and zip to the lifts — and also a major time-saver.

If you’re renting gear, then try to do the actual rental the night before you want to hit the slopes. Keep in mind that rental shops are busy in the morning, and the process of getting a family fitted with boots, skis, boards, helmet, can eat up prime time.

It’s very convenient to get gear and clothing fully organized the night before, because suiting up with kids can take an incredible amount of time

It’s a good idea to look for “Fresh Tracks” programs, that provide access to the mountain early in the morning. Remember to book kids programs in advance, at popular spots

So if you really want convenience, then you should stay at a resort with a “ski concierge” (for example, Four Seasons Resort Whistler)

Here are some practical tips on the slopes with kids.

• Please, dress in layers, because the temperatures on the mountain heat up and chill down fast.

• If the members of your family don’t have cell phones, then don’t forget to buy a “family radio set” to communicate and meet up on the slopes.

• Also it’s very important to agree in advance on a place to meet if you get separated

• Remember that kids should know how their bindings work. And of course kids should be able to recognize mountain patrol staff and volunteers.

• If you go skiing with small children, then you should ask for assistance on lifts. For older kids skiing or ‘boarding on their own: never go out of bounds.

So if you’ve decided the place to go to, loaded up the gear, got your child acquainted with rules then you are ready for the trip to the ski resort! Be careful and have fun!

This cruises have lots of activities for children. Actualy it doesn’t matter what destination or cruise line you choose. The “floating theme parks” are unique to each cruise line. But all of them are fun for children of all ages.

One of the most well-known cruise line of all family vacation choices is so-called “Disney Cruises”. Here you can find all  the well known Disney Characters.

This is really the wonderful place on the open seas. While traveling by the Disney cruise you and your children can experience the magic kingdom and exotic locations.

Disney Cruise Line

It’s important to underline that Disney Cruise Line is the only one with a fleet-wide nursery for infants and toddlers from ages of 6 weeks to 3 years. The nursery imposes an hourly fee, and you should book it as soon as you board.

Kids Friendly Cruises

Of course it isn’t the only cruise line with activities for children. But it  surely suits everyone who are planning the cruise with kids.

Let’s talk about an amount of facilities that kid friendly resorts can offer you.

Today family resorts offer  sports and activities on-site, convenient ways to feed your kids,  kids’ clubs and teen centers.

Best Places for Family Vacations

• Arkansas Resorts
• California Resorts
• Carribean Resorts
• Florida Beach Resorts
• Hawaii Resort Kauai for Families and Kids
• Southern Oregon Resorts
• Orlando Family Resorts
• Pasadena, California
• Knott’s Berry Farm
• Great Wolf Lodge Poconos Waterpark
• Illinois Eagle Ridge Inn and Resort
• Amelia Island Plantation Beach Resort

More and more resorts offer guests their own private water park. The resorts with an indoor water park create a whole new range of driving-distance vacations in both winter and summer-time. Some resorts add an outdoor water park in summer, too. In hot climates resorts with their own water parks are a draw year-round.

Pools for Kids

Moreover resorts compete to have the best pools: freeform; zero-entry; kiddie pool; waterpark features like slides and squirters; and even full-blown waterparks.

Kid Friendly Resorts

As far as ski resorts are concerned these days they welcome families and offer kids’ programs and ski and snowboard schools. Some resorts  are ready to offer you  child-care centers, nurseries, and special programs for teens. You should keep in mind that sometimes non-celebrity places can be star-quality for families. Here you can get less crowds, lower prices, manageable size, friendly ambiance.

All Inclusive Family Resorts

Today all inclusive resorts become very popular. Kids can sample activities, help themselves to drinks when they please, have fun at the kids clubs. All inclusive resorts are especially popular with families because they offer beach and watersports, pools, kids’ programs and family activities, meal-time convenience and drinks on tap, grown-up pampering- spa, dining and what not. Most all inclusive resorts include all meals and snacks, drinks, kids’ programs, and certain watersports and other activities. Practically every all inclusive resort offers some sort of kids’ club.

Some are the “friendly little club” type. Which means that there are one or two rooms with toys and tv and maybe children video games. Often ages 4 to 12 are grouped together and care is provided by warm and friendly staff. More and more all inclusive resorts are now providing nurseries and infant care. Even if you only use the nursery for a few hours during nap time, baby care can be a welcome break. Many resorts are also offering 24-hour room service. Parents of babies may want to ask whether an on-site doctor or nurse is available. Then you should choose the bigger resort.

If we talk about sports nowadays almost every resort  offers access to golf: if not right on-property, then through some convenient arrangement with a nearby course.

As far as scuba-diving  is concerned it is usually for ages 12 and up. And it is expensive. So try to find all-included scuba.

Another wonderful way  to spend the time for kids is snorkeling. Boat trips to a coral reef are a fun family outing. You can also go snorkeling right off-shore. So that even little kids can see the fish whenever they like.

Many resorts can book a horseriding outing for you at an extra charge. In some resorts horse-riding is an all-included activity.

Nowadays traveling with baby is comfortable and  practical. All over the world you can find kid friendly hotels in all price ranges  which are ready to provide your  kids with new deluxe accommodations.

What is a kid friendly hotel?

If you are traveling with the baby here are some things to look for:

• Mini fridges for storing breast milk
• High chair and crib availability
• Bumper guards on sharp corners
• Covered electrical outlets
• Gift shops that sell diapers, wipes, sun screen SPF 50, arm floaters, donuts for swimming, beach toys, and sandals

If you don’t want to travel with your own nanny then the hotel will  a offer you the help of  nanny. The nanny will perform duties the family needs, for example preparing meals for the baby in the suite kitchen, daily supervision, evening babysitting, and etc.

If you don’t want to leave your baby with nanny, many hotels are offering baby listening facilities in all bedrooms. So parents can  listen into their room from all around the hotel while the baby is napping. However many hotels reasonably will not allow parents to leave the hotel grounds while a listening system is in use. Moreover the hotels will also have parents sign a waver of accountability before allowing use of the systems.

Kid Friendly Hotels

Today the hotels try to do their best to entertain kids. Many hotels have playrooms especially for toddlers, complete with age appropriate toys. Separate pools designed for babies are now becoming more available. Moreover  the personal can organize tours for kids. They also plan for fun on rainy days by providing a Nintendo system on room’s flat screen plasma television. But the parents should be sure to ask about toddler-friendly games.

In the conclusion we can say that nowadays there is no reason to put off family trips until the baby’s older. With the right hotel choice any family can have a trip to remember.

Family Vacations Ideas

Cruises with Kids	Houseboat Vacations	Camping Vacations
Beach Vacations	Ranch (Farm) Vacations	Ski Resorts

Preparing to Travel with Kids

First of all some words about packing. Depending on the age, your kids need an amount of items. Moreover the younger kids are, the more they need. That’s why every parent feels himself an artist while packing. So don’t avoid planning your bagage.

Again, bring only what you truly need for your trip. Of course  the clothes will take up a lot of space because children tend to make it dirty in a minute. Besides try to pack clothes in coordinating colors. Look into whether the place you’ll be staying has a washing machine. It would be very convenient. Don’t forget to pack t scissors. As a caring parent you probably always carry hand sanitizer with you. The world can be a dirty place. Also, don’t forget medicines or batteries.

Kid Friendly Vacations

Have your kids carry some of their own belongings. Every child loves to feel grown-up. And a part of being grown-up is being helpful. So you can pack a small backpack for them. For example  put in this backpack a change of clothes, toys, diapers.

Another way to make preparations for the trip more exciting is to give kids a chance to pick out places they want to see, and get some fun books to read about the destination.  Try to make it fun, not like homework. Your children may be surprised at how much they can learn.

A very important tip to think about  when traveling with kids is a flying or driving – time. If it’s possible, limit layovers on flights. Try to avoid flying during the busiest parts of the day. Anyway, try to plan your trip around kids nap times. In the case you are going to travel with kids in the car, then you should  leave an hour or two before nap time or bedtime, if you can stay awake to drive. Definitely kids will be able to keep themselves busy for an hour until bedtime, and then will sleep for the duration of the trip. If you are planning to travel with kids by plane, then you’d better choose a flight that coincides with nap time or a red-eye.

Traveling by plane you should always buy seats for your children. Surely, child in your lap may sound convenient and economical. But in the case of severe turbulence, your child becomes your airbag. It is generally advisable to use a car seat when traveling with kids under 40 pounds.  Many airlines charge just half price for children under two years of age.

Traveling with Kids

When traveling with kids, take advantage of pre-boarding. Instead of getting kids onto the plane early though, use this opportunity to send one parent ahead, loaded down with strollers and bags. They can set up while the other parent remains in the terminal, letting kids run off any excess energy. Use this time to make any last-minute diaper changes also, as airplane bathrooms are very small.

You should prepare some sort of occupation to pass the time when traveling with kids. In this case music can help. You can get some family-friendly CDs for the car or bring individual music players. Portable DVD players make hours fly by.  Activity books also help time go quickly when traveling with kids. Games can be fun for the whole family to play. And the last but not the least are fresh fruit for your kids. It will keep them busy and satisfieds during a short period of time.