As a parent, you want to create memories for your children. And when you travel, you want experiences they’ll take with them. Child-friendly culinary programs can transform an everyday food journey into an immersive, exploratory escapade into taste and texture — and even heritage and sustainability.
From taking a tasty cooking class to learning about honeybees in a buzzworthy, hands-on activity, these hotel dining experiences for kids open up a world in which food becomes the gateway to unforgettable adventures.
As always, check for travel guidelines and closures before planning your trip.
Whip Up Delicious Dishes at JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa
A deliciously unique adventure awaits pint-sized foodies at the JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa. The Chefs in the Making program ignites culinary curiosity and creativity, inviting little ones to craft their own simple yet delicious dishes.
There’s way more than measuring, mixing and stirring, too. It’s an exploration of food as children create their own pizzas, pipe icing onto cupcakes and concoct original smoothie recipes. It’s also a win for parents. Revel in your kiddos’ newfound skills, but also sample what they have crafted and cooked up during this taste-bud-pleasing program.
Buzz About Honeybees and Cook Up the Fun at The Westin Bayshore, Vancouver
The Westin Bayshore, Vancouver offers some incredible food-inspired programs for families. Kids will be sweet on a seasonal honeybee experience that’s available from late-April to October. This interactive experience is led by the hotel’s executive chef and beekeeper and offers guests a unique look into the life of honeybees, including an up-close look at a honeycomb at the on-site Bayshore Beehive Hotel.
As part of this activity, kids (and parents) learn all the buzz about how this homegrown honey is worked into menu favorites, like the hotel’s irresistible Honey Gelato. Tots to teens can even taste honey fresh off the comb. Delicious.
But the fun doesn’t stop there at The Westin Bayshore, Vancouver. Your chefs-in-training can also stir up fun and flavor during the hotel’s weekly seasonal cooking classes for kids. Littles will love donning colorful aprons and poofy chef hats as they are led on a hands-on culinary journey by the hotel’s talented chefs.
Every child leaves class with their own sweet treats, as well as an official certificate to display with pride their delicious accomplishments.
Attend a Luau Show at The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua
You can’t go wrong when you immerse your family in the rich heritage and vibrant culture of Hawaii. At The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua, a luau and dinner show called Tales of the Kapa Moe Lūʻau lets you do just that. This experience brings to life the stories of the island’s ancestors through the artistry of dance and music. As stars blanket the sky, savor local flavors and traditional luau dishes, like huli huli chicken and whole-roasted pig.
Every family trip to Hawaii is an opportunity to embrace the concept of traveling pono, or traveling mindfully and showing your respect for Native Hawaiian culture, local communities and the environment.
Eat Up an Immersive Dining Experience at W Boston
At W Boston, you can enjoy an immersive, multisensory, multicourse TableMation dining experience. Your kiddos will go gaga when your table comes to life as animated characters, and even ingredients, romp across its surface. The whole family will love the original music, clever character interactions and wildly engaging animation, all thanks to 4K projectors above each table.
The dinner show takes cues from ingredients in menu items. A thoughtfully curated children’s menu features elevated but still kid-friendly dishes, like fried mac and cheese and cake pops — plus, of course, fun mocktails.
Fancy a Tiny Tea Service at The St. Regis Bali Resort
Take your tot for tea — or rather, have a tiny afternoon tea come to you at The St. Regis Bali Resort. This fanciful experience enchants your youngest ones, turning an elegant, pinkies-up tradition into a whimsical event complete with a playful tent set up on the grass outside the family villa.
Your littles will go wide-eyed at the delectable pastel-colored treats, including tempting cake pops, while sipping on kid-friendly tea blends from dainty teacups. Save room for doughnuts — as in a tower of powder-pink and mint-green donuts that’s topped with an ice-cream cone.
It’s a sweet pause in the day that’s just right for kids and families.
Cultivate a Green Thumb at The Westin Resort, Costa Navarino
The Westin Resort, Costa Navarino encourages green thumbs and a discovery of nature as part of its Young Gardener program. Inspired by the lush landscape of Costa Navarino in Greece, this hands-on initiative helps foster a connection between gardens and the foods your kids see on the dinner table.
Budding horticulturists, ages 4 to 11, plant seeds, gather local produce and prepare recipes made from native fruits and vegetables. At the end of the program, young guests receive seeds to plant when they return home. It’s a fun, enriching way to help your kids’ love for the Earth blossom.
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