Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort Villages and Spa is Perfect for Infants and Toddlers #BeachesMoms

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Traveling with infants and toddlers is hard. Between disrupted naps, airplane rides, and new surroundings, a meltdown is pretty much guaranteed. Where you stay during your travels makes a big difference regarding the sanities of both children and adults. That’s why I absolutely love Beaches Turks and Caicos. They are a top rated world class all-inclusive resort, and they cater to families.

My family recently returned from a trip to Beaches Turks and Caicos as part of the Social Media on the Sand conference held at the resort. This invitation-only social media conference, hosted by Beaches Resorts, was not just for bloggers but also for their families. My husband and two young children tagged along, and we stayed at the Caribbean Village, one of four villages on the resort that also includes Italy, France, and Key West.

With a 45,000 square-foot waterpark, 20 restaurants and 14 bars, 7 pools, water sports, kids camps, and a 12-mile beach, there are plenty of things for people of all ages to enjoy at this kid-friendly resort.

For this review, I focus on the resort’s amenities for infants and toddlers.

Rooms

We booked a Caribbean Deluxe room with two queen size beds, but to our delight were upgraded to a suite on arrival. This was much appreciated so that the children could have their own room and quiet space.

We requested a crib with our reservation and were happy to see a full size one in the room versus a smaller playpen-sized one often supplied by other hotels and resorts. The crib included a real mattress with a fitted crib sheet set up by a resort staffer.

A housekeeper stopped by to inquire if the baby drank whole milk. When I said yes, she left and returned with a quart to keep in the refrigerator. The milk was refilled during our stay as needed. Something as simple as supplying milk in our room made me think, “They really understand children and their needs.”

We loved little things, like how the housekeeper adjusted her cleaning schedule for our room to accommodate the baby’s nap time. Another detail was our room location–it was on the first floor (easier access for the stroller), and at the end of the building (so less neighbors to disturb when baby cried at night). Perhaps it was just coincidence, but since Beaches is well known for its superior customer service, I’d like to think they planned our placement.

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Food

With 20 restaurants to choose from, there was no shortage of food options. Cuisines included Tex Mex, Italian, Caribbean, seafood, Continental, American, French, Japanese (including a hibachi house), Mediterranean, and British.

All restaurants offer high chairs upon request. Some let us leave the baby in the stroller by the table, but it depended on space. Restaurant staffers obliged my ad hoc requests regarding food for the baby, such as a plate of fruit or milk in a lidded cup with a straw. The staff was very gracious when baby threw food on the floor. When I tried to pick it up, a waiter stopped me and said, “Don’t worry about it, leave it there. Really.”

If your child has food allergies, make sure to tell the resort when you arrive and ask for recommendations on where to eat. Some restaurants are better able to accommodate allergens more than others.

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Pools, Beaches and a Waterpark

Beaches Turks and Caicos features seven pools throughout its four villages. Many include whirlpools as well as shallow kiddie areas. Lifeguards are on duty at all pools and on the beach, but feel free to bring floaties from home if necessary. If you’re lucky, grab a cabana to keep baby out of the sun.

There’s plenty of fine white sand on the pristine beach, but pack a few sand toys from home as there are not many available at the resort. Beach chairs, straw hut umbrellas, and cabanas line the beaches for anyone to use.

Pirates Island waterpark has several large waterslides, pools, whirlpools, a surf simulator, and a lazy river tube ride. For little ones, there is a mini pirate ship featuring tot-size slides as well as sprinkler fountains for them to run through.

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Camp Sesame

Camp Sesame is the care facility for children 0-4 years old and groups them by age. There are assigned spaces and rooms for non-walkers, toddlers age 1 to 2.5 years, and 3-4 year olds. Kids 5 years and up go to Pirates Island camp where they also are divided by age group.

Camp rooms are bright, colorful, and filled with lots of fun toys, books, and kid seats. I loved that Camp Sesame had a fenced-in play area that included a “beach” sand section, shallow pool, mini-beach chairs, and pool toys. Make sure to provide swim diapers if you want your little ones to participate in water activities. For nap time, kids slept in a separate darkened quiet room filled with cribs and white noise.

I was hesitant about putting my baby in Camp Sesame because she is young and on a set schedule. With conference sessions taking place, I decided to give it a try. I printed my baby’s daily schedule and gave it to the nannies. They readily accepted and followed it, though the facility does not require schedules from parents.

I heard excellent reviews from other moms regarding the resort’s child care. It assured me to know that all care staffers were members of the International Nanny Association. To become accredited, each nanny needs to meet at least 2,000 hours of childcare services, and be trained in safety, nutrition, and child development.

Midday I stopped by Camp Sesame to check on baby. To my relief she was smiling, playing, and later sat quietly at a table to eat lunch. Seeing all this gave me confidence that she was happy and in good hands.

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Here is an example of the Camp Sesame schedule for 1-2.5 year olds on Beachin’ Thursday:

8 am       Early bird special for parents signed up for a morning dive
8:30 am  Sign in
9 am       Number of the day
9:43 am  Sandcastle building
10 am    Pool games at camp
11 am     Snacks
12 pm     Lunch
1 pm       Dancing with Zoe
1:30 pm  Quiet time
2 pm       Story time with Elmo
2:30 pm  Arts and crafts
3:30 pm  Snack Time
4 pm       Number of the day with Ernie
4:30 pm  Playground games
5 pm       Pick up/closed for an hour
6 pm       Sign in
6:15 pm  Dinner
7 pm       Free play and games
8 pm       Movie night
10 pm    Pick up

After 10 pm, the resort offers After Camp Care at a cost of $15 per hour for up to 3 children in the resort room or elsewhere on resort grounds. Beaches Turks and Caicos also offers a special needs program that provides one-on-one child care at a cost of $8 per hour.

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Where Else to Find Sesame Street Characters

If parents prefer to skip Camp Sesame, their children can still meet Sesame Street characters in other ways. A schedule detailing the times and locations where characters will be throughout the day is available. Kids can do fun activities like Walk with Zoe and Bake with Cookie Monster. There is a Sesame Street parade on certain days, a nightly Sesame Street Stage Show, and for an additional fee, a Sesame Street Character Breakfast.

Kids can meet characters via special upgraded packages that include the following themes: Super Science Fair with Grover, Bird Watching with Big Bird, Story Time with Elmo, From Trash to Treasure with Oscar the Grouch, Bake with Cookie Monster, Discover Treasures with Abby Cadabby, Rock n’ Roll Dance Party with Elmo and Friends, Surprise Tea Time with Abby Cadabby and Elmo, Explore with Grover, Make Number Magic with the Count, Puppet Making with Bert and Ernie, and Exploring Outer Space with Elmo. There’s even a nightly tuck-in program where characters, accompanied by a staff member, visit your resort room and read your lucky child a bedtime story.

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Ready to Go?

Now that you know Beaches Turks and Caicos is super infant and toddler friendly, are you ready to go? Rates vary widely depending on the season, room type, and number of guests in your party. Check out the Beaches Turks and Caicos website for specials, or try using a travel agent to secure a good deal. I highly recommend a stay there especially if you have little ones in tow—both adults and children will have a fabulous time!

 

 

 

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