LESSONS IN CULTURE AND WILDLIFE

The kids’ club at the Marbella Club, a beachside resort in Spain, is a good example of a club that puts culture first. It is in a 17 000m2 villa that was the original home of Prince Alfonso of Spain. It has its own shallow pool and plenty of outdoor space with extensive gardens.

Children between the ages of 4 and 12 (there is a separate area for children from 3 months to 3 years) have a choice of six activities a day. They may pick herbs from the vegetable garden and use them to blend their own perfumes in Andalusian style. Or the counsellors might take them to the beach where they can try their hand at kayaking or paddle surfing and learn about birds.

Access to the club is €90 euros (R1 400) a day. Meals are included, and are always traditional Spanish dishes like paella or gazpacho that the youngsters help prepare.

JAM-MAKING AND RECYCLING

Located in the heart of Provence, the kids’ club at Domaine de Manville is headquartered in two collector caravan cars.

Children entertain themselves with pottery making, gardening, jam-making classes using fruit grown on the property, and recycling workshops where they create arts and crafts using second-hand materials. There is also a court where children can learn to play pétanque (boules), a sport – similar to bowls – that is native to Provence. Plus, the club is free to children (up to 13) staying at the resort. Room rates begin at $215 (R3 000).

TREASURE HUNTING IN A MEDINA

Similarly, Royal Mansour in Marrakesh, Morocco, has a new kids’ club set in a private pavilion within its gardens, but brings children all the richness of the local culture.

Access is included in the room charge (rates start at around $1 000 a night), and activities include Moroccan art workshops, Arabic lessons and a treasure hunt in the hotel’s medina. The hotel also offers a hands-on chocolate-making experience for children in the on-site chocolate laboratory – the best part might be when the youngsters taste-test the confections they have created.