Vacation offerings for families to enjoy together – or apart

Constantly rated one of the top family destinations in America, San Diego offers 70 miles of coastline, seemingly endless outdoor recreation opportunities and vibrant cultural offerings for families to enjoy together—or apart. Parents can relax at the spa, indulge in culinary delights or have alone time while the kids create summer memories at one of San Diego’s unique camps.

From art classes to water sports to customized childcare, San Diego is the perfect place for family members to experience fun and the sun—all on their own.  

Artful Dodge

For those looking to become the next Picasso, the Spanish Village Art Center in Balboa Park has a number of art-inspired summer camps and classes for every age. Creative pre-teens and teens who enjoy crafting and creating can spend a few hours each weekday afternoon learning from the professional artists who work in the colorful and quaint Spanish Village. In addition, each Saturday there is a free all-ages art class from noon to 4 p.m. Visitors can also book individual paid classes in watercolor, painting, drawing and screen printing. It’s the perfect way for parents to keep the kids occupied while they explore Balboa Park’s gardens, restaurants and varied cultural offerings at an adult-like pace.

Take the Plunge

While parents partake in relaxing pool day at their hotel, sipping craft beers at Belmont Park’s Draft restaurant or biking along Mission Bay’s boardwalk, kids ages 5 to 12 can expend all their energy at Plunge pool’s obstacle course. This premium day camp located inside Belmont Park, San Diego’s beachfront amusement park, runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with the one-day option costing $115. Activities include science projects, crafts, yoga for kids, a rock-climbing wall, a ropes course, miniature golf and more.

Join the Club

The always-luxurious Fairmont Grand Del Mar doesn’t skimp when it comes to keeping its younger guests entertained. While the adults indulge in a relaxing massage at the resort’s Center For Wellbeing, kids ages 5 and up can join the Explorer’s Club, a year-round program that features a whole host of activities from treasure hunts to canyon hikes to Southern California-inspired crafting. The camp, which costs $30 an hour, has hourly, half- or full-day care options. Other kid-friendly choices include junior golf, archery, tennis, pickleball and horseback riding.

Ocean Adventure

At the Hotel del Coronado, kids can get the chance not just to play in the ocean but also learn about it through its new camp Ocean Explorers. Designed for children ages 5 to 12, the camp offers half- and full-day sessions for overnight guests filled with hands-on adventures both in the hotel’s state-of-the-art classroom and outside on the beach. Subjects include ocean science, sharks, tidepools and seashells, and a portion of the proceeds benefits Birch Aquarium at Scripps’ ocean conservation efforts. For parents looking for a date night with no kids, there is also an Explorers Night Out on Fridays and Saturdays that includes dinner for the participants. Parents can use their free time exploring Coronado’s main street, kayaking in the San Diego Bay or dining at a waterfront restaurant.

Child’s Play

At the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, kids are members of the club—Kidtopia club, that is. The resort program provides stimulating recreation for kids and a bit of respite for parents and features small slides, soft climbing items, books, puzzles and a 600-gallon aquarium with exotic fish. The Kidtopia nursery offers two consecutive hours of care for kids ages 6 months to 3 years old. Options include half-day, full-day and night camps with prices ranging between $66 and $96. Parents must remain on the Omni La Costa grounds, which provides them the perfect opportunity to dine at one of the resort’s many restaurants or luxuriate at its spa.

Water Everywhere

For those looking for some wet and wild adventure, The Water Sports Camp at the Mission Bay Aquatic Center has half-day camps that teach kids ages 7 to 14 how to paddle board, kayak, surf, sail and wakeboard. The YMCA sponsors the camp with the Associated Students of San Diego State University and the UC San Recreation operate it, so experienced instructors are on board to get campers excited about all the aquatic awesomeness that San Diego has to offer. While the kids learn the ways of the water, parents can rent a sailboat, a kayak, a wakeboarding boat or a windsurfer.

Kids’ Kamp and S’more

Guests of the San Diego Mission Bay Resort need not worry about keeping their offspring inspired and busy while they relax by the pool in a cabana. Nestled along the water, this recently remodeled property has a variety of kid-centric activities including its Kids’ Kamp, which is designed for children ages 5 to 12. The Kamp, which costs $60 per child per day, is open in July and August and features games, crafts and kid-friendly adventures. No need to plan way ahead as the resort only requires camp reservations be made 24 hours in advance. For those who want a little more family togetherness, Mission Bay Resort also offers a free “S’mores Night,” poolside “Dive-In Movies” as well as a variety of “craftivities.”

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