The 14 greatest kids' clubs you need to put on your radar

The new wave of kids’ clubs has raised the (limbo) bar when it comes to holiday fun. We scoured the Jetstar network to find 14 epic kids’ clubs that offer non-stop action and extraordinary adventures. The fun starts here!

Paradise Resort Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

What do you add to a family resort that has everything? An ice-skating rink, of course! In the heart of Surfers Paradise, Paradise Resort opens in new window also sports a colossal kids’ club. Split into two areas – one for children aged zero to three and another for four- to 12-year-olds – The Zone 4 Kids’ Club includes magic-themed play spaces, indoor and outdoor playgrounds and a huge smorgasbord of activities. Sign up for magic workshops, rock climbing, a hula hoop contest, slime-making, talent nights and virtual reality rides.

Most accommodation packages include one complimentary four-hour session per child per day at the kids’ club, otherwise expect to pay between AUD $20 and AUD $60 a session, plus extra for some workshops and activities.

Other resort facilities include two waterparks (one designed for littlies) complete with slides, water cannons, a dunk tank and a giant tipping bucket that empties in a huge splash every few minutes. If you can drag the kids away from the sensory overload, the beach is only 10 minutes’ walk away. But if the in-house entertainment proves too great a lure, admit defeat and head to the adults-only swim and spa zone to recharge while the kids go wild.

Club Med Bali, Indonesia

Picture a kids’ club so wonderful that it entices Australian families to return to the same resort year after year – that’s Club Med Bali opens in new window, a sprawling property located beachside in upscale Nusa Dua on the island’s south coast.

Kids can sign up for flying trapeze and circus school training and activities such as Balinese dance, Indonesian cooking and kayaking. Meanwhile, you can rest assured that Play School-presenter level carers are at their side every step of the way.

There are four age-appropriate clubs – Baby Club Med for four- to 23-month-olds, Petit Club Med for little ones aged two to three, Mini Club Med for children from four to 10 and Junior Club Med for those aged 11 to 17. The cost of the kids’ clubs is covered in the all-inclusive price of the resort. The one exception is Baby Club Med, which serves up a splash zone, playground and a cloud motif-heavy space for rest and play from AUD $94 per day. Due to the popularity of this service, it’s advised you book in advance and bring along your little one’s immunisation details.

Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort, Hawaii

Fronting onto the soft white sand of fabled Waikiki Beach, Hilton Hawaiian Village opens in new window has the kids’ club to match its prime Honolulu real estate. Running full or half-day programs for children aged five to 12, Camp Penguin is all about giving young guests a taste of terroir. From lei making to hula dancing, the team of professionally trained camp counsellors leads kids in exploring the history and customs of Hawaii.

Activities at the resort include storytelling, games and music along with arts and crafts (fancy building a sand volcano on Waikiki Beach?), while there’s the opportunity for a change of scenery on excursions to Honolulu Zoo, Waikiki Aquarium and the Bishop Museum, which offers a taste of Hawaii’s cultural history. You’ll need to register the kids at least 24 hours in advance for Camp Penguin, which costs USD $95 for a full day and USD $110 for a full day with excursion.

Après-camp, kids will love exploring the resort’s swimming pools, waterfalls and water slides. There are also child-friendly movies under the stars, Friday-night fireworks and the chance to take a submarine ride into the deep blue sea.

JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay, Vietnam

With a beguiling stretch of palm-fringed sand known as “ice-cream beach” and an American college theme, including running track and library, this Bill Bensley-designed resort opens in new window is high on family appeal.

The doors of the whimsical kids’ club are child height and inside it’s kitted out with miniature furniture and a ball pit. Kids aged four to 12 can try everything from yoga and Vietnamese dance through to palm-leaf animal crafting, clay-figure painting and pizza making. (Children under four can join the fun with a parent or nanny.) There’s even a magician on staff. The kids’ club is free, as are a bunch of other activities including treasure hunts and nightly movie screenings.

Families will enjoy stand-up paddle boarding in the safe, shallow waters or kayaking along the rugged coastline. Landlubbers can hire bikes and head off to the An Thoi market or Ho Quoc Pagoda. A choice of two kid-friendly pools and extremely attentive staff ensure the whole brood will love this incredible resort.

Daydream Island, Queensland, Australia

Calling all junior yogis. At Whitsundays’ Daydream Island opens in new window, perfecting your downward dog near the pristine blue Whitsundays waters isn’t just the domain of Instagram influencers. Better yet, yoga is only part of a comprehensive program at the island resort’s supercharged Kids’ Club, reborn as part of its AUD $100 million makeover following the devastation of 2017’s Cyclone Debbie.

In morning and afternoon sessions, children aged four to 12 enjoy walks in the rainforest, fish feeding at Lovers Cove, sandcastle building, beach sports, movies, scavenger hunts and kite making so there’s never a dull moment. Sessions cost AUD $50 per child and there’s a discount for multiple children.

A highlight of the resort is the Living Reef – a man-made coral lagoon that offers a number of educational experiences at an additional cost. Kids will love feeding tropical fish and sea stars with in-house marine biologists, visiting the touch tank and underwater observatory and interacting with playful baby rays during the Stingray Splash. Just add a designated kids’ pool and press “go” on paradise.

Club Med Tomamu Hokkaido, Japan

Sprawled across snow-covered Tomamu Mountain, this winter wonderland is where the action is – there’s an on-site ice village, an 80-metre wave pool nearby and a team of beaming snow instructors ready to teach their charges how to ace both skiing and snowboarding as part of the kids’ clubs at Club Med Tomamu Hokkaido opens in new window. Skiing is available for those aged four years and up and snowboarding from eight years, both taught in ability groups.

For a fee, tots aged two to three can discover the wintry delights of the mountains with Petit Club Med (there’s no Baby Club Med). Meanwhile, children aged four to 10 can enjoy Mini Club Med, which incorporates a three-room space devoted to arts and crafts, video games and music.

In a separate space, Club Med Passworld gives big kids aged 11 to 17 relaxation time away from their skiing and snowboarding lessons in a graffiti-covered room where they can spin decks and enjoy movie screenings.

The kids’ clubs are covered in the price of this all-inclusive resort, with the exception of Petit Club Med, an on-demand service that costs JPY ¥3900 (about AUD $50) for a half day and JPY ¥7800 (about AUD $100) for a full day.

Kingfisher Bay Resort, Queensland, Australia

Admittedly, it’s not a true kids’ club as the full program is only offered during school holidays but those with an interest in nature pursuits will love the Junior Eco Rangers activities at Kingfisher Bay Resort opens in new window on Queensland’s Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world.

Run by an experienced team of rangers, the program (for kids aged five to 12) is all about leaving screens behind and reconnecting with the natural world through activities such as learning to fish, discovering flora and fauna on bushwalks, playing games on the beach and listening to stories while toasting marshmallows around the campfire. Each session costs AUD $35 (including lunch or dinner) and you can book the kids in for a morning or evening slot. Outside of school holidays, the resort usually offers one Junior Eco Rangers session on weekends.

JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa, Thailand

With a slick aesthetic that wouldn’t look out of place in a “Homes you’ll never be able to afford” magazine, JW Marriott’s opens in new window Children’s Pavilion is a world away from the tired-looking kids’ clubs often found in tropical hideaways. Looks aren’t everything of course, so what gives?

The Children’s Pavilion caters for kids aged four to 12 and most of the activities – such as hair beading, basic Thai boxing, tennis, mask making and Thai dance classes – are free.

It’s not all about the little ones and there’s plenty to entertain kids aged 13 to 18, who can learn scuba diving and Thai massage or join drawing, yoga and zumba classes. They’re also catered for in the Children’s Pavilion – the Teen Zone offers a mini movie theatre, karaoke, video games, pool tables and computers (with limited internet access) so they can post to their heart’s content.

The cherry on top? Although it’s not part of the kids’ club, the resort’s award-winning Mandara Spa offers treatments for little ones exhausted after a day of primary colour-hued activity.

Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa, Singapore

If you get excited about free resort laundry services, here’s another one for you: a kids’ club where every child passing through its door must use hand sanitiser and have their temperature taken.

Yep, the folks behind Toots Club (for kids aged five to 12) and Mini Toots Club (for those under five) – part of The Cool Zone at Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa opens in new window – have thought of everything. Not only can children enjoy the clubs’ daily themed adventures, everything from Pirate Tuesday to Circus Saturday, there’s an arts and crafts room, a Fun Zone – where kids of all ages can play video games – plus foosball and table tennis. The clubs are free for hotel guests, although parents have to supervise little ones at Mini Toots Club, a jungle-themed play area with coloured ball pits and games (or you can pay for a private nanny).

Another draw for families with young children is the resort’s swimming pool with splash pad and water slides. And less than five minutes’ walk away on Siloso Beach is Nestopia, an outdoor adventure playground and obstacle course with 17 play sections and two of the longest slides on Sentosa Island. Good luck trying to get your kids to leave the resort – the Toots Club’s treehouse slide is particularly popular.

Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort, Fiji

While swaying palms and a languid lagoon beckon grown-up guests, its outstanding kids’ club and caring staff keeps families coming back to Outrigger. opens in new window

From the moment the booming “Bula” man greets you at the entrance, families are embraced by legendary Fijian warmth and hospitality. Stay in resort rooms or thatched bures with vaulted tapa-lined ceilings from which meandering paths lead to the free Little Riggers (for three- to seven-year-olds) and Beach Riggers (for eight- to 12-year-olds) kids’ clubs. Staff with huge smiles and open arms welcome kids for fun-filled days of coconut throwing, fish feeding and crab hunting, as well as sandcastle making on the beach or water polo in the pool. For a small fee, a terrific teens program includes spear making, a tour of the Tavuni Hill Fort and a hike to the Enchanted Pool.

Or, parents can book one of the wonderful mei mei nannies (additional cost), who dote on their young charges – children aged six months to 12 years – then head to the heavenly hilltop Bebe Spa for rum nightcaps in the Kalokalo Bar, knowing their kids are in the best of hands.

Aulani: A Disney Resort & Spa, Hawaii

Got a Disney-obsessed little one who’s constantly parading around in polyester princess outfits? Head to Hawaii’s Aulani resort opens in new window in Kapolei, on the island of Oahu, and they can celebrate their Disney addiction with gusto at Aunty’s Beach House, the onsite kids’ club.

The main attraction is “Aunty” – a lifelong Oahu resident and expert on local traditions, history and culture – who delights guests aged three to 12 with activities including Hawaiian arts and crafts, dress-ups and hosting Disney friends who stop by for a visit. Kids often think Aunty is the star of the show (and she is), even if she’s just walking through the resort – that’s kids’ club enough for some youngsters.

Most kids’ club activities are free and there are also premium experiences on offer for a fee – enjoy a makeover at the HI-Style Studio or take the Fish Are Friends tour, which introduces little ones to the resort’s marine life. It’s worth remembering that you need to submit the online pre-registration form for Aunty’s Beach House at least two days before you arrive at the resort.

Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort Fiji

Junior explorers and wannabe Doras will love the kids’ club at Fiji’s leading five-star eco resort opens in new window, founded by the son of legendary marine conservationist Jacques Cousteau. For many families the highlight of this palm-fringed heaven is the all-inclusive Bula Club, which offers activities that mix education and a healthy dose of fun.

The philosophy is to encourage young ones to appreciate their surroundings, and this is achieved via guided walks with the resident marine biologist, exploration of the wonders of Savusavu Bay and botany tours with local elders who explain the medicinal properties of native plants. The Junior Chef Program also teaches kids how to harvest and prepare a healthy lunch.

The little ones are endlessly entertained by the hermit crab races on the beach. And kids of all ages will appreciate the Bula Club’s swimming pool and water slide, flying fox, trampoline, tree house and table tennis, while parents will love the dedicated nanny for each child under the age of six, the small-group carers for six to 12-year-olds and the activity buddy for teens.

Holiday Inn Resort Bali Benoa, Indonesia

Make a kite and watch it soar, scale a climbing wall and dress in traditional costume at this circus-themed kids’ club that caters for children aged four to 12. Fronting the white sands of Tanjung Benoa Beach, which neighbours Bali’s resort enclave of Nusa Dua, this 171-room resort opens in new window (kids 12 and under stay and eat free) has been designed with families in mind.

In a smart move, the vibrant kids’ club is adjacent to both the family pool (with fun slide, giant tipping bucket and floating pillows) and restaurant so parents can dine or enjoy sundowners knowing – and seeing – their children are having fun. A TV monitor outside the kids’ club allows you to observe your little ones at play, without them seeing you.

The club is staffed by caring Balinese who provide a fun, safe environment for kids to learn about local culture, play on the beach and try everything from yoga and aerobics to making canang sari (Hindu flower offerings) and pizza. It’s free but some activities incur a fee.

Another attraction is the offer of family suites with a separate twin bedroom complete with TV, game console and bathroom with rubber duck shower head. The swim-up bar, where kids can order a mocktail, is a big treat, as is flying the kites that the kids make in the kids’ club, watching them swirl and dip on the ocean breeze.

The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Lagoonarium, Cook Islands

With its shallow lagoon and plethora of nature-based pursuits, many believe the entire island of Rarotonga is essentially one big playground. But for those who’d rather take the traditional “drop the children somewhere safe and skip off into the sunset” approach, it doesn’t get any better than the kids’ club at the recently renovated Rarotongan Beachc Resort & Lagoonarium opens in new window.

Free of charge for hotel guests, Moko’s Kids Club offers a slew of daily activities, as well as a welcome pack and free snacks and drinks for children aged four to 11. Those aged 12 to 16 can enjoy the new Teen Zone next door, which offers everything from scuba diving lessons and karaoke to touch rugby on the beach.

Although tots under four can visit Moko’s under the supervision of a parent or carer, there’s also the option of booking bubs and toddlers aged zero to four into the new Banana Beach Playland Creche, where a session filled with age-appropriate activities is NZD $45. Babysitting is available from NZD $15 an hour and, happily, non-guests also have the option of booking sessions at Moko’s for NZD $45 per session.

Girls particularly love making floral headpieces and hats from palm leaves with the help of carers, who have the patience of saints.