Tot tips for parents at Smuggs

 

swimming pool

Planning a Smugglers’ Notch summer vacation with a little one? We’ve got a few ideas for activities you can enjoy together.

As a family vacation destination, Smugglers’ is dedicated to providing fun for all ages, and that includes making sure there are plenty of choices for our youngest guests!

Water play. Of our three pool and waterslide playgrounds, we’d recommend Mountainside and Notchville for families with little ones. The Mountainside water playground offers the Little Smugglers’ Lagoon, a gradual entry and shallow water play area with floating tubes, a float-through or wade-through cave, and water fountains. The adjacent Turtle waterslide and wading pool are sized for young children to enjoy. At Notchville Park, Splashville splash pad thrills toddlers with trips down the yellow duckie waterslide and room to romp through gentle water sprayers.

Family activities. Each day delivers a new family experience for parents and their youngsters at Smugglers’! As part of your Smugglers’ vacation package, you might make sock puppets on Sunday, play preschool games on Monday, join the Stroller & Go fitness walk on Tuesday, family storytime on Wednesday … you get the idea! Read about our family activities

Visit the nature center. Our cozy nature center is packed full of fun items to intrigue and fascinate young children. Get an up close view of critters like the waving crab, play with nature-themed puzzles and games, and settle into a chair or on the floor to read books and learn more about the outdoors.

Playground exploration. There are a variety of playgrounds in the resort village and each one offers different play features. You might take a walk with your little one and check them all out, then pick a favorite to enjoy with your child during your stay at Smuggs.

Wander the nature trails. From the Tennis Center, cross the bridge over the brook and head out on the nature trails for a relaxing walk. Watch for beautiful wildflowers or kick off your shoes and do some stream stopping!

Trek with a llama. The gentle llamas who tote picnic snacks on our treks are very accustomed to small children. Depending on your child’s age, pop your tot into a backpack, or encourage them to walk with you and lead their new llama friend along the trail on this three hour stroll with a picnic at the midpoint.

Disc dog show. Every Wednesday the talented canines from 802 Disc Dogs perform their feats of agility on our green. All ages enjoy the amazing show put on by these furry athletes!

Meet the Friendly Pirate. Smugglers’ resident pirate of amazing friendliness will have your little buccaneer singing shanties and doing the Parrot Pound in no time! Join the Friendly Pirate at breakfast on Fridays or dinner on Tuesdays, both at our Mountain Grille Restaurant. You can also join him for a family singalong on Friday afternoons on the village green.

Balance bike session. 3 year olds are invited to experience our mountain biking skills park in a balance bike session. With a coach, they’ll learn how use their feet to propel and steady themselves as they take on the park’s small rollers and banks just like the big kids! From the Bike Shop’s observation deck, parents can take photos and cheer their little mountain biker on in this fun and confidence building experience.

One more idea.  Sometimes moms and dads would like a little time to themselves. The solution? Our children’s programs, which entertain your child with a variety of activities guided by caring counselors. Smugglers’ nursery Treasures accommodates children ages 6 weeks to 3 years old in three cheery playrooms with oodles of toys and an adjacent fenced playground. Treasures’ staff are available to assist in arranging babysitters in a family’s Smugglers’ vacation home if Mom and Dad want to plan an evening out. For older tots, Smugglers’ acclaimed children’s programs start at age 3 in the Discovery Dynamos program developed specially for 3 and 4 year olds. These youngsters have a great time with their counselors, making friends and exploring the world around them through nature activities, water play, arts and crafts, and more.

Have you vacationed at Smugglers’ with your little one? We’d love to hear about your experience and we welcome your tips for other parents visiting Smugglers’ for the first time with young children. Please share a comment!

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