Anna Bjurstam

In 2018, Six Senses launched Grow With Six Senses, a framework for children’s programming and family wellness, which is designed to encourage younger guests to understand more about what’s going on inside them and in the world around them. “Grow With Six Senses incorporates the six dimensions of wellness (social, environmental, physical, spiritual, emotional and intellectual) and brings kids ‘back to basics’ in order to reconnect with nature and others around them,” says Anna Bjurstam, Six Senses’ VP of wellness.

Programmes vary from resort to resort, but introduce specifically designed physical activities, yoga and mindfulness, local culture, sustainability and social experiences, as well as spa treatments. At Six Senses Samui, for instance, programmes include Tibetan singing bowls, healthy smoothie classes, how to massage your parents, sustainability walks, kids yoga and recycled jewellery classes (all complimentary), along with Muay Thai for Young Boxers priced at THB600 (£15, €17, US$19) per child and umbrella painting which costs THB500 (£13, €14, US$16) per child.

Grow With Six Senses teaches children about what’s going on inside them and around them

Lizzie Bath

Once a month, children are able to enjoy the 17,000sq ft spa at Ye Olde Bell, UK. After customer requests – and inspiration from her own son – spa director Lizzie Bath launched a Tween Spa evening in 2018 for spa goers aged 11-16. "As a mother, I’m always looking for ways to stay engaged with my child – especially as he gets older," says Bath. "Their lives are now so digitally obsessed, and a spa session leads to quality one-on-one time together."

On a slow weekday from 4:30-7:30pm, the spa is opened especially for children, who have access to a range of thermal experiences – set at a lower temperature for safety. For the first Tween Spa, Bath placed an ad on Facebook and was astounded when the event filled up in 48 hours. "From the response, we knew it had hit the right note with our spa guests," she says.

Soon after, fellow spa director Sadie Ardron-Levack pushed for extending the age reach with a Tiny Spa night for children aged 5-10. Health and safety concerns were heightened with this younger group, with the hottest sauna and steamroom turned off, and all other rooms placed on the lowest setting – no higher than 35-40˚C. The event – which is limited to 20 children and 20 carers – includes full spa access plus refreshments, for £69 (US$87, €77), and sold out an hour after the Facebook ad was posted.

Bath says the events have been a huge success. "We now have a busy spa on a night that was previously either quiet or closed, and we see a noticeable difference in our sales figures on the weeks we hold the tween events. It’s given us loyalty from the spa-loving parents too and a way to connect with the next generation."

Tween and Tiny Spa nights have been a sell-out success

GOCO Spa Daios Cove is creating healthy programming through kids with a series of visiting practitioners. Sarah Safarian, CEO and founder of Humbly Healthy, runs plant-based cooking workshops for both adults and children – Little Chefs workshops are priced at €35 (US$40, £31) per child. The resort’s kids clubs also focus on providing young guests with experiences that keep them physically active, socially engaged and culturally aware. There are regular swimming activities, trips to local olive farms, archaeological tours of ancient sites, Greek Zorba dancing, treasure hunts, yoga classes and a baby spa. “Wellness activities provide excellent opportunities for family members to come together and bond,” says Ingo Schweder, CEO of GOCO Hospitality.

Daios Cove offers a range of healthy activities plus visiting practitioners

Santiburi Koh Samui offers treatments designed especially for younger guests, from Mini Me massages starting at £39 (US$49, €44) for 45 minutes for 5-10 year olds, or £45 (US$57, €50) for 60 minutes for 11-13 year olds and 30-minute Mini Me facials for £36 (US$45, €40). Others packages include Mummy and Me and beachfront massage where the ocean serves as the backdrop. A new Family Time Spa package lets guests purchase 10 hours of spa time for £436 (US$486, €550), allowing families to mix and match treatments and share time together.

"Following a few requests from family groups, we decided to introduce this new family wellness experience, as we feel that it’s important to educate our younger guests on the importance of living a healthy life," says Santiburi’s wellbeing manager, Jennifer Linder. "We think it’s important to introduce and help bring families together to ensure they leave feeling their very best with the motivation to continue living a healthy life in their everyday lives."

Mini Me massages for 5-10 year olds cost US$49 for 45 minutes UfaBizPhoto/SHUTTERSTOCK

Many Rosewood resorts include family programming under the wellness umbrella, including Las Ventanas al Paraíso in Los Cabos, Mexico, which combines yoga-based deep breathing, gentle stretching and simulated laughter exercises for guided ‘laughter yoga’ sessions either before or after a family spa retreat. At the Rosewood Sanya in China, speciality Gold Massages and Li Bathing Bal treatments have been created for mothers and daughters, while the Hôtel de Crillon in Paris offers a family bootcamp set in the Jardin des Tuileries, and the Rosewood Baha Mar in the Bahamas offers Mommy & Me spa treatments and Daddy & Me golf lessons.

Italian Hospitality Collection’s five-star family resort has launched a series of Mini Mindfulness children’s activities, free through the resort’s Kids Club (which is also free for guests). Activities include smiling yoga (a technique that combines laughter with yoga and breathing exercises) and al fresco painting. Tours of the resort’s herbal garden provide a sensory experience, where aspiring botanists are taught to recognise and use various herbs for food and health purposes, before being shown how to combine the herbs they have foraged with fresh fruit and honey to create their own relaxing face masks.

All Mini Mindfulness activities at Chia Laguna are free