For the Kids: The Haute 5 Family-Friendly Venues in Phoenix

Funician Kids Club at The Phoenician

Available to those who have booked an overnight stay at The Phoenician, the Funician Kids Club is a fun program especially for the resort’s youngest guests. While mom and dad are enjoying a day at the spa or on the golf course, kids ages 5 through 12 will join other guests their age for a day of discovery led by an experienced counselor. Activities have included pottery making and weaving, as well as movies, games, and fish and duck feedings at The Phoenician’s lagoon. Parents can choose the schedule that fits their needs best, with fees per child ranging from $45 to $75. Activities are even available on Friday and Saturday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. – perfect for parents with dinner date plans. Registration is required at least 24 hours in advance and is only available to overnight guests of The Phoenician. See the resort’s site for details and fees.

The Phoenician is located at 6000 E. Camelback Road in Scottsdale  480.941.8200

Children’s Activities at The Westin Kierland Resort and Spa

You might have never thought of the Westin Kierland as a kid’s paradise, but it most definitely is. Upon check-in for your overnight stay, your child can visit the Kierland Mining Co., a room where the resort’s “FUN Team” is waiting to treat kids to a load of fun and memorable adventures. They’ll give your child a Compass guide, which is something like a passport and contains a scavenger hunt. As you and your child visit different areas of the resort, he or she will receive a stamp. When the Compass is full, the child can present their stamps for a prize from the Kierland Mining Co. The Westin can provide a multitude of supervised activities for guests ages 4 through 17, such as lawn chess, basketball, game tables, RC Car Race Tracks, water balloon games, hula hooping, limbo, relay races, cooking, arts and crafts, story time, snorkeling, soccer, tennis, video games, and an incredible pool. Fees for the Kids Club range from $35 to $75, and there is a 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. option for parents with evening plans. Of course, if you want to spend some quality time with your children, you can also do most of these activities with them around the property yourself, too. Also, ask the front desk for the poolside or “on the lawn” movie schedule during your stay, and consider taking the kids to the course for junior golf lessons and junior golf rentals. See the resort’s site for details.

The Westin Kierland Resort and Spa is located at 6902 E. Greenway Parkway in Scottsdale  480.624.1000

Arizona Science Center

The Arizona Science Center is a unique institution in Phoenix, bringing fun and educational experiences to persons of all ages. On days the kids (and maybe you, too) need to get out of the house and see and do something different for a change, this is one of the venues you want to keep in your activity arsenal. Plus, you’ll get just as much out of the exhibits there as the kids will. Revel in the astronomical marvels of the night sky in the center’s state-of-the-art planetarium, take in an enthralling and informative film on the five-story IMAX screen, or any of the often-rotating exhibits relating to the properties of the digital world, the weather, physics, chemistry, psychology, and more. Your kids will be having so much fun, they’ll forget they’re learning. The science center also maintains a great online event calendar, listing all its summer camps, adults’ night out events, family programs, members-only activities, and more opportunities than you could shake a test tube at. Visit the center’s site to see what’s happening this summer.

Arizona Science Center is located at We are located at 600 E. Washington Street in Phoenix  602.716.2000

Schnepf Farms

Schnepf Farms offers a charming “trip to the country” kind of adventure for kids who love animals, the outdoors, and the idea of visiting a real farm. On the land are a number of historic structures, as well as a whimsical gift shop, the My Sister’s Sweet Shop, and the country store filled with delectable, homegrown and homemade goods. Take the kids into the pesticide-free orchards and organic gardens, where you can watch them get excited about picking fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, peaches, apples, plums, or whatever else happens to be in season. Afterward, enjoy a delicious light lunch of sandwiches or soups at the bakery, where you can also stock up on freshly made muffins, cookies, and slices of pie before letting the kids burn off some of that energy in the petting zoo or play yard.

Schnepf Farms is located 24810 S. Rittenhouse Road in Queen Creek  480.987.3100

Zenergy Yoga

For active moms and dads and their young yogis, Zenergy Yoga offers classes for every age and skill level. Practice “Baby and Me” yoga where new parents can bond with your child while also helping your bodies recover from all the stress and strain associated with preparing for a newborn. There’s also a “Playtime Yoga” class for kids ages 3 through 5, in which children are shown how to channel their energy into poses that will keep their bodies and minds healthy so that they develop strong muscles and the ability to focus. The continuation of that class is the twice-weekly “Kids Yoga” and is for children ages 3 through 10 who are able to handle a little more instruction versus play time. And bonus: An adult class is offered at the same time as the Kids Yoga, so you can get your ohm on, too, while knowing the kids are occupied. In the fall, the studio also has teen and “tween” yoga classes, as well as ones for the whole family. Located inside the AZ on the Rocks indoor climbing facility, Zenergy has been voted “Best Place for Yoga” in the 2009 and 2010 AZCentral.com’s Readers’ Choice Awards. So if the kids still have energy to burn after yoga class, you can always take them for a climb!

Zenergy Yoga is located at 16447 N. 91st Street in Scottsdale  480.628.1453