Playgrounds & Parks

Island knowledge and can customise your excursion to suit your family. Tour stops can include Stingray City, the Sandbar, Coral Gardens, Barrier Reef and Kaibo. Not only will your tour be tailored to you, but you will also get to experience true Caymanian hospitality and meet some ‘Islanders’. If you have little thrill-seekers in the family, you may enjoy a trip to Stingray City and then continue on to Rum Point by Jet Ski. Action Watersports (Tel: (345) 548 3147) offers two-hour tours on twoman Sea-Doo watercrafts for US$110 per person. On a rough day, take your children to see the Blow Holes in East End and enjoy the exciting explosion of water when it passes quickly through underwater caverns and high into the air. Be careful on the iron shore and don’t forget to wear proper shoes and a swim suit, as you can easily get wet if you stand close enough. Another sea-based activity that is fun for the whole family is a bioluminescence mangrove tour by kayak or electric catamaran offered by Cayman Kayaks twice nightly from Rum Point. They also offer a morning kayak tour through the Cayman Wetlands. For more information, call (345) 926 4467, email reservations@caymankayaks.com or visit www.caymankayaks.com. Cayman Sea Elements offers boat tours through the mangroves to find birds, starfish, jellyfish, anemones and iguanas. This tour is suitable for children of all ages. Call (345) 936 8687 or email caymansea@gmail.com. Refer to our Boating chapter for a list of other tour providers. For more fun, you could take a banana boat ride with Red Sail Sports (Tel: (345) 623 5965). Kids particularly love to ride with a group of their friends! Finally, you could take the entire family for a swim with the dolphins at Dolphin Discovery (Tel: (345) 769 7946). Make sure to ask about resident discounts.

For an amazing aerial experience of Cayman that covers the Island from North Sound and Stingray City, to East End and Seven Mile Beach, take a helicopter tour

with Cayman Islands Helicopters. Call (345) 943 4354 to book.

Land-based activities for the whole family

parents, the Cayman Islands National Museum (SEE AD PAGE 420) offers a fascinating look into the natural and cultural history of the

Cayman Islands. Cayman Turtle Centre (SEE AD PAGES 410 & 422) in West Bay also offers unique opportunities for educational and interactive animal-based activities. Visitors can enjoy bird, shark, turtle and crocodile feeding, a nature trail, snorkelling with turtles, the popular waterfalls and Turtle Twister waterslide. Once you have had your fill of wildlife, you could wander across the road for lunch at the Cracked Conch or Macabuca Tiki Bar. Another worthwhile thing to do is a trip to the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, which is an engaging outing for the whole family. You could also stop in at the Mission House in Bodden Town (visits by appointment only) and Pedro St. James in Savannah for a historical trip back in time. For something a bit different, contact ATV Cayman for Cayman’s only off-road tour of Barker’s Beach and other neat spots in the area. They require a CI$64 deposit for 2 Riders and CI$128 for 4-6 Riders. Email: vincent@atvcayman.com or WhatsApp (345) 922 0366 to book a ride. Bring the family to the National Gallery and enjoy a range of activities including scavenger hunts, worksheets, and guided tours based on the current exhibition schedule and the national collection. Guided tours can be booked in advance by emailing: info@ nationalgallery.org.ky. Admission is free.

In Camana Bay, you can take a walk, get a coffee, ride a bike and explore its beautifully landscaped areas. Young children will love playing in the fountains (bring a towel!) and climbing the Observation Tower for a great panoramic view. Next Chapter has a wonderful children’s room full of books, puzzles and toys, and there is always a good selection of movies at the cinema, as well as a great choice of restaurants for lunch.

PLAYGROUNDS & PARKS

Davinoff’s Concrete Sculpture Garden (North Side) Sculptor and owner, David Quasius, has been annually adding hand-sculpted concrete animals to his Concrete Sculpture Garden in North Side for 20 years. Recent additions include a giant octopus, scorpion, snorkellers and a reef shark. The garden is a great spot to take photos and kids will love climbing over the sculptures. It is also a popular geocaching site. The sculpture garden is free to access and is open every day. It is located on the highway between Old Man Bay and the Queen’s Monument. Visit www.davinoff.com for more information.

Mastic Reserve & Trail (North Side) This is an educational trail and is great for older kids and teens. Refer to the Activities for Adults chapter for more information.

Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park

The Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park is a wonderful area in Frank Sound for nature walks, birdwatching, and for viewing the endangered Grand Cayman Blue Iguana in its natural habitat. There are over 65 acres of tropical flora and fauna, seven themed gardens, and much more. Guided tours are on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2pm. Large Blue Iguanas lounge on the grass while butterflies, birds and agoutis dart between the array of native and exotic plants and trees. Take your little ones to visit their new kids park. For more information, see the Activities for Adults chapter.

The following parks have cabanas that can be reserved, free of charge, for parties and events by calling the Recreation, Parks and Cemeteries Unit on (345) 946 8250.

Airport Park (George Town) Kids and parents alike will get a kick out of watching aeroplanes from this front row vantage point that is adjacent to the Owen Roberts International Airport runway. This large park is full of see-saws, slides, rock mazes and big boulders to climb. There are restroom facilities and cabanas to provide shade. To reserve a cabana, contact (345) 949 2547.

Public Beach (West Bay Road, SMB) Along with being one of the most beautiful stretches of Seven Mile Beach, Public Beach has cabanas, restroom facilities, freshwater showers and a children’s playgrounds.

Scholars Park (West Bay) As a popular site for children’s parties, this landscaped park is located down Stadium Drive and features a variety of play equipment set in a huge sandpit. Along with shady cabanas and barbecue pits, there are also restroom facilities and sizeable grassy areas.

Dart Family Park (South Sound) A gift from the Dart Foundation to the Cayman Islands, this seafront oasis is located on South Church Street. Set amidst shady, landscaped gardens are slides, climbing frames, an amphitheatre, gazebos and restroom facilities. The park is open daily from sunrise to sunset, and also houses the offices of the National Trust of the Cayman Islands, which provide information and displays in relation to Cayman’s flora and fauna.

Harold McCoy Sr. (Bodden Town) Located in Gun Square, next to the historic Mission House, this park has a large playground. A caboose and small Caymanian-style house make it a fascinating cultural experience for both adults and children.

Jerald Smith Park (North Side) Located on Hutland Road, these landscaped Captain George Dixon Park (East End) Just off of Seaview Road, this community park has all the standard park amenities including slides, swings, climbing frames and barbeque facilities.

INDOOR FACILITIES

The Arts & Recreation Centre (ARC) Located next to Camana Bay, this indoor facility can be rented outside of school hours for sporting events. To make a booking request or enquiry, call (345) 640 2878 or email: cbsc@camanabay.com.

Camp Seafire Located at the Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa, Camp Seafire is the perfect fun-filled, flexible childcare choice for kids aged 3-12 years old. Designed to accommodate school holidays, bank holidays, brunch babysitting and more. Camp Seafire offers hourly, half-day, full-day and weekly childcare. Their camps offer creative themes, water sport activities, arts and crafts, as well as games and bespoke events. Note that children need to be potty trained to attend Camp. Call (345) 746 0000 or email: campseafire@seafireresortandspa. com.

Cayman Islands National Museum The Cayman Islands National Museum houses Cayman’s National Collection as

CONTACT US TODAY Remember yesterday today. (345) 949-8368

Relive moments that have become

Cayman Heritage & Culture.

well as artefacts, including boats, furniture, textiles, paintings and ceramics, and is an interesting look into Cayman’s traditions, culture and natural history. Many of the Museum’s exhibits are interactive and innovative, and will be fascinating to children. An exciting addition to the National Museum is another animatronic figure of a Caymanian civil servant, lawyer, and politician: Miss Annie Huldah Bodden. For more information, visit www. museum.ky or call (345) 949 8368.

SEE AD PAGE 420

King’s Sports Centre (KSC) A 36,000sq ft facility on Crewe Road in George Town offering a variety of sporting, recreational and relaxing activities for the local community. Activities and facilities include an indoor youth roller hockey rink, five-a-side football, a bowling alley, a rock-climbing wall, karate lessons, squash courts, aerobics classes, steam rooms and much more. KSC also holds children’s birthday parties and children’s rollerskating afternoons every week. Call (345) 946 5464 or email: kings@candw.ky. They also run a summer camp where children participate in sports activities, arts and crafts and learn debate skills. Refer to the Cayman Parent website (www.caymanparent.com) for more information. SEE AD PAGE 442

Laser Tag Laser tag is an exciting recreational shooting sport that is perfect for anyone looking to have a fun and exhilarating outing with

family or friends. Strike Zone House of Fun, located in Cannon Place, is Cayman’s first laser tag arena and is great for the entire family (ages six and up). It is the perfect activity for rainy days, birthday parties and corporate events. Call (345) 623 4040 or visit www.strikezonelasertag.com for more information.

Lil’ Monkeys Indoor Playground & Café Located on Shedden Road, Lil’ Monkeys

months to 10 years with arcade games such as “Pacman & Galaga” and “Fast & Furious Drift Race” for the older ones. Adults can sit back at their cafe where they sell drinks and snacks. They also offer birthday party packages. Children must wear socks once inside the play area, so don’t forget to bring a pair. Tel: (345) 929 5737 or (345) 916 4830 or visit their website (www. lilmonkeyscayman.com) to find their opening hours.

Motions Unlimited Located on Sparky’s Drive in the Industrial Park, Motions Unlimited is a state-of-theart facility with gymnastics equipment for children and teens, along with a party room and snack bar. They have a full weekly schedule of classes for children from 18 months of age and up. Their Toddler Play Day sessions on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturdays are extremely popular and are a great way to meet other parents while your children run about and let off steam. The sessions are run on Wednesdays and Thursdays 10.30am-12pm, Fridays 2.30pm-4pm (ages 6 and under), and Saturdays 8.45am-10.15am. These cost CI$15 per child and CI$25 for two siblings. During Halloween, they host ‘Super Spooky Saturday’ and during Easter, they have a ‘Spring Fling’ both from 6pm-9pm for kids over 4 years old. Prior registration is necessary. For class schedules, call (345) 749 8365, email: info@motionsunlimited. com or visit www.motionsunlimited.com for more information.

OUTDOOR FACILITIES

Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment Learn from Cousteau-trained naturalists about Grand Cayman’s natural wonders with ecoadventure activities offered to adults, children and business groups through Jean-Michel Cousteau’s

Ambassadors of the Environment programme at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman. Activities include everything from shipwreck snorkelling and mangrove kayak explorations to photography, arts and crafts and science experiments. The activities are fun for all and also offered as after-school activities, along with summer and fall camps. For more information, contact (345) 815 6120 or email: caymanambassadors@ritzcarlton.com.

Black Pearl Skate Park Located behind Grand Harbour Shopping Centre in Red Bay, this skate park is the largest in North America and the second largest in the world. It has 62,000sq ft of beginner, intermediate and expert flow, as well as street courses. The park is

operated by the Cayman Islands Skateboard Association (CISA). It is open SundayThursday, 3pm-7pm, and Friday-Saturday, 3pm-9pm. Membership fees range from CI$45 per month to CI$300 for the year. The resident daily rate is CI$7 and the visitor rate is CI$10. Equipment available for rent includes: skateboards, scooters, helmets and elbow and knee pads. They do not offer BMX bikes for rental at the moment. The Park also includes three half basketball courts and rents out basketballs, table tennis tables, foosball tables and board games. The Park is also available to host birthday parties. Contact Michael Myles on (345) 939 1301, email: skate@ blackpearl.ky, or visit www.blackpearl.ky.

Blue Iguana Safari See the Activities for Adults chapter for information.

Cayman Parrot Sanctuary A friendly, interactive and educational

experience. The Cayman Parrot Sanctuary on Austin Conolly Drive, East End, features a variety of Cayman’s native animals. These include Cayman Parrots, parakeets, agoutis, guinea pigs and rabbits, a racer snake, peacocks and an iguana. Currently, their open days are not fixed. However, they do update their Facebook page regularly, so be sure to check before heading up there. The hours are 10am-5pm. Admission for adults is CI$10 and CI$7 for children 15 years and under with free admission for children 2 years and under. Cayman Turtle Centre Located in West Bay, Cayman Turtle Centre offers guests a variety of unique experiences. Learn about and observe sea turtles up close, swim or snorkel with yearling green sea turtles and other colourful marine life, experience hand-feeding birds in the Caribbean Aviary, watch the Predator Reef Feeding Frenzy, or join Smiley’s Croc Encounter on specific weekdays. Eat lunch at the restaurant overlooking the lagoon where the resident peacock family hang out, and then swim in the Island’s largest pool with its two waterfalls, underwater viewing panel and Turtle Twister water slide. The resident rate for adults is CI$15 and CI$10 for children 12 years and under with free admission for children 2 years and under. For more information and opening hours, call (345) 949 3894, email: info@turtle.ky or visit www.turtle.ky. SEE AD PAGES 410 & 422

Camana Bay

Camana Bay’s Town Centre is a delightful place to take a stroll with your children. It offers wide shady avenues, landscaped courtyards with water features, fountains for children to play in and benches to sit on. Climb the Observation Tower, one of the tallest buildings on Grand Cayman at 75 ft (lifts are also available), for panoramic views of the Island. The book store, Next Chapter, also has a great kids section filled with plenty of books and toys to choose from.

Dolphin Encounters Currently, there is one dolphin marine park operating in Cayman. Dolphin Discovery (Tel: (345) 769 7946) is located adjacent to the Cayman Turtle Centre in West Bay. They offer three different programmes and special rates for residents starting at CI$85 for adults and CI$75 for kids under 12 years old. At Dolphin Discovery, guests can enjoy a free dolphin presentation every Saturday and Sunday at 12.30pm.

Nautilus: The Undersea Tour and Allura Catamaran Enjoy a tour of the beautiful underwater