Lynn O’Rourke Hayes | (TNS) FamilyTravel.com

Take advantage of the years when plans are not limited by school holidays and summer vacation. Travel with your toddlers or home-schooled kiddos when crowds have diminished and pricing may be more appealing. Here are five ideas to consider:

Loews Miami Beach Hotel (Miami Beach, Florida)

This oceanfront resort offers a bounty of family enticements via the Loews Loves Kids program. Families can choose to enjoy the benefits of direct beach access (which makes castle building a breeze) or head to the zero-entry pool where pop fountains add to the vacation vibe. Celebrate in style by spending the day with access to a SOAK cabana where air conditioning, flat screen TVs, kids swim toys and private butler service will convince the kids they’ve reached VIP status. Parents can enjoy spa time while young travelers take advantage of the SoBe Kids Club, which features curated activities in partnership with the Miami Children’s Museum and Frost Museum of Science. Later, take a pizza-making class together or opt for Family Happy Hour during which time kids can enjoy complimentary lawn games while parents sip cocktails. Join in or cheer them on. Don’t worry about lugging extra gear on your holiday. The Leave it to Loews program offers a wide selection of kid-friendly amenities ranging from Pack and Plays and night lights to bottle warmers and board games. Ask about family packages.

For more: www.LoewsHotels.com/MiamiBeach

Door County, Wisconsin

For Midwestern hospitality, cherry picking, leaf peeping and fish boils, head to northern Wisconsin’s Door County. There are loads of family-friendly, lakeside inns and cottages from which to choose. Explore five sprawling state parks, 19 county parks and thousands of acres of wilderness. Stroll or bike along tree-covered lanes, tour local lighthouses and take your pick from 53 sandy beaches along Lake Michigan. Canoeing, kayaking, sailing and other water sports are plentiful. Spend a relaxing afternoon in search of arts and crafts and tasty ice cream cones. Scout out a good spot to catch the sunset. And when in Wisconsin, you may want to sample the dairy state’s culinary headliner — cheese curds.

For more: www.DoorCounty.com

Visit a child-friendly museum

In Philadelphia, the Please Touch Museum’s mission is to become experts in play. As a result, the museum has crafted programs that enrich the lives of young visitors by creating learning opportunities through play, thus hoping to lay the foundation for a lifetime of hands-on learning and cultural awareness. Located in historic Memorial Hall, the museum aims to highlight the past, present and future through six interactive exhibit zones across 157,000 square feet. Four areas have been specifically designed for children age 3 and younger.

In a current exhibit about food and family, kids can explore where food comes from and how we can share it within three interconnected zones: a shopping market, a hybrid home and industrial kitchen, and a neighborhood festival area.

The Woodside Park Dentzel Carousel is popular with families. Originally built in 1908, it was recently restored and can be found in its own 9,000-square-foot glass pavilion on the east side of Memorial Hall.

For more: www.pleasetouchmuseum.org

Hawks Cay Resort (Florida)

Located halfway between Key Largo and Key West, this extraordinary 60-acre resort provides a picture-perfect setting for a family getaway. On Duck Key, your crew can swim in a saltwater lagoon or any of five pools, including the splashy Pirate Ship pool and the Hawk’s Cay kids pool where slides, water cannons and raining palm trees lure young swimmers. The kid and teen clubs are also popular spots to get to know fellow junior adventurers. Of note is the interactive environmental activity program, designed to be both interactive and age appropriate, in which youngsters learn about dolphins, sharks, shore birds, residents of the nearby Everglades and other natural wonders. The older members of your crew can spend time fishing, kayaking, kiteboarding, cruising on a stand-up paddleboard or relaxing at the spa. Spend the night in one of 177 guest rooms or spread out in a two or three-bedroom villa.

For more: www.hawkscay.com

Kids on the trail

Getting kids outside early and often is likely to instill a lifetime love of nature. Visit a local hiking trail and watch as your child explores with wonder, turning over rocks and observing small animals and birds. Choose a loop trail or craft a scavenger hunt. Bring along a picnic and plenty of water or juice so that the whole family stays hydrated. After a few close-to-home practice rounds, include nature walks and hiking in your travel itineraries. In time, you’ll be scaling heights.

For more: www.childrenandnature.org | www.trails.com | www.nps.gov

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(Lynn O’Rourke Hayes (LOHayes.com) is an author, family travel expert and enthusiastic explorer.  Gather more travel intel on Twitter @lohayes, Facebook, or via FamilyTravel.com)

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