Family-friendly activities and things to do on the resort property is one of the most important factors for us when we compare family resorts in Texas. After all, it’s the reason you choose a resort getaway versus just a hotel. You’ll want to have enough activities for you and the kids to keep you entertained but not so many that you’re stressing about cramming them all into one long weekend trip!
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Best Activities at the Texas Family Resorts
1. JW Marriott San Antonio – San Antonio, Texas
The JW Marriott Hill Country San Antonio weekly schedule of events is provided in a guide upon check-in or is available on the website. Activities vary weekly and there are more activities during peak times like spring break or summertime.
Things you may see on the weekly schedule include:
1. Fitness Classes (18 and up)- Yoga, Zumba, and even Piloxing Barre (yes, you read that right, moms… a mashup of pilates, boxing, and barre – sign me up!)
2. Family Games/Sports – see weekly schedule upon check in.
3. Arts/Crafts – Make survival bracelets, slime, a birdhouse, or sand art creations (expect a small additional fee $5-12).
4. Evening S’mores – Saturday night.
5. Stargazing – Saturday night.
6. Rubber Duck Race – Sunday mornings. This is one of our childrens’ favorites! Decorate a numbered duck and hold onto the corresponding popsicle stick then grab a spot along the fence to cheer your family’s duck to victory! I’d recommend doing a large design that can easily be spotted from the viewing area… all those little ducks can look the same from a distance!
7. River Bluff Water Experience – Pools, lazy river, water slides, beach. Need we go on? Okay, read all about it here.
8. Ping Pong Tables
9. Billiards
10. Arcade Game Room
11. Hiking/ Walking Trails – a selection of paved paths around the resort and surrounding area.
12. A large grassy lawn with soccer balls and cornhole – we like to take our toddler here to get some wiggles out in an (almost entirely) enclosed space covered in field turf.
2. Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort – San Antonio, Texas
At the Hyatt Hill Country in San Antonio, a guide with the weekly schedule of events will be provided to you when you check in. Resort activities include:
1. Wildlife feeding sessions – daily morning feedings
2. Arts and Crafts – a complimentary family session and another session where you make something you may actually want to keep (think: a candle, votive holder, dream catcher, ceramic plate, or bracelet) for a $10 fee
3. Family Sports/ Games – flag football, beach volleyball, noodle hockey, water balloon toss, soccer
4. Lazy river rubber duck race – every morning to open the lazy river!
5. Live Animal Encounters
6. Family Movie Night Outdoors – Nightly
7. Evening S’mores – nightly with a hill country sunset
8. Playground – sandy area with some shaded benches for parents
9. Sport Courts – Tennis and Basketball
10. Beach Volleyball
11. Bocce ball, horseshoes, Badminton
12. Hiking and nature walking trails
13. Face Paining and henna tattoos – available 2-4:30pm and 5-8pm for a fee
14. Bicycles – enjoy the resort from a different viewpoint and enjoy the breeze!
15. Edge Falls Water Park – water park with multiple pools, slides, and lazy river
16. FlowRider surfing experience – $25 for 2 hours
3. La Cantera Resort – San Antonio, Texas
At La Cantera Resort in San Antonio, a list of events is available to check online prior to your trip to make the most of your time at the resort.
1. Pools – Relax in one of 3 infinity pools. Complete resort pool guide here.
2. Tennis – Grab a quick workout with friends.
3. Golf – Read more here.
4. Arcade – Have some fun out of the sun.
5. Candy Bar Bingo – Try your hand at this classic with a sweet twist for $3
6. Running/Walking Trails – 3 or 5 mile routes
7. Nightly Sunset S’mores – Yum. Need we say more?
8. Family Movie at Dusk – Friday and Saturday nights.
9. Fitness Classes – Think: Yoga, HIIT, Circuit Training classes
10. Kids Programs – Zoomagination (live animal show) & That Magic Guy (interactive magician)
11. Naturalist Program – Kids age 4-12 explore nature around the resort. The cost is $65, $10 of which benefits the San Antonio Zoo & Botanical Gardens
12. Paddle Boarding – $25/hour
13. Guided Hike – Take a guided hike around the resort for $10
4. Hyatt Regency Lost Pines – Batrop, Texas
At Hyatt Lost Pines Resort in Bastrop, Texas, the schedule of the week’s events is provided upon check-in. It is also posted on the hotel’s Facebook page about one week ahead of time so you can start planning your stay. An example of family-friendly activities during a typical week includes:
1. Arts and Crafts
2. Family Games/Sports (think: wiffle ball, flag football, kickball, bingo)
3. Animal encounters – “meet” the resident alpacas, Texas longhorns (hook ’em!), and the “mini mascots”
4. Nightly s’mores (yum.)
5. Family movie on Friday and Saturday nights under the stars
6. Crooked River Water Park – read all about it here
7. Playground
8. Sport Courts – Tennis and Basketball
9. Lawn games – think: horseshoes, washers, bocce ball, ladder golf.
10. McKinney Roughs hiking – trails along the Colorado River open sunrise to sunset.
11. Bicycles – different sizes available and some with a handlebar child seat.
12. Billiards and Shuffleboard.
13. Arcade Gameroom.
14. Big Checkers and Chess.
Additional excursions are available for purchase as they are not included in the resort fee.
1. Pony Trail Ride Adventure – $45/person, 15 minutes, ages 2-10. Your little buckaroos can ride a pony guided by an experienced handler (of course) on a nature trail along the Colorado River. Parents can accompany their kids, remember closed toe shoes!
2. Zip Line Tours – 3 line ($75, 45-90 minutes) or 6 line ($95, 2-3 hours) guided zip line tours for a bird’s-eye view of the Hill Country. Participants must be over 4’6″ and between 60-250 pounds. Must be over 15 years old to zipline without a parent present.
3. Kayaking the Colorado – $65, 2 hours, Age 10+. Take in views of the banks of the Lower Colorado River from either a single or double kayak. Sunset tours are available as well. Must be 14 to go solo.
4. Hyatt Hidden Treasure Trek – $25, 1.5 hours, Ages 5+. A treasure hunt around the resort using a GPS unit. Must be 10 or older to participate without a parent present.
5. Sunset Float – $55, 2 hours, Age 7+. Enjoy the Texas sunset from a large river raft paddling down the Colorado River. Must be 14 or older to participate without a parent.
6. Twilight Trails – $20, 1.5 hours, Age 5+. A guided nocturnal nature hike. Must be at least 10 to attend without a parent.
7. Aerial Adventures – $70, 2 hours, Age 7+. High ropes course, rock climbing, and a 250-foot zip line for the thrillseekers of the bunch. Must be at least 14 to participate without a parent.
8. Texas Animals – $20, 45 minutes, All Ages. A park naturalist answers all your burning questions about the reptiles that call Texas home. Snakes will be handled by the naturalist…. a hard pass for me but my son would probably love it!
9. UTV Tour – $135, 1.5-2 hours, Age 16+ with valid driver’s license. Drive a utility task vehicle (UTV) through the rugged terrain along the Colorado River.
5. Lakeway Resort and Spa – Lake Travis, Texas
2. Fireside S’mores – nightly from 7-8pm
3. Fire Pit – Sunset to 11pm nightly, but upon request Mon – Thurs
4. 24/7 Fitness Center
5. Yoga – Saturday mornings 8-9am
6. Gaylord Texan Resort – Grapevine, Texas
The Gaylord Texan Resort activity selection is especially on point during Summerfest, a seasonal compilation of character-themed events that feels Disney-esque. The movie character theme varies each year. We’ve seen Shrek, Madagascar, and Smurf-themed events over the years.
Some Summerfest events include:
1. Scavenger hunt – follow clues to solve the scavenger hunt.
2. Character breakfast– available on weekends ($40/adult, $25/child 4-11 years old, kids under 3 are free with a paying adult).
3. Splash Party – live DJ, airbrush tattoo artist and hair braider (for a fee) at their nearby water park, Paradise Springs Aquatic Park
4. Art Corner – Decorate a canvas or themed project
5. Escape room for families– $40/over 10 years, $25/child age 9 and under
6. Pajama Dance Party – Friday and Saturday at 8:45 in the Lone Star Atrium
7. Junior Chef Camp ($90/child ages 8-16)
8. Build-a-bear (weekends)
9. Balloon artist
10. Children’s character photo ops
Additional activities available at the resort:
1. Exploring the atriums – a large train track that our little train aficionado one-year-old loved, a longhorn for a good Texas-inspired photo op and impressive floral displays that incorporate the resort’s current seasonal theme
2. Paradise Springs Aquatic Park (open Memorial Day to Labor Day)
3. Golf
4. Ping Pong and Billiards
7. The Woodlands Resort – The Woodlands, Texas
1. Arts and Crafts
2. Bicycle Rental – $15 for the first 4 hours, $25 for the full day.
3. Nature Trails – 200 miles of trails in the city of The Woodlands to explore.
4. Forest Oasis Water Park – 2 pools, 3 whirlpools, and a lazy river. Read all about it here!
5. Lake Harrison water sports – kayaking (single $10/hr, double $15/hr), stand up paddle boarding ($15/hr), or paddleboats ($25/hr, seats up to 5).
6. Tennis – 10 clay courts, 7 outdoor hard courts, and 4 indoor courts.
7. Poolside family games – think: corn hole, bingo, “bear” pong.
8. Water aerobics – a way to beat the heat while getting a workout in.
9. Karaoke
10. Arcade
11. Evening S’mores – yes, please!
12. Poolside Movie Night – you can even watch from inside the pool!
8. Horseshoe Bay Resort – Lake LBJ, Texas
1. Tennis & Pickleball Courts – Open daily 8am – 10pm
2. Fitness Center – Open 24/7.
3. Lake Activities – Marina open Sun-Thurs 9am – 6pm, Fri-Sat 9am – 7pm. Rent a Stand Up Paddleboard, kayak, jet ski, pontoon boat, or ski boat.
4. Sunset Cruise – I mean, you’re staying at a lake resort for a reason, right?
5. Resort Pools – Relax, Renew, Refresh.
6. Animal Shows– The “Birds of the Bay” interactive show is perfect for the whole family.
7. Evening S’mores – weekends and daily during peak season.
9. San Luis Resort – Galveston Island, Texas
1. Pools – Cool off or soak up some sun with a view.
2. Fire Pits – Kick back and relax in comfy Adirondack chairs around the fire.
3. Game Room – Take a break from the pool and try your hand at a game of pool.
4. Tennis Courts – I “love” this idea… see what I did there? Don’t fault me 😉
5. Shopping – Think: swimwear, clothing, souvenirs.
6. Animal Encounters – “Talk” to the resort resident Macaw, Phydias.
7. Beach – Resort is located across the street from the Galveston Sea Wall.
8. Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier – Midway games and rides just 2 miles away from the San Luis Resort.