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Take 1. Meet the Activities Team

Ready for some Royal Fun? Take your children to the Piñata Party on Sunday so that they can try their hand at breaking the piñata and collecting the candy contents, and also meet the Activities Team who have plenty of fun things lined up for them during the week.

Activities on offer include beach games, mini golf, swimming lessons, basketball and ping pong and if your kids like arts and crafts, how about bringing them along to the Activities Center at your club for t-shirt painting, origami and bracelet making. They can even learn to make their own piñatas! Of course, the Activities team also has sports, games and crafts workshops for adults.

Take 2. Beach Babies

As if by magic, most children transform into beach babies the moment they set foot on the cool white sand of the Mexican Caribbean and parents find that it is almost impossible to tear them away from the beach at sunset!

While you are in Cancún, why not stock up on picnic items in the resort store and combine a day at the beach with some sightseeing in the Riviera Maya. You could spend the day on the sand in Akumal, Puerto Aventuras, Puerto Morelos, and lively district capital, Playa del Carmen.

Take 3. Hit the Water

Caribbean or lagoon, Cancún is a water playground for the whole family. Start your ocean-going fun with a spot of sail boating; it’s free and you can book your boat at the Sports Desk.

You can book a variety of water sports and water-based fun trips through Thomas More Travel. How about exploring the lagoon aboard your own wave runner on a Jungle Tour that takes you through the mangrove forest to Punta Nizuc, a windsurfing course for your teenagers or a catamaran cruise?

One place that definitely gets the thumbs up from younger children is Parque Nizuc, a water playground at Punta Nizuc in the Hotel Zone. Plan on a whole day as the park has pools with slides, tunnels and water toys and exciting rides for all ages. Once your children have spent time here, it’s very likely that they will want to come back for seconds.

Take 4. Snorkel Heaven

Now that your children have had fun in the waves why not show them what lies below the surface. The Caribbean is a window on the strange and colorful world of the coral reef. The coral formations in the bay between Cancun and Isla Mujeres and the reef chain running south along the coast are part of the Mesoamerican Reef, the second longest barrier reef system in the world. As many of the Mexican Caribbean reefs lie in shallow, sheltered and crystalline waters, snorkeling is a popular family pastime. Once your children have mastered breathing with the mask on and paddling with the flippers, there’ll be no stopping them as they speed off in hot pursuit of a shoal of rainbow-colored fish!

Good spots for snorkeling include Punta Nizuc, Puerto Morelos, the bays at Paamul and Akumal, Yalkú inlet and Xel-Ha Park, one of the largest natural aquariums in the world.

Teenagers who are good swimmers and have tried snorkeling might be interested in learning how to dive. Resort courses are available and the minimum diving age is 12 years old.

Take 5. A Day with the Dolphins

Try something different! Take your children to meet the dolphins, there are several places in the Cancun area where you and your children can swim and interact with these fascinating and friendly creatures.

The first thing is to choose a dolphin program. Dolphin Swims are suitable for adults and for children over the age of nine. The sessions last for anything between 30 to 50 minutes, during which you play with the dolphins, swim with them and even let them tow or push you along. Dolphin Encounters are “getting acquainted” sessions ideal for non-swimmers or younger children, that involve petting and hugging the dolphin without actually swimming with it. The trainer will give your children interesting snippets of information about dolphins, their behavior, echolocation capabilities and feeding habits.

Discovery Island has dolphin facilities on Isla Mujeres and Cozumel and at Puerto Aventuras in the Riviera Maya. Xcaret and Xel-Ha Parks also have dolphin programs.

Take 6. Xcaret

Xcaret is the place for a fun-filled day with the family. Located 74 km or one hour south of Cancún, this nature theme park offers endless activities and entertainment for you and your children. Take them to see the dolphins, sea turtles, the aquarium, aviary and the regional wildlife compounds where they can see jaguars, monkeys, deer and even manatees. Older children can navigate the two underground rivers – life jackets are obligatory - or sign up for a dolphin swim, snorkeling, diving, snuba or Sea Trek (additional charge).

If this sounds like too much activity, make a beeline for the beach. While your kids play in the shallows you can relax on a sun bed or in a hammock.

Other attractions include afternoon displays of Mexican charrería or horsemanship and traditional dances and rituals, the Mayan ruins in the forest and the replica of a Mayan Village.

Do try and stay on for the spectacular evening extravaganza of Mexican music and dance called Xcaret de Noche. It is colorful and stirring and by the end even your smallest child will be shouting “Viva Mexico.”

Take 7. Jungle Adventures

Teenagers who like the great outdoors will love the trip to the ancient city of Cobá and to the village of Chimuch, which combines Mayan history and traditions with a dash of adventure.

Cobá is one of the largest archaeological sites in the Maya World and only a small fraction of it has been excavated. Bikes are available at the entrance so that you can explore this jungle site with your children under your own steam; keep to the paths and follow the signposts. The ancient temples and pyramids have an aura of mystery and the jungle teems with life.

The Mayan villagers of Chimuch will show you their world and their environment. After a walk through the jungle with a local guide, your children can try their hand at rappel in the mysterious Jaguar Cenote, zipline across the Caiman lagoon and go canoeing. They’ll also see how the modern-day Maya live, learn about their farming techniques, their customs and even their cuisine.

Take 8. On the Lookout for Animals

If you and your family are interested in nature, then you have come to the right place. The Yucatán Peninsula has vast expanses of jungle and marshland rich in wildlife, especially birds, and several of the region’s most important nature reserves lie within easy traveling distance from Cancún.

You can embark on a cruise to the island bird sanctuary of Contoy or take a small group trip to the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve and to Rio Lagartos Biosphere Reserve in neighboring Yucatán, home to a colony of over 30,000 flamingos.

Take 9. History can be Fun

Your children may have already had a class or two on the Maya at school and a visit to one of the area’s archaeological sites will bring this ancient culture to life.

You don’t have to go far to start your Maya tour. The tiny ceremonial center of El Rey is located in the Hotel Zone, on the shores of the lagoon next to the Hilton Golf Club. Incidentally, this is a great spot to see iguanas – there’s a colony of them and they obligingly pose for photos as they sun themselves on the rocks.

The clifftop Mayan city of Tulum is another good option for a family day out as it can be combined with a trip to Xel-Há or, if you are renting a car, you could stop off at Akumal for lunch and some snorkeling in the Yalku inlet. An alternative is a jungle jaunt to Cobá where your children can pretend to be Indiana Jones searching for a long-lost temple.

A trip to Chichén Itzá takes all day and may interest older children. There are plenty of pyramids and temples to climb, the ball court acoustics never fail to fascinate and budding photographers can fine tune their skills by shooting the buildings and strange stone carvings. Be sure to stay on for the evening Light and Sound Show.

Take 10. A Dash of Mexico

Spend the day on the beach, snorkeling or even try horseback riding in the Riviera Maya and then call in at Hacienda Sisal for the Mexican Night. This Dinner Show features a delicious Mexican buffet and colorful folk dances from all over the country.