Why I want to hang out at the kids’ club on holiday

Beaches can be the best classrooms in the world.

I learnt independence at the beach, running freely along vast stretches of sand, jumping off dunes, beachcombing solo along the shore.

Beaches are a natural classroom.

I learnt to go wild at the beach but also how to be sensible – how not to get sunburnt, wade out beyond my depth or get caught in a rip.

I learnt about flotsam and jetsam and how the tide brought in amazing treasures, from barnacle-covered ropes to tattered old shoes.

I’d watch in delight as the tentacles of flowery anemones opened and shut in rockpools, how pippies gurgled in the sand, and small fish swam in silvery schools.

I built tall, toppling sandcastles and learnt a bit about physics.

Dead fish, seabirds and the occasional seal taught me the laws of nature.

I saw oil slicks on water and rubbish washed up in the foam. The surf fishermen threw undersized fish back, so they could grow and breed. The impact of humans on nature wasn’t such an issue then as now, but I was aware we were capable of doing harm.

Free play on the beach is one way kids find out about themselves and where they stand in the world. Unfortunately, the modern world sometimes puts restrictions on children’s play and independence.

Yet there are many wonderful opportunities for children to learn about the natural world, driven by the compelling need to raise awareness among young and old before we lose too much of nature.

With the summer holidays upon us, there are ways to combine play with some fun learning experiences that encourage good little world citizens.

In places where the effects of climate change and biodiversity loss are most acutely felt, such as Fiji and Far North Queensland, coastal resorts are engaging children through their kids’ clubs to take part in fun activities that set them up as advocates for the environment from an early age.

Last year, I stayed at Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay, where there’s a weekly Momi Eco Warriors activity in the Turtle Kids Club. Children take part in eco-focused adventures including hiking, organic gardening, building birds’ nests, fish feeding, marine watch, stargazing in a glass dome, beachcombing and mangrove planting.

All of it seems like tremendous fun, especially as Momi Bay’s chief sustainability manager and marine biologist, Oni Mataika, is a wonderful teacher and guide with so much knowledge and warmth.

I joined her for a mangrove-planting experience on the water’s edge. It was such fun doing something useful as I pottered around in the water, deep in squishy sand.

Making coral frames and creating fish houses from coral didn’t feel at all like learning in Oni’s hands.

A multitude of resorts, from Port Douglas to the Maldives, offer children’s programs that include activities with marine biologists and other professionals who have so much knowledge to share.

Kids love to help, especially if it’s saving turtles, rescuing iguana or colourful parrotfish. Young, curious minds enjoy being engaged with a grown-up mentor like Oni and discovering new things.

Me too. I wished I could skip the adults’ activities and join the kids’ club, hanging out with the fun people.

Most Fiji resorts have sustainability programs that include kids, as it’s urgent to have the next generations understand the threat to oceans and biodiversity while giving them some tools that make them feel they can have a positive impact.

Nanuku Resort, also on Viti Levu, Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort, and Kokomo Private Island are three more resorts in Fiji with engrossing children’s programs that might suit your little eco warrior.

The writer was a guest of Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay.