Top Kid-Friendly Activities in Barbados

Here’s my personal list of some fantastic family-friendly activities in Barbados that cater to kids of all ages, from little ones to teenagers. With over nine years of running a childcare agency right here in Barbados, our Island Sitters team had the pleasure of putting together tons of fun experiences for kids all over the island. This list has got your family covered come rain or shine!

To make your family adventure even smoother, here are a few handy tips:

PLAN AHEAD: Before you set off on your adventure, it's a good idea to check if you need to book activities in advance.
CHECK OPERATING HOURS: Barbados loves its public holidays, so be sure to double-check if your chosen activities are open on your planned day. It’s usually best to check Facebook for the most up to date opening hours.
CARRY SOME CASH: It's always a good call to have some cash on hand for those unexpected expenses and a surprising number of places are cash only.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES IN BARBADOS

These are listed in no particular order.

Barbados Wildlife Reserve

Suitable for: All ages
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: No, the cobbled path makes access very difficult, unless you have larger wheels for rough terrain.

The animals, including large troops of very relaxed monkeys, are offered fresh fruit every day at 10am and 2pm and you can observe them while they feast! Don't forget to bring cash as they don’t accept card. There is local and visitor pricing for tickets.
A note about ethical animal encounters at Barbados Wildlife Reserve: These are wild animals who are free to leave the reserve when they please. Please do not touch or feed any of the animals yourself. You can read more about ethical animal encounters here.

Farley Hill National Park

Suitable for: All ages
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: Yes, along the road that runs through the property.
Explore the ruins and the park, which includes a shaded playground for kids.

Steam train ride at St. Nicholas Abbey

Suitable for: All ages
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: Unsure.
Visit a shaded, forested colonial site with a steam train.

Submarine ride at Atlantis Submarine

Suitable for: All ages
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: No to strollers, best to call and ask about their wheelchair accessibility, but I don’t believe it is as you need to climb down the hatch to enter the submarine.
Explore the underwater world in a submarine adventure. My dad (and brother!) were submarine pilots and this was some of my fondest childhood memories on the water.

Hiking at Coco Hill Forest

Suitable for: All ages, but babies will need to be carried and toddlers will likely need help on certain trails.
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: No, the hiking paths makes access very difficult.

Hiking and 'forest bathing' at Coco Hill Forest is truly magical. The forest does become quite humid in the middle of the day, but there is always canopy cover. There are lookout spots and platforms where you can relax and enjoy a picnic.

Paradise Nature Park

Suitable for: All ages
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: Yes, though grassy in certain areas.
Set in five acres of lush tropical gardens, children love the parrots, toucans and emus through to tortoises, rabbits and rare breed pigs. There are also miniature kune kune pigs, pygmy goats and adorable miniature Mediterranean donkeys.

Mini Golf at Divi Southwinds Hotel

Suitable for: All ages
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: Yes.
Have a fun time playing mini golf at Divi Southwinds Hotel.

Skate Park at the Wildey Gymnasium

Suitable for: All ages
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: Yes, the area is paved.
Skateboarding fun for the family.

Catamaran Cruise

Suitable for: All ages
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: No strollers, but you can take a car seat for babies. Best to call and ask specific catamarans about their accessibility programmes. Smaller catamarans that don’t have a large cockpit space will not be able to accomodate a wheelchair, but some of the bigger ones may be able to.
Snorkel and swim with turtles on a catamaran cruise. My personal recommendations are Calypso Cruises for smaller groups up to 17 people, Cool Runnings for larger groups and Seaduced for a small and large luxury options.

Copacabana Beach Club

Suitable for: All ages
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: Yes to strollers. Wheelchairs can access the paved and decked area, but may struggle on the sand area depending on the type of wheelchair.
A child-friendly beach club with a great menu and amenities. Day passes can be redeemed for food or drinks. The beach is perfect for building sandcastles and people watching!

A walk through PEG Farm

Suitable for: All ages
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: Strollers can access some of the paths, which are quite rocky. However wheelchair users may struggle if it muddy, which applies to both the paths and the grassy areas overlooking the cliffs.
PEG is a permaculture oasis, located high atop the cliffs on the East coast of the island. It’s one of the only permaculture farms on the island, where pigs, cows, and chickens roam freely in their allocated spaces. The pigs are truly a blissful sight to behold, wallowing in their shaded muddy patches. Don’t miss out on the organic cafe, for delicious breakfast and lunch made with products raised and grown right on the farm.

Tiki Beach Bar and Barbados Cruising Club

Suitable for: All ages
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: Yes to strollers, though you have to cross the sand to access the beach bar. Wheelchair users can call and ask about accessing the deck area.
Enjoy family-friendly beachfront locations with safe swimming areas for little ones.

Hiking Adventures

Suitable for: All ages, once you can carry or help your little ones along the way.
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: Unfortunately no.
Join Sunday morning hikes to discover lesser-known parts of the island. There are a number of hiking groups, including Hash Harriers, which you can find on Facebook. The routes are shared beforehand, and there are usually varying degrees of ‘speed’ within the hiking groups.

Stand-Up Paddle Boarding

Suitable for: 5+
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: Unfortunately no.
Try stand up paddle boarding with Paddle Barbados at the Barbados Cruising Club. You can rent boards or buy a monthly membership at the Barbados Cruising Club, which includes free SUP rentals on Fridays.

The play park at the Animal Flower Cave

Suitable for: All ages
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: Yes, there are paved paths throughout the park and restaurant.
There’s a shaded play park, overlooking the beautiful East Coast. The owners of the site are also avid animal lovers and rescuers of goats and sheep, which you can also say hello to next to the play ground. Parents can enjoy rum sours, fish cakes and lunch, but make sure to keep an eye of your children at all times.

The caves at the Animal Flower Cave

Suitable for: 6+

Wheelchair and stroller accessible: No.
The caves underneath the playground and restaurant are a sight to behold. You can crawl through the labrynth and swim in the pool overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The caverns are wide with high ceilings, so you won’t feel claustrophobic. You need to hire a guide to enter the caves, for safety reasons and for an educational tour. There is adequate lighting to see where you are walking, as the caves open out to the ocean. If it’s rough, you won’t be allowed into the caves, so follow the guidelines of the tour guides on duty. Keep an eye on kids at all times, of course.

Indoor Playgrounds at Chefette

Suitable for: 4+
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: Yes, but the playground itself is not wheelchair accessible.
Chefette indoor playgrounds are perfect for rainy days! I believe that children need to be 4+ to be allowed on the playground unaccompanied (within the slides, etc.) As you can imagine, it can get quite rowdy when kids are on a sugar high from their ice cream and soft drinks, so make sure to keep an eye on little ones.

Cat Yoga at Ocean Acres Animal Sanctuary

Suitable for: All ages
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: Yes, once the grass is dry.
Enjoy cat yoga on Saturday mornings under the shady palm trees at Ocean Acres Animal Sanctuary on the East Coast. All proceeds from the class supports the work of Ocean Acres Animal Sanctuary. It is recommended to give a donation of at least BDS$20/US$10 per person for the lesson.

Kite Flying

Suitable for: All ages
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: Yes, there is a path along the entirety of the Barbados Garrison racetrack.
Kite flying is a cultural pastime in Barbados, and is especially popular around Easter. Buy a kite and fly it along the scenic East Coast road in Bathsheba or join the crowds of kids at the Barbados Garrison.

Harbour Lights Dinner Show

Suitable for: All ages
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: Yes, there is decking throughout the venue.
Experience a family fun dinner show at Harbour Lights. Be prepared for a heavy Bajan buffet, some cringey limbo dancing, fire eaters and dancers.

Andromeda Botanic Gardens

Suitable for: All ages
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: Unsure.
Explore the beautiful Andromeda Botanic Gardens and feed the fish in their pond.

Harrison’s Caves

Suitable for: All ages
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: Yes, though you can’t take strollers on to the tram. Best to call and ask them about the accessibility for wheelchair users, though I believe they can be lifted on to the tram.
Ride in a trolly and explore the stunning underground world of Harrison’s Caves. You can also go ziplining outside of the caves.

Barbados Drive-In

Suitable for: All ages
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: Yes, there is a grassy area right in front of the screen with picnic benches, and wheelchair users are also invited to watch the film from the main building if they wish (there is a ramp at the main building).
The Barbados Drive-In theatre is an old school drive in, with a radio system for sound. Their cafe serves movie favourites such as popcorn, candy, as well as rotis, barbecue chicken, burgers and french fries.

The Children’s Gallery at Barbados Museum

Suitable for: All ages
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: Yes.
Visit the newly refurbished Barbados Museum's Children’s Gallery for an interactive experience.

Boatyard Barbados

Suitable for: All ages
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: There is a decked area, and a ramp to the beach, however the jetty and beach is not accessible to wheelchair users.
There’s a jetty with a rope swing and inflatable trampolines in the water for kids to play on. Your Day pass also includes a boat ride on a glass bottom boat, with a snorkeling trip out to the shipwrecks in Carlisle Bay.

Rascals Waterpark

Suitable for: 4-5 year olds when accompanied with an adult (each), and 6+ years old individually
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: No.
This inflatable, floating water park is a hit amongst families of all ages in Barbados. The water park is about 500m from the shore, so you must be comfortable swimming to it. You are required to wear life jackets.

Welchman Hall Gully

Suitable for: All ages
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: Yes, there is a paved path.
Explore the natural beauty of Welchman Hall Gully, where troops of monkeys follow you through the beautiful, lush gully. There is a swing and small tree house at the entrance.

Horse riding on the East Coast

Suitable for: 6+
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: Unfortunately no.
I recommend with Nature Fun Ranch, a social enterprise that empowers Barbadian youth. I can’t speak to the welfare of the horses with other riding schools, as I have heard mixed reviews. It’s best to read reviews before deciding who to book a ride with.

Spending an afternoon at Limegrove Lifestyle Centre

Suitable for: All ages
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: Yes, the entire mall is paved and there is an elevator.
Perfect for a rainy day, stroll around at Limegrove Lifestyle Centre and a coffee at Always Summer Cafe.

FREE ACTIVITIES

Visiting the RSPCA animal shelter

Suitable for: All ages
Visit the RSPCA to play with puppies and kittens that need some love and attention. If you plan ahead of time (Make sure to call them) you can either take dogs for a walk along Brighton Beach right across the road or even take them for a day out.

Plane Spotting at Grantley Adams Airport Runway

Suitable for: All ages
Watch planes take off and land at Grantley Adams Airport. You can park across the street from the runway and watch the planes fly overhead as they approach the runway!

Sea Horse Spotting at Pebbles Beach

Suitable for: All ages
Enjoy the race horses taking a morning swim! They start around 4.30 and end around 7am.

Collect Sea Shell at Bathsheba and Cattlewash Beach

Suitable for: All ages
Collect sea shells along Bathsheba and Cattlewash Beach.

Garrison Savannah Race track

Suitable for: All ages
Visit the Garrison Savannah and watch the horses during their early morning and evening training sessions or attend one of the action packed Race Days! Though it is very busy, the atmosphere is very exciting on race days. There is also a playground in the West corner of the track.

Early morning playtime at Brighton Market

Suitable for: All ages
Visit Brighton Market on Saturday mornings, featuring a playground for kids.

Holders Farmers Market

Suitable for: All ages
Explore Holders Farmers Market on Sunday, with a kids' corner area.

Sea turtles/hatchling releases

Suitable for: All ages
The Barbados Sea Turtle Project manages sea turtle populations in Barbados. Once a sea turtle has laid eggs on a beach, the Sea Turtle Project collects the eggs, incubates them and keeps them safe. They then announce when the hatchlings will be released on social media. This is hands down, one of my favourite activities in Barbados, and it's even more fun and exciting with children!

Take a walk through Bridgetown

Suitable for: All ages
Best to go early in the morning while it's cool. Check out the sights, sounds and smells. Get lost, have fun! I recommend walking along the boardwalk, checking out the boats, getting a sno cone on Swan Street and visiting Cheapside market.

The duck pond at Codrington College

Suitable for: All ages
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: Yes, there is a path that is accessible.
Feed the fish and ducks at Codrington College pond.

Fish Scrap Feeding at Oistins Jetty

Suitable for: All ages
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: Yes, you can access the jetty quite easily.
You can buy fish scraps from the fish mongers to feed the turtles at Oistins jetty in the late afternoon, or just watch the fishermen offload their catch of the day.

Tidal Pools on the East Coast

Suitable for: All ages
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: Unfortunately, the beach is only accessible via a set of stairs.
Discover the beautiful tidal pools along the East Coast, perfect for a “salty soak.” Make sure to pack a beach umbrella for additional shade while in the water. You can check the Tide charts online to see when the next “Low tide” is, as that’s the best time to go.

Explore the shipwrecks in Carlisle Bay

Suitable for: 4+ depending on swimming ability
Wheelchair and stroller accessible: Unfortunately, no.
Carlisle Bay is home to a wide range of shipwrecks, less then 200 meters from the beach. There are eight shipwrecks laying in the sand for you to explore! I recommend taking a paddle board, boogie board or some sort of flotation device with you so you can easily take a break.

Remember to plan ahead, check for special events, and, of course, bring some cash for those spontaneous moments. With stunning beaches, rich history, and countless opportunities for fun, Barbados has something to offer every member of your family, from the littlest ones to the teenagers.

Are there any other activities that you think I should add to this list? Please let me know! I’d be happy to check them out!

If you host one of the activities listed above, would like me to come experience what you have to offer, or even for me to update photos and videos and feature you on my Instagram account, please get in touch.