Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa Family Activities

In June 2009 all the Camp Hyatts partnered with National Geographic Kids magazine to add programs that teach children about animals, culture, recycling and water. The New Mexico property's Camp Tamaya is no exception. In fact, teaching children about Native American culture and the desert environment were elements of Camp Tamaya's program from its inception.

The Camp Tamaya facility, located near the kid-friendly plaza pool, consists of two rooms outfitted with craft tables, a child-sized basketball hoop, billiard table and box games. At Camp Tamaya, ages three to 12 do such Native American activities as create sand paintings, play Native American games, learn to weave and find out about indigenous plants and animals and the life giving Rio Grande River on a guided stroll of the Bosque. Morning sessions run from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m., afternoon sessions from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m., evening sessions run from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. The all-day program runs from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. The resort limits the number of children so it's best to reserve a space when you book your reservation.

Also, before you arrive at the resort, have your kids check-out the Camp Hyatt National Geographic Kids site with its child-friendly games that teach kids about the region's animals and ecology.

There's plenty of swimming with three outdoor pools. The plaza pool entices kids with its water slide, the Oxbow pool has a waterfall and the kiva pool is heated. Alas, there are no indoor pools.

For more fun, try horseback riding. The stable accommodates never-evers to more advanced riders. Children age 8 and older can go on guided trail rides while those ages four to eight can get a taste of being in the saddle by sitting atop a pony and being led around a ring.

The Srai-Wi activities at the Hyatt Tamaya make a stay at the resort special, enabling families to learn about Native American traditions together in an enjoyable way. During the complimentary Stories Under the Stars, Emmett "Shkeme" Garcia, a Santa Ana tribe member animatedly shares the Pueblo's tale of the creation of the stars and constellations. We sit around a fire on a clear, cool evening, learning how a naughty coyote created the configurations. Afterwards, we toast S'mores.

On the Journey Through Tamaya, another complimentary program, we tour the Tamaya Cultural Museum and Learning Center. The one-room facility with its baskets, pottery, clay-making display and Tamaya history reminds us that the tribe inhabited this land long before the Spanish and other settlers arrived. Afterwards we go on a guided walk through the Bosque, a forest of 1000 cottonwoods. To restore the native cottonwoods, the tribe removed the many salt cedar and olive trees that were choking the native plants.

We really enjoy the shady grove, which parallels the river for one mile. As we stroll our guide points out a hawk circling above the Sandia Mountain peaks, identifies the buffalo and wheat grass and shows us the bat boxes. Bats are our friends—they eat the mosquitoes making the Bosque relatively bug-free. The bats feed on the mosquitoes so that our walk is relatively bug-free. We sit on the benches, thoughtfully placed by the river, and savor the peaceful setting.

Other nice touches: Fitness stations in the Bosque path entice those out for a run. Teens like to try the sit-up benches, pull-up bars, climbing pole and other equipment. There are also emergency call boxes in case help is needed.

In our Clay and Culture class Laura Pena, a member of the Santa Ana Pueblo, helps us make a pot. Because our session last two hours, we use prepared clay and employ a pinch pot and coil method. As we roll and shape the mixture, Laura tells us how she learned pottery from her grandmother, detailing the traditional method for gathering the clay and drying the pottery for days on a fire of charcoal and cow dung.

Additional Srai-Wi experiences include bread making in a traditional oven, silversmithing, archery and a pueblo drum making. Call ahead to see what Srai-Wi programs are available as some are offered seasonally only.

Borrow bicycles to pedal to the stables. Kids' bikes and trailers are available for little ones. In high season, don't miss the rodeo, typically held on Thursdays. You can walk to the stables or climb aboard a hay wagon. The rodeo, a show of roping and riding by the wranglers, is complimentary. Kids, ages three to eight, can join in by "riding" stick horses in a barrel race. The resort charges a fee for the grilled burgers, hot dogs and other fare.

For more horseback adventures, sign-up at the stable for trail rides that follow the river or take you to view ancient petroglyphs.

Staying at the Hyatt Tamaya also makes it easy to explore Albuquerque and Santa Fe. In Albuquerque, go hot air ballooning, play at Explora, a terrific hands-on children's museum, visit the National Hispanic Cultural Center and ride the Tramway to the top of the Sandia Mountains. In Santa Fe, you can ski in season and year-round visit the Museum of International Folk Art and the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian.