Show the lowest price for this hotel
All Northstar lodging guests have complimentary access to the Recreation Center, with an indoor pool and outdoor Jacuzzis open year round, an outdoor pool open seasonally, a game room, fitness center and children's craft activities (which cost extra).
Winter Fun
During ski season, generally end November to mid April depending on snowfall, families hit the Northstar slopes. While ski lessons are available for all abilities, and for children as young as preschool age, the majority of the 89 trails (60 percent) are for intermediate skiers. But young kids do love the "magic carpet" rides, moving turf that whisks new skiers to the top of a learning hill. Eight terrain parks keep freestyle skiers and snowboarders entertained.
Non-skiers might enjoy the resort's tubing hill, where you get to the top of the hill via a tow lift -- no walking up the slope and schlepping a tube yourself. Prices start at $20 for the first hour, then $12 for each additional hour.
Another option: Stop by the Cross-Country Ski & Snowshoe Center to rent gear and traipse around the more than 30 kilometers of groomed scenic trails. Ask about the geocaching program, where you can use a GPS unit to search for hidden caches along the trails.
The 9,000-square-foot ice skating rink in the Village at Northstar (the main base village) draws families for afternoon and early evening fun. Rink access is free; skate rentals are $5. Purchase a gourmet s'mores kit to roast marshmallows over the fire pits in the central plaza.
Minors' Camp
Minors' Camp is a licensed childcare facility for children two through six providing indoor and outdoor play while mom and dad and older siblings take to the slopes. The camp operates December through April, Thursdays through Mondays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. All-day or morning options are offered, but if you make an all-day reservation on Monday, Thursday or Friday, you'll receive one free non-holiday Adult Lift Ticket.
During the winter the resort also offers a Parents' Night Out every Saturday, where for about $50 you can drop off kids ages 4 to 8 for three hours, from 5:30 until 8:30 p.m. Children will get dinner and participate in various indoor and outdoor activities.
Summer Fun
Summertime brings free gondola rides to the top of the ski mountain, from which you can simply enjoy the scenery or hike the myriad of trails. Mountain biking, fly fishing, golf on 18 holes, or the Apex Adventure Rope Challenge are other activities for families. Plus, the ice skating rink and Village trampoline bungy jump are open year-round.
Show the lowest price for this hotel
Read more about 
Sure, free drinks and complimentary Wi-Fi rank high on the lists of most desirable hotel perks among travelers in general, but when it comes to visiting with kids in tow, which hotel amenities are most revered by families? From onsite airline check-in to in-room babysitting and kid concierges, con...
Favorite family biking locales in North America combine stunning scenery with a relatively easy grid of bike trails and uncongested backcountry roads. All of these locales offer exhilarating rides, guaranteed to inspire all ages to travel on two wheels. Many of the cities on the list, like San Anton...
1. Celebrate a Historic Anniversary. Boston's historic Fenway Park celebrates its 100th anniversary this year -- the perfect time to take in a ballgame while enjoying the history of America throughout the city. Give your school-aged children an up-close and personal history lesson by visiting some ...
The unofficial start to summer is nearly here, and this May 25 to 28 weekend is filled with enticing deals for families. Get out there and start your summer!
Broadmoor Resort, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Escape to the Colorado mountains for a two-night Memorial Day Family Escape at the Broadmoor. ...
There are few rites of passage as exciting as taking a child on his or her first camping trip. Families bond while roasting hot dogs and marshmallows, making shadow animals on the tent wall, chasing after fireflies and inhaling fragrant whiffs of pine. Whether you are an experienced camper from pre-...
1. The National Mall
There's no question that the National Mall, the two-mile strip of wide-open green stretching between the Lincoln Memorial and the U.S. Capitol and surrounded by Smithsonian museums and national monuments, is a must-see destination for kids. "The Mall," chock full of our nation'...
1. gogo Kidz Travelmate
If you're traveling with a child weighing less than 50 pounds, you won't want to leave home without this ingenious contraption that in seconds lets parents convert most car seats into a stroller. With the gogo Kidz Travelmate, there's no more lugging both a heavy car seat ...
On a recent ski vacation, my family of five traveled with five cellphones, three laptops, three iPads, two iPods and just for good measure, a GPS! Given the prevalence of electronic devices in our daily lives and our somewhat compulsive reliance upon them, taking a true vacation feels almost imposs...
The 1969 film, "If It's Tuesday, This Must be Belgium," depicted a funny, but sometimes all too true, look at a tour group of Americans traveling through Europe so quickly they barely knew where they were and what they were seeing.
Today, tour groups are quickly becoming an attractive option for ...
When you think of an all-inclusive vacation, your mind goes straight to the Caribbean, doesn't it? But you don't need to leave the country to get an all-in-one vacation -- resorts in the U.S. also provide all-inclusive getaways with accommodations, meals, and activities all packaged in one easy pric...