Best Spring Break Getaways

On 83 woodsy acres in one of the prettiest parts of the Pacific Northwest, accommodations range from a lodge and an Airstream to 15 comfortable tent cabins.

4313 Roche Harbor Rd., Friday Harbor; 800/617-2267; lakedale.com; tent cabins from $149.

Trend we love: hotel programs with a hands-on approach to teaching kids about food. At Wequassett Resort & Golf Club (wequassett.com; doubles from $420) in Chatham, Massachusetts, budding chefs collect tomatoes and zucchini in the hotel’s garden, then head into the kitchen to whip up their own personal pizzas. At Carmel Valley Ranch (carmelvalleyranch.com; doubles from $325) in California, families can take part in a honey harvest, led by a beekeeper and starring the 60,000 Italian honeybees in the resort’s apiary.

Travel + Leisure’s Atlantis Family Insider package at the activities-packed resort Atlantis (888/877-7525; atlantis.com), includes a Beach Tower Terrace room with two double beds; two-for-one access to AKA kids’ club, featuring electronic interactive games, cooking lessons, arts and crafts, and more; two-for-one access to Crush, a teen hangout.

Cost: From $209 per night, through August 31 (book by March 31).

Savings: 35 percent.

Raising the next Rembrandt? Indulge a blossoming talent with more than just Play-Doh and construction paper. Felting, crocheting, and macramé merely scratch the surface of all there is to do at Crafting Community, an annual weekend retreat at the Ace Hotel Palm Springs, where DIY workshops and multigenerational activities combine family time and fun. “It’s an opportunity to come together under the umbrella of creativity and recreation,” says Los Angeles artist and designer Karen Kimmel, who founded the event, which is now entering its fourth year. Along with sun prints and “stampscape” projects, there’s a mobile sewing cart from sportswear label Splendid; a crash course in underwater photography; and a henna-tattoo workshop with artist Tanya Aguiñiga. Come nightfall, all are welcome to wind down beneath the stars with poolside barbecue, fireside s’mores, and movies alfresco—popcorn and glowsticks provided. Says mom Meredith Alexander, who attended last year’s retreat, “It’s as if someone came into my head and created the perfect weekend for my family.”

701 E. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, Calif.; 760/325-9900; acehotel.com and craftingcommunity.com; April 27-29; from $925 for a family of four.

For an awe-inspiring introduction to Utah’s national parks, book a custom excursion with Epic Private Journeys (858/356-9411; epicprivatejourneys.com; seven-day itinerary from $3,695 per adult). Ride horses through Zion and learn canyoneering in the slots of Escalante.

Activity level: Moderate to high

Best for: Ages 10 and up

This Little Blue Piggy package at Congress Hall (888/944-1816; congresshall.com), a historic beachfront resort, includes an ocean-view or town-view room with two double beds; breakfast for four in the Blue Pig Tavern; stuffed animals for up to two kids; house-made cookies served with milk in keepsake Blue Pig coffee mugs at turndown.

Cost: From $250 per night, March 1 through May 23.

Savings: 20 percent.

With its rain-forest-swathed mountains and turquoise lagoons, it’s easy to see why Hawaii is a hit with families. But the opening of Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa—the first Disney-built hotel not connected to an amusement park—has elevated all-ages fun in the Aloha State to an art form. Located on a serene crescent of sand along Oahu’s western shore, Aulani makes traveling with children seem surprisingly easy, from the bassinets and baby-proofed balconies that come standard with most rooms to the complimentary kids’ club. Still, it’s the outdoor adventures that set Aulani apart: swimming with (tame) stingrays, learning to snorkel amid hundreds of angelfish, or paddleboarding in the shallow waters off the beach. T+L photographer Jessica Sample fell under its spell. “I loved the waterslides through the lava rock,” she says. “Look for the hidden animal drawings carved into the stone!” Only in Hawaii.

92-1185 Aliinui Dr., Kapolei, Hawaii; 866/433-4763; aulani.com; doubles from $399.

The Rainforests and Volcanoes tour from Abercrombie & Kent (800/554-7016; abercrombiekent.com; seven-day itinerary from $2,990 per adult) goes from Tortuguero National Park to the Arenal Volcano, with ziplines, kayaks, and guided walks on hanging bridges along the way.

Activity level: Moderate

Best for: Ages seven and up

Kayak at sunset with a naturalist and learn how to bait and cast with a veteran fishing captain.

100 Cloister Dr., Sea Island; 877/537-8078; seaisland.com; doubles from $395.

Discover a pristine alpine playground on the Banff to Jasper journey from Austin-Lehman Adventures (800/575-1540; austinlehman.com; six-day itinerary from $2,898 per adult). Bed down in a mountain chalet after rafting the Kananaskis River.

Activity level: Moderate

Best for: Ages seven and up

Set on a calm stretch of South Beach, with all the pet- and kid-friendly perks of a Kimpton property.

1717 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 800/994-6103; surfcomber.com; doubles from $300.

Adventures by Disney (877/728-7282; adventuresbydisney.com; 10-day itinerary from $4,699 per adult) provides a fun-filled Mediterranean immersion on its Greek Odyssey through Athens, Delphi, and Crete. Highlights include a trip to the Parthenon and a sail through the waters around Santorini.

Activity level: Moderate

Best for: Ages six and up

The package at this waterfront retreat (888/222-5851; portolahotel.com) on Monterey Bay along the central California coast includes a Portola room with two full beds; daily breakfast for four (meals free for children under age five); two tickets to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, each good for two days’ admission; complimentary root beer floats for the kids.

Cost: From $235 per night, March 1 through June 30.

Savings: 20 percent.