As children settle back into the school year, after-school activities and sports fixtures begin and parents need to plan the best camps or childcare to keep their children busy during the holidays or after school, The Bermudian Family Favourites Awards are here to help.
If you are a new parent or about to become one, you may need to find a paediatrician, dentist, playgroup or family support resource. We have that covered, too. Thanks to our many knowledgeable readers who voted – here is all you need to know about Bermuda’s best for families. From where to get shoes and clothes, to where to go for learning support, sports coaches, creative pursuits and child-friendly treats.
Best Arts Programme: Kaleidoscope Arts Foundation
This small slice of creative heaven on Jubilee Road in Devonshire has been providing children of all ages and artistic abilities with art classes, gardening skills and all around fun since 2006. Children can start attending Hands on Art from 18 months, and the host of options includes Adventures in Architecture for 8- to 9-year-olds, Comics/Graphic Novels for 10- to 13-year-olds, and a Middle School Art Club. Their summer camps are also legendary. 27 Jubilee Road, Devonshire; 542-9000; www.kaf.bm
Best Family Support Service: Family Centre
Founded over thirty years ago by the late Martha Dismont, Family Centre is the only not-for-profit social, behavioural and mental health organisation for children in Bermuda that is not hospital or government based. They provide counselling services, community programmes and advocacy initiatives and, in response to this summer’s tragedies, they offered “a safe space where children and teens can express their feelings and process their grief…We are here to facilitate healing, hope and connection within our community.” Sunshine League House, 27 King Street, Pembroke; 232-1116; www.tfc.bm
Best Playgroup for Babies and Toddlers: MAMA Bermuda
Run by mothers, for mothers and caregivers, the Meet a Mum Association (MAMA) doesn’t just provide babies and toddlers with fun surroundings for play, they also provide a vital resource to the parents of these young children—support and friendship. There is a different playgroup in a different parish most days of the week, including Bike Club on Tuesdays and Rhyme Time on Wednesdays. They also arrange special events for members, such as treasure hunts and seasonal parties.
www.mamabermuda.com
Best Dance Studio for Kids: Bermuda Dance Academy
Owned and run by dancer, gymnast and director Nikia Manders, Bermuda Dance Academy offers ballet, hip hop, modern, jazz and tap dancing classes for children, starting at 3 years of age with the Intro to Dance class. For those with more gymnastic abilities, there is also an acrobatics class on Saturdays. In addition to classes, there are recitals, costume weeks and family weeks as well as the opportunity to participate in the Bermuda Day parade.
26 Berkeley Road, Hamilton; 333-811; www.bermudadanceacademy.com
Best Kids’ Sports Coach: Master Edmond Johnson
As far as role models for children go, a 5th degree martial arts black belt is a pretty good one to have. Beginning his own journey at thirteen years old, Master Edmond Johnson of the Champion Taekwondo Academy has been teaching Taekwondo for over twenty years, becoming a respected mentor, leader and inspiration for all his students. Most recently, he was recognised for his work in planning and delivering the government’s Camp Connect summer camp programme.
6 Parliament Street, Hamilton; 777-5353; www.bermytkd.com
Best Tutoring/Learning Service: The Reading Clinic
Watching your child struggle to read can be stressful, as can trying to navigate how to help them if they have received a diagnosis of dyslexia. Enter The Reading Clinic. Their experienced tutors utilise the Orton-Gillingham Approach to teaching reading and spelling and usually provide three one-hour sessions per week before or after school. The Reading Clinic doesn’t just specialise in reading, however. They also offer an Individualised Cognitive Approach to Numeracy (ICAN) maths programme.
54 Serpentine Road, Pembroke; 292-3938; www.readingclinic.bm
Best Holiday Camp for Kids Aged 5–8: Kreative Art & Nature for Smallies
The brainchild of Kelly Smith, Kreative Art and Nature for Smallies, or KAN, utilises the medium of nature for art-based learning. Smith wants the children in her classes to make a mess, explore and play through scavenger hunts, themed exploration and interactive art classes using natural materials. Depending on the time of year, her camps might involve gardening, learning how to grow your own food, nature trails or field trips.
27 Queen Street, Hamilton; www.kansbermuda.com
Best Holiday Camp for Kids Aged 9–13: Dolphin Quest
What better way to keep your older kids occupied during the heat and humidity of summer than by letting them hangout with dolphins. Dolphin Quest in Dockyard runs camps from Monday to Friday throughout July and August for children aged 7–12, in group sizes of 12–24. In addition to learning about, and interacting with, the dolphins, campers will also learn about ocean literacy and conservation. Repeat campers receive a 10 percent discount.
National Museum of Bermuda, 15 The Keep, Sandys; 234-4464; www.dolphinquest.com
Best After-School Care Service: Government After-School Programme
Work commitments rarely fit in with school hours and finding reliable, safe, affordable and fun “wrap-around” care for your children isn’t always easy. This is why the government after-school programme, organised by the Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors, provides such a vital service to hard-working parents. Designed for primary-age children, the programme includes sport and recreational activities, and aims to expose children to new experiences and life skills.
444-1897; www.aspbermuda.bm
Best Place for a Kids Birthday Party: Boundless Playground at WindReach
The Boundless Playground at WindReach is one of a kind. The only fully accessible playground in Bermuda, it provides endless fun for children of all abilities. With wide slides, places to climb, hide and look out, parents can sit back and relax. The playground can be rented out in four hour blocks, including set-up and clean-up. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, don’t panic, you can have the party in the WindReach Activity Centre instead.
10 WindReach Lane, Warwick; 238-2469; rentals@windreach.bm
Best Place to Play: Botanical Gardens
The Botanical Gardens are free, there’s plenty of parking, there are bathrooms, it’s dog-friendly, and there is masses of space for children to run around, roll down hills, explore and play games. For a unique game of hide-and-seek, take them to the maze. For the best climbing trees, take them to the banyans. If they are inquisitive about nature and all the things that grow in the Botanical Gardens, follow the Bermuda Botanical Society’s tree tales.
South Road, Paget
Best Charity Event for Kids: BNT Children’s Nature Walk
Well over a hundred children, parents and grandparents took part in the 2024 annual Bermuda National Trust (BNT) nature walk for children at Spittal Pond, in April. Sponsored by Arch, this free event involved an introduction to the reserve, wildlife observation, and talks about pond life, birds, Jeffrey’s Cave, Portuguese Rock, the geology of the rock formation and humpback whales, which can be seen in the water at that time of year spouting and surfacing.
236-6483; www.bnt.bm
Best Beach for Kids: Shelley Bay
Shelley Bay is a one stop shop for children’s enjoyment all year round. In the hot summer months, children can splash and play in the shallow waters when not playing beach games or building sandcastles. When the weather is cooler, there is a playground for them to run, slide, swing and climb in. Lots of parking right by the beach, meaning you don’t have to carry everything far, is the icing on the cake.
North Shore Road, Hamilton Parish
Best Art Gallery for Kids: Bermuda National Gallery
Not only does the Bermuda National Gallery curate exhibitions that appeal to younger audiences and produce child-friendly materials to accompany their exhibits, but they also give young artists a stage on which to exhibit their own artwork, in particular, the 2024 Junior Bermuda Biennial which will be on display from November 2024 until March 2025. Open to artists aged 5–17, it is juried by Molly Bretton of the Royal Academy of Arts in London.
City Hall & Arts Centre, Hamilton; 295-9428; www.bng.bm
Best Pediatricians: Edgewood Pediatrics
Few things are more terrifying than when your child is sick, especially if they are very little. For Drs Richard Fulton, Sylvanus Nawab, Kirsten Woodward and Stephen Kenny, not to mention the amazing Nurse “Bernie” Wilson, no question is too trivial for you to ask or too much trouble for them to answer. For something that is acute or painful, patients will be seen on the day, and their team of receptionists go out of their way to be kind and helpful.
13 Richmond Road, Hamilton; 295-8000; www.edgewoodpediatrics.com
Best Music Class: Bermuda Kids Kindermusik
Babies and children love music and Bermuda Kids Kindermusik classes, run by Miss Allie, welcome them from newborn upwards. Her variety of classes involve rhythm, movement, props and vocal activities, and while most classes take place at their Collector’s Hill location, this year there was Kindermusik Alfresco on Wednesday mornings. Other classes include Family Style, along with Newborn to Crawlers, Cruisers and On-the-Move Crawlers, and Active Walkers.
3 South Road, Collector’s Hill, Smith’s; 591-6334; www.bermudakids.kindermusik.com
Best Pediatric Dentist: Young Smiles
Visiting the dentist is rarely a pleasant experience at any age, but at Young Smiles they go above and beyond to make every child feel comfortable and relaxed. They are greeted by friendly faces, bright colours and a welcoming waiting room, and Dr Helen Christopher and her team explain what they are doing in a way that their patients understand and are happy with. At Young Smiles, visiting the dentist isn’t so bad after all.
The Hutch, 23 The Lane, Paget; 292-9191; www.youngsmiles.bm
Best Restaurant for Kids: La Trattoria
The food, the atmosphere, the staff, the fact that children can see the pizza oven in action, all come together to make La Trattoria the best kids restaurant in Bermuda, again. It’s not just meals they cater for. They also host pizza parties at the weekends, where the children can make their own. Don’t tell the kids, but they “hide” vegetables in the Kids Menu tomato sauce and use chickpea flour in the brownies.
23 Washington Lane, Hamilton; 295-1877; www.latrattoria.bm
Best Museum for Kids: BUEI
Kids like to touch and at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI) many of their displays are interactive, with buttons to press, wheels to turn and screens to manipulate. Children are also fascinated by the secrets of the ocean, in particular, the “Bermuda Triangle” and at BUEI’s Unlock the Secrets exhibit they can learn about the myths, facts and fiction of that huge span of water that makes our island so famous.
40 Crow Lane, Pembroke; 292-7219; www.buei.bm
Best Tourist Attraction for Kids: Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo
Come rain or shine, babies, toddlers, kids and even teenagers, can’t fail to find something they enjoy at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo (BAMZ). Infants are happy to stare, mesmerised, at the huge tanks, while toddlers run around discovering. The zoo exhibits provide endless fascination, whether it’s the giant tortoises, bright pink flamingos, sea turtles or a walk through Madagascar. And once they are done learning, they can explore and play at Discovery Cove.
40 North Shore Road, Flatts Village; 293-2727; www.bamz.org
Best Toy Store: People’s
For a haven of toys, books and art supplies for babies, toddlers and older children, People’s is the place to go. Stacked to the roof with games, baby equipment and outdoor activities, they also sell larger items such as play kitchens, scooters and toy garages. Popular brands include Nerf, Barbie, Lego, Janod, Vtech and Fisher-Price and, hiding behind the till are the coveted Nintendos, Playstations and the games and accessories to go with them.
62 Victoria Street, Hamilton; 292-7527; www.peoples.bm
Best Family Photographer: Jenny Arnold Photography
The days are long but the years are short, so the saying goes. Experienced family photographer, Jenny Arnold specialises in capturing family moments you will treasure forever. Instead of bribing your children to sit still for a portrait, she will encourage them to be themselves, run around, play, hug and explore while she captures these snapshots in time. From pregnancy to newborn and older, Arnold will beautifully savour your precious memories.
www.jennyarnoldphotography.com
Best Kids’ Clothing Store: Gibbons Company
Your one stop shop for anything your children might need, Gibbons Company is stocked high and low with baby outfits, school uniform essentials, sports clothes, party clothes, outfits for special occasions and clothing for teens and young adults. Feel overwhelmed by the options? The helpful and friendly sales staff can point you in the right direction. Have a tricky teen who doesn’t like the look of anything? They can even help you there, too.
21 Reid Street, Hamilton; 295-0022; www.gibbons.bm
Best Kids Shoe Store: W.J. Boyle & Son
Buying shoes for growing feet is definitely best done in person and in a store where they can be measured. Enter Boyles. Whether it’s school shoes, summer shoes, sneakers, sandals, or something for a special occasion, there is a wide variety, lots of choice and the helpful sales staff will make sure your child has the right size for their feet with a little room for growth so you don’t have to go back again next month.
31 Queen Street, Hamilton; 295-1887; www.wjboyle.com
Best Staycation for Kids: Grotto Bay Beach Resort & Spa
With a variety of rooms that can sleep up to four or five people, all-inclusive meal plans, two private beaches, a huge swimming pool, children’s playground and an inflatable water park, Grotto Bay is the ideal spot for a family staycation. With water sports that include motorboat trips, boat charters, paddleboarding, kayaking, snorkelling and scuba diving, boredom simply isn’t an option, and picky eaters have the choice of three different restaurants.
11 Blue Hole Hill, Hamilton Parish; 293-8333; www.grottobay.com
Best Place to Take the Family for Ice Cream: Bailey’s Ice Cream
“The best homemade ice cream” raves a happy reviewer of the delicious scoops served up at Bailey’s Bay Ice Cream Parlour. If you want to be a popular parent, treat your children to one of over 30 flavours of ice cream which you can enjoy in their “cottage” or under the giant banyan tree in Crystal Caves Park. They also serve frozen yoghurt and sorbets. Visit the cashpoint en route, though. It is cash only.
2 Blue Hole Hill, Hamilton Parish; 293-8605
