Kid-Friendly Amenities Are Sailing Into High-End Condominiums

The pandemic-era work-from-home movement did more than spark an interest in home offices and homework nooks. It spawned increased offerings of kid-friendly amenities at luxury residential properties across the country. Safe havens for kids to explore when outside their own homes, these amenities are helping keep young ones engaged while parents log eight hours’ worth of WFH, and additional hours managing the household.  

For examples, look no further than New York City‘s Waterline Square, featuring a 4,600-square-foot, Roto-designed indoor playroom for kids, and play space for their pets as well. Another example is Turnberry Ocean Club in Sunny Isles Beach, offering an on-site “kid’s club,” along with complimentary access to a 4,000-square-foot kid’s pool at private Turnberry Isle Resort and Country Club, situated a few blocks away.     

Welcome to Kidville

If a boy or girl is fortunate enough to live on Fisher Island, the luxuriously upscale community off the coast of Miami, he or she will find no absence of amusements, from beaches and swimming pools to explorations of the island‘s fascinating history.

But if that child’s residence happens to be in Palazzo Della Luna on Fisher Island, the pleasures increase exponentially. That is because the high-end condominium is among those offering kid-friendly amenity spaces, in this case a space called Kidville Cove.

What kind of development would incorporate a child-centric amenity? In the case of Palazzo Della Luna, one where the kid-focused versions are just some of the building amenities. A 10-story boutique development completed last year, the property features 50 three- to seven-bedroom homes, with price tags ranging from $6.5 to $40 million.

Six-star service is at the beck and call of all residents, and the cornucopia of luxe amenities ranges from the highly functional to the downright whimsical.

Interior amenities begin with multi-lingual concierge services within a sumptuously furnished south lobby; a waterfront lobby lounge offering white gloved butler-serviced Aperitivo bar; an intimate reading lounge; resident-exclusive restaurant; private treatment and massage suites; beauty salon offering hair, makeup, manicure and pedicures; media room furnished with luxury seating for private viewings; business center offering videoconferencing services; fitness center and valet parking.

Outside the property, the volume of outsized extras mounts still higher, starting with a 4,000-square-foot, infinite-edge “Sunset Pool” with a pair of lap lanes and in-water banquette seating, as well as a 1,750-square foot infinite-edge “Sunrise Pool” also with in-water banquette seating. Additional amenities include a pool bar with attendant-staffed towel and refreshment service; his-and-hers spa cabanas featuring sauna, steam and shower; sprawling poolside terraces encircled by finely-manicured frondescence; tranquility garden boasting serenity yoga lawn; and an Enzo Enea-designed park with outdoor tea gardens, croquet lawn and bocce ball court.

Shades of blue

The 266-square-foot Kidville Cove offers a treasure trove of fun stuff to keep children entertained for hours, among the gems a Playmor baby yacht. The room is painted in shades of blue to replicate a cove-like environment, complete with cloud-shaped overhead light fixtures and walls depicting palm trees and sandy shores.

“Drawing inspiration from the neighboring Caribbean islands, our goal in designing Kidville Cove was to elicit surprise and delight with a totally immersive experience that encourages imaginative play and a sense of exploration,” says San Diego, Calif.-based McCulley Design Lab’s Janet McCulley, who designed the kid-centric amenity at Palazzo Della Luna in collaboration with Kidville and PDS Development.

“To achieve that, we incorporated many interactive elements. Little ones can get lost in a dense ‘forest’ of pool noodles, or commandeer a pirate ship and play make-believe with a treasure chest full of costumes and treasures. A wall-mounted ‘barrier reef’ is alive with sea creatures that guests are encouraged to identify by name. And the full-scale Tiki Hut has a gallery kitchen for tiny chefs to whip up island fare for fellow castaways. We intentionally designed every area in Kidville Cove to provide opportunities for both independent and interactive play, so that each child could find something new to explore or discover upon subsequent visits.”

McCulley says for her, the work has been richly rewarding.

“It’s incredibly gratifying to see how children completely light up when they enter the space,” she says, “And how they are completely transported.”

This post first appeared on Forbes.com. To see the original, click here.