Who ever thought that when we sailed into the USVI so many years ago, that these islands would one day hold such a large spot in our hearts. Primarily we love St Thomas, due to the friends we have made there and the large amount of things to do with the kids.

After living there two years on our sailboat, and returning (at least) once a year since selling our boat, we now have quite the list of “must do” activities for every one of our visits. Of course number 1 on that list is: visit with our friends there. But we can do that all the while checking out our favourite kid-friendly spots on island.

 

This Trip

This go around we went from mid-July to mid-August, while the girls were on summer break from school in Todos Santos. So if you ever wondered what the USVIs are like during summer/hurricane season, or what you should do there with kids, here you go.

 

Hit The Beach

No doubt about it, this was the top thing I wanted to do. Outside of our friends, this is what I miss the most about living in St Thomas, the beaches. The white sand beaches and the calm teal Caribbean sea, just WOW.

If the weather permits, go get sandy and float around in the warm water.

Sargassum sea weed is a bit of an issue at some of the beaches, but some beaches can be found that either get less or are well kept by the hotels/bars staff there.

Make sure to remember your snorkel gear. There’s lots of fun stuff to be seen. On this last trip the girls saw sea turtles, spotted eagle rays, squid, an octopus, and a myriad of fish.

 

 

Go Boating

 

 

There are a bunch of day charter boat companies that can take you out to the best snorkelling and dive spots. You can go fishing. Day trip to neighbouring islands. Or simply go check out some different beaches.

Our girls have the boating life coursing through their veins. Check out these happy faces! Get them out on the water and they are happy as can be.

 

 

 

If The Weather Is Less Than Awesome…

As I mentioned above, we went during “hurricane season”, and although we didn’t see any major storms in our month there, we did get a lot of rain. Although I would’ve loved to be on the beach for our entire month vacation, sometimes Mother Nature has other thoughts…or maybe you’re just beached out and need a break.

We had lots of other fun rainy day activities to keep us happy.

Children’s Library

We love the library in St Thomas (up, behind Tutu Mall). The children’s section is big, super comfy, and they have a ton of books. We always spend a lot of time here. They also have AC and wifi, so if you need a break from the heat, here’s a great spot!

 

 

 

The Humane Society

If you’re missing your pets, or like our girls and dying to have a pet but your parents won’t let you!, the animals at the Humane Society will gladly take your affection. We make at least one visit here each trip. The girls will spend hours petting all the cats. And then I will spend an hour going through the used books for sale at the shop there.

 

The Children’s Museum

Our girls spent a couple of hours playing here. They had a blast checking out all of the exhibits, but I think their favourite might have been the indoor play park tucked away in the back.

 

 

 

The Movie Theatre

We love going to the movies. However our closest theatre where we live is an hour and a bit away, so while in St Thomas we totally took advantage of having one nearby. We went twice during our month stay! We went to see Toy Story 4 and The Lion King.

BE PREPARED, bring sweaters, pants, and/or blankets, the AC makes it super cold in there!

 

Bowling

We didn’t go with the kids, we went on an adult date night, but you totally can bring the little ones here. Not only is there bowling, but they also have some video games, fuse ball, corn hole, and some other games.

And the food there is yummy and CHEAP!

While we were there they had a summer special where bowling in the daytime was half price. Something to keep in mind.

 

 

 

Home Depot Kids Activities

I had heard of this before but we had never gone to check it out. The first Saturday of each month, some participating Home Depots host kids’ activities. The St Thomas one does it.

All you have to do is show up. It’s free. They hand you your very own apron, the craft with the instructions, the tools are on the table, and off you go. The Saturday we attended the girls built Rocket Ship pencil cases.

Once the craft was done the kids got a snack and juice. ALL FOR FREE. How fun is that!

 

 

Can’t Wait To Go Back

Somehow our month flew by! Between visiting the beaches when the weather permitted, hanging with our friends in their pool, or squeezing in all of the kid-friendly activities above (with a couple of adult dates in between) our summer month in St Thomas was packed full of fun stuff.

St Thomas, USVI continues to hold an extremely special place in our hearts, and although we always strive to travel to new destinations, this is one we will continue to return to.