Nature’s Wonders is an environmentally focused program at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, led by certified Florida master naturalists and available to families visiting both Ritz-Carlton Resorts of Naples. The dynamic program allows guests, ages 5 – 12, to learn about and discover nature in a colorful, living eco-sanctuary, featuring 11 aquariums that house sea creatures like sharks, crabs, turtles, alligators and eels. Nature’s Wonders promotes awareness of and respect for Florida’s natural beauty and its sensitive ecosystems.

During the day, young resort guests, five and older, can also enjoy hands-on discovery programs in the Nature’s Wonders facility that utilize certified naturalists, a science-based curriculum and kid-sized lab, complete with microscopes and visual stimuli like preserved reptile skeletons—all the tools to help a budding marine biologist explore a new world. Nature’s Wonders children’s programming is American Camp Association®-accredited and designed to provide a fun, educational experience for our young guests.

Nature's Wonders Activity Schedule 

Hours of Operation:
Thursday – Sunday 
Full day: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Half day: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Open House: 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday
Half day: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Open House: 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Cost:
Full day: $140
Half day: $75 

Frequently Asked Questions:

• What are the hours of operation for the Nature’s Wonders program?
  9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  Open House: 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
  
  
• Do I have to make reservations?
  Yes. Reservations are required and can be made through our Leisure Reservations Department (239) 514-6001. 
  
  
• What should my child bring/wear?
  Please bring a swimsuit and a change of clothing. Sunscreen, towels, beverages and snacks are provided.
  
  
• My child is just learning to swim. Are the beach and pool activities supervised?
  Yes. All activities are supervised. Attendants always accompany the children while in the pool and life jackets are available.
  
  
• What safety training do the attendants receive?
  Each member of our staff is certified in CPR and First Aid.
  
  
• How many children will one attendant supervise?
  Our staff to child ratio is one to five.
  
  
• My child has food allergies. May I order a specific meal for him?
  Yes, please make your needs known at the time of registration. The children’s menu offers a variety of choices.
  
  
• My child is four and a half and is mature. Can he attend the Nature’s Wonders program?
  State law regarding daycare facilities restricts us from accepting any children under the age of five.
  
  
• My child will be accompanied by a nanny. Will the nanny be able to participate in the program?
  Yes, provided your child is five years or older. The nanny will be charged at the same rate.
  
  
• What if my child doesn’t want to participate in some of the scheduled programming?
  All children are expected to participate in all of the scheduled, supervised programming. An attendant will not be available for alternate activities. However, guests may participate in some of our featured activities within the program on an a la carte basis. For instance, guests can sign up for and only attend the boat ride portion of the day.
  
  
• Is scheduled programming provided every day of the week?
  During peak times, Nature’s Wonders programming is presented by Naturalists every day. During off-peak times, the Nature’s Wonders programming is replaced with a more casual open exploration time supervised by Nature’s Wonders Counselors. Nature's Wonder activity schedule
  
  
• Can my children come into the room to look around?
  Yes, between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. children (including those under the age of five) are encouraged to visit at no charge. This is open to a limited number of guests. Please contact Leisure Reservations for additional information.
  
  

The Nature’s Wonders program provides hands-on, interactive learning and fun in an assortment of nature-themed activities. Sample programs include:

Animal Care 101
The responsibilities of owning a pet are covered in this program, focusing on different animals here in our Nature Center. Participants will handle the animals, possibly take them outside, and learn about their food, enclosures, and other needs. They will discover what is involved in owning a pet and becoming a better animal care-giver.

Beach, Birds and Binoculars
Join us on a trip to explore our Ritz-Carlton resort, where we will learn the basics of bird watching while enjoying the coastline beach and nature areas.

Budding Botanist
Designed as an introduction to Florida plant life, this activity focuses on four specific plants found the hotel property. The children will read maps to locate them and discover their importance to the environment. These plants are the mangrove, sea grape, sabal palm, and sea oats. The program will also include viewings of many other beautiful plants and flowers are the resort.

Butterflies and Blooms
Visit the hotel’s own butterfly garden and try your hand at gently netting one of our fluttering friends. Then learn about the life cycle of a butterfly and the types of plants that are important for their survival.

Feeding Frenzy
Assist the Nature’s Wonders counselors as they feed the many different critters throughout the tanks in the center. Learn about the eating habits of fish, shrimp, crabs and turtles, and view different marine environments like tropical reefs.

Fishy Facts (Saltwater and Freshwater)
Dive into the world of the deep seas without even getting wet! Embark on an aquarium tour of our very own Nature’s Wonders center. Learn all about fish, shrimp, lobsters, crabs and turtles – and view different aquatic environments like reefs, rivers, and tide-pools.

Marine Encounter
Explore the beach and work closely with our naturalists as they beach comb, net for fish, dig for clams and other beach inhabitants. This popular program increases awareness of the abundant life forms occupying the surf. Bring your swimsuit and have a ball getting wet and being a junior marine biologist!

Nature Detectives
Investigate the lush resort property for fascinating fauna including alligators, lizards, egrets, herons and turtles to name a few. Fine-tune your observational skills and identify animals that some hotel guests may never see.

Nature’s Neighborhoods and Conservation
Learn to appreciate your surroundings in a whole new way. Nature needs our help, and our native sea turtles act as ambassadors for a troubled planet. Children will explore ways to reduce their environmental impact.

Picture This!
Teams compete to identify specific critters and plants on the hotel grounds. Can you find a red mangrove? How about a gopher tortoise? Hear more about your photo hunt discoveries back at the Nature’s Wonders Center!

Shell and Tell
Accompany the Nature’s Wonders team on this discovery beach walk. Search the shoreline for sea shells and other mysteries of the deep. Sift the sand for some surprising finds, then collect your own treasures and identify them.

The Last Dinosaurs
Discover the many differences between crocodiles and alligators and view our very own baby gators. Become an expert on these modern day dinosaurs. Learn where to find them, what they eat and how they have survived for so long.

The Tooth about Sharks
Get the scoop on these misunderstood creatures, witness an actual feeding of Nature’s Wonders baby sharks. Earn the chance to receive your very own real shark tooth!

Trails of Adventure
Search for and talk about some of the most colorful critters found in Southwest Florida, including dolphins, manatees, reptiles and birds. Find out what mangrove swamps have to do with what is on your dinner plate and learn the story behind a number of interesting plants.

Only at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples will you find the fun and entertaining, yet exploratory and educational summer experience for your child during the Nature’s Wonders Summer Camp 2012. The atmosphere of the center and the interactive experience will leave your child with summer camp memories they will never forget.

Summer Camp Dates:

June 24 – 28, 2013
July 8-12, 2013

Hours of Operation:

Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Ages:
Minimum age requirement is 5 years old.
To ensure that the level of programming provided will engage all of our young guests, during certain programs in Nature’s Wonders, children will be separated by age into different groups.
Little Rangers: Ages 5 through 8
Junior Rangers: Ages 9 and older

Reservations, Drop-off and Pick-up
Reservations for Nature’s Wonders Summer Camp are required. Please call Leisure Reservations at (239) 598-3300 or extension 6001 from within the hotel.  Parents will be required to sign a release form before their children participate in the camp. 

Meals
Lunch is included. Snacks and beverages are also available throughout the day.

Daily Programming
Activities are subject to weather and may change. The program descriptions are general in nature; each program is not solely confined to that description. The programs are supplemented with other activities such as laboratory work, computer time, supervised swim, nature films and crafts. Programming in 2012 included:

Monday
Morning Program - Habitats- Nature’s Neighborhoods
Afternoon Program - Fishy Facts (Freshwater), Butterflies & Blooms

Tuesday
Morning Program - Wonder Walk
Afternoon Program - Fishy Facts (Saltwater)

Wednesday
Morning Program - Shell & Tell, Feeding Frenzy
Afternoon Program - Picture This!

Thursday
Morning Program -Marine Encounter, Let’s Talk Turtles
Afternoon Program - Beach, Birds, & Binoculars

Friday
Morning Program - Feeding Frenzy, Animal Stories
Afternoon Program - Nature Detectives, Animal Care 101

Celebrate your child’s special day in a unique setting at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples in one of two new venues: Nature’s Wonders or vue (virtual user experience).

Nature’s Wonders
Create exceptional memories for your child with a birthday celebration in the exclusive new Nature’s Wonders Center. With an engaging underworld environment, the center and staff provide a fun, interactive and educational experience for your child and their party guests.

Choice of one of the following activities:
• Scavenger Hunt
• Beach Olympics
• Ping Pong Tournament
• Sand Castle Building Contest

1 to 4 p.m.
6 to 9 p.m.
(Based on availability)

v u e
For a most unique setting, let your child and their friends stimulate their senses in the ultimate entertainment lounge filled with high tech gaming devices including Microsoft Xbox 360 game stations, Sony Playstation 3 and iMac computers. Children will enjoy interactive free play along with a one hour organized Wii sports tournament in this one-of-a-kind contemporary lounge setting.

One hour Wii Sports Tournament – Choice of the following sports:
• Bowling
• Tennis
• Boxing
11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Party Enhancements Available (additional charge)
• Face Painting Artist
• Balloon Artist
• Henna Tattoo Artist
• DJ
• Sheet cake or decorate your own cupcakes

Fees

Nature's Wonders
• $1000 rental for 3 hours exclusive use of venue
• $50 per child plus applicable taxes and service gratuities
• 10 children minimum/30 maximum
vue
• $500 rental for 3 hours exclusive use of venue
• $50 per child plus applicable taxes and service gratuities
• 10 children minimum/25 50 maximum

Includes
• Exclusive three-hour party
• Party attendants
• Pizza, bowls of fresh fruit and beverages
• Activity for all attendees

Note: minimum age is 5 years old for Nature’s Wonders, 7 years old for the vue and a maximum age of 12 years old.

In addition to our Nature's Wonders program, The Ritz-Carlton, Naples offers junior guests a variety of special services and amenities, including:

Nanny Service
Nannies at The Ritz-Carlton are certified in infant, child and adult CPR as well as basic first aid.

Special Holiday Activities
Celebrate in style! Check out our calendar for special events, such as Teddy Bear Tea or Children's Buffet Dinner.

P.O.L.O. Program
We will do everything possible to make your stay more comfortable with our Protect Our Little Ones program.

Imagine a luxurious, comfortable setting, where your senses are stimulated through the latest in entertainment technology. Guests may now enjoy an interactive virtual user experience (vue) exclusively at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples.

The ultimate entertainment lounge, vue features all of the popular interactive virtual-reality games played via consoles hooked up to 40” Samsung LCD TVs from Microsoft XBox 360 game stations with wireless controllers, to Sony Playstation 3, and the latest from Nintendo Wii.

Sleek, white furniture, eco-friendly bamboo floors, and a modern black and white color scheme with green accents, all contribute to the contemporary wired lounge setting. Additionally, two individual lounge areas each offer a personal 19” flat screen television with DVD player, and iPod docking station for a more intimate experience.

In addition, vue boasts a 63” LCD with Blu-ray player controlled via remote touch pad, a top notch Bang and Olufsen surround sound system and several flat screen high definition LCD televisions to kick back and watch HDTV content and select movies in a home theater environment.

Central to the room is the Mac station, surrounded by six stylish green leather bar stools for the iMac computers. Rising through the middle of the Mac station is a dramatically lit column further creating an intriguing atmosphere.

Guests may participate in a variety of entertaining options from weekly Wii bowling tournaments to Wii Fit exercise classes and casual, fast-paced arcade action or multiplayer frag-fests on Xbox LIVE.

Staffed by experienced gamers, vue provides the perfect setting for the ultimate social gaming experience with the latest in technology.

vue is exclusively available to hotel guests for a nominal daily fee. Open Thursday – Sunday 3 p.m. – 9 p.m.

For the little guests younger than 12, our chefs have created a special offer at select dining venues at the resort. Whether your kids choose their favorite lunch by the pool or enjoy dinner in Gumbo Limbo, all children’s menu food and beverage services are included. The Kid’s Meal Plan is available for $35 per day, per child.

The Kids Meal Plan Includes:

• Breakfast Buffet at The Terrace
• Lunch from the Children's Turtle Menu at The Poolside Café or Gumbo Limbo
• Dinner from the Children's Turtle Menu at Gumbo Limbo or The Grill

Pricing:
The Kid’s Meal Plan is available for $35 per day per child 12 years old and younger.

Offer is for children 12 years of age and younger.  Price is per day, per child and includes tax and gratuity.  Kid's Meal Plan must be purchased for entire length of stay prior to arrival or during check-in; does not apply to in-room dining or any other restaurants, venues or special events; and no reimbursement for unused portions. Children must be accompanied by an adult and display wristband.

Eye Wonders is available at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples

Eye Wonders is an original program offered at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples, designed to provide our youngest guest with an entertaining, educational experience in a safe and secure learning environment. The program’s fun and inspirational activities will enhance children’s awareness of the universe around us and open their eyes to a world of discovery…from the earth…to the stars above.

The Eye Wonders program provides rewarding hands-on, interactive learning and fun in an assortment of activities. 


Saturday Morning and Afternoon Program:

Journey into Space
Imagine the thrill and adventure of an astronaut. Junior astronauts will suit up for out of this world activities that include an astronaut snack from our Space Station Rest Stop and scientific exploration with sand from Mars.
AND 
Wild Weather
Grab your umbrella and learn all about thunderstorms, snow squalls, and tornadoes. Junior meteorologists will learn the science behind the weather as they form a cloud in a bottle, make lightning and learn how to forecast.

Saturday Night Out – Eye on Stargazing
Gaze into the mysteries of the cosmos. Constellation detectives will learn to use a telescope as they discover the moon, stars and planets that can be seen in the night sky. Enjoy games, prizes, dancing, glow-in-the darks sports, and dinner.

Hours of Operation and Pricing
Half Day Sessions
(9 a.m. – Noon or 1 – 4 p.m.) $60 per child

Full Day Sessions
(9 a.m. – 4 p.m.) $95 per child 

Saturday Night Out (includes dinner)
(6 – 9 p.m.)
$75 per child