If you are travelling to Gran Canaria with a toddler there are plenty of activities available:-

The beaches are the most obvious attraction and those in the southern resorts come complete with all variety of boat rides. You can go on a camel ride in the sand dunes or donkey ride,  paddle in the sea or visit some of Gran Canaria’s huge array of attractions for kids. If your kids love sand castles, they will be able to see the sand castle artists at Las Canteras. They will also be able to build their own as this is one of the best places for sandcastle building on the island.

Kids under 4 will love the Angry Birds Activity Park. It is a great place to take kids to let them burn off any excess energy as there are plenty of places to jump and run around. The park has 25 different activities from crazy golf to go carts. There is a snack bar and kids can cool down under the water sprayers.

Holiday World Maspalomas is one of the most popular theme parks in Gran Canaria. Some of the attractions that the kids will love are Aquatic Familiar Track which is where they can drive their own boat or the little train. Its a great place for a fun evening. You will also find plenty of places to eat as there are numerous restaurants and fast food outlets in and around the park.

Sioux City  is an old Wild West themed park with saloons, dancers, cowboys and Native American style wigwams. It provides a fun day out which kids and adults will both enjoy. It is one of the Canaries’ most famous attractions and you should have no trouble getting information about it at your hotel.

Sioux City

From Puerto de Mogan, a stunning fishing village with a safe beach and playground in the centre, you can go on a submarine adventure (submarine Amarillo) and sail out to visit the lounge of a dolphin family. Pueto de Mogan is well worth visiting in its own right and it offers some gorgeous waterfront restaurants and a fantastic market is held on its main streets each Friday.

In Puerto Rico you can go dolphin-spotting with Spirit of the Sea which claims to spot dolphins 97% of the time. Excurions take between 2 and 3 hours.

You can also go to the stunning Palmitos Park, an ornithological park with aquarium, butterfly house and orchids. There are monkeys, parrots, Meer cats, butterflies and dolphins. The setting is stunning however it is hilly, so bring a stroller if possible as little legs may get tired from all the uphill walking. There are a number of snack bars throughout the park for a refreshment and there are bird shows and dolphin shows twice daily.

Further west is Taurito, which resembles a family-themed park with several pools (and pool tables) plus an abundance of amusements geared towards children. Cocodrilo Park, near Agüimes, is part zoo, part sanctuary, with the majority of its animals being abandoned, exotic pets. You can get buses to the park from all the major resorts and it opens daily from 10am until 5pm (closed on Saturdays).

Aqualand near Maspalomas is a great option for older children although there are areas for babies and toddlers to paddle also such as in the Discovery Pool. Children’s Paradise is a virtual playground in the water, ideal for toddlers. There are also an option to meet sea lions and there are excellent changing facilities and snack bars with food available. The park opens daily at 10 am and thcvx ere are buses to the park from all major resorts.

On a more highbrow note, even the most museum-jaded tot cannot fail to be impressed by the model galleons at the Casa-Museo de Colón in Las Palmas, with its colourful Columbus history. For a more hands-on, how-the-hell-does-it-work experience, tag after the school trips at the superb Museo Elder de la Ciencia y la Tecnología science museum, also in the island’s capital. For more tips on activities for toddlers and young children click here.

Although its more for parents, the Moonlight Cinema in Maspalomas deserves a mention. You start your evening with an escorted walk across a red carpet and then you are seated in double sofas. Its all outdoors with full waiter service throughout the movie so you can enjoy a delicious pizza or deserts including New York cheesecake. There is a staffed play area for the kids and if you want to watch the movie all together then check the website out first to see what family films are on.

Another option is to take the fast ferry to Gran Canaria’s neighbouring island, Tenerife. Here you can visit Loro Park which is a fantastic zoo with tigers, gorillas and many other animals. There are also whales and dolphins and the worlds largest penguinarium.