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There are certain things parents learn to appreciate on holiday: an uninterrupted coffee, ten minutes beside the pool without being asked for a snack, or perhaps even the wildly ambitious prospect of finishing a chapter of a book.
Enter Le Petit Prince Kids Club. The new space at Sofitel Krabi Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort takes Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's much-loved story and turns it into 175 square metres of climbing, sliding and generally keeping children very busy.
Subtle it certainly is not. A large yellow-and-white ball pit anchors one side of the room, while a soft-play route threads past miniature houses and role-play spaces before opening into the wider play area. A central tree structure, low tables, quiet corners and smaller activity zones encourage different kinds of play, from climbing and physical exploration to imaginative role play, independent activities and playing alongside others.
It sets out to feel less like one big playroom and more like a series of small worlds children can move between depending on what takes their interest.
The club draws on the planet, desert, rose garden, forest and aviation themes from the original Little Prince story. For anyone who prefers a slightly less energetic form of entertainment, there are reading corners, arts and crafts, digital stations and a separate mini cinema, complete with tiered seating, glowing stars, cloud-covered walls and a popcorn machine that may prove just as popular as the film itself.
So what can the kids actually do?
Quite a lot, as it turns out. The weekly programme mixes creative workshops with outdoor activities, including batik painting, mask making and mini-chef sessions alongside nature hikes, eco-games, tennis, golf, beach activities and marine conservation. Each day draws on a planet or an idea from The Little Prince, giving the programme slightly more structure than simply handing everyone some crayons and hoping for the best.
Children under 12 are officially welcome, although realistically the space feels best suited to younger children – roughly primary-school age and below. Older kids may still be tempted by the cinema or selected activities, but by 10 or 11 the ball pit and role-play corners are probably a harder sell. Children under four need a parent or guardian with them, while babysitting can also be arranged separately, which may finally give parents enough time to finish that next chapter.
While the children are exploring Planet B612, painting or launching themselves into the ball pit, there is a spa, the beach and a rather enormous swimming pool elsewhere in the resort.
The Little Prince may have spent most of his story travelling from planet to planet looking for answers, but parents might be perfectly happy with an hour of peace and a cold drink.
Le Petit Prince Kids Club, Sofitel Krabi Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort, Krabi. Open daily 8am-6pm