Falling off a lily pad in the waterpark.

When my family spent three nights at the Great Wolf Lodge indoor waterpark resort in Grapevine, Texas, last Christmas, my kids did not breathe fresh air for three days.

Literally.

There was so much to do at this family-friendly property that my then five- and seven-year-old children did not exit the hotel’s front doors over the course of 72 hours. Instead, they:

• frolicked in the 80,000-square-foot indoor waterpark — with sprays, slides, giant wave pool, dumping bucket, toddler area and much, much more
• gobbled up kid-friendly fare at the expansive buffet, on-site a la carte restaurant and Pizza Hut Express
• played video games at the Northern Lights Arcade
• made crafts at the Cub Club activity center
• slayed dragons, found treasures and brought fairies “to life” in the high-tech, interactive, hotel-wide scavenger hunt, MagiQuest.

Winning prize tickets at the arcade.

With all there is to see and do at a Great Wolf Lodge indoor waterpark, it’s no wonder my kids didn’t want to leave the building. (I, however, needed some bona fide Vitamin D, and did take a walk on one sunny afternoon over to the nearby Gaylord Texan, another family-friendly hotel in Grapevine.)

The 12 Disney-esque Great Wolf Lodge properties found throughout the United States indeed cater to families. In addition to all the activities and amenities I listed above, most of the resorts have special on-site Scoops Kids Spas, with fun treatments like gummy-worm manicures.

Also at the Texas property is a gr_8 Space Tech Center for teens. Other nice touches for families: mini fridges in each suite (many with a separate bunk-bed area for kids) and room keys embedded in the wristbands all guests must wear. Brilliant!

Photos by Kara Williams.