header

Activities & Safety for Children in San Pancho, Mexico

San Pancho, Mexico is blessed as a natural playground, but also is so thanks to the efforts of the EntreAmigos community group (See below).
Children are welcome and safe in San Pancho, Mexico. The Mexican culture loves children, so don’t be surprised if someone stops just to dote on your infant. Restaurants enjoy kids of all ages and no one will sneer if your child wants to investigate all the corners of the room.
Exposure to other cultures is also an extremely important educational experience for children. Their world will expand, their tolerance will increase, and they will learn to judge people based on personality and not nationality or religion. Also, the opportunity for children to learn Spanish is a huge advantage, as they learn so much better at a young age, and it increases their chances of fluency when older.

Safety for Children in San Pancho:

The primary draw of San Pancho is the beach and so this is probably where your children will want to spend most of their days. Splashing games of tag at the water’s edge, creating sand castles & sculptures, and playing barefoot soccer will be staples of each day’s activities.
Although San Pancho has a beautiful beach, there is a shore break with occasional large waves and strong currents. Though fine for surfers, it is not an ideal swimming beach, particularly for children. Vigilant supervision is recommended when children are playing at the water’s edge. The safest place for swimming is at the south end of the beach, where the small fishing boats ar located. There are also more gentle swimming beaches in the nearby towns of Lo de Marcos and Chacala to the north, and Sayulita and Punta de Mita to the south.

Hospitals/Pediatricians/Clinics/Pharmacies:

All of these services are available in San Pancho. See ‘Emergency Phone Numbers’ page.

Eating and Drinking:

At home, make sure to soak fruit and vegetables in Microdyne disinfectant and drink only water from bottles or “garrafones”, unless you are sure your rental home or apartment has a water filter installed in the house.

General:

Tetanus shots are recommended. Sunscreen is a must, and hats are a good idea.

Entreamigos

community organization offers arts and crafts activities for kids every afternoon, Monday-Thursday. Under the guidance of a volunteer, the children express themselves and learn new skills. Working with scissors, paint, paper and recycled materials, they make a different craft everyday. Samples of the children’s artwork can be seen in the Art and Gift Gallery run by the group. Another fun service provided by the group is the Recicla Park located on the main street in San Pancho, where adults and children from the town have created a play area constructed exclusively from recycled materials.

EntreAmigos workshops include:

English
Computing
Community art
Swim Lessons
Lifesaving and First Aid
Creativity and Literature
Cooking
Bike repair
Extreme sports
Body expression and Movement
Bugs and Icky things
Ecology and Recycling
If I could be …. (a mentoring class)

Circo de los Niños:

There is a children’s circus production every March in San Pancho. It is organized and choreographed by Gilles St. Croix, one of the 2 original founders of Cirque du Soleil. He has shipped circus equipment from Canada and set it up in a bodega/warehouse. Local children train after school for months, the community volunteers with set design, costumes, food and refreshments, etc, and the kids put on the most fabulous of productions!
Gilles St. Croix says, “Our goals are to teach children and young adults to gain confidence in themseves, challenge their physical capabilities and help them discover their creativity. This exploration in the world of Social Circus through various circus arts disciplines will affirm their character and challenge their imagination.”

Escuela del Mundo:

Escuela del Mundo is a Montessori-based school in San Pancho with an emphasis on community and humanitarian values. 

The School is dedicated to providing a unique education opportunity for the increasingly unique and diverse community of children and families in San Pancho. This non-profit parent cooperative-run kindergarten and elementary school in San Pancho is committed to an interdisciplinary, holistic approach to learning the Montessori Method of universal studies such as yoga, meditation, music, environmentalism and the arts.

Thanks to generous financial contributions and successful fundraising efforts on behalf of the school, Escuela del Mundo offers scholarships to about 10% of its student population, sponsoring students of Mexican origin whose families are long-time members of the San Pancho community.

Other San Pancho activities recommended for children:

Nature walks (find plants, animals, and insects), the adventure playground, soccer, volleyball, boat charter (for snorkeling, whale-watching, surfing, fishing, or just for fun), horseback riding, yoga, learning Spanish, or day school. Nearby in the village of Sayulita surfing, boogie boarding, and zip lines are also available.

San Pancho Mexico truly is a magical playground and provides an excellent destination location for families looking to vacation with children of all ages. Your Mexican vacation to San Pancho will be a dream trip for your family.

Compare listings

Compare