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My work takes me to some really cool places, much to my family’s enjoyment. We’ve sailed with Mickey, summered in a modern Key West conch house and even spent an idyllic fall weekend in one of the country’s top Airbnbs. This time, the Caribbean came calling for—what else—but a toddler rave with Lenny Pearce (IYKYK) at Beaches Turks & Caicos.
The Australian-born entertainer, with a massive international following, was in town for the resort’s annual Fall Fam Jam, a family festival with live performances, Sesame Street experiences, and kid-tailored programming that takes the guesswork out of planning a vacation with little ones. Now in its third year, the months-long promotion (August 23–October 31, 2026) packs in the special perks and resort credits at no additional cost.
Resort life at Beaches Turks & Caicos
The all-inclusive resort is sprawling, with five themed villages, each with distinct architecture, accommodations and offerings. We stayed in Treasure Beach Village, which opened in early spring 2026, in a two-bedroom Treasure Beach Concierge Suite with bunk beds and a king, plus a pull-out couch and an expansive balcony overlooking the pool.
The convenience of an all-inclusive property is really unparalleled when you’re traveling with small children. On slow mornings, we relied on room service and our stocked mini fridge (both perks of concierge-level rooms). For a quick poolside snack, when it was impossible to pull our kid away from the water for a sit-down lunch, we grabbed pizza and salads in minutes from the Pinta Food Hall’s walk-up windows.
We planned ahead for dinners, booking the only two restaurants that require advance reservations. Kimono offers a teppanyaki experience (think Benihana) with highly entertaining chefs who lead the table in sing-alongs while manning the flat-top griddle with ease. Dinner and a show—a winning combo for families. Butch’s, inside Treasure Beach, is a full-service steakhouse with a build-your-own martini menu and a spread of dry-aged filets.
One night, we watched the sunset over wine and crab cakes at Schooners Seafood Grill. Just before dessert came and the evening’s saxophonist set up on the small waterside stage, the weekly Junkanoo parade stampeded past our al fresco table. Even dinner on the fly had the feeling of something bigger and more special.
Fall Fam Jam 2026
Beaches partners with Sesame Street year-round for its kids’ camps and special programming, including its character breakfast. But the annual Fall Fam Jam takes things up several notches with more activities and, this year, a very special guest.
Lenny Pearce has gone viral with his techno remixes of nursery rhymes and popular kids’ songs, so my family and I were already fans. We were even more intrigued to learn that his identical twin brother is the purple Wiggle in The Wiggles, who we flew to Chicago to see last summer. Apparently, traveling for children’s entertainment is just something we do now.
We arrived later in the week, missing Pearce’s opening night show and afternoon pool party, but we caught the final performance—a nighttime rave meets Vegas pool party with glow sticks, bouncing balls and fireworks. The build-up was worth it. Pearce and his posse of characters took over the French Village Pool as families packed the deck and jumped in the water for the hour-long DJ set. A Disney-worthy pyrotechnic finale capped it all off.
The air was thick with excitement from kids who got to stay up later than usual and parents who tapped into that post-club energy from another era. You couldn’t tell me it was 9pm—but, alas, it was, and Fall Fam Jam had more in store for us early the next day.
The toddler rave wasn’t even the wildest part of the weekend
We’d started the day with sunrise yoga with Elmo, who’s unexpectedly nimble. After a few wobbly tree poses and a photo op, the kids and parents were treated to snacks on the lawn before heading off on a catamaran cruise. The three-hour excursion takes off twice daily from the resort, sailing around Turks & Caicos with various stops for swimming, snorkeling and exploring Iguana Island, which we’re told can be overrun by reptiles at certain times of the year. We saw a few, but nothing compared to the throngs that visit my backyard daily.
The next morning, we had breakfast with Elmo and friends at 8am. The two-hour brunch buffet started out seemingly tame, with an MC introducing the various characters for photo ops, but quickly turned into a full-on dance party. If Lenny Pearce’s nighttime performance gave Vegas pool party, then this meal fully leaned into supper-club brunch status. But like most well-executed kid-centric activities, this one was organized, contained and brief. Everyone got a photo with their favorite character (Cookie Monster was a hit at our table) and had just enough sugary breakfast to carry them through an early morning blowout.
Beaches made traveling with a kid feel almost suspiciously easy
A toddler rave with Lenny Pearce might’ve been the draw, but Beaches Turks & Caicos’ expansive kid-friendly facilities and programming were what kept my family engaged. We couldn’t wait to get up the next morning for a dip in the pool, a brush with Elmo, an afternoon movie in the theater or arts and crafts with my kid that I didn’t have to plan.
On our last morning at Beaches, my husband and I joined our daughter and a handful of other parents for a puppet-making class with Bert and Ernie. It was adorable, with all of the kids sitting up on stage presenting their creations to the Sesame Street characters. One of the girls, visibly shy and reserved, kept looking out for her parents. At some point during the workshop, her doting dad walked over and sat with her for part of the presentation, and that’s when I realized who he was. It was Pearce, in civilian clothes, parenting alongside the rest of us.
Virginia Gil visited Beaches Turks & Caicos as a guest of the resort. Our reviews and recommendations have been editorially independent since 1968. For more, see our editorial guidelines.