With the Spa Day Refresh update, it looks like The Sims Team has invested a lot of time into opening up Wellness options for both children and toddlers! The lack of inclusion for kids and toddlers in a lot of the game’s activities has been a long-time complaint of Simmers and it seems like The Sims Team heard those complaints because all of the new content being released in recent months has offered family gameplay to engage both kids and toddlers just as much as adults.
The Spa Day Refresh is no exception! Read on to find out everything that’s been added for toddlers and children!
Yoga
Children can now do yoga! There is a new type of yoga routine called Family Friendly, which children can participate in. They can also practice yoga indefinitely and do some specific poses. Children do not have access to some of the more advanced poses adults can do; those would be pretty dangerous for a kid to attempt, after all, but many of yoga’s basic poses are available to children. Children can even lead yoga classes as an instructor! They don’t get paid for doing this, however.
Doing yoga builds both Mental and Motor skill simultaneously, so it’s a great skill building activity for kids. If Parenthood is installed, it also builds the Emotional Control value. Children can get a lot of adorable moodlets from doing yoga, too.
Toddlers cannot do yoga which makes sense. If you’ve ever tried to get a toddler to focus for longer than two minutes on anything, you’ll know why.
Meditation
Children can meditate now! Just plop down a meditation stool/pillow anywhere you like and have your kiddos practice some meditation and mindfulness. Meditation builds the Mental skill for children. If Parenthood is installed, meditation also builds the Emotional Control value. Children can meditate on their own or lead guided meditations with other Sims if they have level 2 Mental skill. Children cannot make money from leading guided meditations, however.
Toddlers cannot meditate for much the same reasons why they can’t do yoga. Toddlers have limited attention spans and probably would not be able to sit still for very long.
Face Masks
Children and toddlers can both use face masks!
When purchasing face masks from the new mini-fridge that came with the Spa Day Refresh update, there is an Animal Facial Mask available to purchase. This is the only mask that can be worn by children and toddlers. Purchase it, then take it out of the fridge where it’s stored by default and put it in your kid or toddler’s inventory.
In their inventory, select the animal mask. Children have the option to apply the animal mask while toddlers have the option to play with it, but both interactions do the same thing; both kids and toddlers will put the mask on.
The type of animal on the mask is random; both my little Sims got a zebra mask but the child in the developer livestream got a tiger mask. It can be fun to see which animals your little Sims will get.
Just like all the other masks for adults, the animal masks need to be worn for a certain length of time before your little Sims will see any benefit from them. Children and toddlers get all kinds of adorable moodlets unique to them related to wearing the animal mask.
As far as we can tell, there are no negative effects on children and toddlers from overusing the animal masks like there are for adults. The masks can be used many times back-to-back on children and toddlers with no skin irritation occurring.
Nails
Both children and toddlers were seen with colourful nails in the Spa Day Refresh trailer, so it was a major disappointment to discover that they cannot actually get their nails done in-game via the spa chair. Children and toddlers can only have different nail colours selected for them in CAS, so there is no gameplay attached to them in this respect. It would have been adorable to have our Sims take their little ones to the spa with them to get their nails painted together so we really can’t understand why this would be left out, especially since they spent the time on making nails for kids and toddlers in the first place.
In CAS, children have fingernail and toenail subcategories under the accessories category. You can choose between short and medium-length fingernails for them in various colour combinations. Toenails only have a short option in solid colours.
Toddlers do not have a toenail subcategory and can only have short fingernails in various colour combinations.
Since their nails are only available through CAS, they will never fade or need touch-ups. Again, extremely disappointing and a huge missed opportunity for some heartwarming family gameplay.
Wellness Interest
Children can now choose Wellness as a like or a dislike in CAS (or through gameplay) since they can now participate in Wellness activities. This interest was previously only available to teen and older Sims.
Toddlers don’t have this option since they do not have likes or dislikes.
How are your little Sims enjoying the Spa Day Refresh? Let us know in the comments or come chat with us on social media!
