Cool activities for hot summer days -- get kids outdoors in the summer! Look for the National Wildlife Federation Be Out There e-book guide soon.

Is it OK for kids play outside in the heat and bright sun of summer? Of course! I’m sharing outdoors summer tips in a forthcoming e-book by the National Wildlife Federation — and here is the scoop! Check out some of my tips below, and watch for the e-book soon.

Be Out There with National Wildlife Federation. Look for the e-book soon!

However, there’s no way my kids could stay indoors in the air conditioning for the season! My family takes precautions on hot, sunny days, but we still get outdoors.

Here are five ways to play it cool outdoors during the heat of the summer.

1. Play in the morning

If you can get your family outdoors before 9 am (10 am at the latest), you will get that fresh air and sunshine before the hottest part of the day. As a bonus, you are more likely to see wildlife out and about. Many species take cover in the heat of the day. Just like people do. Morning is also a good time to work in the garden. Even if you have a pot or two with some flowers, fruits or vegetables, gardening is a fun nature activity that most kids enjoy.

2. Play in the evening

Likewise, just before and after the sun goes down, it’s not as hot as midday. You also don’t have a chance of getting a sunburn. No UV Index! Evening is a great time to watch the sun set and to look for fireflies, swallows and other creatures. After dark, stargazing is a legitimate outdoor activity. Some parks offer guided night hikes, and that’s fun too. Along the coast, many people like to stroll the beach, looking for sea turtle nests in summer. There’s a lot to do at night!

3. Play with water

Water-based activities in summer are a given because water is cooling. Swim at the beach or pool, play in a water sprinkler, or have a neighborhood water blaster or water balloon fight. Let kids shoot or pour water over blocks of ice that you have frozen small toys inside. My family enjoys kayaking, and even though we don’t get too wet, just being on the water is refreshing. When you’re outside in the sunshine, though, use clothing and/or sunblock to prevent sunburn.

4. Play in the shade

Got trees? They can be a lifesaver in the summer. It’s cooler in the shade, no doubt about it. Tree cover in your yard or a park is a great place to play outdoor games, have a picnic or do some birdwatching. If you have your own yard but no trees, consider planting one for future shade — and think about a patio gazebo for some shady fun.

5. Play in the rain

It’s OK to play outside in the rain as long as there is no thunder or lightning and kids are dressed appropriately. Where I live, Florida depends on rain to cool things down in the summer. The temperature can drop 10 or more degrees in just a few minutes once the rain comes down. Rain is refreshing, and what kid doesn’t love jumping in puddles?

Summer heat can make us want to stay inside. But with a little planning and some fun ideas, there’s no reason not to enjoy the beauty of nature with your family during the long days of summer.

Can an animated movie about monsters in college help your kids learn? Yes! Check out a week's worth of summer activities based on Monsters University and Epic.

The long-awaited sequel to Monsters Inc. — one of my favorite animated movies because of its creativity — is coming out this week! Monsters University will be in cinemas June 21, and my family is looking forward to seeing it.

The epic movie based on children's author William Joyce's writing is a great jumping-off point for learning this summer

Over Memorial Day weekend, the animated movie Epicbased on children’s author William Joyce’s writing, came out. We haven’t seen that movie yet because I wanted to save that for the summer.

These two movies deal with fantasy creatures, and I thought that would be a fun theme for a week of Summer Camp at Home. This week, we will use our imagination! Learning to use the imagination and develop creativity helps kids to be problem solvers, which is an important life skill.

Older children may enjoy making real-life “monsters” a special project this week. Let them learn all about the Yeti, Loch Ness Monster, El Chupacabra, Everglades Skunk Ape, etc. and then write about them or make a movie about the monsters.

Field Trips

The Monsters University and Epic movie show times are on our radar! That’s good for two outings.

We will also visit a nature park and look for Leaf Men.

Language Skills

The Leaf Men and other books by William Joyce will be good choices to get imaginations going for a summer camp week about fantasy creatures

We have read The Leaf Men by William Joyce as well as other books written by him. We will read the book again.

In addition, your kids might have favorite stories featuring other made-up creatures that would be great for this week.

I plan to visit the library each week and let the kids pick out their own books. Last week‘s visit was successful, and my soon-to-be-first-grader got his own library card.

We are going to make our own stories this week, too! If you fold a piece of office paper in half, then in half again, you have the makings of a simple book. Just use scissors to cut the edges and free up more pages, then staple the “spine.” You can even staple or glue a cover to the front and back that kids can make out of construction paper or from gift wrap. Then let the kids write and draw their stories on the inner pages.

For a high-tech way to make your own story, check out Storybird. Your kids (and you!) will have fun with that. And if you want a real work of art to hold in your hands (on paper or on a tablet device), check out Blurb.

Play and Learn

I like to give my boys a chance to play games each day for a block of time — both board games and digital games. There are games on the Epic site and games on the Monsters University site as well as the fun Monsters University Storybook Deluxe app.

I’m sure after they see the movies, my boys will want to act out their favorite parts. This is fun, and it also helps kids with story comprehension.

Crafting and Art

Disney’s Spoonful site has lots of activities and crafts based on Monsters Inc.

Also, we will have fun creating our own monsters or other fantasy creatures on paper, with play dough, Legos or other items.

Pinned It

Saturday is the Great American Backyard Campout, when families will be camping in their backyards. So that reminds me of this pin from this site full of great family camping tips and ideas. Even if you don’t camp on Saturday night, pin or bookmark these ideas for later!

Make it a great week!

Non-dairy fruit parfait

Doesn’t this fruit parfait dessert look delicious? It is. And it’s also free of the ingredients that my family is allergic to. There’s no dairy, gluten, eggs or nuts — and it’s all-natural.

I’m sharing the recipe here, but first I want to give a shoutout in favor of child nutrition on the eve of the Nutrition for Growth summit happening in London. The event will focus on the tragedy of malnourishment and undernourishment in children around the world. Children need good nutrition for optimum brain and body development. Chronically malnourished children are on average nearly 20% less literate than those who have a nutritious diet, according to Save the Children. The organization estimates the global economic impact of malnutrition could be up to $125 Billion.

If you are on Twitter, consider tweeting something along these lines: “@WhiteHouse Let’s make sure all kids get healthy food in their #next1000days so they can reach their full potential. #Nutrition4Growth”

My recipe is made with bananas (an important nutrition staple in many parts of the world) coconut cream (full of healthy fat that can raise good HDL cholesterol levels and that helps you feel full longer) and organic, in-season fruit. Rather than a dessert with empty calories, this parfait has good nutrition without the allergens. And? My sons ate the whole thing.

Non-dairy fruit parfait

Ingredients
1 can full-fat coconut milk
2 bananas
2 cups fresh cherries or other in-season fruit
4 Tbsp. granola (I used gluten-free, nut-free granola)
Stevia to taste, or 1/3 cup cane sugar

Directions

Chill the can of coconut milk overnight and do not shake. Scoop out the cream, which should be at the top. Mix with the stevia or sugar. Slice the bananas and stir into the cream.

Slice the cherries off the pit and set aside.

Alternate layers of banana cream with a tablespoon of cherry slices, and top with a tablespoon of granola. Makes 4 parfaits.

Add gluten-free, nut-free granola to the parfait for a delicious allergy-free dessert

Summer Camp at Home Week 1: Habitats - A plan for learning activities and fun

IT’S SUMMER!

Summertime, summertime, sum – sum – summertime…

OK, got that outta my system….

You might be following our Summer Camp at Home series this summer or just interested in some ideas to do fun, educational stuff with your kids. And for our first week (starting Monday), we’re kicking off with the theme of Habitats.

So, habitats. On the surface, making habitats this week’s theme sounds boring, but trust me, it won’t be! Exploring different habitats can actually be fun. And the reason we’re kicking off our summer with a habitats theme has to do with one of my boys’ favorite subjects and something you might like too.

Starting Memorial Day weekend (just a few weeks ago), SeaWorld in Orlando had a grand opening for its newest attraction and exhibit, Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin. The same weekend, a new IMAX movie, Penguins 3D, opened. Well, we have studied penguins and Antarctica in the past, so I figured, instead of just Antarctica, why not several different habitats?

So this week we will look at different types of habitats (some might call them ecosystems or plant communities — they all have their own specific definitions, but you get the idea) and use that to stir our imaginations and stay busy learning and having fun this week.

Here are some things I have planned for my kids for next week:

Field Trips

Now that my youngest is almost 4 years old and my oldest just graduated from kindergarten, it’s easier than ever to take them places. The kids love getting out of the house, and so do I. (So. Do. I!) We already visited SeaWorld for the grand opening of Antarctica (see the link above), but we haven’t seen Penguins 3D yet. There is an IMAX theater not too far away, so we are in luck.

We’re also planning a trip to Everglades National Park. The National Park Service Junior Ranger Program is a fun, educational program that rewards kids for learning about the environment. There are three national parks about an hour from our home, so we just might make it to all of them this summer (if we can handle the mosquitoes). If there is a national park near you, check it out! If not, see if a nearby state park has a program for kids. If you can’t get to a park at all, try the Webrangers program.

Language Skills

We’re going to visit our local library every week this summer and check out books. We are also going spend time reading books every morning as part of our daily routine. Most libraries have summer reading programs that offer rewards, and that’s a fun (and free!) way to keep kids learning over the summer.

In the past, I recommended specific book titles for each week’s theme. However, I realize it can be hard to find those books in time for that week. Searching for books on a specific theme is easy, though, whether you’re at your local library (the Dewey Decimal System is helpful to find categories) or on Amazon.com. And booksellers can be helpful too. Find books your child is interested in. This week, you might look for books about deserts, rainforests, mountains, grasslands, swamps or marshes. Get to know the habitats of the region where you live.

Geography

Advanced students might want to learn about habitat mapping. You could even make it into a summer-long project if your child is interested enough.

Even young students can get a general idea of what your state looks like on a map, and you can label where different types of habitats are. Print out an outline map of your state from an online search, and then use label stickers or just write on the map where the different habitats are. Maybe your state has one habitat — that’s OK too! This might inspire your kids to learn more facts about your state.

Play and Learn

We’ve planned a stuffed animal picnic with friends who want to come. While we eat in the shade, we will present our favorite animal toys to one another and take turns figuring out which habitat it comes from! This activity is good even for toddlers.

Playing “make-believe” or pretend is an excellent way for children to learn and problem solve. Kids can pretend they are in various habitats. What do they need to survive each one? My boys still enjoy watching the PBS Kids Wild Kratts show and think they are Martin and Chris.

Speaking of the Wild Kratts, if you visit their site linked above, there are fun games there. Just click on the word Habitats in the left menu.

Crafting and Art

We are going to schedule an art time each day, even if it’s just for 15 minutes. I don’t care what the boys want to do each day as long as they are being creative.

We will also start our summertime paper bag albums and add to them each week.

There are so many things to make for this week — a diorama of your child’s favorite habitat or drawings of favorite animals. My penguin lovers will try to make penguin puppets out of craft felt. They just trace around their hands, cut out the fabric, glue the sides together, and decorate with eyes and beaks.

Daily Routine

In addition to activities for the weekly theme, we will try to stick to a daily routine. We’ll start the day with some outdoors time before it gets too hot outside — gotta have that Green Hour. Then while our minds and spirits are still fresh, we will do some educational activities like our daily reading, a Summer Bridge worksheet, and activities my 6-year-old’s occupational therapist recommended. We’ll have blocks of time for playing with Legos, craft clay, making music, doing puzzles or board games, playing educational games on the iPad or at ABCMouse.com — and some down time too. I’ll also get the boys involved in making (and cleaning up after!) lunch.

Pinned It

Summertime ideas are all over Pinterest, which is a hugely popular way to find, share and save ideas or things you love. Each week, I will try to share a cool idea found on Pinterest.

This week, I want to give Pinterest love to these Anti-Boredom Kits. So cute, clever, easy to make, and your kids will love them. You can probably think of other kits to make too.

Also, I want to share KidsSoup as a good resource for theme-based crafts, games, and activities for young children. Anytime, not just for the summer. You need to buy a subscription to access the ideas and printables, but if you have active learners, it’s worth it — and I’m NOT being paid or courted to say so. For this week’s theme, for example, if you look in different areas of the KidsSoup site, you’ll find a penguin math game, a board game featuring a lizard in the desert, sand science experiments, various animal crafts…. There’s a lot there.

I hope this week’s Summer Camp at Home post gives you some ideas — or something to inspire your own ideas — for a fun kickoff to summer. If it’s helpful or you have ideas to share, please feel free to comment.

Make it a great week!

Summer Camp at Home: 9 weeks of ideas

Summer Camp at Home is back for the third year in a row!

If you’re looking for ideas for ways to keep your kids busy learning and having fun this summer, please check out my list of themed weekly activities that I will post each Friday for nine weeks, starting this coming Friday.

This is our lineup:

Week 1: June 10, Habitats
Week 2: June 17, Fantasy Creatures
Week 3: June 24, Create!
Week 4: July 1, Heroes
Week 5: July 8, Wildlife
Week 6: July 15, The Final Frontier and the Future
Week 7: July 22, Adventuring
Week 8: July 29, World Music
Week 9: August 5, Transportation

Are You Doing Summer Camp at Home Too?

This year, I was really tempted to send my kindergartener to summer day camp. After all, by now he is used to spending his day full of activity with his peers. And there are a lot of great day camps in our area to choose from.

But I knew we are going to send him to day camp with his occupational therapist later this summer as we did last year, and those four weeks of camp will take him right up to the start of first grade. That leaves five weeks of freedom. I think. (I’m a bit unclear when school actually starts.) Not only that, but I know he will have more years of school ahead when he will actually prefer going to camp over staying home — and kids are little for only a short time.

Whatever your reasons for staging “Camp Mom” or “Camp Grandparent” this summer, I hope you’ll find some ideas that will keep away the “I’M BOOOOOORRRED”s and give you special time together as a family.

Weekly Themes, Daily Routines

Each week will have a different theme to focus on that will be a jumping-off point for having fun and learning.

We will try to go on two or three “field trips” each week, usually relating to the theme, but also just for fun (like free bowling from KidsBowlFree.com).

We will set up our day with short bursts of time in “stations” around the house, and try to keep to a schedule. (I keep hearing my kindergartener needs structure.) Even though I’m a be-free-and-have-fun-it’s-summer kind of person, he seems to do better on a predictable routine, so that’s what we are going to try. You don’t have to do that, though, to use the ideas. Heck, I know it’s going to be hard for me to stick to a schedule, but I need to attempt it.

For example, we’ll start the day playing outside before it gets too hot — we live in southern Florida. Then we’ll do an hour of different educational games, activities and reading books while our minds are still fresh.

The rest of the day, we will do fun stations in blocks of time:

• Legos
• Wii
• Puzzles/board games
• Music
• Crafts/art
• iPad educational games
• ABCMouse.com
• Cooking
• Imaginative role play
• Gardening
• Science
• Favorite toys
• Etc.

The boys will also get a chance each day to pick which stations they want to do next.

The routine isn’t there to dictate our days, but to ensure my boys don’t just play with trains for five hours every day. We can still be flexible with our time so we can attend play dates and do other fun things.

Customize Your Camp

My weekly plan will be a starting point for you to work from if you want to follow along — and you can take it from there. Every family is different, and you know what your kids like to do, so you will come up with great ideas of your own. You can also tailor your summer camp to your child’s age and abilities.

If you are doing Summer Camp at Home too, please leave a comment!

And if you’re the impatient type and want to get started doing or planning camp right away, check out last year’s Summer Camp at Home post with links to 10 themed weeks of activities and learning.

You can get closer to the penguins than ever before at SeaWorld's new penguin exhibit, Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin

When SeaWorld opened its new attraction, Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin on May 24, my family was there for opening day. We had missed seeing the penguins on several visits — almost two years — and had to be among the first people at the Grand Opening.

Which way to Antarctica?

(Lots of other SeaWorld fans were there opening day, too — there were so many of us that the Antarctica line got long, fast. We ended up waiting almost five hours before getting inside.)

SeaWorld visitors waited in line for hours to get into Antarctica on opening day

My penguin-obsessed sons felt the long wait was worth it, though.

Learn about penguins while you wait in line

The boys had already heard about Puck, the animated gentoo penguin chick featured in the new attraction, because we had seen him on the SeaWorld Web site. When you enter the iceberg-covered Antarctica building, you see penguins gathered in Antarctica and watch Puck hatch from an egg.

The Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin attraction at SeaWorld tells the story of Puck, a gentoo penguin chick

Then you enter another room inside an iceberg and get in a round ride vehicle. The ride doesn’t run on a track like most theme park rides — it uses magnets to glide across the floor of the room with random movements, so rides aren’t always the same. Visitors can choose between a mild or wild ride (small children have to have a mild ride), but from the looks of both vehicles, I don’t think either option was too strenuous.

After the short ride, the vehicle takes you to the penguin exhibit. A door opens dramatically, and suddenly the penguins are right in front of you. That part was cool.

Literally cool — it’s about 30 degrees in the penguin exhibit! You step off the vehicle and get to watch the penguins in their habitat as long as you want (or as long as you can take the cold temperature).

SeaWorld visitors can get closer to the penguins than the old exhibit allowed

(My younger son was tired and cold at this point — he doesn’t normally look this drawn.)

When you leave this part of the penguin habitat, the next room lets you watch the penguins swimming. A two-story glass wall shows how deep the habitat is, and you get a chance to see what amazing swimmers penguins are. I didn’t get a good picture of this, but SeaWorld has one:

Watch the penguins "fly" underwater at Antarctica

Outside of the Antarctica building, which looks like icebergs everywhere, you can learn more about penguins.

See a life-size display of the world's penguin species outside the Antarctica attraction

Even the new restaurant across from the attraction, Expedition Cafe, has an Antarctic theme and more penguin displays, including a large touch-screen penguin game console.

Overall, the new Antarctica attraction is really fun. Even if you don’t do the ride — which apparently you can bypass when the lines aren’t so long — visiting just the penguin habitat is great.

(Just make sure to head there right at park opening so you don’t wait in line for five hours!)

One Beat CPR trainer Sgt. Brian Schnell gives chest compressions to an infant dummy using thumbs

Before my first child was born, my husband and I took a CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) class. We wanted to be prepared and know what to do if our baby choked or passed out.

That was seven years ago, and it turns out the CPR guidelines have changed since then. This week, I took a class with One Beat CPR, a local CPR training facility, and was happy to find out CPR is simpler than ever to learn and administer — a great idea for parents, caregivers or anyone who wants to feel prepared for emergencies. Summer is a good time to learn CPR, with more people in and around the water (with greater chances of drowning), and with a little more down time than usual (so you might have more time to take a short class).

One Beat CPR trainer Sgt. Brian Schnell shows how to do chest compressions

At One Beat CPR, the trainers’ philosophy is to never tell anyone, “You’re doing it wrong!” which is a confidence boost to anyone taking the class. My trainer was police Sgt. Brian Schnell, who assured the class that even if you do it “wrong,” it might save someone’s life — in which case, was the CPR performed “wrong?” He even gave examples of everyday people, even kids, performing CPR not within the current guidelines and yet still saved lives.

Sgt. Schnell said even after training, people choose not to perform CPR for few reasons — and then told us why we should do it anyway:

1. They are afraid of doing it wrong. (Was it two inches above the belly button? How many breaths was I supposed to give? What if I do chest compressions and break the person’s rib?) Do what you remember from your CPR class, and even if you don’t get it perfect, you can save someone’s life. The longer a person doesn’t get help, the more their chances of survival decrease. In general, a person loses a 10% chance of life every minute that goes by when they stop breathing.

2. They are afraid of getting sued. Good Samaritan laws are in effect to protect people who try to help. Once you start CPR, though, you need to keep doing it until medical help arrives or the person revives.

3. They are afraid of getting sick from putting their mouth on the other person. Sgt. Schnell recommends carrying a protective mask that you put on a person in need of CPR, which allows you to breathe air into his or her mouth while keeping you safe. If you don’t have a mask, you don’t have to risk your life to breathe into the person. (You can get a mask in a pouch to carry on your keychain for $5 or less from Amazon.com and other suppliers.)

One Beat CPR trainer Sgt. Brian Schnell shows how to put a protective mask on a person needing CPR

And of course, the best and first thing to do in an emergency is to call 911 to get professional medical help on its way.

Taking a CPR class is inexpensive, not time consuming, and a good way for families to feel they are prepared in emergencies when someone may have trouble breathing. You will not only learn CPR, but also how to use an AED (Automated External Defibrillator), which are installed in schools and other public buildings, restaurants and even at some parks. At One Beat CPR, I was surprised to see how easy it is to use an AED because the machine has an automated voice that tells you exactly what to do.

A CPR class can teach you how to use a defibrillator

An AED can save someone's life and is easy to use

If you live in southeastern Florida, check out One Beat CPR for a class. It was started by local firefighter paramedic Lon Rosen after his newborn daughter nearly died from an unknown congenital heart defect. If you live elsewhere, check with your local hospital for a class, or contact the American Red Cross or American Heart Association.

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One Beat CPR offered me the chance to take a free CPR class to help spread the word about CPR preparedness. Opinions are my own.

Lots to do in Line: Walt Disney World is a book full of ideas that help pass the time while waiting.

Summer vacation season is here, and a lot of families will be traveling to Disney World. If your family is headed to Disney World, add this book to your Disney planning/reading list: Lots To Do In Line: Walt Disney World by Meredith Lyn Pierce. Just as the book title suggests, you will get ideas on how to pass the time while standing in line, waiting for your turn at Disney World attractions — and learning some interesting Disney trivia as well.

This slim book is easily carried around the World to all four theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, turning your waiting time with your children into a game. You can keep score if you want! Even if you have a FastPass for certain rides, you can use the tips in Lots To Do In Line.

I recently waited in line for Soarin’ at Epcot for 75 minutes (!) with my 6-year-old son. A good portion of the line currently faces a wall with videos and games that guests can interact with. That made the wait more fun, but if we had used Pierce’s ideas, we would have first looked closely at The Land pavilion before getting in line and tried to see how much we could remember correctly about what we saw. Then we could have answered trivia questions. There are also questions about the interactive games on the screens.

In other parts of Lots To Do In Line, you can find out what part Miss Piggy plays in Muppet Vision 3D at Hollywood Studios, what is special about the number 55 on the railroad in the Magic Kingdom, how Marabou storks get their meals in the Kilimanjaro Safari at Animal Kingdom, and more.

The book also recommends creating “collections” of things you see while walking around Disney World: how many girls in princess dresses can you find, how many people wearing pins, how many different hats. You and your family can collect waterfalls, clock faces, weather vanes, people with balloons, pirate flags — just about anything you can imagine.

I love the idea of Lots To Do In Line not only because it saves you from a boring wait, but because family vacation time is precious — and if you spend a chunk of that time in line, here is a way to capture your kids’ attention and imagination and really make that time count. Instead of staring ahead and zoning out, you can engage your family.

Pierce authored the book Lots To Do In Line: Disneyland as well, for families that are going to California. That’s on our family travel wish list too!

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The book publisher provided me with a free review copy. Opinions and words are my own.

100 Places That Can Change Your Child's Life is a good reference book for family travel

This is the book that had me fantasizing about winning the Powerball and taking my husband and sons to travel around the world. First, we would go as far away as possible — to Hawaii — and stay on a few different islands, taking in all the good aloha for the rest of our journeys. Moving on from there, Fiji (because it’s heavenly beautiful), New Zealand (Hobbits and little blue fairy penguins), Tasmania (gorgeous and remote), Australia (everything!), Japan (the Shinkansen and gardens), South Africa (safari) … and that’s kind of where I left off.

My wish list for family travel is long.

But even though the Powerball odds aren’t in my favor, I will keep this book handy for real-life planning.

100 Places That Can Change Your Child’s Life by National Geographic Traveler magazine editor Keith Bellows is a comprehensive resource for creating family “bucket lists” of travel destinations. Each location in the book helps you learn a bit about the place through the advice of locals and experts — even some history of the area. There are also additional tips such as family-friendly restaurants and hotels in the area, books, sites and films about the destination, and also souvenirs that are worth buying.

It was nice to see that, as big as the world is, there are also plenty of locales listed in the United States and Canada. In fact, one of them is right here in Florida — Marco Island. I was a little puzzled by Marco Island as the one life-changing place in Florida that made it into 100 Places. To me, Marco Island is mostly a place of resorts and vacation/retirement homes (with one of my favorite beaches, Tigertail Beach). However, author Bellows focuses on the 10,000 Islands Dolphins Project, which turns regular people into citizen scientists as they head offshore to look for and catalog bottlenose dolphins. The 10,000 Islands Dolphins Project recently reported it had made 1,951 survey trips with 6,049 sightings — some with the help of children. It’s an ecotour where guests actually contribute to helping the wildlife.

Yeah, I think that would leave a lasting impression on kids.

If your family likes to travel, learn, and explore new places, this book will be a good resource for dreaming, planning and going.

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The publisher of 100 Places That Can Change Your Child’s Life gave me the book for free to review. Opinions are my own.

South Seas Island Resort has tranquil beaches and 20 pools for a relaxing vacation

My three-year-old son waded in to the zero-entry pool. “Hi, mermaid,” he said to me. “Let’s swim.” Then he would walk — not yet swim — to the steps, get out of the pool midway, walk around the flowering bushes and wade into the pool toward me all over again. For an hour. That he had gained enough confidence to put his face in the water and move around the shallow pool on his own was fantastic. That he was calling me a mermaid was just magical, and I’m sure it was partly the influence of being at South Seas Island Resort.

Kids love the zero-entry pool with dual water slides at South Seas Island Resort

Florida has some fantastic family-friendly beach resorts. One of the best is South Seas Island Resort on Captiva Island, in southwestern Florida. It’s a family destination that really has everything families could want: a range of room or vacation home rental choices, beautiful beaches, pools, on-site restaurants and shops, activities and programs for kids, a nine-hole golf course, water sports, transportation options, a spa and laid-back island ambience in spades.

The South Seas Island Resort lobby gives you a taste of the atmosphere and history you'll encounter during your stay

South Seas Island Resort balcony view

For nature lovers like my family, though, South Seas has the bonus of being tuned in to its environment and surroundings in the barrier islands in the Gulf of Mexico. The beaches are kept dark during sea turtle nesting season so turtles can find their way to the beach and not get turned the wrong way by bright lights. Ospreys are invited to build nests on platforms high on tall poles throughout the resort’s property. Dolphins and manatees frequent the marinas and water surrounding the the island. And children’s programs focus on ocean ecology.

You can see dolphins in the resort

So not surprisingly, South Seas Island Resort is not too crowded, not too commercial, and very relaxing.

Looking across Redfish Pass near the resort

However, it still has everything a family would want in a vacation destination. Here are the highlights.

Activities

For many people, relaxing on a warm beach or by the pool is plenty for a vacation to-do list — and South Seas definitely has that covered.

At South Seas Island Resort, you can do everything -- or nothing at all and rest in a hammock

Getting out on the water in some form is a good idea for any visit to the southwestern Florida barrier islands, though. At South Seas, you can take your pick: boat tour, sailing school, personal watercraft rental, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding, even parasailing.

Want to learn to sail? Take lessons at South Seas.

Go fishing. Play tennis or golf. Bike around the island. (You can rent bicycles and golf carts to get around the resort’s 330 acres. You can also take the trolley from South Seas’ North Pointe to South Village and back again.)

Look for scheduled activities at Skully’s Family Interactive Center, where children can play arcade games or mini golf, make crafts, read, color and more.

Skully the parrot is on hand to inspire kids who visit Skully's, the home base for everything fun for kids at South Seas Island Resort

At Skully's, kids can color, do puzzles, read books, make crafts, play arcade games and more

Check with Skully's for scheduled programs for kids or sign up for a program so parents can enjoy time to themselves

Children 6-12 years old can join in the fun at Sanibel Sea School, a nonprofit that teaches kids about ocean ecology while they have fun.

Kids 6-12 years old will have fun at Sea School, a nonprofit organization on resort property that teaches ocean ecology with hands-on activities

When you want to really relax and be pampered, head to Kay Casperson Lifestyle Spa & Boutique in the resort’s Chadwick’s Square.

Kay Casperson Spa at South Seas Island Resort's Chadwick's Square offers a range of services, beauty products and accessories

A full menu of spa services is available, from salon treatments to massages, facials and wraps.

The Kay Casperson Lifestyle Spa & Boutique is a serene place to relax

South Seas is an excellent wedding destination as well. The resort has a beautiful stretch of beach just for picturesque weddings right on the Gulf of Mexico. (I am thinking vow renewal!)

Dining and Shopping

Let’s talk food — as much a part of a family vacation as anything else! South Seas Island Resort offers everything from fine dining where you can order locally caught fresh fish to a walk-up deli where you can get a sandwich. There’s even a Starbucks coffee shop.

Coming this summer will be an additional location of the popular Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille, currently already on Sanibel Island and Fort Myers Beach. Doc Ford’s was founded by local fisherman-turned-author Randy Wayne White.

Mojitos are a specialty drink at Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille, set to open this summer at South Seas

Doc Ford

Harbourside Bar & Grill in South Seas’ North Pointe faces the marina and offers fantastic service and local fare for breakfast and dinner.

South Seas' Harbourside Bar & Grill is now offering a superb cheese plate, served with dragon fruit and gelee

Harbourside Bar & Grill gives families options -- regular kids' fare, or this healthy kids' menu option

When in Rome, do as the Romans do; when in Captiva, order seafood! Harbourside Bar & Grill's mahi is fresh and served with buttery vegetables

Harbourside Bar & Grill at South Seas Island Resort offers dining inside, or outside near the marina

The Pointe, overlooking the pool complex and Pine Island Sound, is a place to find standard dishes at outdoor tables.

The Garden and Grain Salad at The Pointe is full of healthy vegetables -- and can be ordered without the grains

Request a peach tea punch at The Pointe overlooking one of the pools at South Seas Island Resort

Also check out Scoops & Slices, where a wall of candy decorates this pizza and ice cream shop, as well as the Sunset Beach Bar, Ship’s Store and Captiva Provision Company, all on resort property.

Most of the shopping is at Chadwick’s Square, near the resort’s entrance. Find beach gear, shoes, clothes and fun accessories here. South Seas Island Outfitters in the resort’s North Pointe is another place to find beach items and sundries.

Nature

Everywhere you look at South Seas, Captiva Island’s natural beauty is presented. Not just the beautiful green-blue of the water or the pink-orange of the sunsets — flowering trees, mangroves, beach grasses and palms are the backdrop of every visit.

South Seas Island Resort offers natural, beautiful views everywhere you look, like this fountain pond near the entrance

A variety of wildlife make the resort their home, and guests like watching them.

A box turtle lives in the brush near the shore

Shore birds of all kinds frequent the beach

Ospreys are welcome and easily spotted residents at South Seas Island Resort. Look for their nests on platforms on top of tall poles

Dolphins live in groups called pods, and you can see them at South Seas and other areas of Florida's southwestern barrier islands

In fact, a South Seas Island Resort program, ScoutAbout, leads kids on a scavenger hunt throughout the resort’s 330 acres to find kiosks that highlight facts about the surrounding natural environment. Kids can pick up a ScoutAbout map at Skully’s Family Interactive Center or at the front desk. When kids find a ScoutAbout kiosk, they collect a color-coded wrist band. Collect all 15 wrist bands, return to Skully’s, and become an official ScoutAbout member with a place on the Wall of Fame.

Kids pick up wrist bands while learning about nature in South Seas Island Resort's ScoutAbout program

Excursions

Around the corner from South Seas’ entrance — within walking, biking or golf cart-ing distance — is a small shopping and dining area separate from the resort. This is where you’ll find the famous Bubble Room restaurant so popular with kids, as well as McCarthy’s Marina where Captiva Cruises offers boat tours and day trips to the nearby barrier islands.

Just around the corner from South Seas Island Resort is McCarthy's Marina, where Captiva Cruises offers tours and day trips to other southwestern Florida barrier islands

Cayo Costa State Park, on a barrier island reached only by boat, is a short trip from South Seas resort

And if all this poking around the barrier islands has you dreaming of a vacation home, check in to the real estate options available at South Seas Island Resort.

What a suite view! South Seas Island Resort does good R&R

I want to go back to South Seas and play mermaid with my son again, and recapture that island magic.

Kids enjoy the beach at South Seas resort

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South Seas Island Resort provided a group of bloggers and I with a two-night stay and some meals. All opinions expressed are my own.