Why Kids Love Sanibel (and you will, too)

Is your child an adventurous type? Is your child curious? Does your child love to swim? Love animals? Love discovering?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you will quickly find out why kids love Sanibel.Where else can you vacation in the tropics, see dolphins dancing on the water, pink birds wading in lagoons, alligators lazing in the sun, and where you can parasail, swim and eat dinner in a place called The Bubble Room all in one day?

Now, we know you might well be exhausted at the end of a day like this, but isn't it a wonderful thought that your kids will be so satisfied and gratified that they will be more than willing to go to sleep at a reasonable hour? And that they will wake up (on their own!) so excited to see and do more that they already researched what the day should be and there is not even a whisper of boredom in their tone?

If you are tired of going it on your own with boating, biking and snorkeling adventures, there are planned activities as well. Sanibel Island offers a world of discovery, exploration, fun, adventure and education (sssh, just don't tell them it's educational and they'll LOVE it!).

Recently, marine biologist Bruce Neill and his wife, Evelyn Neill, founded the innovative Sanibel Sea School to fill a gap in the ecotourism world: educating kids through fun, hands-on activities about the importance of preserving the ecosystem. The school room for the Sanibel Sea School is the sea itself, the Gulf of Mexico.

Also of enormous instructional value is the Center for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (C.R.O.W.)The primary mission of CROW is the rescue, care, rehabilitation and eventual release back to the wild of sick, injured and orphaned native wildlife.

Inherent in this mission is the education of adults and children to insure their peaceful coexistence with their wild neighbors.C.R.O.W. provides educational opportunities for students from schools across the United States and other nations to participate in the wildlife rehabilitation process while introducing them to both Western and Eastern medical traditions.

The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation is dedicated to preserving natural resources and wildlife habitat on and around Sanibel and Captiva islands. SCCF manages over 1300 acres of land on the islands (and owns an additional 500 acres on nearby Pine Island).

The SCCF Marine Laboratory actively conducts research in areas including seagrasses, mangroves, harmful algal blooms, fish populations and shellfish restoration. SCCF’s RECON (River, Estuary and Coastal Observing Network) network of eight in-water sensors provides real-time, hourly readings of key water quality parameters – spanning a 90-mile area – which are available on their site. Their weather station provides current data from their station on Sanibel-Captiva Road on Sanibel.SCCF offers a wide array of educational programs for people of all ages, from beach walks to trail walks, boat tours, wading trips and kayak tours plus classroom-based activities. And, their educational staff works closely with area schools.


And for lots and lots of great ideas on things to do with kids, check out the activities at the City of Sanibel Recreation Center. The Center offers classes and loads of interesting events from photo opps with the Easter Bunny to family swims. Here's an interesting menu just recently posted on what the Center is doing now: "Hoist the anchors and prepare to explore uncharted video game waters! Challenge your dexterity and coordination with a variety of interactive Wii party games. Conquer Latin percussion using maracas in Samba de Amigo, test your balance with Wii Fit yoga, swing away with Wii Sports and sharpen your reaction time with WarioWare. Popcorn, light snacks and refreshments will be provided. This event is for youth in grades six through eight. Free for members and purchase of a day pass is required for non-members." Sounds like great fun!

Now, don't get us wrong. If you and the kids want to do nothing more than bob in the Gulf all day or sleep by the pool, that's perfectly OK with us. But isn't it nice that the whole family has so many good choices in what to do on Sanibel?