TURTLE TRACKING, FUNOLOGY, PLAYHOUSES AND MORE....
FLORIDA'S BEACH HAS A VARIETY OF KIDS PROGRAMS

There are plenty of activities for all ages on Florida's Beach, the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area, and area attractions and accommodations are ready to assist parents in keeping the younger crowd busy with days of fun-filled adventures along the beach. Here's a round up of some of the activities for kids in the area year-round and especially in the summer:

Tradewinds Beach Resorts and Conference Centers
5500 Gulf Blvd. St. Pete Beach, FL 33706
www.tradewindsresorts.com
The Tradewinds Resorts feature a new eco-package, the "Turtle Tracker," that includes a behind-the-scenes tour of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, a personalized Adopt-a-Turtle-Nest and a "Color Your Own Turtle T-Shirt." The package was created to generate support and public awareness regarding the endangered Loggerhead sea turtle, a species that nests on area beaches between May and August. Each guest is provided the location of the adopted nest, the dates the eggs are deposited and hatched, photographs of the nest, hatchlings and mom Loggerhead. The "Turtle Tracker" package starts at $639 with a portion of the proceeds going to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.

Tradewinds Resorts also hosts a year-round children's club called the K.O.N.K. Club (Kids Only No Kidding.) The KONK activities team implements a 'Kids in Action' program where 80 percent of the scheduled activities take place outdoors with kids competing in pool relays, beach Olympics, scavenger hunts and miniature golf; the other 20 percent of the time is spent making crafts or watching movies and eating pizza. The KONK Club staff takes children on educational walking tours teaching them about the wildlife, vegetation and the importance of beach preservation. The programs vary with the seasons and serve three age groups: 3-6, 7-12 and 13-17. Programs for teens include snorkeling excursions with certified divers in the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay.

Radisson Suite Resort on Sand Key
1201 Gulf Blvd., Clearwater Beach, FL 33767
www.radissonsandkey.com

A full-time professional recreation staff supervises day and night programs for children age 4-12 in "Lisa's Klubhouse," built exclusively for the property's children's program. Each morning's activities are free while afternoon participants incur a nominal fee. Planned activities include: "Create-a-T-Shirt," "Kokomo-Kids' Playtime," "Cartoon Breakfast Party," "Kids Bingo and Sundaes," "Create-a-Sun-Visor," and "Shell Craft." The resort also offers "Kids Night Out" and "Sand Key Cinema", programs which allow children to enjoy organized nighttime activities while parents can dine on their own.

Westin Innisbrook Resort
36750 U.S. Highway 19 N., Palm Harbor, FL 34684
www.westin-innisbrook.com
Located on 1,000 acres, the Westin Innisbrook has a year round children's program called Camp Innisbrook. Designed for children ages 4-12, it provides half-day, full day and evening programs. Children participate in nature excursions, golf and tennis instructional clinics, swimming, assorted games, arts and crafts and luncheons run by qualified counselors. Select activities are offered for teenagers, including dances and pool parties and teens can take the resort shuttle to any area of the property to participate in a variety of recreational activities including biking, fishing, wildlife preserve excursions or relaxing at one of the six pools.

The Don CeSar Beach Resort & Spa
3400 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, FL 33706
www.doncesar.com
The Kids Ltd. Program at the Don CeSar for ages 4-12 and includes such activities as hermit crab races, kid-crafted shell jewelry and T-shirt decorating. Nighttime pizza parties as well as day adventures to nearby miniature golf courses and museums are also included in the kids programs

Sheraton Sand Key Resort
1160 Gulf Blvd., Clearwater Beach, FL 34630
www.beachsand.com
The Sheraton Sand Key presents its summer Kids Camp for children ages 5-12 from June through September, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Activities include: beach combing for shells and sea treasures, games on the beach and in the pool and daily trips to local attractions. Indoor games, movies and arts and crafts are part of the fun during rainy days. Kids receive a T-shirt for participating as well as a lunch of pizza, hot dogs or surprise meals. Registration is located at the pool hut from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Cost for the day camp is $18 per child for the first day and each additional day is $15 per child.

Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort
400 Mandalay Ave., Clearwater Beach, FL 33767
www.clearwaterbeachresort.com
The Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort recently launched a new children's program called Fun Factory. Staff trained in the arts of "funology" and edu-tainment, delight children ages 3-11 from the moment they arrive with Fun Factory check-in, Fun Packs and flexible Fun Factory itineraries. The camp runs Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m, Tuesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. and Friday and/or Saturday evening from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Activities include guided nature walks, talent shows, beach games, including sandcastle contests and volleyball, and arts and crafts. The cost is $22 per child per session with free pool activities on Tuesday and Thursday.

Holiday Inn Sunspree, Clearwater Beach
715 South Gulfview Blvd., Clearwater Beach, FL 33767
www.sunspreeresort.com
Children's programs and activities are scheduled seven days a week from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m in the children's activities center, Perky's Playhouse, with an on-site children's activities director. Activities include arts and crafts, games and cooking. "Kids Night Out" on Wednesday and Saturday are available for $15 per child. There is also a game room/arcade located in the hotel as well as a playground outside and a children's wading pool.

More on Destination Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg, FL here.