Children Play…Parents May…?
What do you think, are they having fun?
The Bailey-Mathews Shell Museum on Sanibel Island has started another wonderful program directed towards children, but which will also benefits parents! There was an article about the program published in our local newspaper that quotes Dru Doyle about implementing it at Ocean’s Reach. This program is best described by Diane Orvis Thomas, who is the Public Programs Specialist for the Museum.
Diane writes:
In response to an identified need introduced by lodging partners throughout the county, The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum has developed a resort program called, Children Play . . . Parents May . . .? . . .
Family vacations are great, but did you ever find yourself dreaming of a few hours of adult play time? Maybe Mom and Dad have shopping in mind without the stress of assuring fragile gift shop objects remain on the shelves. Perhaps your favorite book is calling or you wish you could have a meal accompanied by just grown-up conversations. Do you ever have the vision of walking hand and hand down the beach, but linking with only one set of hands?
If so – this program is for you. Drop the children off and enjoy 2 ½ hours of guilt-free adult time. Your children won’t even know you’re gone because they will be reading about mollusks and their friends, playing educational games, creating shell craft projects, making fact wheels or pop-up books, and doing creative writing.
The program is appropriate for ages 5 through 12. The cost is $15.00 per child. Classes will be held at the Museum from 9:00 – 11:30 am on the following Tuesdays and Thursday in July, August and September:
July 28, 30
August 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, 27
September 15, 17, 22, 24
To register call Diane Orvis Thomas, the Museum’s Public Programs Specialist, at 239.395.2233, ext 11 or email her at dothomas@shellmuseum.org Register by 3 pm Monday for Tuesday sessions and 3 pm Wednesday for Thursday sessions.




July 30th, 2009 at 8:28 am
Our 6 year old son and 8 year old daughter really enjoyed this new program. When we picked them up, our son said, “I wish this could be our school.” Diane was great with the kids, and the bit of free time allowed the two of us time to do something we would not have otherwise tried with the kids–kayaking through Tarpon Bay. We highly recommend “Children Play . . . Parents May . . . ? . . .
The Webb Family, Leawood, Kansas
August 7th, 2009 at 1:04 am
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