Kids Going Stir-Crazy in the Summer Heat? Beat the Heat with Five Fun and Educational Ideas from Wild Dunes® Resort’s Island Adventures

Long, hot – and often rainy! – summer days can zap a kid’s motivation to play, forcing parents to find creative ways to keep them active and entertained. Wild Dunes® Resort’s Island Adventures® – the Resort’s award-winning recreation program – offers these five eco-conscious, education-friendly activity ideas for parents and kids to enjoy together.

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (PRWEB) August 3, 2006 -– Long, hot and often rainy, summer days can zap a kid’s motivation to play, forcing parents to find creative ways to keep them active and entertained. Wild Dunes® Resort’s Island Adventures® – the Resort’s award-winning recreation program – offers these five eco-conscious, education-friendly activity ideas for parents and kids to enjoy together. Keeping in mind how much opportunity there is for learning during play, each activity offers easy lessons about ecology and our natural environment while keeping kids – and parents – entertained.

Five ideas for summer family fun from Island Adventures:
1)Go on a treasure hunt. Learn about the trees, flowers and animals common in your area. Then take your list on a hike and search for each item. Offer a fun prize to the kid who finds the most.
2)Build a birdhouse – pick a local bird species and read about what size and placement of a birdhouse works best. Then, use craft wood to build and decorate the perfect home for the birds in your neighborhood.
3)Create family stepping stones – using local geology such as pebbles, rocks and shells, natural elements like pinecones and dried flowers or children’s hand prints, decorate stepping stones for the backyard or garden with a do-it-yourself kit (available at most craft stores).
4)If you live near the ocean, a river or lake, take the whole family on a kayak or canoe trip. A public park nearby may rent kayaks. Not only a great way to get exercise, but a fun way to learn more about the water habitats and plants and animals that live there.
5)Design a nature mobile – take photos (or cut out pictures from magazines) of your favorite local natural elements such as birds, animals, flowers and tress and glue them to recycled boxboard. Then, use craft string to hang the pictures from a clothes hanger.

“The best part about these activities is that the whole family can join in the fun,” said Doug Degroot, Wild Dunes Resort’s recreation manager. “All it takes is a little planning and parents can be assured that their kids are having fun and learning even while school is out for the summer.” Degroot also reminds parents to keep age-appropriateness and safety in mind.

Ranked in Tennis magazine’s Top 5 children’s programs, Island Adventures is Wild Dunes Resort’s recreation program that offers educational, family-friendly activities with something for everyone. To learn more, visit wilddunes.com or call for reservations today at 1-877-221-0901. Wild Dunes Resort is a year-round resort located just 30 minutes from downtown Charleston. Featuring two Tom Fazio-designed golf courses, world-class tennis, one of the nation’s top-rated recreation programs, miles of bike and walking paths.

About Wild Dunes Resort
Wild Dunes Resort is one of 30 independent, upscale and luxury hotels, resorts and golf clubs in the United States managed by Destination Hotels & Resorts, the fifth largest independent hospitality management company in the country. The company, headquartered in suburban Denver, Colo., features a portfolio of more than 8,000 guest rooms, 15 golf courses and 10 full-service spas. Destination Hotels & Resorts properties are located in key metropolitan and resort markets including New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Denver, Dallas, San Diego, Aspen, Austin, Phoenix, Palm Springs, Jackson Hole, Maui and Lake Tahoe. For more information on the properties in the Destination Hotels & Resorts collection, please visit www.destinationhotels.com.

For high resolution, downloadable pictures of Wild Dunes Resort, please visit www.leonardo.com.

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