Before April, it had been well over a decade since I’d traveled as far south as Florida. My husband and I made it a goal to “show our daughters the world.” You only live once, right? We decided on Madeira Beach as our first family vacation and we hit the jackpot. Pinellas County is full of beautiful beaches and we spent a few days driving along Gulf Blvd., visiting a Farmer’s Market in Treasure Island, hitting the shops at John’s Pass and finding a little ice cream gem in Indian Shores. Although the weather was mild in Indiana before we left, when we saw the first palm tree and made our first stop across the Florida border, the wet, warm air was so welcoming and made us long for the ocean.
One of our favorite parts of John’s Pass was My Sandbox. The kiosk stands outside of Alligator Attraction with all of the tools you need to create the most awesome piece of sand art to take home with you from your vacation and display for years to come. We immediately knew that we wanted a larger creation with all of our hand prints, so every time we glance at, we will be reminded of the sound of the waves and the time we spent in paradise for a week when the kids were little.
The most heartwarming part of My Sandbox {other than how wonderful and patient Lynne was with our kids} is “Stories in the Sand,” a nonprofit developed to give the kids at All Children’s Hospital a chance to experience this creative sand art with their families. There are also opportunities to save money on your sand art through posting Instagram photos of your experience, bringing back one of the free beach buckets you receive at My Sandbox after it’s been used for shell collecting or writing a review on Trip Advisor. Her prices are very reasonable to begin with. We paid just $50 for our massive creation, which now sits on our hutch in the dining room.
My Sandbox has a nice little “treasure chest” where your family can pick out all of the shells and sea glass you want to use to decorate your sand art. Step stools are provided for your little ones so they can do their own treasure chest shopping. My three year old was incredibly excited that she was able to be involved in the “shopping” process.
You can also hire My Sandbox for parties and events. This is a great opportunity for a creative beach themed birthday party for children, and I think it’s a pretty great idea for adults as well. If you can’t make it to John’s Pass, this incredible sand art can be customized over the phone or e-mail and shipped to you so you can have a little piece of the ocean. Be sure to follow My Sandbox on social media {Facebook, Instagram} and don’t miss out on this incredible experience on your next vacation to southwest Florida!
The post Fun Family Activities in Pinellas County, Florida Part One: My Sandbox #travelblogger appeared first on The Teel House.
