We thought we were going to get rained out, but other than some bugs, we had a lovely time exploring Children’s Garden, an outdoor, interactive garden of recycled-ness in Sarasota with the girls.  My sister’s little 3 year old, enjoyed her independence running the “maze”, playing in the sand, and singing on the outdoor stage.  Because it was in between rain storms, there were only 2 other little boys in the whole place, and they were running around in their costumes from the “dress up room” and their play swords thoroughly enjoying the pirate ship.   My favorite was the bamboo forest!

The gnats reminded us that we were out in nature, and how special and unique the Gardens were.  Depending on the age of your children, it would be quite relaxing to take a cooler of goodies and a good book, and let the kids run around imagining!   Highly recommend!