While growing up in Clearwater, I treated the beautiful, white-sand beaches as my personal stomping grounds. Armed with baby oil and bikinis, my teenage friends and I reveled in the sun and sand.

Now, still a kid at heart, my favorite day is spent taking my boys, ages 6 and 8, to my old haunts. I like to add a little fanfare, mixing my childhood experiences with new ones. The beach isn't quite as relaxing for me these days, but it's still just as much fun. And when we want to switch gears, we head back to the mainland for some hands-on activities.

A Day at the Beach

9 a.m.

My husband, kids and I head to Clearwater Beach [1]'s Pier 60, where the little ones play at the public park. This tot lot is situated right on the sand, so nobody gets a "boo-boo" when racing down the slide onto nature's landing pad. To avoid a meltdown of tears, I strategically guard my kids' French fries at the snack bar to protect them from the watchful eyes (and beaks) of the gulls.

After a brief stint at the park, watching the kids go down a giant blow-up shark waterslide, we head less than 100 feet away to the Hilton Clearwater Beach [1] Resort, which hosts a continuous beach party. The daily bash features plenty of volleyball games, outdoor ping-pong, kayaks and parasailing for adventurous types whose days include more than a pail and shovel.

I love that we can come totally unprepared and walk away from the outdoor Beach Club desk with whatever we need, including sunscreen and a football. (Beach Club membership is $18 a day, but resort guests have priority. Unless the resort is at capacity, day visitors may enjoy this amenity as well.) It's a one-stop shop, which is nice when the kids are getting antsy to kick off their shoes and run to the beach.

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

We board Captain Memo's Original Pirate Cruise [1] at Clearwater Municipal Marina. This two-hour tour gives us a much-needed break from entertaining our crew all morning. For roughly $25 a person, Capt. Memo's pirates keep our kids busy with water games, face-painting, limbo dances, treasure hunts and snacks.

We sip cocktails at the bar while our pint-sized pirates dance the day away and collect their loot. If you go, you may not see Johnny Depp, but you may get lucky and spot some wild dolphins swimming next to the big red ship.

2 p.m.

I love to check out the latest beach fashions at Mandalay Surf and Sport. For 30 years, locals have come to this retail store to get outfitted for surfing and skimboarding. If you've never seen skimboarders in action, they use foam-core boards to cut out in the water or perform tricks along the shore. A 24-hour hotline (727-442-3227) reports whether the surf's up - or not.

While the area does not immediately come to mind when you think of board sports, surf instructor Garrett Bradley, who works at Mandalay, tells me I'd be surprised at the size of the waves here on the West Coast.

For novices, Mandalay offers private or semi-private surfing lessons at $25 an hour (two-hour minimum) that can be booked a day ahead. The shop houses its major sale items (up to 75 percent off) in a storefront just behind this main location for nonsurfing bargain-hunters like me, who appreciate fashion more than function.

3 to 6 p.m.

We drive down the street and park in front of the Palm Pavilion Beachside Grill [1]. Here, we rent a cabana for a little siesta. The broken seashells can be hard on the tender footed, so I always make sure to put my kids in aqua sport shoes before they get out on these sands.

We take turns watching the boys body surf and bodyboard. One of us plays lifeguard, as the other takes a much-needed nap.

6 p.m.

Just before dinner at Frenchy's Original Caf [1]e, I pop next door to Frenchy's "Off The Hook" [1] Catchables and Keepers to purchase small bags of fossilized sharks' teeth with a card identifying the different types, as well as seashore souvenirs for friends and teachers.

Inside Frenchy's, we put our name on the notepad behind the bar. The line moves quickly, and we're soon poring over the menu. Critics often rate the fried Cajun grouper sandwich as the best menu item, but my top pick is the Crabby Shrimp sandwich, available only at the original location. I craved it when I left the state for college.

The kids are totally distracted while waiting for their kids-menu food. They whittle away the time playing the matching game, trying to figure out which tooth came from which shark.

The movie "How to Eat Fried Worms" intrigues my boys, but nothing entices them more than fried Oreos at Frenchy's. My kids will tell you it's the best dessert in the county.

7 p.m.

We check out Sunsets at Pier 60 [1]. Craftsmen, jugglers and musicians grace the pier during the coolest hours of the day. Since my boys never run out of steam, we let them harness up for the bungee trampoline run by Emerald Coast Bungee. They love to finish the day with a great front flip followed by a frozen lemonade from the concession stand. We nix a passionate plea for a second turn and head home.

If you follow this schedule, I can guarantee your kids will sleep tonight!