Today's daytrip takes that old saying of "look but don't touch" and throws it right out the window. In fact you're encouraged to touch in this hands-on daytrip experience at the Imaginarium in Fort Myers.

"It gives the parents a chance to kind of relax and get away from that supermarket mentality of "don't touch this, don't touch that" and just let the kids have fun," says Imaginarium Director Matt Johnson.

One of the parents we caught up with, Lydia Simpson, echoed Johnson's comment. She says "You know they're safe. They can run around inside. They can do whatever they want and I can sit and have a little free time myself."

So what are the kids getting into at the imaginarium? They're playing musical instruments, working on an archaeological dig, checking out wild animals, even reaching into the water and touching some on their own. These "touch tanks" are just another way to bring fun to learning.

Johnson says these tanks are more than just about touching the animals. He says, "We're doing it so hopefully they'll take away a respect for these animals, like the stingrays, the horseshoe crabs, and the starfish."

The Imaginarium's mission is to educate first, but do it in an entertaining way. They have puzzles for you to solve. Some of these may even stump Mom and Dad.

The most popular attraction at the Imaginarium is also the loudest. It's something we southwest Floridians know a little bit about - the hurricane experience. Wind kicks up to 45 miles per hour and you'll get a beach ball to play around with inside.

Johnson says, "You're in there about 45 seconds, but you get the chance to feel what it would feel like to stand out in a severe storm that we get here in southwest Florida."

You can also try your hand at several different career opportunities. The have baseball and hockey simulators you can try. If you think you've got what it takes to be on TV, sit down in front of the camera and try it out. But, please don't take my job!

Hours of Operation:
Monday - Saturday
10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Sunday
12:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Admission:
Adults (13-54): $8
Children (3-12): $5
Seniors (55+): $7