THE ARTS CENTER, 719 Central Ave., St. Petersburg (727-822-7872). The Arts Center offers summer art camps in nine one-week sessions for ages 5-15, covering ceramics, painting, printmaking, jewelry, photography, digital imaging and animation. The weeklong sessions begin June 2 and end Aug. 1, and cost between $110 and $130. For adults and families, there are also studio workshops in all the same media. Call for a brochure or more info on any programs. www.theartscenter.org.
ARTISTS UNLIMITED INC., 223 N. 12th St., Tampa (813-229-5958). This "center for creative thinkers" offers weeklong art camps for ages 6-12 in photography, pottery, sculpture, printmaking, painting and more. The Summer Art camp runs May 31 to Aug. 6, and camp prices range from $115 to $190. www.artistsunlimited.org.
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF TAMPA BAY CAMPS Activities include field trips, indoor game rooms, swimming lessons, computer labs, arts and crafts, and athletics. Participants must be members of a Boys & Girls Club, and prices vary from club to club. Camps run June 2-July 30. Call 813-875-5962 or your local club. www.bgctampa.org.
BUSCH GARDENS ZOO CAMP, 3000 E. Busch Blvd., Tampa (877-BGT-CAMP). Busch Gardens, one of North America's largest amusement parks and zoos, has day camps for kids from pre-kindergarten through seventh grade, plus weekend and resident camps for grades four through adult. The camps emphasize the animal aspect of Busch Gardens, with hands-on encounters and conservation activities. Day camp fees start at $115. Season pass holders get a $15 discount. Camps take place June 2-July 25. www.buschgardens.org.
CITY OF CLEARWATER CAMPS The City of Clearwater Recreation Department offers a variety of camps for students throughout the summer. Camps focus on sports, arts, theater, music and water activities. Camp sizes are limited and filled on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority given to Clearwater residents. Camps take place at various recreation centers. Prices vary. Call 727-562-4800, ext. 6. www.clearwater-fl.com.
CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG CAMPS St. Petersburg offers several Playcamps for kids entering grades 1-8, and Teencamps for grades 7-9. The 10-week sessions cost $440 for Playcamp, $470 for Teencamp. The city also offers a therapeutic Playcamp session for disabled children (for more info, call 727-893-7899). Fee assistance is available for eligible St. Petersburg residents. Camps are held at 12 participating centers throughout St. Petersburg from May 24 through July 30. Call 727-893-7441. www.stpete.org.
CITY OF TAMPA CAMPS, 1420 N. Tampa St., Tampa (813-274-8615). Tampa presents a packed schedule of nine-week, full-day programs for students ages 5-17 that include swim lessons, arts and crafts, team sports, field trips and special events. The cost is $60 per child and includes a T-shirt. There's also a one-week art camp, a one-week basketball camp, tennis camps and supervised activities at area pools and beaches. Camps run June 1-July 30. Themes include art, team sports, tennis, fishing, ecology and snorkeling. Space is limited. www.tampagov.net/parks.
THE DON CESAR BEACH RESORT & SPA, 3400 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach (800-282-1116). Proper Protocol and the Don CeSar pair to offer Children's Etiquette Classes for ages 5-12. The goal is to turn little terrors into precious darlings (good luck) by teaching them everything from a proper handshake to how to eat a five-course meal. Each class includes a four-course dinner. Classes take place June 21-25 and July 12-16. Costs $500 per week and includes two meals per day. www.doncesar.com.
FLORIDA AQUARIUM AQUACAMPS, 701 Channelside Drive, Tampa (813-367-4087). The Aquarium's AquaCamps ensure that learning is fun. On-site camps include interactive activities, crafts and detailed Aquarium tours. Aquatots and Aquakids are cool programs for toddlers (fees begin at $25 for members). There's also Splash Zone, Mangrove Rap and Gone Fishin' (fees begin at $200 for members). Field trip camps cover kayaking, sailing, fishing and scuba diving (fees begin at $250 for members). Ages: preschool through middle school. Camps take place June 1-July 30. www.flaquarium.org.
GULF COAST MUSEUM OF ART, 12211 Walsingham Road, Largo (727-341-4456). This year the museum has collaborated with St. Pete College to host the College For Kids program. Camps run from June 17 through July 16. The cost per week is $180. Visit www.spcollege.edu or call for brochure.
GREAT EXPLORATIONS: THE HANDS-ON MUSEUM, 1925 Fourth St. N., St. Petersburg (727-821-8992). Great Explorations has camps for ages 5-10. Different weeklong camps explore various art and science themes through hands-on activities. Weeklong camps start at $175 for nonmembers. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Kids can be dropped off as early as 7:30 a.m. and picked up as late as 5:30 p.m.
LARGO RECREATION & PARKS SUMMER CAMPS, at various sites in Largo (727-518-3016). Largo Recreation & Parks offers 10-week summer camps and sports camps for kindergarteners through 17-year-olds. Prices for whole summer camps vary. www.largo.com.
LOWRY PARK ZOO, 1101 W. Sligh Ave., Tampa (813-935-8552, ext. 232). Lowry offers more than 100 different camps, including offsite camps at area wetland parks. Theme camps include Monkey Mania, Animal Adaptations, Zoo School and Out of Africa. Camps are five consecutive weekdays — some half-day, some full-day — and cover kids in grades kindergarten through eighth. Camps take place June 7 through Aug. 4. Fees run from $165 to $462. www.lowryparkzoo.com.
MARCIA P. HOFFMAN PERFORMING ARTS INSTITUTE, 1111 McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater (727-712-2706). Ruth Eckerd Hall's arts education institute offers a variety of classes for young people in one- through four-week sessions for ages 2-18. The center will also host a 10-week session from May through July. Areas of instruction include visual arts, dance, creative dramatics and a special middle school musical production, Next Stop Broadway. Classes are designed to encourage creativity, imagination, self-expression and exploration of the performing arts. Each class ends with a showcase performance. Private instruction is also available throughout the year in voice and piano. www.rutheckerdhall.net.
MOSI SUMMER SCIENCE CAMPS, Museum of Science and Industry, 4801 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa (1-800-995-MOSI). MOSI easily offers better and more summer camps than anyone else in the Bay area, with programs for kids and adults. There's Leggo My Stegosaurus, Game Designers, Claymation Studio and lots more. Activities start June 1 and run through July 30. Fees begin at $23, with most of the day camps costing about $255. MOSI members get a discount. Space is limited. www.mosi.org.
NATURE CAMP SERIES, Moccasin Lake Nature Park, 2750 Park Trail Lane, Clearwater (727-462-6024). Clearwater Parks and Recreation Department present nine five-day camps that include exploration of Moccasin Lake Park, games, crafts, and activities aimed at introducing children to nature and science. Camps run May 24-July 30, and cater to ages 6-11. Each camp is $135, with a $45 discount for Participant Cardholders.
ST. PETERSBURG YMCA CAMP The St. Petersburg Family YMCA arranges camps from May 24 through July 31. Camps are open to the public for ages 4-17. Costs vary and scholarships are available to low-income families. Activities include field trips, arts and crafts, swimming, camping, athletics and character development. Call 727-895-9622.
TAMPA BAY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, 1010 MacInnes Place N., Tampa (813-222-1047). TBPAC offers theater, music and art classes for ages 2-18. These classes are quite specific, geared toward budding young artists' interests — Creative Parenting through Performing, Classical Ballet Training, Intro to Rock School and more. Camps take place June 7-July 23, and costs range from $75 to $255. www.tbpac.org.
TAMPA MUSEUM OF ART, 600 N. Ashley Drive, Tampa (813-274-8700). The museum offers weeklong, full and half-day art camps covering a wide range of artistic subjects, often related to current exhibits, from June 7 through July 23. Cost for nonmembers is $100 for half-day camps, $200 for full-day. Call for details. www.tampagov.net/dept_museum/.
TAMPA YMCA CAMP, Central City YMCA, 110 E. Palm Ave. (813-229-9622). Camp programs provide full-day activities for ages 5-12. And for teenagers, camps provide full-day activities for ages 13-18. Camp Cristina is geared toward children between the ages of 8 and 14. For YMCA members only, this camp runs June 1-Aug. 3. For a fee, YMCA members ages 5-12 can participate in activities (sports, computers, cooking and dance) from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. every weekday. Costs vary and scholarships are available to low-income families.
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa (813-974-2014). USF offers dozens of impressive summer programs and camps now through Aug. 2. Camps include Dance Ministry Conference, Oceanography for Girls, Success in Soccer and Summperplay, an interdisciplinary three-week program for students of the arts. Courses cover theater, ceramics, drama, story writing and an introduction to Spanish through the arts. Summerplay sessions are open to ages 8-17, with prices ranging from $300 to $475. Visit the website for information on other summer programs. www.usf.edu/ur/summer.
BIG CAT RESCUE, 12802 Easy St., Tampa (813-920-4130). This big cat and wildlife sanctuary hosts three camp sessions throughout the summer. Participants tour the compound of 200 animals — including over 170 wild cats from around the world — and learn how to care for farm animals such as llamas, peacocks, horses and swans. The programs also include arts and crafts, games and movies. Class size is limited; call for dates and prices. www.bigcatrescue.com.
This article appears in May 13-19, 2004.