Count downs to the last day of school have begun and the first days of summer camps are drawing near. This summer Hillsborough County has a variety of camps taking place all through the summer months, ranging from sports camps to theater camps.
Athletic Camps
The First Baptist Church of Brandon will hold camps throughout the summer, with each week featuring different sports and skills. These camps include the Harlem Legends Shoot for the Stars Basketball Camp, a volleyball camp, basketball camp, speed and agility camps and an upward indoor soccer camp. Each camp will take place from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and will focus teach campers the fundamentals of each sport. Each camp takes place over different weeks and prices range from $75-$130. Each camp will be held in the First Baptist Church of Brandon’s Ministry and Activities Center. The First Baptist Church of Brandon is located at 216 N. Parsons Ave. in Brandon. For more information about the camps offered or to register, contact Kevin Ohme at 315-3218 or visit www.fbcbrandon.org/mac.
Hit the Trails Running will hold itssixth annual running camps at Hawk Park in FishHawk Ranch for young athletes 10 and older. Their first camp will run from June 11-July 20, Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7:30–9:00 a.m. The cost is $45 per week. You can pay weekly and there will be a one week break the week of July 2-6. The second camp runs from August 6-10 and August 13-17 and will run from 7:30-10 a.m. The cost of this camp is $200 for one week and $300 for two weeks. The running camps focus on conditioning the athletes for youth sports. Hit the Trails Running teaches campers how to run properly while having fun. Campers work on speed and agility using speed ladders, speed hurdles, parachutes, tired and agility cones. At the end of the week, each camper is given complete evaluations. For more information, contact Steve Dunn at 681-6141 or visit www.hitthetrails.com.
Dance Quest has several different dance summer camps available to young dancers. Camps include a Princess Dance Camp, Soul Surfer Dance Camp, American Girl Dance Camp, Glamour, Giggles & Glitz, Project Dance ‘Boot Camp Style’ and even Fourth of July Parade Workshops. The camps take place from the end of June through the end of August and each dancer will be placed according to his or her age, experience and skill level. Dance Quest is located at 307 S Parsons Ave. in Brandon. To reserve your child’s spot, register for camps online. Early registration deadline is Saturday, June 16. To register for camps, visit www.dancequestonline.com.
Brandon Sports and Aquatic Center will hold its 2012 Summer Camp: Let The Games Begin! This theme is inspired by the upcoming 2012 Olympics. Camps will run weekly, beginning Monday, June 11, with full-day camp running from 7 a.m.-6:30 p.m. ($130 per week) and half-day will run from either 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m. or 1-6:30 p.m. ($70 per week). Drop-Ins are also available for $30 per day. Each week has a different theme and includes sports, crafts, group activities and field trips associated with each theme. There will be swimming each day and round-robin clinics through tennis, martial arts and gymnastics as well as a talent show, carnival and end-of-summer luau. Campers must range in age from three-14 years old and each theme and activity is planned to be age appropriate for each group. Brandon Sports and Aquatic Center is located at 405 Beverly Blvd. in Brandon. To register for camp, contact Rachel Garbaj at rgarbaj@mybsac.org or call 689-0908, ext. 15.
The Campo Family Y in Valrico will also hold several camps throughout the summer. Camps at the Y focus on nurturing the potential of children and helping them grow in spirit, mind and body. Full-day camp hours run from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. but the camp offers early and late supervision available from 7-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. at no additional charge to parents. Day camp starts Monday, June 11, and goes through Friday, August 17, for children ages 5-12. CIT camp is for youth’s ages 13-15 and Travel camp is for youths ages 8-14. Camp Swim lessons and Fun Fridays are also available. The Campo Family Y is located at 3414 Culbreath Rd. in Valrico. For more information on camps and costs, call 684-1371 or visit www.tampaymca.org.
Educational Camps
Both Kids ‘R’ Kids locations will hold their 2012 Super Summer Adventures “Camp Tremendous Time Travelers.” The camp will focus on a variety of eras, ranging from the Renaissance to the Future. Campers will explore these topics through fun learning activities and will discover how things change through time. Camps begin on Monday, June 11, and the very last day is Friday, August 17. The cost for the camp is $130 per week and includes all field trips, transportation and meals. Ages for campers range from five-12 years-old. Kids ‘R’ Kids FishHawk is located at 5815 Kids Crossing Dr. in Lithia. For more information, call 526-7000. Kids ‘R’ Kids Valrico is located at 4321 Lynx Paw Trl. in Valrico. For more information, call 657-6200.
Camp Connect, located at Glazer Children’s Museum, will hold camps from Monday, June 11-Friday, August 17. Camp Connect offers half-day camps, going from either 9 a.m-12 Noon or 1-4 p.m., for $110 per week. Full-day camps go from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and cost $220 per week. The ages of campers are 4-10 years old. Camp Connect is all about exciting activities, fun crafts and mind-growing programs. Campers will have the opportunity to explore topics such as art, science and world culture in ways that excite and interest further learning. Glazer Children’s Museum is located at 110 W. Gasparilla Plaza in Tampa. To register, call 443-3821 or visit glazermuseum.org.
TechPlayzone will host its seventh year of summer camp with a Summer Technology Camp. The camp will over a nine-week period from Monday, June 11-Friday, August 17. This summer’s camp theme is Rocket Science and campers will have the chance to create video games, LEGO robotics, movie making and fun hands-on science experiments. Camp cost is $175 per week for a full-day and $100 per week for a half-day. Register by Monday, April 30, and save $20 on a full day and $10 on a half day. Ages range from Kindergarten-eighth grade. TechPlayzone is located at 13208 Boyette Rd. in Riverview. For more information or to register, call 684-7329 or visit www.techplayzone.com.
Hillsborough Community College Brandon and FLATE have partnered together to hold a middle and high school Robotics Camp this summer. During this program campers will learn how to reconfigure LEGO ‘Mindstorms’ Robots and program them to follow specific commands, be a part of ‘robotic team challenges’, learn to design techniques utilizing software programs and the operation of a 3D printer to produce prototype parts. The campers develop a knowledge base of modern manufacturing, robotics design and programming while adding to team building experiences. The curriculum is a mixture of Lego educational materials, STEM subjects and modern manufacturing information conducted in an environment of competitive problem solving. The middle school camp will consist of incoming sixth-eighth graders while the high school camp will consist of incoming ninth-12th grade students. Each camp will be held at HCC Brandon Campus in the Student Services Building, located at 10414 E. Columbus Dr. in Tampa, and run from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information or to register for camp, visit http://fl-ate.org/projects/camps.html or call 444-CAMP.
Brandon Reading Clinic will hold two summer programs this summer. The first program is Advanced Classic Literature and will run from Tuesday, June 12-Thursday, July 26. Grades three-five and six-eight are encouraged to sign up for this program. The cost for the Advanced Classic Literature program is $95 per module. The second program is Writing Workshops, which will be held Saturday, June 16-Tuesday, June 26. Ages accepted for the writing worships are first grade and older. The Brandon Reading Clinic is located at 414 E. Lumsden Rd. in Brandon. For more information, call 643-2559 or visit www.brandonreadingclinic.com.
Hands-On Spanish will hold camp from Monday, June 11-Friday, June 15 and Monday, June 18-Friday, June 22. Campers will learn about Latin Culture by learning Spanish vocabulary, basic conversational sentences and expressions. Each day campers will explore different activities like ‘traveling’ around the world to Spanish speaking countries, including Spain, Central America and South America, cooking Latin food, drumming and learning the salsa, merengue and more. They will also participate in craft projects, games and fun learning activities. For more information, call Carla Mount at 569-9790 or visit www.carlahands-onspanish.com.
Animal Lover Camps
Big Cat Rescue will hold a Summer Camp and Young Adult Expedition this summer. These weekly sessions will run from Monday, June 18-Thursday, August 9, with one week off for Independence Day. Campers should range in ages 8-15. Early registration costs are $135 through June 1. After June 1, camp cost is $210. The cost for the three-day intensive Young Adult Expedition camp (ages 16-18) will cost $315. Big Cat Rescue is located at 12802 Easy St. in Tampa. For more information or to register, call Willow Hecht at 323-3265 or e-mail education@bigcatrescue.org.
TLC’s Gypsy Haven will run horseback riding camps throughout the summer available for ages 6-18. Camp includes learning to ride, groom, clean and bond with horses. Campers will also fingerpaint, learn horse body parts, color of breeds and have hands-on educational experiences with all of the animals on the farm. Camp will run Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. For more information on camps, call Tammi Catrett at 842-4236, e-mail tlcs2867@aol.com or visit www.flcsfarms.com.
Arts and Entertainment Camps
Center Place in Brandon will hold a plethora of Children’s Arts Workshops this summer for ages four and up. These workshops will include space art, art murals, comic book story boards, young artist workshops, creative 3D creature masks, beginning photography, art journaling, mad science, drawing for kids, jump start to art, family pottery and more. If you sign up for three classes or spend $100 on workshops, kids will receive a free t-shirt. Center Place is located at 619 Vonderburg Dr. in Brandon. For more information on workshops, call 685-8888 or visit www.centerplacebrandon.org.
Sketch & Sip in Winthrop will hold summer camps for children with a passion for art. Sketch & Sip will allow campers to work with different art mediums including acrylics, watercolor, mobiles and projects to decorate their rooms. Camp is for youth’s ages 6-13 years-old, with half-day camp running from 9 a.m.-12 Noon ($100/week) and full-day running from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. ($200/week), including lunch. Each day will feature a new projects inspired by artists like Picasso, Alexander Calder, Van Vogh and more. Sketch & Sip is located at 11242 Winthrop Main St. in Riverview. For more information on camps, call 644-5954 or visit www.sketchandsip.com.
The Pottery Patch will offer creative summer activities for kids.Youths ages seven and up will have the chance to create a variety of fun projects this summer including clay hand building, glass fusing, canvas/mixed medium paintings and more. Of course, campers will also learn unique pottery painting techniques like bubble painting and shaving cream. Classes will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays all summer long, from 10:30 a.m.-12 Noon, beginning Tuesday, June 19-Thursday, August 9. Pottery and clay classes are $20 each and glass/mixed medium classes are $25 each. Registration for summer camps begin on Tuesday, May 1. The Pottery Patch is located at 2551 S.R. 60 E. in Valrico. For more information or to register, call 643-0014 or visit www.potterypatchstudio.com.
Art Monkey will hold summer art camps for ages 4-6 and 7-16 this summer. Camps will run Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., costing $199 for non-members and $169 (ages 7-16) and $65 for non-members and $45 for members (ages 4-6). Each camper is sure to get special attention from camp counselors and the staffers are committed to making each camp a special and fun experience. Campers will used mediums including the pottery wheel, sculpting, painting, inventing milkshakes and more. Art Monkey is located at 16144 Churchview Dr. in Lithia. To register for camp call Bonnie Karet at 315-9803 or visit www.artmonkeystudio.com.
Music Showcase will hold a variety of full and half-day summer camps for aspiring actors and musicians. Camp programs include musical theatre, rock band, group guitar, glee showchoir, group violin, acting classes, rockestra, artist development and mini-musicians. Music Showcase is located at 402 Oakfield Dr. in Brandon. To register for camps, visit faopa.org. For more information on Music Showcase, call 490-ARTS or visit www.musicshowcaseonline.com.
