April means getting closer to schools closing for the summer. Experience everything the fun of camp has to offer at the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA! Summer Camp spots are filling up fast! Register today. Conveniently located across Tampa Bay, our YMCA summer camps will run from June 2 to Aug. 8 this year for ages 6 to 15, Mondays through to Fridays. Camp hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with early and late supervision available starting at 7 a.m. and ending at 6 p.m. at no extra charge.
Campers will explore a wide variety of activities each day in a safe, fun environment that provides the opportunity to build lifelong friendships and make memories to last long after summer ends. A few examples include swimming, science, arts/crafts, nature education, games, team building and more. All of these fun and educational activities are infused with the Y’s character values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility.
Tampa YMCA Summer Camps are ACA Accredited! This means the Tampa Y camps underwent a thorough review of our operations by the American Camp Association (ACA) – from staff qualifications and training to emergency management – and complied with the highest standards in the industry. The ACA’s nationally recognized standards program focuses primarily on the program quality, health and safety aspects of a camp’s operation.
New this year – we have a summer program for the little ones too! Your 2-to-5-year-old children can enjoy the experience at the newly launched YMCA Preschool Summer Enrichment Program. It runs from June 2 to Aug. 8 – the same dates for our older campers. It will be hosted at our Central City Family YMCA in Tampa Heights and Camp Sierra in Carrollwood.
Designed to spark curiosity and foster social, emotional and cognitive growth, our preschool program provides the perfect blend of fun and educational enrichment to keep our littlest campers active all summer. We are also pleased to offer swimming lessons as an add-on to ensure children learn safety around water. This helps families who cannot enroll their children for swim lessons due to work or other commitments. We are also pleased to offer a sibling discount for those with older siblings signed up for summer camps.
In addition, keeping kids cool during YMCA summer camp in Tampa’s heat is our priority, not just for comfort, but for safety and well-being. Hydration is non-negotiable. We set up hydration stations across our campuses to ensure campers have water whenever they need it. We ensure that we rotate activities between indoors, outdoors and shady spots to keep campers cool and active. Water play is key, whether it is taking a dip in the pool or incorporating water fun into outdoor games, water play helps keep campers cool. We also train our staff to be able to recognize the early signs of dehydration and heat exhaustion to keep campers safe.
Families are also invited to get a sneak peek at our upcoming free Summer Camp Extravaganza event on April 26, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., across select locations. The celebration will feature a jam-packed afternoon of games, live music, sports activities, prizes and delicious food. Whether you’re grooving to some upbeat tunes, doing Zumba or watching your kids make new friends, there’s something for everyone. The atmosphere will be buzzing with laughter, music and high-energy activities – perfect for families looking to connect and have fun together.
Visit tampaymca.org for more information.
Kiran Malik-Khan works as senior communications director for Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA.
