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As we near the end of the school year many parents have their eyes set on summer camps to further educate their children. If you are still searching for the perfect summer camp, we have a detailed list of six different summer camps and what they have to offer.
Polk Museum of Art Summer Art Camp
Looking for a fun summer experience for your young artist? The Polk Museum of Art offers a Summer Art Camp for ages 7-13 to enjoy a range of creative activities, such as visiting art galleries, admiring the art of downtown Lakeland, and learning from artistic professionals. There are four sets of camp sessions as follows, June 5-16, June 20-30, July 3-14 (with no classes on July 4), and July 17-28. The opportunities are endless with a lengthy list of quality classes to choose from. These classes include stop-motion animation, augmented reality, digital photography, and jewelry making. Is your student looking to develop more traditional art skills? Enroll them in illustration, drawing, painting, sculpture and many more! The Polk Museum of Art offers enrolment in one class, two classes or three classes a day, making it easy to personalize your camp schedule based on your family’s lifestyle and student’s interests. Students may also have their art be featured in a special exhibition of the museum, titled “Summer Art Camp Exhibition.” The museum has four sets of camp sessions that are as follows, June 5-16, June 20-30, July 3-14 (with no classes on July 4), and July 17-28. If you have any questions, call 863-688-5423, email MCarpenter@PolkMuseumOfArt.org or visit their website https://polkmuseumofart.org/summercamp to learn more!
YMCA of West Central Florida’s Summer Camps
Make this summer the best one yet for your child through the YMCA of West Central Florida’s plethora of camp options! Throughout their nine-week program starting on June 5th, there are weekly themed day camps, sports camps, day golf camps, and aquatics camps with either half or full day programming. The Summer Day Camps consist of themed activities including outdoor or indoor games, swimming, crafts, sports, special events and more. For campers ages 5 to 12, this summer could be star-studded with their participation in Our Camp’s Got Talent, a Party in the USA, Holiday Hoopla, and many more weekly themes! Day camp times are from 7 AM to 6 PM and there is even a special program designed specifically for Pre-K campers 4-5 who have not yet completed kindergarten. The YMCA also has many sports camps available for your family to choose from, such as volleyball, soccer, baseball, and field hockey! The sports camps are designed for ages 6 to 11 and have the same hours as day camps. If your child is looking to improve their golfing skills, the YMCA Par 3 has several camp options for ages 8-16 and a Pee Wee half day camp for ages 5-7. Golf camps for older campers have the hours of 9 AM to 4 PM with the option of early drop off and late pickups. The Pee Wee half day camp hours are from 9 AM to 1 PM. Lastly, the YMCA offers aquatic camps for your child to learn the basics of water safety and receive swim instruction through fun activities like snorkeling and synchronized swimming. The full-day camp is offered for ages 6-12 from 7 AM to 6 PM and the half day camp is offered for ages 3-6 from 9 AM to 12 PM. If you’re interested in finding more information about the YMCA’s offerings, visit https://www.ymcawcf.org/programs/summer-camps today!
Aerospace Center for Excellence Summer Camps
Come soar into summer with summer camps located on the Southwest corner of the Lakeland Linder International Airport! With options including STEMtastic, Destination Aviation, Take Flight, Future Engineer, and She Can Fly, campers ages 7-17 have endless opportunities to let their summer dreams take flight. Camp dates are in weekly sessions ranging from June 12 to July 21. The STEMtastic Summer Camp is offered for students ages 7-10 and features presentations, hands-on activities, and experiments to explore the science behind aviation! Destination Aviation is designed for the ages of 11-15 to give hands-on demonstrations and flight simulations, as well as field trips to nearby aviation industries for knowledge of potential aviation-based careers. Take Flight is a program meant for high school students ages 14-17 who are seriously considering pursuing their glider or pilot’s license. These students will attend workshops regarding flight planning and the basic systems of an airplane, along with the opportunity to fly in a general aviation aircraft! Future Engineer is another program meant for older students ages 14-17, where they design personalized projects while learning the underlying engineering principles of their work. Lastly, She Can Fly is a girls only summer camp for ages 11-14 meant to introduce young girls to the art of aviation through a simulation lab, discovery flight and fun activities such as indoor skydiving! All summer camps are held Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 4 PM in various weeks of the summer. For more information or to register your young aviator for a camp, visit https://aceedu.org/programs/summer-camps/!
Snapology Lakeland Summer Camps
Is your youngster an aspiring STEM genius? This summer they can grow their mind power through Snapology’s robotics, technology, and STEM themed camps! With options for children ages 3-14, this camp is the perfect combination of science and creativity. Ranging from educational activities with building Legos to stop motion animation, this program is great for a camper wanting to dip their toes into something for the first time. Themed sessions include discovering dinosaurs for little ones, amusement park adventures engineering, responsive robotics and many more! Classes run as a one-week session from June 5 - August 4 and can be taken together to be a full day or one per week as a half day. Full day campers stay from 9 AM to 4 PM and half day campers stay from either 9 AM to 12 PM or 1-4 PM. For information about Snapology’s summer camps and to find the best classes for your scientist, visit https://www.snapology.com/location/lakeland#workshops!
All Saints Academy Recreation/ Instructional Camps & Sports Camps
With over 20 possible programs, All Saints Academy is the place to be this summer! Is your child an emerging young athlete? A multitude of sports camps are offered for grades K-12, including honorable mentions of Cheer and Football camps, Saints Speed Camp and Saints Weightlifting Camp. As part of the Saints Speed Camp, athletes entering 9th-12th grade can improve their training and agility throughout the summer. The camp would be held Monday-Thursday 8-9 AM from May 30 - July 27 and are broken up into four separate sessions. The Saints Weightlifting Camp is also for older students from 9th-12th grade and has the same parameters as the other program, except with a focus on athletes becoming proficient and competition ready. There are also various programs throughout the summer for younger students entering grades K-5, such as Circus Camp, Math Refresher Camp and Game Camps. All Saints Academy’s camps are held from 9 AM - 12 PM on Monday through Thursday and are held in weekly intervals throughout most of the summer. If your camper would like to or needs to continue the fun for the whole day, there are Aftercare and Games sessions for preschool students up to 5th grade from 12-3 PM on specific weeks! With plenty of options, students can let their creativity grow, keep up on their schoolwork or learn a new skill this summer. To register or learn more, visit https://www.allsaintsacademy.com/admissions/2023-summer-programs!
Summer Camp at Florida Children’s Museum
Ready to learn about the sun? This summer’s program at Florida Children’s Museum is inspired by Frank Asch’s “Sunflakes” and will focus on the sun’s magical impact on nature. Weekly camp sessions begin on June 5 and run until July 28. The program is offered for children ages 4-9 all summer long with one week dedicated to ages 10-12 from June 12 - 16. Each week has a new featured theme, including Out in the Sunshine where young nature explorers can dive into the world of the great outdoors, Rainbow Delight where kids can spend the week reflecting and refracting light to make colors and The Reason for the Seasons where students will track the Earth and Sun’s movements! This program uses structured, hands-on activities where students will explore math, science, art, and language with free play in the Museum, unique programming, and daily trips to Bonnet Springs Park. The curriculum will run from 9 AM to 3 PM with drop off and pick up periods extending the hours to 8 AM to 5 PM! If you’re interested in registering your little one, visit https://explorefcm.org/summer-camp/ now!
SPCA Florida’s Summer Critter Camp
Are you ready for an animal adventure this summer? SPCA Florida’s Summer Critter Camp is back, ready to educate and inspire campers through fun and hands-on experiences. Campers will experience a variety of exciting activities, such as animal interactions, crafts, games, guest speakers, and service projects. We also have a week of camp designed for upcoming 8th and 9th graders. Along with the above activities, these campers will also learn about animal welfare careers, volunteering, and being animal advocates for our community. Camp cost is $250 per week and spaces are limited. Sign up now at: https://www.spcaflorida.org/crittercamp
-Photos from Polk Museum of Art
Are you in need of a longer list of local summer camps? Lakeland Mom has a great list of summer camps for Lakeland and Polk County HERE
If you want to read more about Lakeland, check out our other blog posts under the categories on the ExploreLKLD homepage.