Summer Camp Expo At FHCI Tomorrow

If you want your kids to have some amazing experiences this summer without having to spend frustrating hours searching the internet or making phone calls for options, Family-Friendly Tampa Bay hosts its first ever Family-Friendly Summer Camp Expo at Florida Hospital Center Ice off S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel tomorrow — Saturday, April 8, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Admission is free.

More than 40 camps are signed up to participate in the Expo. Most are located in and around Wesley Chapel, says event organizer Miriam Cook, but camps from across the Tampa Bay area will be there, including the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI), Busch Gardens, and the Glazer Children’s Museum.

Cook says diverse summer camp options will be presented, including day camps, sports, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), special needs/autism, art, performing arts and academic camps. “Parents can meet one-on-one with numerous Tampa Bay-area camp directors and staff at the expo, talking with the people behind these programs to find the best fit for their child,” Cook says.

Cook notes that she’s especially excited about offering summer camps for kids with special needs. She says there will be an agency that provides resources for families with children who have disabilities and other special needs. While she didn’t specify camps for only special needs children, she says many of the camps attending the expo are “inclusive” and make accommodations to serve all children, regardless of ability.

“Right now, we have 1,200 families who have pre-registered to attend the event,” says Cook. “When families register for free tickets through Eventbrite.com, they are automatically entered to win a free week of camp. We will be donating several weeks of camp at the expo. We will also have other giveaways, as well.”

For example, each family that attends will receive a coupon for buy-one, get-one-free ice skating at Florida Hospital Center Ice, and the first 250 families to arrive will get a “swag bag.” There will be many activities for the kids, such as face painting, and several mascots will make an appearance, including the mascot from the Tampa Yankees, the Tampa Bay Lighting’s ThunderBug, and the Chick-fil-A cow.

It’s not necessary to pre-register, but it does enter you to win prizes. To register, go to EventBrite.com and search for “Summer Camp Expo” in Tampa (although technically in Wesley Chapel, the site notes that the Expo is in the “Greater Tampa” area). Florida Hospital Center Ice is located at 3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd. in Wesley Chapel. For more information about Family-Friendly Tampa, go to FamilyFriendlyTampaBay.com.