ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Spring Break week is exciting for kids, but for working parents it can be a source of stress.
According to AAA, about 75% of Floridians will be staying home for spring break this year. In the Tampa Bay region that means enjoying the beautiful weather and beach days.
For working families, a number of cities are offering free or low-cost week long camps. Another option is spring break programs offered through local YMCA branches, that in many cases are open to non-members.
At Speer YMCA in St. Petersburg, their spring break program is a mini-summer camp in itself. Kids ages 5-12 are invited to a week of organized games, art classes, sports, swim and splash pad time, as well as a field trip. Each day will run from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in order to accommodate working parents.
“They’re not going to be stuck in front of the TV all day, they’re not going to be on their iPads or anything like that,” said Drew Fischer, Youth & Family Director. “We’re going to have a structured environment for them and they’re going to have a lot of friends to play with.”
Fischer said while there is a cost for the camp, they will work with families on a case by case basis.
The City of St. Pete is offering a free program from ages 11+ at their TASCO Center for Teen Technology. The ‘Spring Break MakerSpace’ will let teens explore robotics, art based in technology, and 3D printing.
In addition to creating and programming their own robotics, teens will get to use a 3D design program to make their own keychains from scratch, and then use the 3D printer to make their own creation come to life.
“They get to just creatively be themselves,” said program director Keyont’e Howard. “They get to come and experiment and learn different things about engineering and art. It’s cool because we get to keep the kids safe, hang out, and have a good time with them.”
There’s a number of free events next week being offered at libraries across our Tampa Bay counties.