Summertime blues? Panama City Beach offers 30 summer camps for a variety of interests

PANAMA CITY BEACH − For Diane Nottage, it's important that communities offer activities for children during the summer.

As a recreation coordinator for Panama City Beach, Nottage said Wednesday the city is offering about 30 summer camps that will run from the beginning of June until the end of July. The camps boast a variety of topics and rang in price, costing anywhere from $15 to $240.

"I think it benefits the children because they'll have a safe place to do something that they most likely can't do at home, and I think it gives their parents a little break from them too," she said. "It's important to provide opportunities for kids to socialize (and) get away from their TVs. ... There's a great variety of camps, so there's something for everyone."

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The upcoming summer camps offered in Panama City Beach are:

• Mommy & Me Zumba − A Zumba camp for mothers and children up to 3 years old that will be held at the Lyndell Conference Center from 8:30 to 9:15 a.m. on June 5, June 12, June 26 and July 10. It costs $40 to participate.

• Zumba Kids JR. Summer Dance Party − A dance party with a variety of games and activities for children 4 to 6 years old that will be held at the Lyndell Conference Center from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on June 5, June 6, June 8, July 10, July 11, and July 13. It costs $120 to participate.

• Zumba Kids Dance Extravaganza − A dance party with a variety of games and activities for children 7 to 11 years old that will be held at the Lyndell Conference Center from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on June 5, June 6, June 8, July 10, July 11 and July 13. It costs $120 to participate.

• Wild, Wacky Sports − A camp focusing on diverse sports for children 8 to 11 years old that will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. June 5-8. The first two days of camp will be held at the Lyndell Conference Center. The third and fourth days of camp will be held at Frank Brown Park. It costs $50.

• Beginner Dive − A diving camp for those 6 to 18 years old that will be held at the Frank Brown Park Aquatic Center from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. June 5-8, June 12-15, June 26-29 and July 17-20. This class focuses on sports diving, not scuba diving. It costs $70.

• Color Wheel Art Camp − An art camp for children 5 to 7 years old that will be held at the Aaron Bessant Park Classroom from 9 a.m. to noon June 6-8. It costs $95.

• Mermaid Camp − A camp where children ages 7 to 12 will learn about mermaid lore, as well as how to swim like a mermaid. It will be held at the Frank Brown Park Aquatic Center from 8 to 10:30 a.m. on June 12-15 and July 10-13. It costs between $140 to $190.

• Turtle Tracks − A camp on the biology of sea turtles for children 8 to 10 years old that will be held June 13-15 and July 18-20. The first two days of each camp will be held at the Lyndell Conference Center from 8 to 10 a.m. The third day of camp will be held at Gulf World from 10 to 11 a.m. It costs $50.

• Camp 911 − A safety and prevention camp for children 4 to 8 years old that will be held at the Panama City Beach Police Department and Panama City Beach Fire Rescue Station from 8 a.m. to noon on June 13-14. It costs $35.

• Water Color Art Camp − An art camp for children 8 to 10 years old that will be held at the Aaron Bessant Park Classroom from 9 a.m. to noon on June 12-15. It costs $120.

• Bugs-R-Us − A class on insects for children 5 to 7 years old that will be held at the Frank Brown Park Aquatic Center from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on June 19 and July 17. It costs $15.

• The Good, The Bad, The Ugly − A camp on insects for children 8 to 10 years old that will be held from 8 to 10 a.m. on June 20-22 and July 18-20. The first two days of the camp will be held at the Frank Brown Park Aquatic Center. The third day of camp will be held at Conservation Park. It costs $35.

• Tennis Camp 1 − A tennis camp for those 6 to 15 years old at Frank Brown Park from 8 a.m. to noon on June 19-23. It costs $240.

• Sewing Camp − A sewing camp for those 9 to 18 years old that will be held at the Lyndell Conference Center from 1 to 4 p.m. on June 19-23. It costs between $99 to $175 to participate.

• Intermediate Dive − A dive class for those 6 to 18 years old at the Frank Brown Park Aquatic Center from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on June 19-22, July 10-13 and July 24-27. This class focuses on sports diving, not scuba diving. It costs $70.

• Modern Art Camp − An art camp those 11 to 14 years old at the Aaron Bessant Park Classroom from 9 a.m. to noon on June 19-22. It costs $120.

• Lil' Mermaids Camp − A camp where children 4 to 6 years old will learn about mermaid lore at the Frank Brown Park Aquatic Center from 4 to 5 p.m. on June 20-22 and July 18-20. It costs $80.

• Little Campers − A camp on science, art, food and games for children 4 to 6 years old at the Frank Brown Park Aquatic Center from 9 to 11 a.m. on June 26-29. It costs $50.

• Ready, Set, Game − A camp on video games for those 10 to 14 years old that will be held from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. on June 26-29. The first two days of camp will be at FSU Panama City. The third day of camp will be at Aaron Bessant Park. It costs $125.

• Ukulele Camp − A camp where those 7 to 18 years old will be taught to play the ukulele at Austin Music Co. from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on June 27-29. It costs $85.

• Mini Master Art Camp − A camp were children 5 to 7 years old will learn about famous artists at the Aaron Bessant Park Classroom from 9 a.m. to noon on June 27-29. It costs $95.

• Tennis Camp 2 − A tennis camp for those 6 to 13 years old at Frank Brown Park from 9 a.m. to noon on June 10-14. It costs $125.

• Abstract Art Camp − An abstract art camp for children 8 to 12 years old at the Aaron Bessant Park Classroom from 9 a.m. to noon on July 10-13. It costs $150.

• Jr. Lifeguard Camp 1 − A camp where children 9 to 12 years old will learn about water safety at the Russell-Fields Pier from 9 a.m. to noon on July 17-20. It costs $100.

• Jr. Lifeguard Camp 2 − A camp where those 13 to 16 years old will learn about water safety at the Russell-Fields Pier from 9 a.m. to noon on July 24-27. It costs $100.

• Gnome Garden Camp − A camp where children 7 to 10 years old will create an imaginary home for a fairy at the Aaron Bessant Park Classroom from 9 a.m. to noon on July 19-20. It costs $95.

• Ping Pong − A ping pong camp for those 8 to 14 years old at the Lyndell Conference Center from 2 to 4 p.m. on June 24-27. It costs $35.

• U.K. International Soccer − A soccer camp for those 4 to 14 years old at Frank Brown Park from 8 to 11 a.m. on July 24-27. It costs $100.

• Animal Art Camp − An animal-themed art camp for those 10 to 14 years old at the Aaron Bessant Park Classroom from 9 a.m. to noon on July 24-27. It costs $120.

• Science Discovery − A science camp for children 7 to 11 years old at the Frank Brown Park Aquatic Center from 10 a.m. to noon on July 25-27. It costs $50.

• Pete The Cat − A camp for children 4 to 6 years old focusing on the fictional cartoon character, "Pete the Cat" at the Frank Brown Park Aquatic Center from 1:30 to 3 p.m. on July 25-27. It costs $35.

To attend the dive, lifeguard and mermaid camps, participants must first pass a free swim assessment at the aquatic center. Participants of the Lil' Mermaid Camp do not have the same requirement. All spots for Wild, Wacky Sports, Camp 911, Sewing Camp and Little Campers already are full.

For more information on the camps, visit www.pcbfl.gov/departments/parks-recreation-department/2021-summer-camps.

"We're excited that we have the ability to do this, and for us, it's a community service that we can offer the youth," Nottage said of the camps.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City Beach to offer summer camps from June to July