Summer Camp Week: ZooTampa offers fun and educational option for kids

TAMPA, Fla. - Who says summer camp can’t be fun and educational? That’s the goal at ZooTampa. 

"Our goal is to provide high quality and educational experiences for our campers that connects them with nature in fun and engaging ways," explains ZooTampa’s senior manager of educational programs, Amy Dachino.

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"Our camps are offered for students that have completed Kindergarten through 8th grade," said Dachino, "We are strictly day camp." 

Summer days at ZooTampa start with morning drop-off at 8 a.m., with pick-up scheduled at 5 p.m. each day.

"We hope to teach all of our campers about animals from around the world so that we inspire them to care for animals right here in our own backyard," Dachino explains. 

With 14 different programs to choose from, there’s a lot for students to learn over summer break.

Just about every program offers campers some sort of animal encounter every day. 

"One of my favorite encounters for our youngest audience is our giant Aldabra tortoise encounter," Dachino shared. "They get a chance to touch them, hear all about them and how our animal care specialists care for them, what they like to eat and it’s just a really interactive experience for the kids."

When the campers get a little older, counselors elevate the curriculum to include zoo science. That could include studying different aspects of the animal enclosures to learn how zookeepers determine which enclosure features will benefit a certain species, and mimic the environment they would thrive in out in the wild.

The older campers also have the option to register for premium camps. 

"Those campers get to spend some more one-on-one time with our animal care specialists. Get a chance to interview them, ask them questions about how they got to where they are and what their job is like each and every day."

For the oldest campers, there’s the Zoo Teens program giving students a taste of what it’s like to be a ZooTampa camp counselor. 

"They work right alongside the counselors and learn what it’s like to be a counselor and help facilitate a variety of activities throughout the day," said Dachino. "We do our very best to create the most memorable experiences for all of our campers and we look forward to seeing them every summer.

For more information on ZooTampa summer camps click here.