City of St. Petersburg Play Camp - Willis S. Johns Recreation
Recreational day camp offering a variety of activities for children at Willis S. Johns Recreation Center.
▌ Editor's read The City of St. Petersburg Play Camp at Willis S. Johns Recreation is a day camp program run by the municipal Parks and Recreation Department. The website indicates a focus on providing a safe and fun environment with activities like sports, games, arts and crafts, and field trips. The cost is listed as $78 per week for residents and $117 per week for non-residents, making it a highly affordable option. The camp is not accredited by the ACA. While specific Google reviews for the 'Play Camp' itself are not readily available, the Willis S. Johns Recreation Center has a Google rating of 4.3 stars based on 104 reviews, with patrons generally praising the facilities and staff. The website does not explicitly mention staff background checks, but as a municipal program, it is assumed standard city employment protocols are followed. The Facebook handle for St. Pete Parks & Rec is StPeteParksRec.
Who thrives here Ages 5–14
City of St. Petersburg Play Camp - Willis S. Johns Recreation sits in the upper-elementary to middle-school window where specialization starts to mean something. Kids in this band often want to go deeper on one thing rather than rotate through five, and many camps begin offering pre-CIT (counselor-in-training) tracks here. The right community/rec center fit at this age depends on whether the child wants more autonomy or still wants the safety of a structured rhythm.
Facts & Credentials
- Program type
- Day camp
- ACA accredited
- Not verified
- Established
- Not listed
- Operator
- Municipal parks department
- Staff-to-camper ratio
- Not listed
Details
- Category: Community/Rec Center
- Ages: 5–14
- Hours: 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
- Address: 6635 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St N, St. Petersburg, FL 33702
- Phone: 727-893-7756
- Cost notes: Full, Reduced, and Free rates available for residents. Cost for non-residents not specified. Fee assistance is available for City of St. Petersburg residents. Early Learning Coalition (ELC) provides financial assistance to eligible parents of elementary school aged participants.
Logistics
- Lunch provided: No
- Transportation: No
- Financial aid: No
- Setting: mixed
Frequently asked about City of St. Petersburg Play Camp - Willis S. Johns Recreation
- What ages does City of St. Petersburg Play Camp - Willis S. Johns Recreation accept?
- City of St. Petersburg Play Camp - Willis S. Johns Recreation is open to children ages 5–14. Camps publish their own age cutoffs, and some run mixed-age groups internally; check the registration page for that summer's grouping if your child sits at a boundary.
- How much does City of St. Petersburg Play Camp - Willis S. Johns Recreation cost?
- City of St. Petersburg Play Camp - Willis S. Johns Recreation publishes $100/week for the standard session. Full, Reduced, and Free rates available for residents. Cost for non-residents not specified. Fee assistance is available for City of St. Petersburg residents. Early Learning Coalition (ELC) provides financial assistance to eligible parents of elementary school aged participants. Final cost depends on session length, sibling discounts, and whether extended care is added on.
- What are City of St. Petersburg Play Camp - Willis S. Johns Recreation's hours?
- City of St. Petersburg Play Camp - Willis S. Johns Recreation runs 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.. If those hours don't quite cover your work day, check whether extended care or early drop-off is offered separately.
- Who runs City of St. Petersburg Play Camp - Willis S. Johns Recreation?
- City of St. Petersburg Play Camp - Willis S. Johns Recreation is operated by the local parks department. The operator type matters for tuition policy (refunds, financial aid eligibility) and for what kind of staff training pipeline the camp uses.
- Does City of St. Petersburg Play Camp - Willis S. Johns Recreation provide lunch?
- City of St. Petersburg Play Camp - Willis S. Johns Recreation does not include lunch — campers bring their own. Most day camps without provided lunch are nut-free or nut-aware, so check the allergy policy before packing. Frozen water bottles double as ice packs and drinks; insulated lunch boxes hold below 40°F for about four hours.
- How does City of St. Petersburg Play Camp - Willis S. Johns Recreation compare to other community/rec center camps in St. Petersburg?
- City of St. Petersburg Play Camp - Willis S. Johns Recreation is one of 46 community/rec center camps in St. Petersburg that overlap its age range. The differentiation between options usually comes down to four factors: weekly price, day length, indoor/outdoor balance, and group size. Browse same-city alternatives in the directory to compare side by side.
Planning guides
Editorial checklists to use before you compare City of St. Petersburg Play Camp - Willis S. Johns Recreation with other camps.
- How to choose a summer camp · Use the decision checklist before you compare finalists.
- Financial aid and scholarship camps · Compare aid policies, discounts, and application timing.
- Summer camp pricing in 2026 · Benchmark weekly cost before you commit a deposit.
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