Building community and creating access is what recreation centers are all about and they used to be the go-to neighborhood gathering place. As private entertainment centers pop up, people often forget their own cities have free or low-cost group classes and activities for all ages.
GILBERT
"It's a spot you can come and not only socialize but the kids can learn a new skill and do activities at an affordable price as well," said Robert Carmona, the director of Gilbert Parks and Recreation.
Among the more popular classes in Gilbert is Wiggle Worms open play for babies and toddlers for just a $1.50 drop-in fee. There are classes for little kids like Baby Ballerinas and STEM classes that will teach older kids to build solar robots. In June, the city is holding a free 'Design Your Own Playground' event and ideas may be incorporated into future developments.
For classes and prices, click here.
GLENDALE
The City of Glendale has a climbing wall, pool tables, poker tournaments for parents, racquetball classes for kids, and drop-in pickleball courts to name a few of the unique offerings. The city has one of the largest offerings of free programs this summer for kids ages 6-14 at three new community center locations. The camps include hands-on activities and guest speakers from all over the city.
"You'd be surprised at the breadth of programming that's available at your centers, from adult programs to youth programs to senior programs. We are here, and we want you to be here too," said Glendale's Senior Recreation Coordinator Manny Padia.
See the full list of offerings here.
CHANDLER
In Chandler, a lot of camps and classes focus on the mind-body connection.
"We have aqua boxing, paddleboard yoga, a tone class in the water," said Erika Berry, the recreation supervisor for the City of Chandler.
Full and half-day camps are available, including a Lego-building camp and classes for art and Aikido. There are court sports for parents. The city also has a nature center for animal encounters with snakes, fish, and desert tortoises.
See the list of programs and prices here.
TEMPE
The City of Tempe has a wide range of boating and aquatics classes like rowing and paddleboarding. There are theater classes that include parent participation and fun fitness classes like Dart Boogie, a foam dart game.
Programs and prices are found here.
PEORIA
The City of Peoria is constantly introducing new theme camps and this summer is no exception.
"We have a superheroes theme week, and we have a culinary week which is great, and we're doing 'under the sea' so we'll do cardboard boat races with the teens and use one of the high school pools," said Stephanie Melring, the teen program coordinator for the city of Peoria Parks & Recreation.
The rec center has art and cooking classes, interactive games like laser tag and Nerf wars, and family game nights like Puzzlemania and family bingo.
Most unique to Peoria are off-hours classes from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. to help working parents find the time to get their errands in while the kids are entertained in a safe space.
Find links to sign up here.
Most Valley recreation centers range in price from a dollar for a day class to a couple hundred dollars for a multi-week camp with meals. Some have scholarships available. You don't have to be a resident of any particular city to take part, but you may pay a bit extra as a non-resident.
Check out more free and affordable things to do highlighted in our Smart Shopper Summer of Fun series here.