‘Fall’ into Vaughan’s recreation and swim programs!

Session begins on Saturday, Sept. 19

Cooler days are just around the corner, making it the perfect time to plan ahead and stay active this fall! Explore the City of Vaughan’s full lineup of recreation programs, swim lessons and aquatic leadership courses in the Fall Recreation eGuide before registration opens. 

Recreation programs 

Registration for fall recreation programs opens at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 18 at vaughan.ca/recreation. Registration for non-residents opens on Tuesday, Aug. 25. Programming begins Saturday, Sept. 19 at all community centres, the City Playhouse Theatre and the Vaughan Studios & Event Space. 

Here are some program highlights:

• Family (parent and child): Perfect Pairing, Craft with Me, Language Play: Italian (NEW), Make Music with Me, Paint with Me, Play with Me, Dance with Me, Family Steps and Swirls, Junior Jam, Tiny Tunes, Learn to Skate, Gymnastics (NEW), Have a Ball, Mini Boot Camp, Toddler Run and Fun, Badminton and Learn to Play Tennis
• Preschool (ages two to six years old): Early Learners, Oodles and Doodles of Art, Petit Chefs, Vaughan Playschool programs (French, Italian, Mandarin, reading and writing, math, science, Junior and Senior), Karate, taekwondo, Kinderdance, Vaughan Dance (Ballet, Hip Hop, and Jazz), Musical Minis, Prop Master Studio, Be a Mini Engineer, Robobuilders, Robodesigners, STEM (coding and learners), Learn to Play Hockey, Learn to Skate (beginner and intermediate), Ball Hockey Training and Learn to Play T Ball
• Children (ages six to 12 years old): AR/VR World Crafting Adventures (NEW), Build Your Own AI Chatbot (NEW), Design It Digital: Create with Canva (NEW), drawing, cooking and baking, language programs, dance, music, Boxing 101 (NEW) and racquet sports
• Youth (ages 13 to 17 years old): YRP Dodgeball Alliance,  Guitar: Private (NEW), technology programs, fitness training, arts and recreation programs 
• Adult (18 years old and older): Queenax Functional Fitness Group Training - Ladies Only (NEW), Prenatal Yoga (NEW),  Practical Self-Defence for Women (NEW), Acrylic Painting: Basics or Refined and general interest programming
• Older Adult (65 years old and older): Senior Square Dance (NEW), Nordic Pole Walking (NEW), Tablet Basics (NEW), Smartphone Basics 2 (NEW), social and recreational activities
• Inclusion: Vaughan Enriched Day Program, Building Connections for Neurodivergent Families, Connect, DownTown Club, Hanging Out Together, Skills Builder Adventure Club, NextGen, Learn to Play Music: Private, Musical Theatre Motivation, Adaptive STEM Club, Learn to Skate: Private, Challenger Baseball, Rolling Hoops: Wheelchair Basketball and FUNdamentals of Sports
• Special events and workshops: Grandparents Day (Sunday, Sept. 13; NEW), including drop-in sports, creative crafts and recreational swimming, fall fun, Home Alone Safety Awareness, Halloween arts, crafts, pottery and baking, hand-poured candle decor, dinosaur dig, princess party, Chanukah and Christmas crafts, baking and pottery

View the full list of programs in the Fall Recreation eGuide at vaughan.ca/recreation.

Swim lessons and aquatic leadership courses

Fall is also a great time to explore why everyone belongs in the water! From our established Learn to Swim programs and aquatic leadership courses to fitness and wellness programs for adults and older adults, participants can build confidence and valuable life skills at any age or ability level.

Registration for fall swim lessons and aquatic leadership courses opens at 7 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 20, with sessions starting on Saturday, Sept. 19 at all Vaughan community centre pools. Registration for non-residents opens on Thursday, Aug. 27.

Learn-to-swim programming is available for all ages, starting with parents and tot classes for children as young as four months old to levels specifically designed for adults. For those aged 13 years and older, training and certification in aquatic leadership courses are available to prepare participants for employment as a swim instructor or lifeguard. 

Programming includes:

• Parent and Tot: for parents and children up to three years old.
• Preschool: for children three to five years old.
• Swimmer Levels one to six: for children six years of age and older.
• Swimmer Levels seven to nine (Rookie, Ranger, Star): considered the on-ramp to lifeguarding, the Swim Patrol program provides enriched training for those who are ready to go beyond learn-to-swim. The program continues to develop participants’ swim strokes, providing the skill foundation needed to prepare them for success in the Bronze medal awards.
• Teen Swim: for teens 12 to 17 years old.
• Adult Swimmer: geared toward adults who are beginners or swimmers who want help improving their swimming skills. This is also offered for older adults.
• Fitness Swimmer: for children eight to 13 years old. This program offers a structured approach based on accepted training principles and practices, including interval training, sprints and distance swims.
• Artistic Swimming (Beginner or Advanced) (NEW): for children ages six to 12 years old. Delivered in partnership with York Artistic Swimming. Discover the graceful world of artistic swimming, where movement flows, teamwork shines and the water becomes part of the performance.
• Aquafitness: Baby & Me (NEW): for parents and caregivers with babies. Move and energize your body in the water with a refreshing, low‑impact aquafitness workout with baby by your side.
• AquaFloat Yoga: for adults. Take yoga practice onto the water enjoying gentle movement and breath control on a floating mat in a calming aquatic environment.
• Aquatherapeutic: for adults 50 years old and up. Ease joint stiffness and improve mobility in this warm-water therapy class designed for adults living with arthritis, osteoporosis/osteopenia, fibromyalgia and chronic lower back pain.
• Hydrospin Circuit Training (NEW): for adults. This high-energy water-based fitness program combines aquabikes with cardio and strength training stations into one low-impact, full-body workout. 
• Skills Clinics (NEW): for children ages seven to 12 years old. These targeted swim clinics are designed for participants working toward completing various swimmer levels, with an emphasis on strengthening key skills. 
• Water Polo 1: Foundations (NEW): for children ages six to 12 years old. It's time to build aquatic confidence through dynamic, skill-focused instruction that combines swimming skills with introductory water polo techniques. 

The online registration system, PerfectMind, is available 24-7 and features enhanced search filters, allowing you to sort by level, location, day and time. Learn more at vaughan.ca/swim.

Virtual waiting room for program registration
We’ve improved the online registration experience for recreation programs to make it fairer and more reliable. You will now be entered into a virtual waiting room during high traffic periods on PerfectMind. During these periods, you will be placed in a virtual queue and a random spot in line will be assigned to you so everyone has equal access to the programs they want to register for. You will be able to see your place in line and an estimated wait time, and once you’re in the system, you can register for multiple programs in one session without re-entering the queue. 

If you require assistance creating an online PerfectMind registration account, call Service Vaughan at 905-832-2281 or email rec@vaughan.ca. 

About RecAssist 
RecAssist is the City’s fee assistance program, designed to ensure residents of all incomes can participate in active-living opportunities and experiences. Qualified recipients receive financial support to participate in a wide range of recreation programs at community centres and other City facilities across Vaughan. RecAssist is exclusively supported through fundraisers and generous donations. Availability of funding is subject to change. For more information about making a donation or applying for RecAssist, visit vaughan.ca/RecAssist, email rec@vaughan.ca or call 905-832-2281.

To learn more about Recreation Services and stay informed about new programs and special promotions, sign up for the Recreation Services eNewsletter and follow the official channels on Facebook and Instagram.

For updates and news as they happen, subscribe to Vaughan News and follow the official corporate channels on X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.