Get moving this spring with Vaughan’s recreation and swim programs

Registration begins Feb. 24 for aquatics and Feb. 26 for recreation programs

Warmer weather is on its way, which means it’s time to start planning ahead to keep busy and active this spring! Check out the City of Vaughan’s full lineup of recreation programs, swim lessons and aquatic leadership courses in the Spring Recreation eGuide before it’s time to register!

Registration for spring swim lessons and aquatic leadership courses opens at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at vaughan.perfectmind.com, and the session starts on Saturday, March 28 at all Vaughan community centre pools. 

Swim lessons

Learn-to-swim programming starts at age four months old for parents with tots and expands to adult swimmer levels. Training and certification in aquatic leadership courses for ages 13 years and older is aimed at preparing participants for employment as a swim instructor or lifeguard.

Aquatic leadership programs

Aquatic leadership programs provide a fun and challenging progression of lifesaving training programs, which can lead to prestigious part-time jobs as a City swim instructor or lifeguard. 

Here are a few program highlights:

• Vaughan Lifesaving Club: a competitive sport program established by the Canadian Lifesaving Society.
• Three bronze medal awards (Bronze Star, Bronze Medallion and Bronze Cross): designed for swimmers between the ages of eight and 15 years old.
• First-aid certifications: focused on the practical ABCs of lifesaving.
• Lifesaving and swim instructor training: allows individuals to teach and evaluate the three swim patrol programs and the bronze medal award programs, among others.
• National lifeguard certification: the Canadian industry standard for working as a lifeguard.

Interested in becoming a swim instructor or lifeguard in Vaughan? Check out the City’s Aquatic Leadership brochure (PDF) which has a Leadership Progression Chart outlining the path to becoming a Vaughan swim instructor and lifeguard. 

For more information about swim lessons and aquatic leadership courses, visit vaughan.ca/swim.

Recreation programs 

Registration for spring recreation programs opens at 7 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26 at vaughan.perfectmind.com. Programming begins Saturday, March 28 at all community centres, the City Playhouse Theatre and the Vaughan Studios & Event Space. 

Here are some program highlights!

• Family (parent and child): cooking and baking, baby’s first playdate, toddler playtime, music-making, painting, Pilates with baby, mindfulness, family dance, musical jam sessions, introductory tennis, badminton, toddler boot camp and multi-sport activities
• Preschool (ages two to six years old): visual arts, arts and crafts, cooking and baking, Disney- and superhero-themed fitness, karate, Taekwondo, dance, including kinderdance, ballet, hip hop and jazz; theatre; STEM programs, including engineering, robotics, little naturalists, coding, skating, ball hockey, T-ball, basketball, gymnastics, multi-sport and soccer, and Vaughan Playschool spring programs (French, Italian, Spanish, math, reading and writing, science and more)
• Children (ages six to 12 years old): drawing and freehand sketching, arts and crafts, superhero creator lab (NEW!), cooking and baking, French and Italian, entrepreneurship (NEW!), poetry and writing, chess, mindfulness and art-based wellness, karate and Taekwondo, dance, including Bollywood, ballet and hip hop, music, including ukulele, guitar and piano; theatre and glee club; coding and robotics, including game coding, AI coding (NEW!), animation and 3D design, STEM and engineering, AI video making (NEW!), eco-adventure programs (NEW!), skating, archery, baseball, basketball, gymnastics, handball (NEW!) multi-sport, pickleball, squash, tennis and table tennis, soccer, and volleyball
• Youth (ages 13 to 17 years old): cooking and baking; HIGH FIVE® certification, email etiquette, public speaking, résumé building and interview skills, the Volunteer Leadership Program (virtual), fitness; Taekwondo, guitar, skating, archery, basketball, pickleball (NEW!) and badminton
• Adult (ages 18 years and older): painting,flavours of the Caribbean (NEW!), Mahjong (NEW!), fitness and wellness programs, including Zumba, tai chi, qigong, spin, yoga, Pilates and strength training, knee health (NEW!) and back health, movement-based mental health for women (NEW!), dance, including ballroom, belly dancing, Bollywood, Latin, jazz, line dancing, and styling for dancers, guitar, skating, archery, multi-sport for women, racquet sports, including badminton, pickleball and tennis, and Vaughan Sports Leagues, including ball hockey, slo-pitch and volleyball
• Older adult (ages 65 years and older): crocheting (NEW!), Mahjong (NEW!), Zumba, DanceFIT, ArthritisFIT, ChairFIT, OsteoFIT, SeniorFIT, qigong and tai chi, muscle conditioning, spin, yoga and chair yoga, Pilates, line dancing, smartphone basics, and pickleball
• Inclusion: cooking and baking, group and creative activities that support social connection, community-building program for neurodiverse children and families (NEW!), clubs and social groups, the Vaughan Enriched Day Program, private lessons in math and literacy, private lessons in music, skate or hip-hop dance, STEM programs, and sports, including baseball, basketball, gymnastics and multi-sport
• Special events and workshops: nutrition workshops, Easter paint your own pottery, Earth Day arts and crafts, Mother’s Day afternoon tea, Father’s Day cupcake baking, Passover paint your own pottery, youth week, dinosaur dig workshop, princess party and more

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

PerfectMind, the online registration system, is available 24-7 and features enhanced search filters, allowing you to sort by level, location, day and time. If you require assistance creating an online PerfectMind registration account, call Service Vaughan at 905-832-2281, email rec@vaughan.ca or watch this short informational video.

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.