YOUTH ACTIVITIES
Great Kids Deserve Great Activities!
For school-age youth, the Y offers fun everyday of the year! You can choose a variety of great activities for individuals, families and groups, including special youth events, dance classes, gymnastics, school break holiday camps, before and after school child care, summer camps, and sports.
So get your kids involved in activities which build spirit, mind & body! Great kids deserve great activities.
Special Events
Come for fun – or create a fabulous event for your own special group!
T.G.I.F. – New!
The first Friday of every month the YMCA hosts a universe of activities for your 4-12 year old kids! Celebrated from 6-9 pm, TGIF includes pizza, snacks, and drinks. Sign up early to reserve a spot!
Friday Family Fun Nights – New!
It's a mini-theme park of great family activities, featuring games, movies, and more!
Kid's Night at the Y
From 6:30-11 pm, have a wonderful night out while your 4-12 year old kids have a great time at the Y. Activities include crafts, games, movies, snacks, & swimming.
Splash Party! – New!
Great for birthdays, graduations, youth groups, or whatever! Use the pool, gym, and lobby for an evening of fun! Parties are available on Saturdays from 6:30-8:30 pm.
Birthday Parties
Have a great party without the hassle or clean-up! Birthdays include gym activities, swim time, and a decorated party room with plates, cups and napkins. All activities supervised. Click here for details.
April 17th is Healthy Kid's Day!
We're hosting an afternoon of great activities for kids, including presentations from local businesses, fire departments, police departments, and ambulance services! Watch for details.
Facility Rentals
Give your large or small group an entire evening of YMCA fun, including swimming, basketball, racquetball, volleyball, wallyball, and the climbing wall. For details, call Kristi Barker at 428-YMCA.
Family Gym
Available late fall through spring, family gym features different activities each week! Staff will supervise gymnastics, the climbing wall, sport wall, relays, obstacle course, basketball, parachute play, & more!
Youth Programs and Classes
Beginning Sign Language – New!
Signing is fascinating, fun and useful! For ages 6-9 with or without experience. Click here for details.
Beginning Spanish
A terrific introduction to a foreign language for 6-9 year olds! Includes visuals and hands-on activities.
Babysitter's Clinic
This clinic will train your child to be a responsible babysitter. Class covers emergency care and first aid, developmental stages, parent relations, and more! For ages 11 and over.
Youth Strength Training
Boys and girls ages 11-16 will learn the fundamentals of building a strength program. Includes cardio & agility exercise. What you learn will last a lifetime!
Home School Swim & Gym
Gym activities and swim lessons for homeschoolers age 6-14. Your kids will have a great time while developing self-confidence and team-building skills!
Hula-Hooping! – New!
Perfect for friends & families, discover (or rediscover) the fun! For ages 12+. Click here for details.
Kindergarten Club
For kindergarteners only! Activities include swimming, gym games, and projects like cooking & crafts.
Girls on the Run®
The Y is a proud partner of Girls on the Run, a life-changing after-school program for girls in 3rd–5th grades. The program combines training for a 3.1 mile running event with self-esteem enhancing, uplifting workouts. Girls on the Run will inspire positive social, emotional, spiritual and physical development! The program begins March 8th. To find out more, visit the Girls on the Run webpage.
Families in Motion – New!
Parents and children will improve coordination, self-image and confidence with team building exercises, exciting games, nutrition tips, physical activity and much more!
We Can! Be Healthy – New!
This six-week program brings families together with experts on nutrition and staying active. Kids will learn about healthy eating from dietitians and chefs, and make their own healthy snacks. And parents will join with We Can! Be Healthy facilitators to discuss proven ways to keep families fit!
Healthy U
This program for school groups will teach children about nutrition and how to identify, practice and adapt healthy living habits! Activities include gym and swim time. Click here for details.
YMCA Center for Achievement
A wonderful after-school program for youths age 7-17, the Center is located at the Virginia Edwards Center in Benton Harbor. Click here for more information.
YMCA In Motion Dance!
Join the fun! Dance will help develop posture, poise and grace, as well as promote self- esteem, friendships, and confidence. Our In Motion dance classes are coordinated by Nancy Gitlin, a nationally recognized jazz dance instructor and author. Classes offered during the fall, winter, and spring.
- Pre-Ballet – It's creative, animated, toe-tapping fun for ages 3-5.
- Beginning Ballet – 6-9 year olds will enjoy a great introduction to one of the oldest forms of dance!
- Intermediate Ballet I & II – Build on your 1-2 years of dance experience! For 7-12 year olds.
- Lyrical Ballet – Terrific fun for ages 12+ with 3 years of experience. Dance to Pop, R&B, Classical.
- Beginning Jazz – Learn the hottest dance moves in this unrestricted form of dance! For ages 8-12.
- Intermediate and Advanced Jazz – Perfect your moves and technique! Req. 2+ years of experience.
For class times, fees, attire, and instructor bios, check our special In Motion Dance brochure!
YMCA Gymnastics
Flexibility, strength, balance, coordination, beauty. Oh, and terrific fun! YMCA gymnastics strives to develop the spirit, mind and body of each child and instill a lifelong love of the sport. Classes include . . .
- Super Tumblers and Tumbling for All Levels – The focus is on floor tumbling fun for ages 5 and over. Learn rolls, cartwheels, backbends, and more!
- Rollers – A great introduction to gymnastics for ages 7 and over.
- Benders – For those with some experience, this class will build your skills! For 8-10 year olds.
- Flippers – More advanced techniques and practice for 10-12 year olds.
- Gymnastic Camps – Offered during school breaks and the summer, camps are focused, active fun for all ages.
School Break Activities / School Age Child Care
Banish boredom during school breaks with great activities for your children!
Kids Day Off
Kids will have terrific time during in-service days and other school session breaks! Full days run from 7am–6 pm; half-days are available. Kid's Day Off is coordinated with the Lakeshore school calendar.
Holiday Camp
A great way to keep your K–5th grade kids active during winter & spring breaks! Camps run 7am–6 pm.
Spring Break Splash!
It's a week of swim lessons, safety sessions and play time for ages 8-12. Held April 5-9 from 9–11 am.
School Age Child Care
The Y offers before and after school child care to all Lakeshore district students from Kindergarten through 5th grade. We're a licensed child care provider with a dynamic program! Click here for details.
Youth Sports
Basketball Leagues
It's all about learning new skills, working as a team, and having fun! The Y offers great winter basketball leagues for 3-12 grades, as well as a fun prep league for 1st and 2nd graders.
Mini-Basketball
It's late-fall fun for ages 5-9! This non-competitive class uses mini-basketballs and low hoops to help boys and girls learn skills such as dribbling, passing and shooting. Parents are asked to assist.
Youth Soccer
A terrific introduction to soccer for 6-9 year olds. Everyone will learn basic skills and have an equal opportunity to participate! A complimentary T-shirt is included. We also have a great Mini-Soccer program for 4-5 year olds!
YMCA / Challenger British Soccer Camp
Coming June 21-25: the YMCA is teaming up with the largest provider of soccer camps in the United States! A hand-picked United Kingdom staff will coach kids ages 3 to 14. The Brits make soccer special fun! See our home page for details.
Racquetball
Speed, power, grace, strategy: racquetball has it all! Players age 8-14 will learn the basics, then play others in class. Racquets and eye protection provided.
Coed Flag Football
It's non-contact fall fun for ages 6-9! Kids will learn teamwork and general football skills; everyone will have equal opportunity to learn & play different positions.
T-Ball
It's spring and summer fun for ages 5-9! This non-competitive, instructional baseball class is a perfect introduction to a great sport! Parents are asked to help out; all players receive a t-shirt and T-ball.
YMCA Dolphins Swim Team
The Dolphins Swim Team is a terrific way for swimmers ages 6-18 to discover the friendship, excitement, and self-confidence that comes with competitive swimming! Practice times are flexible, and you can try it out for free! For YMCA members only. Click here for more information.
Isshinryu Karate
Ready for great discipline, great confidence, and a great time? The Y offers beginner and advanced classes of Isshinryu-style Karate for 8-12 year olds and ages 12+.
Summer Camps
Gla-Da-Wen-Ta Day Camp!
Your 5-12 year old kids can enjoy a great camping experience while returning home each day! Gla-Da-Wen-Ta Day Camp, held at Riverview Park in St. Joseph, has a variety of activities that will give your child the chance to discover new skills, make new friends, develop respect for the outdoors, and most of all, have fun! Week-long themed camps begin June 14th. Watch for details this spring.
Kid’s Kamp
Kid's Kamp is a series of one-week camps for ages 3-5 and 5-7 offering kid-friendly themes loaded with hands-on fun! Each session includes story-based arts and crafts, games, songs, gym activities, and swimming. Watch for details this spring!
Special Summer Activity Camps
Every summer the Y features a variety of special week-long activity camps. There are gymnastic and tumbling clinics, cheerleading camps, soccer camps, and more! Watch for details this spring.
Current Kid's Gym and Youth Program Schedules
For the latest open gym times, check our kid's gym schedule:
You'll find full class descriptions, dates, and times of all YMCA youth programs in our program brochure:
