Lancaster Rec Youth & Families Programs
Lancaster Recreation Center, 525 Fairview Ave, Lancaster, PA 17603
About
Lancaster Rec Youth & Families Programs offers activities that include Youth Sports, Dance, Esports, Summer Day Camps and Summer Camps, as well as Summer Playgrounds & Wading Pools and access to Conestoga Pines Pool. The program also includes Full-Day Child Care, Early Childhood Education, and Before & After School Care Programs, along with Youth Athletic Scholarships that can reduce the cost of sports programs by 50% or more for eligible children. Families can also take part in events and activities such as Open Streets Lancaster, RecToberFest, the Winter Carnival, and programs connected to parks and fitness.
• Ages: 0–12 years old
• Schedule: The Lancaster Recreation Commission office is open Monday–Friday from 9 a.m.–5 p.m., and general questions can be answered by phone during those same hours.
Lancaster Rec Youth & Families Programs operates as part of a 501(c)3 non-profit agency that offers free community events including Open Streets Lancaster, Lancaster Beer Gardens, Lancaster Unity Cup, RecToberFest, and the Winter Carnival. Child care programs are state licensed by the PA Department of Human Services and are measured by Keystone STARS, and they are year-round programs for infants as young as six weeks through children 12 years old. The curriculum in these child care programs incorporates the State’s Early Learning Standards, and daily learning centers include science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics, language, and small group activities. The mission of Lancaster Rec Youth & Families Programs is to provide a safe and enriching environment for children to learn and grow through play and for families to grow closer by spending quality time together.
Staff for Lancaster Rec Youth & Families Programs are carefully chosen and trained, with mandatory FBI and state police criminal background clearances, child abuse registry clearances, first aid and fire safety training, and physicals. Program directors have bachelor’s degrees with at least 30 credits in education, and all staff members must attend 24 credit hours of professional development each year. The leadership team includes staff responsible for program registration and payments, early learning and child care programs, youth and adult sports, youth dance classes, adult fitness classes, Conestoga Pines Pool, Summer Playgrounds and Wading Pools, Open Streets Lancaster, Lancaster Unity Cup, Lancaster Beer Gardens, special events, senior programs, esports and technology, and administrative, human resources, and communications functions. Youth and family programs give parents the chance to participate with their children rather than only watching from the sidelines, and the FREE Summer Playgrounds & Wading Pools Program runs until Friday, July 31. Donating to the Lancaster Rec Foundation supports the recreation and educational programming that Lancaster residents rely on.
Last updated July 12, 2026.
• Ages: 0–12 years old
• Schedule: The Lancaster Recreation Commission office is open Monday–Friday from 9 a.m.–5 p.m., and general questions can be answered by phone during those same hours.
Lancaster Rec Youth & Families Programs operates as part of a 501(c)3 non-profit agency that offers free community events including Open Streets Lancaster, Lancaster Beer Gardens, Lancaster Unity Cup, RecToberFest, and the Winter Carnival. Child care programs are state licensed by the PA Department of Human Services and are measured by Keystone STARS, and they are year-round programs for infants as young as six weeks through children 12 years old. The curriculum in these child care programs incorporates the State’s Early Learning Standards, and daily learning centers include science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics, language, and small group activities. The mission of Lancaster Rec Youth & Families Programs is to provide a safe and enriching environment for children to learn and grow through play and for families to grow closer by spending quality time together.
Staff for Lancaster Rec Youth & Families Programs are carefully chosen and trained, with mandatory FBI and state police criminal background clearances, child abuse registry clearances, first aid and fire safety training, and physicals. Program directors have bachelor’s degrees with at least 30 credits in education, and all staff members must attend 24 credit hours of professional development each year. The leadership team includes staff responsible for program registration and payments, early learning and child care programs, youth and adult sports, youth dance classes, adult fitness classes, Conestoga Pines Pool, Summer Playgrounds and Wading Pools, Open Streets Lancaster, Lancaster Unity Cup, Lancaster Beer Gardens, special events, senior programs, esports and technology, and administrative, human resources, and communications functions. Youth and family programs give parents the chance to participate with their children rather than only watching from the sidelines, and the FREE Summer Playgrounds & Wading Pools Program runs until Friday, July 31. Donating to the Lancaster Rec Foundation supports the recreation and educational programming that Lancaster residents rely on.
Last updated July 12, 2026.
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