Your Insider Guide to Family Summer Fun at the YMCA

Looking for some midsummer activities? Your local YMCA helps you keep the fun coming with insider tips to get the most out of your summer.

Nothing is better than mid-summer! The weather is great and school won’t start for weeks and weeks yet. Your kids are shouting “Keep the fun coming!” Fortunately, they haven’t yet reached the dreaded “I’m SO bored!” stage. Now is the perfect time to introduce a new kind of family summer fun. 

No matter where you live in metro Detroit, you are close to a YMCA — and this is where your summer fun continues. When you’re looking for some classic family fun or something new and different to keep your kids active, your local family YMCA is your solution. (Trust us, your kids will think you are a genius for thinking of this!)

What does the Y offer for family summer fun?

Summer is the perfect time to get to know your YMCA, says Maria Diaz, associate executive director at the Downriver Family YMCA in Southgate. We caught up with Diaz to learn the very best family friendly activities at the Y. 

As a bonus, we asked for insider tips so you can maximize your summer activities at the YMCA. Here are some top activities to try and what you need to know to have the most fun:

1. Family swim hours are generous and the water is welcoming

“We have an amazing pool,” says Diaz. The same goes for all seven family YMCA locations in metro Detroit. 

The pool at the Downriver Family YMCA has a waterslide, a splash fountain and zero-depth entry for a beach feel. During family swim, you can enjoy all of these features at once. And, if you just want to enjoy the pool but don’t want the whole locker room experience, there are free lockers right in the lobby where you can stash your bags and keys, then head right to the pool, says Diaz.

Newly renovated locker rooms and family restrooms offer choice and make it easy for every family to access the pool.  Remember, each Y’s pool is unique, so visit all seven locations and ask your kids which is their favorite.

  • Insider tip: The pool at the Downriver Family YMCA has an integrated warm therapy pool that offers deep relaxation. Try it yourself!

2. Some YMCAs have rock climbing walls

Do your kids love to climb? Give them the challenge of climbing at the Y. Both the Downriver Family YMCA and the Boll Family YMCA in Detroit have natural, seamless rock faces suitable for all levels from beginner to advanced. 

Certified staff show you what to do, says Diaz, and the wall is divided into easy, middle and difficult routes to the top. “It’s super cool when you’re doing it,” she says. 

  • Insider tip: At the top of the wall is a bell you can ring when you reach it!

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3. Open gym is perfect for basketball

If you have a kid or two who love basketball, the YMCA is the perfect place to play. At the Downriver YMCA, there are curtains that create sections in the gym so even little ones can run around and have a good time while the bigger kids get serious about their game.

  • Insider tip: Youth basketball clinics for ages preschool and up run all summer. Your YMCA family membership means you get a discount on the cost!

4. YMCA is inclusive! You belong

The YMCA exists to provide programs and membership to all who want to participate. Family memberships are less than $3 a day, but for some families, that’s not affordable. 

Financial assistance is available for those who qualify. There’s also the Y For All membership available for households of two or more with a combined income of $49,000 or less. 

  • Insider tip: Regardless of your ability to pay, your YMCA membership is 100% the same as everyone else’s membership, says Diaz. “This is the mission of the Y. It’s the reason we are here.”

Learn more and get your own family membership at the YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit. Visit ymcadetroit.org.

Claire Charlton
Claire Charlton
An enthusiastic storyteller, Claire Charlton focuses on delivering top client service as a content editor for Metro Parent. In her 20+ years of experience, she has written extensively on a variety of topics and is keen on new tech and podcast hosting. Claire has two grown kids and loves to read, run, camp, cycle and travel.

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