City offers “Play Free Saturdays” for kids and youth in 2025
Children and youth, age 17 and under, can take part in free drop-in swimming, skating and gym sports at City recreation facilities every Saturday in 2025.
These free drop-in programs on Saturdays continue to allow children and youth to participate in City programs and benefit from the associated health and social benefits of these activities.
In addition to Play Free Saturdays, the City also offers financial support through the Ottawa Hand in Hand participant subsidy program, to help to make recreation and cultural programming more affordable and accessible for everyone.
Here is more information on the free drop-in activities offered on Saturdays:
Drop-in swims
Free drop-in swimming sessions on Saturdays for children and youth, aged 17 and under. Fees still apply for wave swims.
View a list of recreation and community centres with pools↗.
Drop-in gym sports
Free for children and youth, aged 17 and under. Drop-in sports will vary by location and include activities like badminton, table tennis, basketball, volleyball and more. Fees still apply for specialized activities such as rock wall climbing and squash or racquetball.
View a list of all drop-in sports activities↗.
Skating
Free public and family skating sessions for children and youth, aged 17 and under. Fees still apply for specialty skates such as shinny hockey games, pick-up hockey games and figure skating.
View a list of facilities that offer skating↗.
For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca↗, call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401) or 613-580-2400 to contact the City using Canada Video Relay Service. You can also connect with us through Facebook↗, X (Twitter)↗ and Instagram↗.