Scottsdale’s Recreation Classes and Activities

Scottsdale’s Recreation Classes and Activities provide a wealth of low cost and FREE! options — to play, learn, grow, have fun, and get fit — for every age and ability. And, they take place in our exceptional parks, recreation, senior, and community centers.

Bonus: you’ll meet lots of new friends by connecting to our community through recreation! So, don’t miss out!

Quick Steps to Register and Pick Classes + Activities

1. Register for Scottsdale Activities, Classes and Memberships, where you can browse for Activities and Classes, plus get a Membership for Aquatic and Fitness centers.
2. Or, pick a class or activity from Scottsdale’s Recreation Class and Activity Guide called Scottsdale Life — and then Register.
3. Browse from the Guide or hover over Activities and Registration after you Register.
4. Pick a category like Dance, and Beginning Ballet. Click the Enroll Now button.
5. Enter your credit card, pay the fees, confirm enrollment, and get your Membership/Activity pass (Swim and Fitness).
6. Show up on time, play nice, and have fun!

Scottsdale’s Recreation Details

There are so many Scottsdale Recreation options to choose from. Classes and activities covering swim, sports like tennis, fitness, arts and crafts, languages, and after school programs are just a few.

The trick is finding all the options. There IS something for everyone to join in the fun — in a healthy way with our community. Here’s how to tap in, so you can get involved and find your tribe!

Did you know Scottsdale’s the 9th healthiest city in the US? Yep, and you can be part of our health kick! Or something less strenuous, like meditation, chess, or painting.

If you’re seeking Adult Sports or Education in Scottsdale, it’s all here too. I lived here a long time before I learned these classes and activities even existed. Now I’m cluing you in — so you can get the most from living in and visiting Scottsdale!

Scottsdale’s Seasonal Recreation Class and Activity Guide

Here’s Scottsdale’s Recreation Class and Activity Guide to get the skinny, so you don’t miss any of the fun! What you need to know is all here, like:

• When is seasonal registration for new activities and classes?
• What classes and activities are offered?
• Where are the facilities, ‘rec,’ and community centers to join the fun?
• What are the age groups I fit into? How about the kids?
• What’s the cost? Or, is it FREE!? Is financial assistance available?
• What about Special Needs and Adaptive Services?
• How do I sign up for an Aquatic or Fitness Center Membership/Activity Pass?

Recreation Classes and Seasonal Activity Guide Dates

The Activity Guide changes seasonally. It covers a full schedule of classes, activities [and services] for the following seasons and dates:

• Winter Guide: January, February, and March
• Spring Guide: April and May
• Summer Guide: June, July and August
• Fall Guide: September, October, November and December

Register and Sign up for Classes and Activities

Once you’ve found the classes and activities you’re excited to join, you’ll Register Here. Here are the Registration Details you need, including Financial Assistance, deciphering the facility code for the location of your activity or class, and other important information.

For help with Registration or other Questions, please call or email:

• (480) 312-7957
• [email protected]
• Tip: try not to wait until the last minute during registration, when they’ll be slammed. Or, practice your patience if you just got the memo!

Detailed Registration Steps:

1. Visit the Registration Page to Sign In/Up. Bookmark this page in your browser so you can find it again!
2. You’ll begin by entering your email address and choosing a Password. Save your Password in your browser, so you don’t have to remember it or create a new password!
3. Enter your personal information in the required fields.
4. Now you’re ready to find your Activities and Classes! Click on the photo for Activities and Registration.
5. Or, select the photo for Memberships if you want a Swim and/or Fitness Center Membership/Pass. [See how this works below]

Aquatics and Fitness Center Memberships and Passes

The Membership Search and Scottsdale Activity Pass are what the City of Scottsdale terms Membership and Activity Passes for our Aquatic and Fitness Centers — plus Table Tennis and 1 Skate Park.

This link includes a handy table from N to S with amenities and links to each facility!

You can obtain memberships and passes to participate in the combination of Lap Swimming, aka ‘Lap Swim’ and Fitness Centers at facilities offering one or both activities.

Or, you can opt for membership/passes in either swimming or fitness, if you only ‘do’ one or the other.

Here’s how it works:

Visit the Registration Page where you Sign Up/Sign In. This page becomes My Account after you register. After you Register and Login:

There are 3 options to choose from:

1. Activities and Registration
2. Reserve Facilities
3. Purchase a Membership

Select Purchase a Membership and the Membership and Scottsdale Activity Pass page appears. You can scroll through the options at the bottom of the page, starting with ‘Cactus,’ for Cactus Aquatic and Fitness Center. Family, Adult, Youth, and Child passes exist.

• Cactus = Cactus Aquatic and Fitness Center
• Chaparral = Chaparral Aquatic Center (no fitness center)
• MMR = McDowell Mountain Ranch Aquatic and Fitness Center
• MMR Skate Park = McDowell Mountain Skate Park
• Eldorado = Eldorado Aquatic and Fitness Center
• Granite Reef Fitness Center is located at Granite Reef Senior Center
• Via Linda Fitness Center is located at Via Linda Senior Center
• Club SAR is a stand-alone Fitness Center

Seasonal Registration for New Classes and Activities – More Tips and Info

Be sure to sign up early so you, your loved ones and besties get into the classes and activities your hearts are set on.

Registration opens ~ 7 weeks before classes and activities start for the new term. Scottsdale residents get a 1 day head-start and non-residents can register 1 day later.

For example: for the Fall Term 2023, registration starts Monday, July 24 for residents. Non-residents can register starting on Tuesday, July 25.

There’s no official closing date for registration, but get a jump on the class or activity you’re interested in, so it doesn’t fill up — or there’s a lack of interest and it gets cancelled. Don’t wait and miss your opportunity!

The number of classes depends on the length of the seasonal term, but seems to range from 4-14 classes.

Find Recreation Classes and Activities

Scottsdale Life Recreation and Activity Guide

Now for the fun part! Let’s make it easy for you to find classes and activities you seek. Or find something new and thrilling to kick your fun up a notch!

Here’s how it works. You can scan the action-packed guide to every Recreation Class and Activity offered in Scottsdale and sign up for your faves in these ways:

Search the PDF Version

Visit the City of Scottsdale’s Recreation and Activity Guide web page.

Click on their Scottsdale Life Activity Guide PDF brochure/catalog [the Guide] to see everything everywhere all at once. Get your glasses — it’s BIG!

Going to View Activities by Topic in the Scottsdale Life Activity Guide PDF version takes you to the exact PDF pages you seek [and saves your eyes from 60 pages of scrolling]:

• Tots (Age 0-6)
• Youth (Ages 5-7)
• Youth Camps
• Adult (Ages 14+)
• Adult Sports
• Adaptive Services
• Aquatics
• Tennis
• Fitness Centers

Grab and Read the Print Version

You can also grab a printed Scottsdale Life Activity Guide at Scottsdale’s Libraries, Recreation Centers and Senior Centers. This link is a fairly complete list of facilities, their abbreviated codes, and addresses, so you can find one close to you.

Grab your glasses, pen, highlighter, sticky notes — whatever old-school tools you’ll need, as there are 60 pages of details here!

It’s really a beautiful, well-designed guide, in either print or PDF versions!

The Website Version and Search Tools

You can also search online after registering. And, you’ll have to go online eventually to enroll in your activity or class or pay.

Unless you need help from a human:

• (480) 312-7957
• [email protected]
• Tip: don’t wait until the last minute during registration, when they’ll be slammed.

Presuming you’re able to use your device, keep going this way:

1. Visit the Activities Login Page. Once you Register and create an account [see Registration Steps above], you can browse the Activities and Registration link.
2. Hover over the Activities and Registration menu tab at the blue menu bar at the top of this page to see and select Activity Categories.
3. Pick a Category like Dance, and Beginning Ballet. Click the Enroll Now button.
4. You can also select Activity Search and enter the Course Number you cross-reference from the Guide, for example: 38877 for Beginning Ballet.
5. If you’re looking for a Recreation Activity Pass for Lap Swim and Fitness, scroll up to Aquatics and Fitness Center Memberships and Passes
6. You can also make a wish list by clicking on the heart icons, before making your final choices of activities and classes.
7. Once you’ve found and decided on your selection, click the Enroll Now button.
8. Enter your credit card, pay the fees, get enrollment confirmation or get your pass.
9. Whew – you’re done!

Now you’re ready to start your own — and other peeps you can rope in’s — new recreation adventures!

Don’t be afraid to play around with the menus and topics after you’ve registered and logged in. You’ll learn your way around by trial and error too!

Scottsdale’s Community Services – Comprehensive Guide

The Scottsdale Life Seasonal Guide is the complete resource to every community activity, event and service the City of Scottsdale offers in these 5 sections:

• Play for Parks and Recreation Activities
• Explore for the McDowell Sonoran Preserve
• Read for Library Services and Information
• Seniors for Senior Centers and Services
• Serve for Human Resources and Services

In this post, I’ve split out Scottsdale’s Recreation Classes and Activities to make this part easy for you. Just keep in mind there’s a lot more to serve your changing needs and desires. Now go enjoy your new and exciting fun things to do in Scottsdale!

Source: City of Scottsdale