Kent State Student Recreation & Wellness Center050

Built for college students and faculty in 1999, the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, or SWRC, is also family-friendly.

Monthly passes are available and provide all the benefits of membership except the ability to bring guests. Families may purchase memberships by the semester or the year, and need not be affiliated with the university in order to join.

A supervised children's activity center (CAC), open daily from 4pm to 8pm, provides child care for kids ages three to twelve while parents exercise. CAC staff do not sit in a room, rather, they take the children to various areas in the building so the kids can be active too - playing ping pong, basketball, volleyball, or just running around playing games.

SWRC has a large family pool, with a glass-enclosed poolside room for parties. (To arrange with SWRC staff, call 330.672.4732.) The pool features a waterwall for fun play, and a shallow pool for the non-swimming set. (Swim diapers must be worn by all children who are not toilet trained.)

The 40-foot-high climbing wall is a focal point and a popular spot inside SWRC. For $4, a member or guest can participate in a Try Climb, during which a trained climbing wall associate offers basic instruction, encouragement, and handles the belay ropes as the participant makes two climbs. Helmets are available for climbers, and kids can climb as soon as they're ready - though it's not recommended for those under five - as long as a parent or guardian signs a waiver, and stays with the climber at the wall.

Swim lessons are available to members and non-members. (Check website for details.) SWRC's summer camp, known as PEAK, runs June through August. Sessions vary each year, but generally include age-appropriate physical and academic programs. They're also popular - if you want to secure a spot in a particular session, we recommend registering in April.