Schools in Costa Rica take their usual break in December, kids go on vacation depending on the school sometimes just for a month and other times for a little over two months; kids and teens can get bored at home or parents may want to keep them busy, in this case, there are plenty of options for summer classes, of course you can find paid options but there’re also alternatives that are completely FREE of charge.

Free? Yes, this is something that surprisingly many expats living in Costa Rica ignore; most counties have a Sports and Recreation Committee (Comité Cantonal de Deports y Recreación) and Community Centers, you can get information on these services directly in their offices if you know where they are or you can go to the local Municipality and find out where they are located.

Each county has its own offer of sports and recreation activities but the majority include: soccer, swimming, boxing, chess, tennis, gymnastics, judo, taekwondo, karate, rugby, table tennis, athletics, basketball, volleyball, among others. Some sports are only found in certain “sedes” or locations, for instance, skating, fencing, cricket, cheerleading, beach soccer, water polo, to name a few, all these options are usually imparted in La Sabana Park.

When it comes to recreation activities community centers also offer summer schools, drawing, painting, or music classes are available.

In order to get information on schedules all you have to do is contact the Sports and Recreation Committee or the Municipality, you can also contact the Association or Federation you are interested in directly. There is no cost to join; all you have to do is send your child ready with proper clothes and water. A child can register in up to two disciplines. Classes are available for kids 5-18 years of age.

Sports and recreation activities are available year round free of charge, but there are options specifically for the summer time, this is a perfect way for your son or daughter to try a sport and see if they like it and want to continue in regular class; for summer school the period will go from January 10 to January 26 check with your local Sports and Recreation Committee or you can also contact:

La Sabana Metropolitan Park: Phone: 2549-0888 – [email protected]
San Carlos: Phones: 2460-2145 /2460-2416 – [email protected]
Heredia: Phone: 2260-5241- [email protected]
Limón: Phone: 2758-3653
Or call the ICODER (Costa Rican Institute of Sports and Recreation): 2549-0807.