Engage at Any Age with Activities for All
March 2025
article by Jessica Renstrom | photo courtesy of Billings Park & Recreation
No matter your age or stage of life, Billings Parks and Recreation offers various activities to pique your interest. Their programs emphasize inclusivity and accessibility and provide engaging and diverse ways for everyone to get involved. Get ready to explore new hobbies, stay active, and connect with your community.
YOUTH PROGRAMS
Let’s peek at some of Billings Parks and Recreation's many programs, starting with those designed for our city’s youngest residents. Zumbini® is a unique early childhood program for children ages 0-4 and their caregivers. It uses music and movement to promote development. Once children turn four, they can participate in more activities, including indoor tennis lessons.
While after-school activities and sports programs for volleyball and basketball are offered all year round, summer is especially full of specialty camps and week-long sports camps for children as young as five. The range of specialty camps spans a wide array of interests. Rocket Camp is the perfect fit for students interested in the science behind space exploration, while young artists can explore their creativity in the Character Design Camp. For musically inclined children, the Rock Band Camp offers a week of musical learning culminating in a mini-concert at Veteran's Park. For young chefs, the Kids in the Kitchen Cooking Camp teaches kids ages 10-13 the basics of cooking from scratch.
Week-long sports camps are also offered for sports ranging from basketball to tennis. These programs are thoughtfully designed to promote physical activity among children while instilling a sense of teamwork and sportsmanship.
ADULT SPORTS & SENIOR PROGRAMMING
If you want to stay active but can relate to Ann Perkins’s sentiment on running (“Jogging is the worst! I know it keeps you healthy, but at what cost?"), Billings Parks and Recreation hosts a variety of team sports to cater to your fitness goals. Whether basketball, soccer, or volleyball, adults can enjoy the benefits of staying active while having fun and socializing. The Department hosts 62 city league basketball teams, with both men’s and women’s leagues, creating a welcoming environment for participants to engage in friendly competition.
Adults 55 and above can participate in a wide array of senior programming designed to be affordable, accessible, and just plain fun. Jennifer Brown, Recreation & Wellness Specialist with Billings Parks and Recreation, explains that the list of classes and programs offered to seniors continues to expand due to the needs and desires of the community: “Post-COVID, I saw a lot of people who couldn’t do an upright exercise class. So, we started adding in more seated classes, including ‘Sit & Fit’, which is done completely from a chair.” To help these adults enjoy the benefits of staying active, Jennifer customizes all their exercise programs to focus on safety and fall prevention.
In addition to exercise, many seniors enjoy BINGO and pinochle games, Bob Ross-inspired painting classes, and beginner cooking courses offered
ADAPTIVE & FINANCIALLY ACCESSIBLE PROGRAMS
One of the distinguishing features of Billings Parks and Recreation is its commitment to inclusivity through adaptive programs like Love Serving Autism. “Billings has needed more opportunities for adaptive recreation for both kids and adults,” explains Austin Bolin, Recreation Specialist with Billings Parks and Recreation. “These programs give opportunities to come together and socialize.”
Love Serving Autism offers tennis lessons with a certified coach for children ages 5 - 17 of all abilities, skill levels, and disabilities. This program helps develop skills and communication in young athletes, and it has received great feedback from families who have enrolled since its initiation last spring. Thanks to many volunteers, parents can cheer on their children from the sidelines as they gain confidence in a small group setting.
In addition to Love Serving Autism, Billings Parks and Recreation offers adaptive baseball for youth and adult leagues through the Miracle League of Billings, giving individuals with varying abilities a chance to participate in sports in a supportive and laid-back setting. The games are played at Landon’s Miracle Field, a baseball field with a wheelchair-accessible rubberized surface and completely ADA-accessible bathrooms and dugouts.
Finances can often be a challenge for families with disabled family members, as therapy is expensive. But Billings Parks and Recreation does not want financial burdens to stop anyone from enjoying these experiences. “One thing we like to do is make this program very affordable and offer scholarships,” says Austin. “If someone wants to play, we will make that happen.”
Billings Parks and Recreation's commitment to accessibility extends beyond its adaptive programs. The Organization offers scholarships for all of its programming and encourages anyone who cannot participate due to financial constraints to apply.
Likewise, the department continues to create new, affordable ways for residents to enjoy our city and community with developments like the new Rec2U program. Launched last year, Rec2U brings free, engaging activities to rotating city areas, providing games, arts & crafts, snacks, and water for participants of all ages. Another completely free way to enjoy the community? Channel your inner Ron Swanson and get outside at one of the over 150 parks in Billings. He says, “It’s pointless for a human to paint scenes of nature when they can go outside and stand in it.”
READY TO GET STARTED?
To find more information on any of the programs in this article or to download the new app, check out:
billingsparks.org
Originally printed in the March 2025 issue of Simply Local Magazine
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