2025 After-School Adventures
Every Body Plays – Free Youth Recreation Program
Free, Fun, and Safe Recreation for Ages 7- 17
Every Body Plays is a free, drop-in recreation program offered by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation. Led by trained and caring staff, the program provides a safe and welcoming environment where youth can build friendships, explore creativity, stay active, and learn new skills through hands-on activities.
Program Overview
Available year-round at park sites across Los Angeles County, Every Body Plays is designed to support the whole child physically, socially, and emotionally while fostering creativity, confidence, and community.
Activities May Include
• Sports and Fitness: Activities such as handball, yoga, cross-country, frisbee, and other team and individual sports
• Arts and Crafts: Creative workshops that encourage self-expression
• Group Games and Story Time: Fun, interactive activities that promote teamwork and communication
• ESTEAM Projects: Hands-on learning in Environment, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math
• Nature Exploration: Outdoor learning experiences with naturalist backpacks and guided activities
Cost: Free
Registration: Not required – this is a non-custodial, drop-in program.
Ongoing Opportunities
Every Body Plays continues throughout the year with after school and seasonal programming to keep youth engaged and inspired beyond the summer months.
Offerings may include:
• Homework assistance and academic support
• Cultural and holiday events (e.g., heritage celebrations, seasonal festivals)
• Movies in the Park
• ESTEAM projects and digital learning activities
• Arts, crafts, and performing arts opportunities
• eSports, coding, and design workshops in Innovation Labs
• Recreation and sports clinics for all skill levels
Innovation and Digital Learning
Select locations also feature Innovation Labs and Computer Labs, where participants can learn coding and design skills, participate in digital media projects, and compete in eSports tournaments.
Why Every Body Plays?
• Always 100% free to participate
• Led by trained and caring staff
• Encourages creativity, fitness, and friendship
• Available at dozens of LA County park locations
• Designed to support the whole child physically, socially, and emotionally
Find a Participating Park: Use the interactive park locator to discover your nearest Every Body Plays location and see what’s happening near you.
Homework Assistance
During the school year, youth come to the parks not only for partaking in fun activities, but also to get assistance with their homework from our staff. This is not a homework completion program/activity, it is just to assist them in their homework.
Holiday and Cultural Events
Keep up with the holidays and base your activities around them! Be festive, be creative, be what’s in. Examples range from but are not limited to:
- Hispanic Heritage Month
- Spooky Season
- Harvest Festival
- Day of the Dead
- Holiday in the Park
- Lunar New Year
- Black History Month
Movies in the Park
Movies are a great pastime for many! With many genres and so many movies to choose from, the options are endless for movie day at the park!
Computer Lab & E Sports
Computer labs can allow for computer classes and activities and can even be used by youth for homework assistance.
Esports is a great pastime for many. Create a team and compete against other parks!
Arts & Crafts
Arts & Crafts comprise a whole host of activities that are related to making things with one’s own hands and skills. Get creative, get innovative, get artsy!
Recreational Activities
Engage in some fun & social activities to refresh the mind and body and to have a great time with your fellow peers. Actvities include handball, yoga, cross country and frisbee.
Sports
Sports are all forms of physical activities that contribute to physical fitness, mental wellbeing, and social interactions. Sports during the Every Body Plays program will be held as clinics and not so much as organized teams. Examples include basketball, volleyball, baseball, lacrosse and tennis.
Special Interest Classes
Instructor led classes that teach and enhance creative skills to your youth such as video production, poetry, hip-hop, stand up comedy, cooking and magic.
ESTEAM
ESTEAM stands for Environment, Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, & Mathematic activities and projects to engage your youth in to get their creative minds flowing. Each week of ESTEAM includes fun and educational activities from the following themes: Oceans, Becoming L.A., Paleontology, Engineering, Community Science, “E is for Environment” and Space!