One of our favourite indoor activities for kids is swimming. We are lucky on the east end of the Greater Toronto Area to have some outstanding indoor swimming pools for kids. Our family has personally visited and tested out many indoor swimming pools in Toronto, York Region, Durham Region and beyond.
When we’re picking out our favourite indoor pools for kids, we look for a few things. Firstly, we love a swimming pool with a water slide! For my oldest child who is 7 years old, the bigger the slide, the better. We also love finding shallow splash pools and smaller slides for toddlers. Lastly, we look for other fun and engaging elements like spray features, lazy rivers and hot tubs! With all of this in mind, we’ve picked out our choices for the best indoor swimming pools for kids in Toronto, York Region, Durham Region and beyond.
The Best Indoor Swimming Pools in Toronto
Agincourt Recreation Centre
The Agincourt Recreation Centre in Scarborough has, hands down, one of the best indoor pools for kids in Toronto and the GTA. There is a huge, twisty water slide that ends in a chute, which means children do not need to pass a swim test to ride. The only requirement is that they be at least 48 inches tall. There is also an adorable shallow toddler pool with a jungle theme. The shallow toddler pool has warm water, a beach style entry, a shipwreck themed slide that is appropriate for preschool age children, a floating crocodile to climb on, and two more even smaller slides for the tiniest swimmers. There is also a second shallow pool to play in and a large leisure pool with a deep end. And maybe the best thing about this pool?! Leisure swims are completely FREE!
Birchmount Community Centre
The indoor swimming pool at Birchmount Community Centre, located at the south end of Scarborough is another great location to take the kids swimming in Toronto. There is a large leisure pool, large water slide and a small, warm splash pool for toddlers. Since the water slide comes out into a pool, children must pass the swim test in order to ride. To pass, children need to swim two widths of the shallow end with their faces in the water (approximately 25 metres). Like Agincourt Recreation Centre, the leisure swims at Birchmount Community Centre are also completely FREE!
The Best Indoor Swimming Pools in York Region
Stronach Aurora Recreation Complex
The Stronach Aurora Recreation Complex, located in Aurora, has an amazing swimming pool for kids. There is a shallow tot pool with a beach style entry, umbrella spray feature and a small slide for preschoolers. There is also a large water slide and a second, very large, shallow warm water pool! For bigger kids there is also a large leisure pool with a deep end.
The Best Indoor Swimming Pools in Durham Region
South Oshawa Community Centre
This is one of our absolute favourite swimming pools in the Toronto area. The South Oshawa Community Centre has a large, warm, shallow pool for little kids. The shallow pool has a beach style entry and several very fun spray features. We also love the water slide at this pool because even my 5 year old is able to ride. The slide comes out in a chute (not into the pool) so no swim test is required and the height requirement is only 42 inches!
Delpark Homes Centre
Delpark Homes Centre, located in north Oshawa, is home to another of our favourite swimming pools for kids in Durham Region. Like the South Oshawa Community Centre, Delpark homes also has a large waterslide that comes out in a chute so no swim test is required to ride! The large leisure pool at this Centre includes a shallow splash pool for toddlers with some fun little fountains to play in; a lazy river; and an umbrella spray feature.
Do you know of any other great swimming pools for kids in Toronto or the GTA?! Tell us about them!