Recently I found myself wondering what my children might be able to do that would be fun and affordable during their school vacation.

I was thankful to have the time off from work to be with them, but I knew our budget would be tight with the Christmas season upon us.

Luckily, before school got out the kids brought home YMCA fliers with their piles of school papers and notices. The fliers listed lots of fun, low-cost or free activities for children ages 5-12 like mine.

The kids wanted to try the free swim lessons that were advertised, and although I thought this might be too good to be true, I decided to call. It turns out we were welcome to attend, members or not, free of charge and it was not just one lesson but three half-hour, small-group lessons each day.

We went every day, and were not pressured to sign up for more. The staff and instructors were very professional, friendly and knowledgeable, and the kids loved it! The lessons always started on time, lifeguards and staffers kept a close eye on everyone, and the facilities were always very clean.

After the lessons were over, the staff took the time to talk with me about the kids’ progress during their lessons.

The YMCA is wonderful for offering this fun and educational service to area children and families for free.

Loretta Lathe

Augusta