Rec Check

About Rec Check

Saint Paul Parks and Recreation offers after-school and other out-of-school time care for youth at multiple recreation centers across the City. Rec Check programs are open for youth who live or attend school in Saint Paul. Children participate in a variety of structured, supervised activities that are recreation-focused. These may include arts and crafts, community-building games, quiet time, homework help (during the school year), and more. To promote health and fitness, staff will engage the youth daily in physical activity. A daily snack is also provided.

Rec Check Program Overview

Rec Check Handbook

Program	Grades	Days	Saint Paul Public Schools is...	Times	Price
School Year Rec Check	Grades 1-5 (currently enrolled school-year)	Mon - Fri	in session, on break, or snow day	Mon - Thur 2 - 6 p.m. & Fri 2 - 5:30 p.m.	Free
School Year Rec Check	Grades 1-5 (currently enrolled school-year)	Mon - Fri	*No Rec Check offered on holidays--see full list of dates below
Rec Check Extended	Grades 1-5 (currently enrolled school-year)	Varies	on MEA, Winter Break & Spring Break	8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m	$10/day
Summer Rec Check	Entering grades 1-6 (in the upcoming fall)	Mon - Thu	on Summer Break	1 - 4 p.m.	Free

Registration Information

Registration is available online or over the phone by calling the recreation center directly. A list of sites and contact information is available below. Rec Check enrollment will be limited to 28-30 youth per site with a 1:14 staff to participant ratio. Registration is taken on a first-come, first-serve basis.

2025-26 School-Year Rec Check

Registration for school-year Rec Check will open Wednesday, August 20 at 9am. Registrations are accepted on a rolling basis until full.

Cost: Free
Grades: 1-5
Days: Monday - Friday
- September 2, 2025 - June 11, 2026
- No care on November 11, 27, 28, December 24, 25, January 1, 19, 30, February 16, or May 25
Times:
- Mon-Thur 2pm-6pm and Fri 2-5:30pm (Rec Check will always be offered at these times regardless of whether Saint Paul Public Schools is in session or not)
Locations (centers with a * are also Rec Check Extended sites):
- Arlington Hills
- Battle Creek
- Dayton's Bluff
- Duluth & Case
- Edgcumbe*
- El Rio Vista
- Frogtown
- Hancock
- Hayden Heights
- Hazel Park*
- Highwood Hills
- Jimmy Lee/Oxford
- Langford Park
- Linwood
- Martin Luther King
- McDonough
- Merriam Park
- North Dale*
- North End (formerly Rice)
- Palace
- Phalen
- West Minnehaha
- Wilder

Rec Check Registration

Registration for school-year Rec Check will open August 20 at 9am. Registrations are accepted on a rolling basis until full. Register online, or visit one of the locations above for more information. (Please note that due to a digital security incident, all recreation center phone lines are currently deactivated. To contact us by phone, call our customer service team at 651-266-6400. We are experiencing a high volume of calls, so we encourage registration online or in-person at your local recreation center.)

Registration link will be available August 20.

2025-26 Rec Check Extended

Rec Check Extended offers full day care on select days when Saint Paul Public Schools are on break. Please note that these sites only offer the Extended care during these select school breaks and will offer our regularly scheduled after-school Rec Check times when SPPS is in session.

Cost: $10/day
Grades: 1-5
Days: Vary
Times: 8:30am-5pm
Dates:
- October 16-17 (MEA Break)
- December 22, 23, 26 (Winter Break, week 1)
- December 29, 30, 31, January 2 (Winter Break, week 2)
- April 6-10 (Spring Break)
Locations:
- Edgcumbe
- Hazel Park
- North Dale

Rec Check Extended Registration

Registration for Rec Check Extended opens August 20 at 9am. Registrations are accepted on a rolling basis until full. Register online, or visit one of the locations above for more information. (Please note that due to a digital security incident, all recreation center phone lines are currently deactivated. To contact us by phone, call our customer service team at 651-266-6400. We are experiencing a high volume of calls, so we encourage registration online or in-person at your local recreation center.)

Registration link will be available August 20.

2025 Summer Rec Check

Summer Rec Check has everything you love about our school year Rec Check, but with a summer twist! Activities vary by day and location but could include crafts, cooking, swimming, gym games, sports, nature exploration, outdoor play, fitness, science, field trips, and more! A daily snack is provided. Registration is required.

Cost: Free
Grades: 1-6 (entering in the fall)
Days: Monday - Thursday
- June 16 - August 21
- No Rec Check on June 19 or July 4
Time:
- 1pm-4pm
Locations:
Some locations may be full or have waitlists. If your preferred site is full, contact the recreation center directly for options.
Arlington Hills
Battle Creek
Dayton's Bluff
Duluth & Case
Edgcumbe
El Rio Vista
Frogtown
Hancock
Hayden Heights--space available!
Hazel Park
Highwood Hills--space available!
Jimmy Lee/Oxford
Langford Park
Linwood
Martin Luther King--space available!
McDonough--space available!
Merriam Park
North Dale
North End (formerly Rice)
Palace
Phalen
West Minnehaha
Wilder--space available!

FAQs

Center	Phone #	Rec Check	Rec Check Extended	Summer Rec Check
Arlington Hills Community Center	651-632-3861	X		X
Battle Creek Recreation Center	651-501-6347	X		X
Dayton's Bluff Recreation Center	651-793-3885	X		X
Duluth & Case Recreation Center	651-298-5709	X		X
Edgcumbe Recreation Center	651-695-3711	X	X	X
El Rio Vista Recreation Center	651-789-2500	X		X
Frogtown Community Center	651-298-5820	X		X
Groveland Recreation Center	651-695-3714
Hancock Recreation Center	651-298-4393	X		X
Hayden Heights Recreation Center	651-298-5716	X		X
Hazel Park Recreation Center	651-501-6350	X	X	X
Highland Park Community Center	651-695-3706
Highwood Hills Recreation Center	651-266-6391	X		X
Jimmy Lee/Oxford Community Center	651-642-0650	X		X
Langford Recreation Center	651-298-5765	X		X
Linwood Recreation Center	651-298-5660	X		X
Martin Luther King Recreation Center	651-290-8695	X		X
McDonough Recreation Center	651-558-2171	X		X
Merriam Park Recreation Center	651-298-5766	X		X
North Dale Recreation Center	651-558-2329	X	X	X
Northwest Como Recreation Center	651-295-5813
Palace Community Center	651-298-5677	X		X
Phalen Recreation Center	651-793-6600	X		X
Rice Recreation Center	651-298-5727	X		X
West Minnehaha Recreation Center	651-298-5823	X		X
Wilder Recreation Center	651-298-5727	X		X

Groveland, Highland Park, and Northwest Como recreation centers offer full-day S'more Fun childcare programs.

Check In
Youth are expected to check in with designated staff upon arrival. We cannot accept early arrivals, so please arrive at the designated start time. If a child will not be in attendance at Rec Check, please notify staff. In the event a child is scheduled to attend Rec Check and they have not checked in, staff will contact the parents to locate the child.
Check Out
Youth must also check out with designated staff before departing. Please notify staff, if your child will be picked up at a time earlier than the usual departure time. If running late to pick up your child, please notify the center. A list of authorized names to pick up your child must be provided the center; it is your responsibility to notify staff of any changes.
Although staff may be onsite after the program ends, they will be assigned to other tasks. Youth waiting to be picked up are expected to play independently. If after 15 minutes length of time, staff has not heard from you, they will begin making calls in order to locate an authorized person to pick up your child. Please note on Friday’s our recreation centers close at 6pm. After building hours, if the staff is unable to reach you or an authorized person, staff will then call the police and/or proper authorities.
- Backpack
- Cloth mask (masks are welcome but not required)
- Reusable water bottle
A change in Minnesota law now allows Saint Paul Public Schools to transport children to two of Saint Paul Parks and Recreation's youth programs, Rec Check and S'more Fun.
- The recreation center attended must be within the attendance area or transportation area of the school attended and must be more than one mile of walking distance from school.
- An application for childcare transportation must be completed if the student is attending a recreation center program that is more than one mile from the school but the student's residence is less than one mile from school.
- Transportation to Saint Paul Parks & Recreation youth programs must be arranged through the school that the child attends. The application form is available from the school office or the SPPS Transportation Department website.
- Transportation is only available on days Saint Paul Public Schools is in session.
- Transportation to any students' residence from Rec Check or S'more Fun is not provided.

The City of Saint Paul is responding to a digital security incident. Emergency services remain fully operational.

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Rec Check

In This Section

About Rec Check

Rec Check Program Overview

Program

Grades

Days

Saint Paul Public Schools is...

Times

Price

Registration Information

2025-26 School-Year Rec Check

Rec Check Registration

2025-26 Rec Check Extended

Rec Check Extended Registration

2025 Summer Rec Check

FAQs

Where does Rec Check take place?

What is the process for checking participants in and out?

Check In

Check Out

How will I know if my child attends or not?

What should participants bring with them to Rec Check each day?

Is there after-school transportation?