Kids Zone Assistant Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Description
Position Summary:
The Kids Zone Assistant provides hands-on supervision and guidance for children ages 6 weeks-10 years in our drop-in program. Assistants ensure the safety and positive engagement of all children by staying attentive and actively involved during activities. This role includes implementing games, crafts, and enrichment activities using the established Kids Zone curriculum, as well as supporting staff in delivering high-quality experiences. Beyond daily program responsibilities, team members contribute their energy and leadership to YMCA events such as Kids' Night Out, birthday parties, and family programs, helping to create meaningful and memorable experiences for children and families.
Ideal interests or experience includes:
• Enjoy leading and engaging with children during games, crafts, and enrichment activities.
• Are friendly, responsible, and eager to guide activities and support children in a hands-on way.
• Work well as part of a team to implement structured, developmentally appropriate activities.
• Want to make a meaningful impact in your community by supporting children, families, and youth programs.
• Are committed to actively supervising, guiding, and implementing curriculum-based experiences that ensure every child has a safe, positive, and engaging environment.
Job Duties/Responsibilities:
• Provide active supervision by staying engaged, alert, and involved with children at all times.
• Create a welcoming and supportive atmosphere for children and families.
• Implement games, crafts, and enrichment activities using the established Kids Zone curriculum.
• Support staff in delivering high-quality, developmentally appropriate experiences for children.
• Actively support YMCA family events, such as Kids Night Out, ensuring a safe and welcome experience for all.
• Communicate professionally with parents/guardians about their child's experience and promote upcoming programs.
• Uphold YMCA policies and procedures, including safety, emergency, and child protection standards.
• Attend staff meetings and trainings as required.
Qualifications:
Required:
• Minimum age: 16
• Experience working with children in a group setting (babysitting, camps, coaching, volunteering, etc.)
• Ability to plan and implement age-appropriate, play-based activities.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills for working with children, families, and staff.
• Ability to model the YMCA's core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility.
Preferred:
• Experience planning and delivering group activities
• Fluency in a second language
Availability:
Position requires flexible availability to accommodate program and family needs. Specific schedules will vary based on program hours and staffing requirements.
Y Culture:
• Build relationships with a diverse membership base in culturally responsive ways, connect members with one another and to the YMCA
• Exhibit YMCA Core Values of Caring, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility
• Complete required training and certifications within established guidelines
• Arrive on time ready for shift, clock in/out within timekeeping system
Embrace Leader Core Competencies:
Mission Advancement:
• Demonstrates a desire to serve others and fulfill community needs
• Recruits volunteers and builds effective, supportive working relationships with them
• Supports fundraising
Collaboration:
• Works effectively with people of different backgrounds, abilities, opinion, and perceptions
• Builds rapport and relates well to others
• Seeks first to understand the other person's point of view and remains calm in challenging situations
• Listens for understanding and meaning; speaks and writes effectively
• Takes initiative to assist in developing others
Operational Effectiveness:
• Makes sound judgments, and transfers learning from one situation to another
• Embraces new approaches and discovers ideas to create a better member experience
• Establishes goals, clarifies tasks, plans work, and actively participates in meetings
• Strives to meet or exceed goals and deliver a high-value experience for members
Personal Growth:
• Pursues self-development that enhances job performance
• Demonstrates an openness to change and seeks opportunities in the change process
• Accurately assesses personal feelings, strengths, and limitations and how they impact relationships
• Has the functional and technical knowledge and skills required to perform well; uses best practices and demonstrates up-to-the-date knowledge and skills in technology
Physical and Mental Demands: The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by employees to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
Physical Demands:
As directed, lead and participate in a range of activities in a variety of settings. Sufficient strength, agility and mobility to perform essential functions of position and to safely supervise program activities. Staff may occasionally lift children who weigh approximately 50 pounds. While performing the duties of this job, employees are regularly required to sit, walk and stand; talk or hear, both in person and by telephone; use hands repetitively to handle, feel or operate standard office equipment; reach with hands and arms; and lift up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and the ability to adjust focus.
Mental Demands:
While performing the duties of this job, employees are regularly required to use written and oral communication skills; read and interpret data, information and documents; analyze and solve non-routine and complex problems; may use math and mathematical reasoning; observe and interpret situations; learn and apply new information or skills; perform highly detailed work on multiple, concurrent tasks; work under intensive deadlines with frequent interruptions; and interact with members, staff, volunteers, and others encountered in the course of work, some of whom may be dissatisfied individuals.
Working Conditions: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Typically interaction with others is busy, constant and occasionally interruptive. Work may be demanding at times. May require ability to work irregular hours. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Job descriptions represent a general outline of job duties, functions and qualifications. They are not intended to be comprehensive in nature. In addition, jobs evolve over time and therefore their description may not reflect the precise nature of the position at a given point in time.
Requirements
Applicant must be able to work afternoon/evening shifts, Saturdays, and possible Sunday shifts.