With a few weeks left before the festive chaos of the holidays, now is the perfect time to start planning your family’s New Year, which for many families includes selecting extra-curricular classes for their kids from the city’s vast and diverse offerings. Whether your children want to practice their first chords, refine their ballet steps, learn a new language or perfect their yoga poses, the great news is—there’s a class for that!
92ND STREET Y Designed for kids ages 10-13 with a background in vocals, guitar, keyboard, bass or drums, the 92nd Street Y’s new class “Rock Shop” teaches young musicians about the evolution of rock n’ roll. During the 14-week course, kids will learn songs by The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Nirvana, Oasis and more, and get the chance to perform in a live concert setting.
THE AILEY EXTENSION Toe-tapping two-year-olds will love the Ailey Extension’s “Tiny Steps” creative movement program. Led by instructors from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the class allows children and their caregivers to learn the basics of musicality, rhythm and dance, while also developing body awareness, control and creativity through a series of playful dance exercises.
APPLAUSE NEW YORK CITY Applause’s “Broadway Babies” class is the original, top-rated Broadway music mommy-andme class. Each week, a different Broadway musical sets the stage for this energetic, educational and unique experience. Taught by Broadway professionals, Broadway Babies uses props, costumes, toys and musical instruments to develop your child’s imagination, musical and rhyming skills.
APPLE SEEDS Heralded by New York Magazine as the “best music class of 2010,” apple seeds’ “songs for seeds” is a rockin’ class that encourages kids to sing, play instruments, dance and learn abou
t new cultures. The apple seeds’ band creates nursery rhymes through art, performs magic tricks to practice counting, spins the animal wheel and more.
ART FARM IN THE CITY Animal-loving families can check out the Art Farm In The City’s “Rock, Smocks and Animals” class, the only mommy-and-me class that lets kids interact with live animals. Classes include music and dancing, art projects and storytelling, and of course, hands-on interaction with the star of the show, “The Animal Of The Week!” The class isn’t over until kids meet all of the farm’s animals in the indoor petting zoo.
BALLET ACADEMY EAST In Ballet Academy East’s modern dance classes, children will have the opportunity to freely express themselves and explore their own dance improvisations. Eac
h joyful and creative class is accompanied by a live percussionist.
BIG CITY VOLLEYBALL Big City Volleyball’s Winter Youth Volleyball Classes are designed to help boys and girls between the ages of 9-16 learn the fundamentals of volleyball, with two hours of drills in setting, passing, overhand serving and hitting, all in a fun and friendly environment.
COLLINA ITALIANA Collina Italiana’s “Giardino dei Bambini” is a morning
drop-off playgroup for kids ages 2-5, in which experienced instructors
provide multiple opportunities for kids to learn Italian through play.
The program offers language learning through games, activi
ties, songs,
dance, theater and more.
DISCOVERY PROGRAMS Spring like Spiderman and bound like Batman at Discovery
Programs’ “Action Hero Dance” class, designed for pre-school boys with a
sense of rhythm who love to move! Students incorporate dynamic
movements into high energy and fun routines.
GYMBOREE PLAY & MUSIC Gymboree Play & Music’s “School Skills” preschool alternative mixes academics,
socialization and physical play, giving children ages 2-4 the tools to
master abstract thinking and personal and social skills. Leapfrog
technology suppor
ts language, plus science and discovery, music, art,
reading and physical exercise.
INSTITUTO CERVANTES At Instituto Cervantes, kids ages 4-6 and 7-10 will learn
Spanish and develop their communication skills through games, songs,
multimedia and arts and crafts. Designed for kids with or without a
Spanish-speaking background, the multi-cultural course includes
materials from both Spain and Latin America.
JCC IN MANHATTAN Kids can get energized in the JCC Manhattan’s “Let’s Go!
Creative Exercise” class, which approaches exercise from a fun-filled,
multiarts perspective. Kids will listen to upbeat music, play movement
and drama games, draw pictures, read stories and more. Vibrant physical
activities with colorful dramatic routines allow each child to explore
their own imagination!
JOFFREY BALLET Parents and children can learn together at The Joffrey Ballet School’s Dance With Me, a program for children as young as two with a parent or caregiver as a dance buddy. Classes help build fine and gross motor skills, develop basic understanding of music and rhythm and create an environment for children to explore 
movement through creativity and imagination.
KARMA KIDS YOGA Karma Kids’ CircusYoga blends the consciousness of yoga with the
celebration of circus. The class, intended for children 6 and up,
fosters connection, play and communication through Circus Skills, Group
Games, Acrobatics, Flying Partner Yoga, Tightwire and Balance Pipe, and
Creative Movement. CircusYoga principles include courage, trust,
collaboration, deep listening, community and celebration.
KICK & PLAY Kick & Play is a fun-filled movement program for
toddlers 12-24 months and their parents or caregivers. Designed by the
creators of Super Soccer Stars, Kick & Play utilizes music, puppets,
interactive play and basic soccer elements in a carefully-designed
curriculum that provides individualized attention to children according
to their
various developmental needs.
KIDS IN SPORTS Kids In Sports offers programs for kids ages 1-12 in which
they can learn the fundamentals of baseball, basketball, floor hockey,
soccer, volleyball and lacrosse in a fun and supportive environment. The
program places an emphasis on sportsmanship, teamwork, respect and
communication.
KIDVILLE So many ways to play! Kidville’s “Run, Wiggle, Paint and Giggle” class
engages toddlers through stories, ball play, block exploration, art and
sensory play, and the finale: wiggling with one of Kidville’s own
rockin’ musicians! A predictable, structured routine lets little ones
gain confidence about transitions and knowing what happens next, all
while having fun and making friends.
MATHNASIUM Through tutoring and enrichment programs, Mathnasium (which recently
opened an Upper West Side location) helps students in grades Pre-K
through 12 build a solid math foundation while developing confidence and
a love for math. Students rece
ive both homework guidance and a
customized program that fills in skill gaps and builds fluency with
numbers.
THE SCHOOL AT STEPS The School at Steps, a division of Steps On Broadway, introduces the Horton Technique to
young dancers ages 9-18. Created by Lester Horton, this technique
creates strong, lean and flexible dancers, and the class allows dancers
to explore traditional and contemporary styles of choreography. Classes
are accompanied by live percussionists and include warm-up, floor work
and progressions.
SHERIDAN FENCING Give your child an edge at Sheridan Fencing Academy, home to
some of the nation’s top-ranked fencers. The emphasis is on fun—kids 4
and up literally jump through hoops!—to engage both body and mind. Give
fencing a whirl with a free trial class at Sheridan Fencing’s newly
opened East Side location.
SOKOL Sokol New York’s “Rhythmic Gymnastics” class for kids ages 6-7 combines
sport and art together to promote grace of movement, muscular
flexibility, strength and good posture. Participants learn tumbling,
dance moves, leaps, turns and traveling steps as well as manipulation of
the hand apparatus (hoops, balls and ribbons) and choreographed dances.
SUPER SOCCER STARS Get the ball rolling with NYC’s most popular soccer
development program for ages 2 and up. Coaches work with students to
develop skills, self-confidence and teamwork in a fun, non-competitive
environment. Positive reinforcement and low child-to-coach ratios ensure
that students improve soccer skills through warm-ups, drills and games,
all while having endless fun! 
SPORTIME The QuickStart Tennis program for 2- to 5-year-olds at SPORTIME
Randall’s Island/Manhattan is an exciting format for learning tennis,
where kids get to play right away! Utilizing specialized equipment,
shorter court dimensions, and modified scoring, QuickStart provides an
optimum learning environment for young children.
SWIMJIM The experts at SwimJim believe that swimming is a fun and healthy
lifesaving skill that all children should learn. In the SwimKid program—
intended for beginners ages 3 and up—children begin gaining comfort in
the water while learning breath control, buoyancy and beginning dives.
WOLLMAN RINK At Wollman Rink’s “Snow Plow Sam” class for first time skaters
ages 5-6, kids learn basic balance, proper falling and getting up,
beginning forward skating and two foot glides. Students work on forward
marching with speed, simple turns, beginning backward skating and stops.
YOGI BEANS Yogi Beans is an energetic and transformative yoga-for-kids
program, stretching from age 6 weeks all the way to tweens. For the
youngest of “beans,” check out the “Me & My Parent” classes, a
wonderful way to establish a unique bond with your child through gentle
yoga stretches, songs and games.
NEW TO THE FIELD
GENERATION D AT DASHA WELLNESS Dasha Wellness, a popular health sanctuary for adults that offers everything from massage therapy and acupuncture to personal training, recently unveiled Generation D, a unique wellness and fitness program custom-designed for kids ages 5 and up. Created by a team of experienced coaches, recreational therapists and trainers, Generation D aims to boost self-esteem and give children an opportunity to try different activities, sports and exercises in 4 to 8 week sessions. Dasha Wellness, The Galleria, 115 East 57th Street, 212-755- 5500, dashawellness.com.
CITIBABES @ EQUINOX Busy parents know the importance of multi-tasking, which is why we think the partnership between Citibabes and Equinox fitness clubs is a great idea. Beginning in January, Equinox fitness will offer childcare led by Citibabes at its 92nd Street location. While parents enjoy their workout, children ages 3 months to 9 years can safely engage with their peers, learn, create, dance and play under the supervision of instructors certified in CPR and trained in the Citibabes teaching philosophy, which emphasizes self-expression and socialization. Equinox, 2465 Broadway (at 92nd Street), 212-799-1818, equinox.com, citibabes.com.
BE BRAVE ATHLETICS AND BE BRAVE ADVENTURES The Max Cure Foundation—a non-profit organization that benefits pediatric cancer research—will debut the “Be Brave Athletics” program this January, a six-week fitness program designed for kids ages 2-5 at the Sports Club/LA on the Upper East Side. Inspired by now seven-year-old NYC kid Max Plotkin (who was diagnosed with a rare form of B-cell Lymphoma at age 4) Be Brave Athletics allows kids to develop fundamental sports skills, coordination and a positive attitude, all while having fun. What’s more, parents of kids up to 4 years old can also look forward to the Max Cure’s “Be Brave Adventures,” an interactive and fun-filled storytelling and movement session that is set to take place at Kidville in January. Best of all, 100% of the proceeds of both programs will benefit pediatric cancer research through the foundation. For more information, visit maxcurefoundation.org.
