The arts are essential in stimulating creativity and confidence and developing innovative thinkers. Whether it’s through sculpting, drawing, painting, or crafting, children crave the opportunity to express themselves through art. Take advantage of some of the great classes for kids available all over Connecticut and avoid those messy "glitter-tastrophes" on your kitchen table. 

For more kids programs, toddler classes, and after school activities, explore our updated Guide to Kids' Classes in Connecticut.

Whether it's for self-defense or just for fun, karate classes and martial arts classes for kids offer a great way for your child to get exercise, learn discipline, and gain self-confidence. Karate and taekwondo seem to top the list for most popular practices in NYC, and we've found studios offering both to NYC kids.

Find more enrichment opportunities in our guide to the Classes and Activities for New York City Kids.

If you're pining for the ocean and don't want to travel too far, consider taking a family vacation to the Delaware beaches—Bethany Beach, Rehoboth Beach, Fenwick Island, Lewes, and Dewey Beach—all of which made our list of great family-friendly beaches near DC. These beach towns are gorgeous, packed with family-friendly activities, and close to Ocean City, Maryland. The best part is, they're only about 2.5 hours from the DC area (depending on traffic)! 

For three summers now, my family has stayed at Sea Colony—a Bethany Beach tennis resort full of fun activities for kids—and we highly recommend it. But there are also plenty of other great options for where to stay at the Delaware beaches, from seaside hotels to vacation rental homes.

Orlando is a prime location for over-the-top water parks, and the newest way of cooling off in Florida's warm weather are inflatable water parks. These bouncy aqua parks make for a great day of summer fun with school-age kids, as well as tweens and teens. Sometimes it's harder to entertain, or even hang with, teens, so we parents are usually willing to try any option—even if we seem a bit crazy out there on the ninja warrior course.  

Looking for more swimming and splashing spots for the kids near Orlando? Check out our guides to local splash pads, natural spring swimming holes, and nearby Florida beaches.

Just as families are preparing to send kids back to school, the highly-contagious Delta variant is driving COVID-19 cases back up. Parents everywhere are wondering what these soaring numbers mean for their vaccinated and unvaccinated kids and how to keep them safe.

Coding, or the act of telling a computer what you want it to do, is exploding in popularity. While it may seem like a complicated endeavor, many local venues now offer coding classes for kids on Long Island.

Learning coding skills is a win-win for families. Kids can use their creativity and the latest tech to create their own video games. Parents can appreciate the STEM skills they're building, plus life skills like problem-solving that come from breaking down complex problems into smaller tasks. We've found eight local orgs that offer coding classes for kids, with a mix of virtual and in-person classes.

Find more enrichment activities in our guide to Classes and Activities for Long Island Kids.

Once our kids reach a certain age, it can often feel like we are spectators in their lives—shuttling them to and from school and extracurriculars, watching from the sidelines as they play sports., etc. But when kids are babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, most of their activities consist of Mommy & Me classes. These classes for kids and grown-ups are not only fun, but also a great way to bond with your little one during such a fleeting time in their lives.

Check out our list of great Mommy & Me classes near DC, from music and movement classes to swimming lessons and yoga. Bonus: We've also included cooking Mommy & Me classes for older children, which provide a rare opportunity for parents to bond with their big kids!

For more great kids classes, check out our Guide to Classes for Kids Near DC.