Not Just Art
183 South St.
516-922-8300  
It's not just the art that makes this place so fantastic. it's the entire approach to getting creative that I love. Instructors provide the materials, space, and smocks, while your children provide the inspiration for their very own truly individual masterpieces. There are classes for 2–10, which include art, music, drama, and science. Children birth-3 years can participate in mommy-and-me music classes as well as a gentle separation art class. On Saturdays and school holidays, you can drop in for either one hour or 1.5 hours for an open studio where children can work with a variety of mediums. Students partake in painting, sculpting, drawing and so much more, as they move through the studio at their own pace deciding for themselves when they are done. The studio's approach to creativity is truly child-centered and the instructors are well trained in positive and gentle discipline. 

What's Cooking
30 East Main St.
516-922-2665
Variety is certainly on the menu here. In addition to food preparation and safety, classes emphasize etiquette, patience, and culture as well as math and reading. Kids measure, pour, mix and follow recipes and each participant gets a recipe book to take home. The parents I spoke to simply raved about this place because of the changes they saw in their children's eating habits. I've heard stories of kids enthusiastically eating all their vegetables and making  dinner for the family. What a treat. Whether you sign up for a holiday themed workshop, a monthly cooking club or weekly class your aspiring chef will certainly gain a new outlook toward food.

Gone Dancing
10 Audrey Ave. 
516-922-5112
While the instructors take their dancing seriously, the emphasis here is on fun. All the children and parents I spoke with testify to that. Classes are offered in creative movement (2-4 years), ballet, hip-hop, tap, jazz and combo classes. Sign up for weekly classes or summer camp. Birthday parties are packed with activity. Along with dancing, kids play games and make a craft. "Kids Night In," on select Fridays include dinner and dessert, a craft and dancing.

Fit Fusion
67 West Main St. 
516-802-3088
Think of the interactive video game Wii taken to a whole new level. Kids get active here, while practicing math and reading skills. It's all part of this unique approach to the conventional gym. Group classes combine traditional fitness equipment like the elliptical and treadmill with a video-game monitor. Together, kids play a high-tech version of Red Rover, as they run back and forth pushing correct letters on a wall mount. An interactive dance station gets kids moving. Health education is also incorporated in the movements as kids learn to identify the muscles they are working. Since both adult and kid fitness classes are offered here, moms and dads can get a workout or a personal training session in while the kids are busy getting fit and having fun.