31 places and programs for kids in and around Gowanus, Brooklyn (7 free): art, dance, music. Includes Powerhouse Arts Crafternoons and Bouldering Project Brooklyn.
A free drop-in workshop series at the Gowanus creative production center where families build tunnel books, design puppets and sculpt miniature artworks. Each session ties into a current exhibition, and no registration is needed.
A small Gowanus studio blending visual art, crafts, baking and Spanish immersion for elementary-age kids. Children work in small groups after school, in seasonal camps and at weekend workshops.
Children learn to program by building their own video games, advancing through a belt system similar to martial arts as they master new concepts. Younger kids start in a no-reading-required JR track, while older kids move into game design with real coding languages.
An inclusive Gowanus playspace designed so children of all abilities can play side by side. Beyond open play it runs music, storytelling, sensory art and social-skills classes, and has pediatric therapists on site.
Kids learn guitar, bass, drums, keys or vocals through one-on-one lessons and then rehearse in bands that play live shows at Brooklyn venues. Programs start with Little Wing for 4- and 5-year-olds and run through teen performance groups.
A free after-school music lab for girls and gender-expansive youth where participants learn audio production, songwriting, sampling, film scoring and coding for music. An advanced series digs into mixing, signal processing and interactive media.
A large bouldering gym in Gowanus with a dedicated youth room where kids learn climbing moves, route reading and falling safely. Children can join after-school sessions, school-holiday camps or competitive youth teams.
A Gowanus performing arts studio with ballet, tap, jazz, modern, hip-hop and musical theater classes for kids. Classes run by the semester in 45- to 90-minute formats.
Year-long dance training for kids from age 1 in ballet, modern, jazz, tap and hip-hop. Students work toward end-of-year performances in a Carroll Street studio.
Kids ages 3-14 learn ballroom partner dances along with ballet, modern and hip-hop. Classes are held in a 3rd Avenue studio suite.
Gowanus-based soccer program with classes, teams and camps, playing at Washington Park and J.J. Byrne in Park Slope.
A Gowanus music school with nine studios where kids learn drums, piano, voice, bass and guitar through private lessons and band-style group classes.
A Gowanus nonprofit dance center with youth classes, a youth company and camps that focus on building confidence and social-emotional skills through movement. Classes range across skill levels in an accessible studio.
A roughly 14,000-square-foot Gowanus gym where children progress through leveled gymnastics classes on full-size equipment. Beyond weekly classes there are open gym times, school's-out days, summer camp and competitive teams.
An artist collective in Gowanus that makes puppet shows, toy theater, and parades with giant puppets, with some productions geared for families. It also leads puppetry workshops for students and community groups.
Groundswell pairs teens with professional artists to design and paint public murals across the five boroughs. Youth artists work in studio programs and on community mural projects after school and in summer.
A lodge-style venue in Gowanus where coaches teach guests to throw axes safely at wooden targets. Kids 8 and up can take part with family, and there are board games like giant Jenga between turns.
A Gowanus/Park Slope sewing and craft studio where kids learn to stitch plushies, accessories and small projects. It runs after-school classes, themed summer camps, a younger Little Makers camp, workshops and birthday parties.
Gowanus climbing gym running recreational after-school classes, school-break camps and coached competitive teams for young climbers. Programs focus on technique, confidence and teamwork.
Four-week tummy time series run by therapists, helping babies up to 12 months build strength and motor skills while parents learn ways to play.
Kids from first grade through high school rehearse and perform full musical productions in after-school MainStage classes, with Saturday classes and summer camp too.
A ballet and modern school led by a Royal Academy of Dance licentiate, with weekly classes, an intensive track, a Nutcracker production and a spring recital.
Thomas Greene Playground in Gowanus has a mid-size outdoor pool plus a separate wading pool for toddlers. Kids can splash and swim for free during the summer season, and NYC Parks often runs free Learn to Swim sessions at outdoor pools. Bring a padlock and swimwear.
An annual weekend when hundreds of artists across Gowanus open their studios to the public. Families can wander between workshops and makerspaces, meet artists and see work in progress, with some venues offering hands-on activities.
LittleGotham lists 31 places and programs for kids in Gowanus, Brooklyn. The largest groups are 7 art classes, 6 dance programs, 4 music programs.
Yes. 7 of 31 are free to attend, including Powerhouse Arts Crafternoons, Willie Mae Rock Camp Music Lab, Douglass and DeGraw Pool.
25 listings are indoors, such as Powerhouse Arts Crafternoons, Bouldering Project Brooklyn, Casa Lu Art Space.