128 places and programs for kids in and around the Upper West Side, Manhattan (36 free): sports, playgrounds, music. Includes American Museum of Natural History and Bloomingdale School of Music.
The city's famous natural history museum, home to dinosaur skeletons, a life-size blue whale, gem halls and planetarium shows. Kids can explore dioramas, the Gilder Center's insectarium and butterfly vivarium, and hands-on discovery rooms.
A neighborhood music school since 1964 offering early childhood classes, private lessons, group classes and ensembles, in person and online.
A music hub near Lincoln Center that houses the Lucy Moses School community arts classes, the Special Music School, and Merkin Hall. Families come for early childhood classes, lessons and kid-friendly concerts.
A small neighborhood swim school in a building basement pool where babies, toddlers and children take group or private lessons. Infant classes include parent participation, and the pool is kept warm at 86-88 degrees.
Symphony Space's family programming brings music, storytelling, dance and theater performances for kids to its Upper West Side stages. Check the Family filter on its calendar for current shows.
Motivated students take small after-school and weekend classes in advanced math problem solving, along with language arts, science and computer science. The focus is on deep conceptual understanding and collaborative problem-solving rather than memorization, and two-week summer camps are offered.
Baby Fingers' Sign & Song classes blend American Sign Language with songs and play, giving babies and toddlers a way to communicate before they can talk. Classes welcome both Deaf and hearing families.
A play-based museum where young children explore interactive exhibits about art, science, health and culture across several floors. Exhibits are built around early learning, making it a strong choice for babies through kindergartners.
A paint-your-own-pottery studio where kids pick a bisque piece, decorate it with glazes, and the staff fires it for pickup. Seasonal painting events and kids' programs run throughout the year.
A kid-focused history space on the lower level of the New York Historical where children follow the stories of young New Yorkers from past centuries. Interactive displays, games and reading nooks turn visitors into history detectives.
Children as young as 2 through teens learn karate blended with yoga, breathing exercises and mindfulness. Both small group sessions and 30-40 minute private lessons are offered, and instruction is adapted for kids with ADHD, autism and other special needs.
Students get one-on-one or small-group tutoring from certified tutors after an academic evaluation, with plans covering math, reading, writing, science and study skills. Older kids can prepare for SAT, ACT and other standardized tests.
A walk-in Upper West Side craft studio where kids paint pottery and plaster, make mosaics, stuff their own plush animals, design T-shirts and mix slime. It also hosts classes and birthday parties.
Kaufman Music Center's community school offers music, dance and theater classes and private lessons for kids at every level, starting with early childhood music.
Kids are grouped by age: Tiny Tigers (3-5) work on motor skills and listening, Youth Karate (6-8) builds focus and coordination, and Junior (9-12) and Teen (13-16) students learn kata, sparring and belt progression, with teens also taking on leadership and competition.
Kids get a personalized math plan after a diagnostic assessment, then work with instructors in small groups on the specific skills they need, from counting and fractions through algebra and SAT prep. Homework help is folded into the sessions.
A large multi-studio martial arts and fitness center that runs group martial arts classes and private lessons for kids starting at age 3. The facility has five training studios and holds more than 100 classes a week across martial arts and fitness.
An indoor play space set up like a mini town, where kids ages 1–8 role-play in themed areas and explore sensory and creative play stations. Caregivers stay and play during reserved 90-minute sessions.
A children's art studio on the Upper West Side offering drop-in hourly art classes, after-school programs and camps. Toddlers and caregivers can join a 90-minute Grown Up & Me art and sensory session on weekday mornings.
An Upper West Side basketball training program offering individual coaching, group sessions, camps and competitive travel/AAU teams.
Kids learn Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a grappling-only martial art with no striking, in three age groups: 3-5, 6-8 and 9-15. The youngest group has short play-based 30-minute sessions, while older kids build technique in 45-minute classes offered seven days a week.
An Upper West Side ceramics studio with children's and parent-child pottery classes in hand-building and wheel-throwing. Kids make and glaze their own functional pieces in small groups.
An indoor baseball facility with batting cages where kids get private instruction, cage time and development programs. Younger children can attend summer camps, while teens can join combines and live at-bat training.
The West Side studio of The Fashion Class, where children learn to sew and design their own clothing and accessories. Classes, school-break camps and fashion birthday parties run year-round.
LittleGotham lists 128 places and programs for kids on the Upper West Side, Manhattan. The largest groups are 33 sports programs, 26 playgrounds, 10 music programs.
Yes. 36 of 128 are free to attend, including Adventure Playground (Central Park), Barnes & Noble Upper West Side, Bloomingdale Library.
86 listings are indoors, such as American Museum of Natural History, Bloomingdale School of Music, Kaufman Music Center.