24 places and programs for kids in and around Bayside, Queens (7 free): sports, dance, STEM. Includes Fort Totten Pool and Kennedy Playground.
Fort Totten Park in Bayside has a mid-size outdoor pool plus a separate wading pool for toddlers and a diving pool. 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.
The children's area at Bayside Library stocks board books, picture books and chapter books for Bayside kids, with computers and table space for after-school reading and homework. Recurring kids' programs lately have included Baby & Me, Playing & Sensory Station, Toddler Time and Music & Playing.
Set at 32nd Ave and 33rd Ave between Corporal Kennedy St and 210th St, Kennedy Playground is a neighborhood spot where children climb, explore and play with friends. A spray shower makes it a go-to summer stop when children need to splash and cool down.
Students work through a personalized plan built from an initial skills assessment, getting small-group help from instructors on everything from number sense to algebra and test prep. Kids can also bring school homework to get support during sessions.
Kids learn programming through personalized coaching in pairs, choosing projects in Scratch, Python, Java, Roblox or robotics as they progress. The center also runs larger entry-level classes and full-day summer camps on AI, animation and game development.
Karate and kickboxing school with age-grouped kids classes: Cubs for preschoolers, Little Tigers (5–7), Tigers (8–12) and Teen Tigers. Kids build discipline, fitness and self-defense skills.
A Champions Martial Arts school where children train in taekwondo-based martial arts in age-grouped classes, starting with the Little Tigers program for the youngest kids and moving up to kids and teen classes. The school also runs an after-school program, a summer camp and a competition team.
Japanese-speaking children spend Saturdays studying Japanese language and school subjects following a curriculum modeled on schools in Japan. Younger students attend a morning session, while middle and high schoolers stay for a full day.
A Bayside martial arts academy teaching taekwondo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and MMA, with kids grouped by grade from kindergarten through 8th grade. Families can also sign up for an after-school program, a summer camp and birthday parties.
Local history exhibits inside a castle-like 1880s officers' club at Fort Totten Park, where kids can explore the building and the surrounding fort grounds. Visits and community tours are by appointment.
A family-run gym where kids and teens take Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and boxing classes alongside adult programs. Children also get anti-bullying training focused on confidence and self-defense.
Buz O'Rourke Playground gives Bayside families a free spot to play, with structures sized for young children. Transfer platforms and ground-level play pieces give kids with limited mobility ways to get onto and around the equipment. On hot summer days the spray showers switch on, and kids run through the water to cool off.
Bayside studio training dancers from age two through their teens, from casual recreational classes up to pre-professional level. In summer it runs a performing arts camp, a mini dance camp, an acro clinic and a pre-professional intensive.
Bayside dance studio that enrolls kids from age two and a half through the season. Students can perform in a Nutcracker production and join the FD Troop, while older kids can take part in leadership and assistant-teacher programs. The studio also hosts birthday parties and a summer program.
A Bayside site for Music Together family classes where little ones sing, dance and play instruments with a parent or caregiver. Classes follow a seasonal song collection that families enjoy at home too.
A Bayside studio with four sprung-floor studios offering ballet, contemporary, hip-hop, musical theater and acro from age 2.5. Audition-based companies start at age 7, and there's free on-site parking.
Relaxed, non-competitive soccer classes where kids from toddlers to teens are grouped by level and learn ball skills through fun games. SoccerCric also offers personal training, summer camp and developmental team programs.
A virtual reality arcade where kids can try VR games, motion simulators, racing rigs and VR escape rooms. No experience is needed and walk-ins are welcome.
A Bayside-based youth orchestra where young string, wind and percussion players rehearse together and give concerts in Queens. It offers ensemble experience beyond school music programs.
A large general bookstore with a dedicated children's book section where kids can browse picture books, early readers, and toys and games. The chain hosts periodic in-store kids' storytimes and author events that are free to attend.
A visitor center inside a former Army fort on Little Neck Bay where rangers run weekend environmental education programs. Kids can explore the old Civil War-era battery and the waterfront.
Kids build math and reading skills through short, leveled worksheet assignments done a little each day, coming into the center a couple of times a week for instructor check-ins. Students move ahead as soon as they master each level, so advanced kids can work well beyond their grade.
A small, shallow neighborhood pool at Marie Curie Playground in Bayside, good for younger kids cooling off in summer. Entry is free and no reservation is needed; bring a padlock for the lockers.
A Bayside martial arts academy offering both kids Brazilian jiu-jitsu and kids muay thai. Children learn striking and grappling while picking up habits of discipline they can take to school and home.
LittleGotham lists 24 places and programs for kids in Bayside, Queens. The largest groups are 6 sports programs, 3 dance programs, 3 STEM programs.
Yes. 7 of 24 are free to attend, including Fort Totten Pool, Kennedy Playground, Bayside Library.
19 listings are indoors, such as Bayside Library, Champions Martial Arts Bayside, Japanese Weekend School of New York - Long Island (Bayside) Campus.