Winter is here and it’s time to make sure the kids have enough activities to work out their energy and engage their minds. That’s why it’s time to start thinking about signing up for extracurricular activities. There are hundreds of different options for families to explore each year. This time, we decided to put together a list of activities that you might not have considered before including flag football, scuba diving, coding, robotics, skateboarding, pickleball and more. Extracurriculars can be a great way to introduce kids to a new activity they will love but they can also create opportunities to develop passions the whole family can enjoy. Check out this list of fun and different activities and try something new this winter!
Sports
NFL Flag Football League at Off-The-Wall Sports
This BRAND NEW league at Off The Wall Sports is an official NFL flag football team sponsored by USA Football. Girls and Boys ages 9-14 can learn how to play football in a safe and fun non-contact environment. This league runs for 10 weeks and costs $145 which includes membership, a reversible jersey with NFL logo and belt. Learn more and register here.
Pickleball at the Monon Community Center
Pickleball is the hot new sport in town that the whole family can enjoy. Cytheanne Park in Fishers is home to Hamilton County’s only outdoor pickleball courts. Kids age 15 and up can learn the basics of this game at the Monon Community Center. Registration for the spring class costs $50 and lasts for 4 sessions. Learn more and register here.
Hockey at the Indy Fuel Tank
Learn to play hockey and skate at this weekly class that is perfect for anyone looking to learn more about the sport. Classes are once a week for participants 3 through adult (yes, you read that right 3!). Participants will rotate through stations learning hockey basics and perfecting their skating skills. Classes are $99 monthly for one class per week. Learn more and register here.
Skateboarding Lessons at the Monon Community Center
Kids 6 and up can learn the basics of skateboarding in this fun class. Participants must bring their own helmet and skateboard and pads are recommended. Participants will get to interact with the awesome skatepark onsite at the Monon Community Center. The next session of this class will meet in the Spring so be sure to mark your calendar. Be the cool parent and sign your kids up for skateboarding lessons.
Master Yoo’s Tae Kwon Do
Kids as young as 4 can begin learning the basics of Tae Kwon Do. Kids, teens and adults can all take classes at Master Yoos. The whole family can even take a class together as a great bonding experience. Try the trial program for just $19.95 to see if this class is right for your family. Learn more and register here.
Goldfish Swim School
Goldfish Swim School makes learning to swim fun and educational. Kids are learning to swim through games and fun activities that help them build necessary skills like proper swim strokes, finding air and getting safely in and out of the pool. The inside of Goldfish Swim School looks like a cool beach party complete with tiki huts and fish tanks. They make swimming so easy and fun that even babies can get in on the action. This is one lesson that your kids will be begging to go to. Learn more and register here.
Ninja Zone Academy
Ninja Zone Academy offers kids the opportunity to harness their inner ninja through a mixture of gymnastics, obstacle course work and martial arts. Kids from toddler to 11 can train at this amazing facility while they gain muscle, develop their skills and build confidence all while having a blast. Learn more and sign up for lessons here.
Youth Scuba Diving at Bottoms Up Scuba
Children 8 and older can learn to dive under the supervision of certified instructors. Kids will dive in six feet of water while learning all the basics of scuba diving. Scuba Diving could become an activity that the whole family does together. This class is $35 and is a great starting point to more advanced classes. Learn more here.
Bowling
Kids 5-18 can join a bowling league to get exercise, socialize and develop coordination and gross motor skills. This fun sport is great for teamwork and socialization and can be enjoyed as a family.
Music
School of Rock
Future rockers can learn how to jam at the School of Rock Carmel. School of Rock has an innovative approach to music lessons for kids that really makes them stand out. They combine traditional lessons with group performances (think rock concert) to get kids excited about learning and passionate about lessons. Check out their lessons for kids interested in guitar, drums, singing or vocal and piano or keyboard and bass. They even have programs for kids 3 and up. Learn more about pricing and register for a class here.
Education
Coding Ninjas
Learning to code can set your kid up for success in the future. Coding involves patience, persistence, math and problem solving skills. Code Ninjas Carmel teaches these hard skills in a way that is fun and super engaging for kids. So many kids dream of growing up to be computer coders or to develop the next greatest video game…here is their chance! Learn more about pricing and register for a class here.
Everyday Robots at the Monon Community Center
This class will teach kids ages 8-11 the basics of how robots work in the real world. Kids will get to use Ozo Bots to learn to program robots to cut grass, clean a room and unload the dishwasher.
Apprentice Aerospace Engineering: Sky’s the Limit at the Monon Community Center
Kids ages 7-12 will learn basic concepts of aerospace engineering through hands on activities. Participants will build parachutes, rockets and more!
Beginner American Sign Language at the Monon Community Center
Students age 15 and up can learn the basics of American Sign Language as well as great information about deaf culture and communicating with the deaf community.
Questers Adventures in STEAM at the Carmel Clay Public Library
Questers is for kids ages 8-12 that want to go on a self-guided adventure through programming, circuitry, robotics, logic, words, science, videos, and music. Kids will get to earn badges and move up the wall of skill as they complete activities. This crazy cool STEAM program helps kids work on lots of hard skills like problem-solving and critical thinking in a fun environment.
Chess Club at Riverside
Kids can learn the game of chess, practice their skills and compete against peers while making friends. Chess is a timeless game that is good for the brain.
Museums
Indiana has such a great group of museums. But did you know they are also a goldmine for interesting extracurricular activities?
- Indiana State Museum Young Explorers
- Kids ages 4-5 can hang out at the Indiana State Museum in this 90-minute drop-off class that encourages kids to build confidence while they explore their environment through hands-on play.
- Children’s Museum Afterschool Explorers
- Kids in grades 3-5 can participate in this awesome educational experience that involves hands-on experiences and fun throughout the museum.
- Playtime on the Prairie at Conner Prairie
- Playtime on the Prairie is a beautifully crafted program for children ages 0-5. The experts at Conner Prairie have created a developmentally appropriate program that invites kids to learn and explore on the grounds of Conner Prairie and in their classrooms.
Art
Line + Form Art Center
- Once Upon a Paintbrush
- Enjoy a storytime and process art experience each week with your toddler. Join other families each Friday from 10 am to 11 am for some stories, art, and coffee!
- Sensory Lab After School
- Explore all things messy and fun in this super cool After School playgroup. Each Wednesday, Kids 6-12 can experience art and science in this fun environment.
- Mixed Media After School Art Class
- This Art Class is a great place for artists to test out their skills with a variety of mediums from inks, paints, textiles, and more. Kids 6-12 can enjoy this art class each Thursday from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm.
- Artist Exploration
- Introduce your kids to art history in a process-based art environment. Kids 5-12 can text out their art skills and dust up on their art appreciation each Saturday from noon to 1 pm.
- Comic + Anime+ Graphic Novels
- If your kids are into graphic novels or anime, then sign them up to learn how to draw, write and sculpt their way to their own masterpiece. Kids 6-12 can enjoy this amazing class every Saturday from 2 pm to 3 pm.
Sewing Classes
Learning to sew is such a great activity for kids. Sewing is such a practical skill that also helps kids develop fine motor skills, patience and organization. Sign your kids up for a sewing class or enjoy this activity as a family.
- Kewpies Kloset
- Children ages 6 and up can learn traditional sewing skills in a fun and supportive environment. This is also a great place for a birthday party. Make a day of your visit to Kewpie’s Kloset and check out all that the Town of Fortville has to offer.
- A Sewing Studio
- Students will learn sewing machine skills, how to read a pattern, and how to layout and assemble a project. This fun studio is a great place to give your kids a the basics for a skill that will last a lifetime.
Performing Arts Creative Kids at Broad Ripple Park
The Creative Kids Talent Workshop program let’s kids ages 6-11 learn all about acting on commercials, films, videos and more. Kids even try their hand at writing, storyboarding and producing. This class seems like a really great primer for kids interested in honing their craft or pursuing a career in acting. Learn more and register here.
Main Stage Theater Adventures at the Monon Community Center
Kids ages 4-9 will get to create their own show. Kids will learn basic technique and develop the acting chops needed to put on a full show at the spring performance.
Main Stage Show Choir at the Monon Community Center
Kids ages 4 through 9 will work on their performance skills as they sing and dance their way through this fun program. Kids will play games and learn exercises to fun songs. There will be a performance at the end of the session.
Main Stage Musical Theater at the Monon Community Center
Kids 9 through 15 will create their own spring performance. This program includes creative writing, acting, team-building as well as theater skills such as voice and dance skills and stage movement. Participants will perform an original play at the end of the program.
Gaming
Table-Top Game: Dungeons and Dragons and Magic the Gathering
Let kids immerse themselves in the storytelling and corporative nature of this game.
- Family Time Games
- Wednesdays at 6 at Family Time Games Dungeons and Dragons
- The Game Preserve
- Play Commander Magic on Thursdays at 5pm
- Play Standard Magic the Gathering on Fridays at 7 pm
- Magic the Gathering at the Hamilton East Public Library
- Wednesdays at 6:30
Evolve Youth Esports
Are your kids gamers? Gaming has come a long way from Nintendo 64s in someone’s basement. Evolve Youth Esports has developed a program that harnesses kid’s love of gaming into a system that teaches sportsmanship, social interaction, cognitive development and teamwork. Your kids have probably told you by now that people actually make a lot of money being professional gamers. Evolve Youth Esports can help take your child’s passion for playing and turn it into an educational experience. Who knows, maybe they will turn it into a career someday!
Cooking Classes
Sprouts Cooking School
Kids 3-13 can gain valuable life skills like cooking, following directions, planning and trying new foods. Sprouts cooking schools has so many cool classes for kids of all skill and interest levels. This fun school is designed just for young chefs and will soon have your kids amazing you with their skills.
Toddler Enrichment
Kids of all ages need enrichment and opportunities to socialize with peers. Now that the cold winter months are upon us, it is a great idea to start looking into places for little ones to burn off energy and explore their world.
- Gymboree Play & Music in Carmel
- Gymboree is such a great place for families with littles to engage in enriching play and development. Gymboree has specially designed play equipment that lets kids develop their muscles and motor skills. Classes are designed to help kids develop social skills, play skills, and more.
- Toddler Fundamentals: Movement and Coordination at the Monon Community Center
- Help your toddlers ages 2-4 develop their hand/eye coordination, practice social skills and have fun through a great mix of music and games.
- Help your toddlers ages 2-4 develop their hand/eye coordination, practice social skills and have fun through a great mix of music and games.
- Toddler Fundamentals: Speech at the Monon Community Center
- Toddlers ages 2-4 will experience a fun hands on class that helps develop social skills and speech development. Kids will participate in fun activities that will lay the groundwork for reading, writing and speech skills.
