10 Free Trial Classes For Children in NYC

With summer break just around the corner, you’ll want to find some fun ways to keep your little ones busy while school’s out with this list of 10 free trial classes for children in NYC.

I don’t have kids, but keeping them occupied and finding things to fill their schedules seems like it takes a lot of time and energy (it also takes money, which is an entirely different issue). During the school year, it’s just a matter of filling the afternoon schedule once they have finished school for the day. However, when it’s time for summer break, you’re looking at week after empty week on their calendars. Obviously, it’s not very constructive to have kids sitting at home passing by the long summer days. It’s also not very realistic for busy parents, who need to make arraignments to have a babysitter, or someone supervising their children during the work day. While there’s Google, and word-of-mouth, when it comes to finding out information about the tons of kids classes offered in New York City, it can still be an overwhelming experience. When you finally decided on a few classes or programs you and your child are interested in, it will not always mean it’s a good fit for everyone. So, finding out the classes that are right for your child can be an entirely different battle in itself. Luckily, there are programs around the city that understand what parents go through, and are willing to offer trial classes for free, so you and your child can decide if their program is right for you, before you commit your money and time for a full semester.

By now, it’s pretty common knowledge that extracurricular activities have huge benefits for children. It gives them structure, additional education, and helps them to become more well-rounded. Later in life, it could make or break you on getting accepted to college. There are so many programs in New York City that cater to kid’s classes (for kids of all ages), it’s not too hard to find something to suit your child. From dancing to cooking, to exercise and music, there are too many options to count.

Parents, don’t worry, there’s plenty to keep you occupied too and you can check out some examples on this list of 17 fun classes to take in NYC.

To hopefully make the class search for your kid a little easier (and less time consuming) we came up with a list of free kids trial courses. To make the list diverse, we provided different categories of classes, using sources like Mommy Poppins, Kid on the Town, and Yelp. While we looked at reviews for the classes, to see if parents found them enjoyable, our list is ranked in no particular order, as there is no quantitative way to rank which classes are better than others.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at 10 free trial classes for children in NYC.

10. The Art Farm in the City

This unique program offers a variety of kid’s classes including cooking, art, and animal care (with lie animals). Their courses are conveniently held throughout all four seasons of the year. If your kid is an animal lover, you can guarantee that this class will be a hit.

9. My Gym

If you want to encourage a healthy and fit lifestyle at an early age, My Gym is your answer. They have multiple locations around the city and provide fitness-focused courses, including Zumba, ballet, karate and much more. You can try out their classes before paying and officially signing up, to see if your child will enjoy it.

 8. Songs for Seeds

This Upper East Side spot teaches interactive music classes to kids ranging from newborns to 6-year-olds. During their 45 minute classes, your kid will have the opportunity to jam on real drums, keyboards, and a number of instruments from around the world. Along with music, the courses also incorporate different cultures, languages, art, and practicing counting and numbers.

7. 92nd Street Y

The 92nd Street Y offers a multitude of programs to New Yorkers of all ages. However, for kids they offer everything from summer camp to music and arts, to athletics. Whether it’s gymnastics, dancing, or swimming, your kid can do a test-run before you dish out all your dollars on classes.

6. Downtown Dance Factory

Downtown Dance Factory offers free trial classes to all new and existing dancers. If your kid wants to bust a move, but can’t decide which genre, the company allows you to take a course in each genre, to help make the decision easier. They allow the same benefits to existing dancers who are looking to change their scenery.

5. Kids at Work

Coming in at the halfway point of our list of 10 free trial classes for children in NYC is Kids at Work, which provides classes to little ones ages 0-4. If you decide to stay on after the trial, all classes are “drop-in” meaning there’s no set schedule to when your kid has to be at class.

4. China Institute

The China Institute, that ranks fourth on our list of free trial classes for children in NYC holds open houses each fall to allow kids and parents to visit and learn more about the program. Their Upper East Side location even offers a free language demo for kids, during the open house.

3. Ballet Hispanico

From ages 2 to teens, students can learn about the rich Hispanic culture through music and dance. Kids will also learn from Spanish words throughout the dance classes.

2. Advantage QuickStart Tennis

Tennis can be an expensive and time-consuming sport, so before writing that check, try it out, to see if your child will take to the sport. They offer lessons to kids starting as early as 3 and 4 years old. They provide an open house to come out and learn more, but all first classes are always free.

1. Music Together

Music Together offers music courses for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and their parents (or caregiver), so you’ll be able to sing and learn alongside your child. Most classes are once a week for 6-11 weeks, so you’ll want to check it out before making the commitment.

We hope you enjoyed our list of 10 free trial classes for children in NYC, and it made your search just a little bit easier.