10 Unique Classes to Take in Queens for All Ages

Knowledge is power and taking one of these 10 unique classes to take in Queens for all ages may not exactly help you pass an exam, but they will teach you some pretty cool and one of a kind subjects.

The greater New York City area has so many types of classes available to residents, it’s almost impossible to keep track of them all. If you are into cooking, there are tons of options for that. Or, if you’re more of the artsy type, you have a range of classes to choose from that cover everything from photography to sculpting. As you can see, there’s something to pique everyone’s interest because there are so many unique classes in NYC. If I could take any type of class in the city, I’m positive I would pick something related to cooking and/or baking, mainly because I love to eat. It would also be great to gain some new skills in the kitchen, and learn the tricks of some really unique, restaurant-quality recipes. Luckily, the world is my oyster when it comes to this city and cooking classes. Since we’re talking about Queens, you might want to check out this list of 6 Inexpensive Cooking Classes In and Near Queens if cooking is your thing. However, after a few of these classes, I imagine I would get tired of the same style of class, even though each is unique.

 For those of you who do not wish to see another BYOB painting class leaving you with canvases you don’t want to hang, or those of you who have mastered this who cooking thing, there are still a ton of classes that focus on out-of-the–box topics. While Queen is known for being a mostly residential borough of New York, it’s also extremely unique, as it is the most ethnically diverse borough of the city. The NY Times estimates (according to U.S. Census Reports) that at least 138 languages are spoken by Queens’ residents. So, for such a diverse and unique area, you can bet that you can find some exclusive classes that you won’t find in Manhattan or Brooklyn.

To come up with this list of classes we relied on the extensive database at Class Curious, which is our go-to resource for NYC classes and workshops. We also used a simple Google search to gather a few more unique gems to add to our list. On the list you will find programs that offer all sorts of classes, however, we decided to focus on some of their most unique offerings, that won’t be easy to find anywhere else. We’ve covered everything from fitness to art and food to make sure anyone can find something on this list they will enjoy. These programs offer classes in NYC for adults as well as those for kids. We also incorporated classes for kids as well as those just for adults, and some of the programs offer classes for both. We decided to rank the list based on how “unique” and unheard of each class is, so at the top of the list you will find what we believe is the most unique option you can find in the city, let alone, Queens.

Enough with the suspense already, let’s show you some of the unique classes to take in Queens for all ages.

10. Create Tiny Chefs 

While kids cooking classes are pretty common around New York City, Young Chef’s Academy is one of the only cooking programs in Queens that caters to little ones. They offer everything here, from weekly classes to camps and workshops and parties. However, they particularly landed a spot on this list for their unique classes like “Leftover Takeover” and “Secret Ingredients.” It’s not often you find a kids cooking class in NYC that teaches them how to save and reinvent leftover food, or one that utilizes surprise ingredients to let their creative juices flow. As you can see, this isn’t your average pizza-making or cookie-decorating program.

9. Pole Dancing

If you’re really trying to tone your body, what better way to do it than with a pole dancing class? I’ve heard they can be a lot of fun and I guess it does beat another day at the gym, waiting for someone to finish on a machine. Vibez Studio says they employ talented instructors who teach “sexy confidence-building routines that firm and sculpt your entire body.” They also make a point to note that they use “competition grade poles,” so you should worry about the pole falling or anything.

8. Beekeeping in the City

When I think of beekeeping an urban landscape certainly does not come to mind. However, at Q.E.D. in Queens, you can find a beekeeping class where you can learn the ins and outs of bees and the whole honey-making process. While I don’t want to be anywhere near bees, I do think honey is tasty. Half of this class is spent in a lecture while the other half is spent tasting and harvesting fresh honey. The best part is, that each student leaves with a bottle of local NYC honey, as strange as that title might sound.

7.Bite Size Food

Explore the world of food with cute, bite size options at Bite Size Kitchen. Owner Connie Sun begin a love for food as a young girl when she would watch her grandmother, from Shanghai, make dumplings. Now Sun teaches her students the tricks and tools to making these tiny foods, as well as explores others like buns, spring rolls, and other foods from around the globe.

6. Engaging Minds 

Active Minds Universe is a kids club that focuses on enriching and educating young minds in Queens.  They offer everything from exam prep and subject tutoring to fun classes like chess and Lego creations. All their classes are after school hours, so your kids can spend as much time as possible learning and growing. They also have math and logic classes that encourage problem-solving.

5. K-Pop Dance

Who knew there were specific dance classes for Korean Pop music? Queens’ Eastern School of Music and Dance offers a variety of musical and dance classes for students, but their k-Pop class is definitely a contender for unique classes to take in Queens for all ages. The school’s website says this class encompasses a “spectrum of musical and visual elements” all to the tune of K-Pop. If it sounds cool, but it’s not what you’re looking for, they also offer traditional classes like classical ballet, jazz, and Zumba.

4. Paint on Water

The Turkish Cultural Center in Queens offers all sorts of programs, classes, events, and workshops to teach people about Turkish culture. This means you can find all sorts of cool classes related to art and food here. However, their popular Ebru Art (Water Marbling) class, can’t be found in many other places. Basically, you make a picture on water and then somehow magically transfer that picture to paper, which sounds awesome if you ask me! The class also teaches the important history about the art form, as well as the tools and paper that have been used for centuries.

3. Build a Terrarium

If you want your own little plant world inside a glass enclosure, you can find a class for that too. Luludi Living Art offers cool terrarium classes that also incorporate fun activities like date night and Sunday brunch. I don’t know about you, but I don’t know of many classes where you can enjoy Sunday brunch all while making a terrarium. They will provide all the tools and supplies (plants too) you’ll need to create your terrarium, so all you need to do is sign up and show up.

2. Opacize Classs

We first need to discuss what Opacize is, to get this entry started. To put it simply, Opacize is basically a type of Greek dance that focuses on fitness. It was founded in Australia in 2015, but now can be found across the globe. It can be done by adults and kids, but here, you can find kids classes for it at Gym-Azing in Queens. The class uses simple choreography and Greek music so the kiddos can get their fitness on.

1. Insects in a Box

You read that right. There’s a class where you can put insects in a box. A shadowbox to be specific. Q.E.D. tops our list with the most unique class in Queens (and probably New York City for that matter). Sign up for the Anthropomorphic Insect Shadowbox Class and you can make your own  shadowbox diorama with little insects like beetles. Sounds interesting if you ask us!

That wraps up our list of 10 unique classes to take in Queens for all ages. Let us know if you find some more unique programs!