Best of Philly Spotlight: Kids’ Classes

Middle schoolers with their acrylic paintings during Moore College’s Young Artists Workshop in 2025 / Photograph by Naomieh Jovin

Across the city, innovative programs are giving kids a chance to code games, paint a masterpiece, perform onstage, race through parkour courses, and explore the outdoors — all while learning new skills and making new friends. Whether your child is an aspiring artist, budding engineer, theater kid, or simply has energy to burn, these standout programs make the hours after class the best part of their day.

Moore College of Art’s Young Artists Workshop

The long-running but ever-evolving Young Artists Workshop turns weekends into a working studio experience for middle and high schoolers. Taught by practicing artists, students focus on disciplines like animation, graphic design, fashion, ceramics, game art, and much more in 10-week sessions. They’ll build up their skills — and their portfolios.
Ages: 11–18
Cost: $620 per 10-week course
1916 Race Street, Center City.

The Schuylkill Center’s Wild Wanderers

This after-school nature-immersion program set amid 365 acres of forest, meadows, and streams is the perfect antidote to long days stuck in the classroom — walking trails, poking around streams, learning local ecology, and doing just enough structured activity that it feels like discovery rather than “programming.” Pro tip: Transportation slots (from select Northwest Philly pickups) are especially competitive, so don’t treat registration like it can wait.
Ages: 5–11
Cost: $1,200–$3,800 for the school year
8480 Hagys Mill Road, Roxborough.

Willy Wonka at MTP / Photograph courtesy of Music Theatre Philly

Music Theatre Philly

Now expanded into a three-story studio space at 13th and Locust, MTP has scaled up everything: more classrooms, more age groups, and a wider mix of training tracks. (There are even classes and productions for parents reliving their on-stage dreams.) The programming has grown into an entire creative ecosystem — structured 14-week skills sessions, full-scale productions, private lessons, summer camps — with the same mix of expert training and inclusive joy that’s made them a second home for theater kids throughout Philly.
Ages: 2–18
Cost: Varies by class and age group; bundle discounts and scholarships available
1301 Locust Street, Midtown Village.

World of Robotics

Your kid’s already spending hours on Roblox — let’s just say it’s been way more than 99 nights in the forest — so why not have them actually learn to code it? World of Robotics’ classes range from coding and game design to 3D modeling and building LEGO-based robots, and are offered on various weeknights and weekends, depending on the location.
Ages: 4–15
Cost: $140–$200 per month
111 Buck Road, Unit 100, Huntingdon Valley; 2010 Renaissance Boulevard, Suite 102, King of Prussia.

Range of Motion

While this community space offers everything from martial arts to dance, its parkour classes are the way to go — part sport, part problem-solving lab, and fully designed to burn off energy. Kids climb, vault, and swing their way through obstacle courses, stringing together runs to make one continuous route. Here, kids are encouraged to test their limits — with soft landings and the kind of coaching that turns “I bet I can make that” into something they actually can.
Ages: 5–14
Cost: Membership from $175 per month
812 Chestnut Street, Washington Square West.

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Published as “Kids Incorporated” in the August 2026 issue of Philadelphia magazine.