Classes

Best After-School Program

Anaheim YMCA

The Anaheim YMCA has been part of the community for 110 years this year. When you are looking for an after-school activity for your child, the Anaheim YMCA has everything you are looking for and much more. Whether your child is interested in swim classes, sports programs, STEM and education classes, performing and visual arts, or day and resident camps, there is something for everyone. It also has adaptive programs for special needs teens and adults. 

anaheimymca.org | Anaheim

Best Competitive Gymnastics Class

Olympica Gymnastics

Olympica Gymnastics offers classes for ages 1 to 13 years old. It also offers special needs gymnastics and junior Olympic teams for competition. If that isn’t enough, Olympica Gymnastics has summer camps, birthday parties, performance shows and even parents’ night-outs. It doesn’t matter the skill level — all kids are welcome to participate.

olympicagymnastics.com | Laguna Hills

Best Dance Studio for Children

Freckled Frog Dance Studio

Does your kid really love to dance? Come to the Freckled Frog Dance Studio and you can enroll your kid in jazz, ballet, hip-hop, lyrical or tap classes, and if they really excel, they can even audition to compete in elite dance competitions. There are even spots available where you can host dance-themed birthday parties. Classes are available for children from 2 to 7 years old.

freckledfrogdancestudio.com | Placentia

Best Horseback Riding Facility

Serrano Creek Ranch Equestrian

Serrano Creek Ranch Equestrian is a place that really has a deep passion for horses. The owner took in over 30 horses during the Canyon 2 Fire that happened in October 2017. The center offers both horse-riding lessons and horse boarding if you own your own horse. Choose from Western lessons and training, Western and barrel lessons, or English lessons and training.

serranocreekranch.com | Lake Forest

Best Kids Yoga Studio

OC Kids Yoga

Even kids can increase their mindfulness with this mobile yoga program for kids and families. OC Kids Yoga offers one-on-one, private, in-home and group classes at a park on Saturdays. It even has extracurricular programs at some schools across Orange County. If you do Yoga at the Park, it is free, but don’t forget to register so you have a spot in class that week as it can get busy. Kids of all ages are welcome.

ockidsyoga.com | Multiple Locations

Best Language Program

LangoKids

Is your child looking to learn Spanish? Look no further because LangoKids offers programs to kids that are even in their toddler years — up to 16 years old. If you don’t want to take classes and would instead rather sign up for a camp, it offers a summer and a winter camp that will fully immerse your child in the Spanish language. Not to mention, it has received the Readers’ Choice Award since 2020.

langokidsirvine.com | Irvine

Best Martial Arts Class

USSD Newport Beach

United Studios of Self Defense (or USSD) was founded in 1968. Kids with all skill levels are welcome to join the program and use a unique system of Kemp-style martial arts. Students can learn in a class setting or in private classes. Some benefits of the lessons are coordination, flexibility, strength and endurance, concentration, self-control and respect for themselves and others.

ussd.com | Newport Beach

Best Swim Class

Aqua-Tots Swim School

Aqua-Tots Swim School is a favorite in Orange County. Kids from toddler age up to 12 years old can enroll in classes and become confident swimmers. Whether your child is a beginner or has advanced swimming skills, there are many options available like parent-and-tot groups, semi-private lessons or private lessons. The pool is also consistently heated, making it an even more enjoyable experience.

aqua-tots.com | Costa Mesa

Best Theater Class

Orange County Acting Academy

Although the Orange County Acting Academy has only been around since 2022, it is a heavy hitter when it comes to acting classes and camps for kids, teens and adults. Whether your child is a beginner or a seasoned actor, they will find a class that will help further develop their acting skills. If your kid wants to really become immersed in acting year-round, the academy also offers acting camps in the winter, spring and summer as well as acting workshops.

ocacting.com | Mission Viejo

Best Coding Class

theCoderSchool

Founded in 2014, theCoderSchool believes every child is unique and caters its coding program accordingly. Kids can choose between a plethora of coding camps, including game development, Python startup, Webrox, Minecraft, Robocode, Java camp and many more. Each camp runs for a week, and shows kids work/life balance as it even encourages taking breaks in the fresh air periodically.

thecoderschool.com | Multiple Locations

Best Coding Class

Coding Mind Academy

Is your child so good at coding that they want to compete against the best? Coding Mind Academy not only offers kids courses to really sharpen their coding skills, but it offers coding competitions that kids can earn bragging rights for. There are five competitions kids can choose to compete in, but if your kid is just dipping their feet in the coding pool, they can opt to take classes or join the summer camp.

codingmind.com | Irvine

Best Music Lessons

Mona’s Music Studio

Mona’s Music Studio is open to all ages and offers classical music, Persian classical music, pop, blues and music theory classes. Established in 2022, this music studio caters to students learning violin, viola and cello. Mona Ghodsi has been teaching music lessons in Irvine for 15 years, and kids really enjoy her lessons. If you don’t want to take your kids to the class, she will teach from the comfort of your home.

monaghodsi.com | Irvine

Best Soccer Program

HappyFeet SoCal

HappyFeet was founded in 1988 in Kansas City. Catering to kids 2 through 7 years old, the HappyFeet program uses familiar songs, stories, nursery rhymes and games to introduce soccer to young children. The program runs from mid-September until mid-May and focuses on teaching kids familiarity with the ball and self-empowerment. It also offers classes on-campus at preschools as well as camps and year-round leagues.

happyfeetsocal.com | Irvine

Best Soccer Program

AYSO/Pro Touch

AYSO/Pro Touch puts its focus on enriching the local soccer communities by giving kids a world-class player development program. It offers everything from camps and clinics to academies and private lessons. If kids are just starting out, they can opt to take lessons and once they feel confident can join the league and play in games over the weekend. Kids from 4 years old to 14 years old are welcome to join.

protouchsoccer.com | Multiple Locations

Best After-School Athletics

Ultimate Ninjas

If you want your kids to turn obstacles into confidence-boosting and skill-building opportunities, Ultimate Ninjas is the place for them. There are a variety of obstacles that kids are encouraged to try while in class like Cannonball Alley, the monkey bars, a rock-climbing wall, ring swings, floating ledges, bungees, Warped Wall, mini trampolines, parkour boxes, dancing stones, wobbly beam, rolling logs and cargo net, to name a few. You can also do open play or schedule a party.

ultimateninjas.com/location/anaheim | Anaheim 

Best Kid’s Art Class

Art Therapy OC

Art Therapy OC offers art sessions, camps, workshops and more to kids that are looking to tap into their creative side. Run by board-certified art therapist Diana Shabtai (or Miss Dee), these classes are designed to help kids relieve stress while exploring the world of art and learning how to express themselves creatively. It also hosts workshop events that feature various artists and art organizations that are highly respected by the community.

arttherapyoc.com | Newport Beach

By Jessie Dax-Setkus, Magda Hernandez and Shawn Price