This program, run by the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), offers community youth programs, including soccer training.

Summer programs include a six-week recreational program that includes arts and crafts, recreational sports, reading, and computer instruction; and a two-week "Reading Is Great!" program.

The Beverly Hills Club offers a wide variety of programs for families. The club has an indoor pool, tennis courts, fitness room, and a children's section with a play structure, moonwalk, video games, and more.

Kids' classes are offered in aerobics, baseball, basketball, dance, football, martial arts, swimming, tennis, and yoga. Parent/tot classes are also available.

A latchkey program offers the chance for supervised afterschool fun. Day camps give kids a great place to hang out during the summer and on vacation days.

Both members and nonmembers may hold a party at the BHC.

Hours are seasonal:

Labor Day to Memorial Day: Mon-Thu 5:30am-11pm; Fri 5:30am-10pm; Sat 6:30am-9:30pm; Sun 7am-8:30pm.


Memorial Day to Labor Day: Mon-Fri 5:30am-11pm; Fri 5:30am-11pm; Sat 6:30am-8pm; Sun 7am-7pm

The Carls Family YMCA offers a variety of services to members of the community. Opened in 2002, this is a state-of-the-art facility located in the heart of downtown Milford. There is an indoor pool, fitness center, and gymnasium. This branch of the Y also has a childcare program.

Classes are offered in aerobics, aquatics, basketball, gymnastics, martial arts, pilates, and yoga. There are numerous opportunities for homeschoolers and also the preschool set, including parent/tot classes.

There are several birthday party packages at this Y, including a standard party package, a gym party, and a pool party.

The Creative Arts Studio is a do-it-yourself art workshop where families can paint pottery or glass, create clay items (it has state-of-the-art potter's wheels), build a beautiful piece with mosaics or beading, or stuff animals with Create a Bear. It's great fun for kids of all ages, even the littlest ones, who can make handprints and footprints on plates. All of the paints are lead-free and nontoxic.

No experience is necessary - the studio offers instruction and has many tools. Original artwork, accessories, and art kits are also for sale in the front of the store.

Parties: This is a unique place to celebrate any occasion, from birthdays to bridal showers. The studio has a 300-square-foot party room. There is an eight-person minimum, and special arrangements can be made for groups larger than 30. Food can be brought in, and there is a refrigerator, freezer, and microwave on site. All art supplies and paper products are supplied, and a party hostess helps out for one hour. A personalized handprint birthday plate for kids' parties is provided.

Classes: Programs are available for kids of all ages - "Mommy (or Daddy) and Me," painting pottery, making mosaics, beading, wheel throwing, and glass fusing. The studio also customizes classes for Scout groups. Jump on the website for full details.

Art Camps for kids ages six to 14 are offered during school breaks. Check the website or call for an upcoming schedule.

New moms are invited to come in and make a print of their newborn's feet on a complimentary 4-inch tile.

Housed at the Franklin Athletic Club, the Franklin Kids Club is a fitness center and licensed day care with a preschool program.

Two large gyms with moonwalks, a rope swing, slides, and colorful mats will keep your children plenty busy. For the older kids, there's foosball, air hockey, Nintendo, basketball, and floor hockey. Open gym times are available six days of the week.

Classes are offered in gymnastics, karate, arts and crafts, and more. Special programs include prenatal "Fit for Moms" and post-natal "Mommy and Baby Bootcamp" classes.

Day camps are offered on school vacation days and weekends, and there is also a latchkey program. The licensed pre-school accepts kids 2 1/2 to 5 years old (they must be toilet trained).

Parties: Franklin Kids Club offers two fitness-focused parties that come with a coach, a party host, invitations, and paper products. The Weesports party, for ages 1-4, runs 90 minutes and costs $215; and the Kidsports party, for ages 5-10, runs two hours and costs $265. For an additional $110, you'll get pizza, cake, party bags, and beverages. All prices are based on 15 kids.

Other neat party ideas include the club's Mess Makers (art-based), Mad Science (science-based), and Gym and Swim birthday parties. Check online for details.

Franklin Kids Club has some great programs for scouts and youth groups, too, including fitness challenges and sleepovers.

KiddieKlub's new 8,000 square foot center combines interactive play and child care. The parent-supervised play center features an indoor play structure, imaginative play rooms, an infant area, wireless internet, and a healthy cafe. It also offers full and part-time day care, parents night out, birthday parties, and activities. Membership plans are available.

Those in the Grosse Pointes and Harper Woods are lucky to have the wonderful programs of the Neighborhood Club to keep them active. Activities are conducted in its community center and other area buildings and playfields.

Nursery program: The club runs a state-licensed nursery school and offers half-day care three to five days/week for children ages three to five.

Kids' programs: Sign the little ones up for playgroups, kiddie gym, and mom & tot classes. Older kids can participate in bowling, fencing, gymnastics, and tennis. The Neighborhood Club has numerous organized youth athletic leagues, including those in basketball, flag football, lacrosse, soccer, softball, t-ball, and volleyball.

Day camps are available during the summer.

Adult programs include aerobics, computer training, fencing, and yoga classes; softball and vollyball leagues; a barbershop quartet; and knitting club.

All programs are subsidized by the Neighborhood Club Thrift Shop.

P.O.W.E.R. stands for Presenting Opportunities Winning Effectual Results, and the organization accomplishes these results by promoting math literacy and critical thinking skills through its programs. Summer youth camps and year-round workshops for students, families, and parents are offered.

Detroit area middle and high school children learn about personal finance through a school program that culminates with a budget simulation day at Finance Park. This unique facility features storefronts representing an insurance company, bank, car dealership, shopping mall, grocery store, and other businesses.

Summit on the Park is Canton's 95,000 square foot community center, located in the civic complex that also features Heritage Park and Pheasant Run Golf Club.

The venue's features include an indoor aquatic center with a leisure pool, water slide, lazy river, lap pool, and therapy pool; dance studios, a racquetball court, fitness center, gymnasium, walking track, and a kids' corner.

Classes, camps, and frequent field trips are offered for children and families. Check the website for the current schedule.

Young Chefs Academy is a cooking school created just for kids! Children learn cooking and baking techniques, proper food handling, food preparation, and presentation, kitchen safety, table setting, manners, and more. The Academy offers a variety of hands-on cooking classes, including mini-camps and field trips.

The atmosphere is kid-friendly, with colorful cabinets, counters, cutting boards, and bathrooms (to encourage cleanliness!) inviting even the youngest kids to get busy in the kitchen. Parents are welcome to stay and observe, and even taste the end product of their children's efforts.

Instructors follow concise, clever lesson plans and have to know the two Cs: cooking, and children - and be good with both. During classes, kids are encouraged to ask questions, express their likes and dislikes, and get confident about cooking skills. Each session's recipes are provided to students, with a section for comments (what they might change next time, how highly they rate the taste, etc.), and those who sign up for a class series get their own recipe binder, chefs hat, and apron to continue their culinary explorations at home.

Birthday parties last 90 minutes, and guests participate in real hands-on cooking activities. There are two birthday packages to choose from; contact the Academy for current offerings and pricing.

A retail section offers chef accessories, t-shirts, and cooking-themed gifts to go along with gift certificates.

Young Chefs Academy is a cooking school created just for kids! Children learn cooking and baking techniques, proper food handling, food preparation, and presentation, kitchen safety, table setting, manners, and more. The Academy offers a variety of hands-on cooking classes, including mini-camps and field trips.

The atmosphere is kid-friendly, with colorful cabinets, counters, cutting boards, and bathrooms (to encourage cleanliness!) inviting even the youngest kids to get busy in the kitchen. Parents are welcome to stay and observe, and even taste the end product of their children's efforts.

Instructors follow concise, clever lesson plans and have to know the two Cs: cooking, and children - and be good with both. During classes, kids are encouraged to ask questions, express their likes and dislikes, and get confident about cooking skills. Each session's recipes are provided to students, with a section for comments (what they might change next time, how highly they rate the taste, etc.), and those who sign up for a class series get their own recipe binder, chefs hat, and apron to continue their culinary explorations at home.

Birthday parties last 90 minutes, and guests participate in real hands-on cooking activities. There are two birthday packages to choose from; contact the Academy for current offerings and pricing.

A retail section offers chef accessories, t-shirts, and cooking-themed gifts to go along with gift certificates.

Through its programs and services for women and children, the YWCA of Metropolitan Detroit works to eliminate racism and empower women. The organization addresses a variety of basic, immediate needs for safety, shelter, food, and clothing, as well as longer term needs for affordable housing.

The YWCA Downriver provides quality childcare programs through its outreach programs, including before and after school, and school break and summer camps.

Summer Camps: Summer Kiddie Camps are for those 2 1/2 to 5 years old, Summer Day Camps are geared toward those in grades 1-5, and Summer Junior Counselor Camps (which includes babysitter training and CPR courses) are great for those in grades 6-9. All are located at St. John United Church of Christ in Wyandotte and Huron High School in Huron Township.

School Break Care: Grosse Ile and Wyandotte parents can take advantage of the program's offering of child care during winter and spring breaks. Latchkey is also available.

Mom & Tot and Discovery Camp: The YWCA has teamed up with the Grosse Isle Recreation Department to provide two programs: Mom & Tot is for parents and preschoolers to learn through fun play and music; for elementary school kids, Discovery Camp, held at Centennial Farm, is a five-week summer program that focuses on the study of nature and the outdoors.

For Huron Township residents, YWCA recreation programs abound. Held at various places throughout the community, there are classes for kids (cheerleading, dance, horseback riding, and karate) and adults (ballroom dance, exercise and fitness, hunter safety, scrapbooking, self-defense, yoga, and more).

Contact the YWCA Downriver Outreach program for specific locations, membership information, and camp and class fees.

Through its programs and services for women and children, the YWCA of Metropolitan Detroit works to eliminate racism and empower women. The organization addresses a variety of basic, immediate needs for safety, shelter, food, and clothing, as well as longer term needs for affordable housing, quality child care, and preschool.

This branch of the YWCA offers outreach programs, including afterschool care, for young people throughout Detroit, and works directly with the Cornerstone Schools and the Detroit Academy of the Arts and Sciences. Day camps are offered during summer and other school breaks.

Parties: A large banquet room and garden area are available to rent for parties or other gatherings.

Membership: Family Membership is $75/year and includes one or both parents and children. Adult Membership is $40/year, Student Membership (for ages 18-21 and in school) is $30, and Youth Membership is $20/year.

Through its programs and services for women and children, the YWCA of Metropolitan Detroit works to eliminate racism and empower women. The organization addresses a variety of basic, immediate needs for safety, shelter, food, and clothing, as well as longer term needs for affordable housing, quality child care, and preschool.

This branch of the YWCA has a fairly large fitness center - and it's not just for women. Sign up for hatha yoga, aerobics, or pilates adult classes and afterward get a massage or facial. There is a book club and mom's club as well.

Child care services are provided Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9am-10am and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9am-12n at a cost of $4/hour. Register your three to five year old in the YWCA's preschool program, which runs five days a week. Enrollment options include half days or two or more full days.

The branch also offers day camp in the summer and during spring break for kids ages six to 10 and for middle school students ages 10 to 13. The camp program runs weekdays from 9am to 4pm. Before and after care is available for an extra fee.

Membership: Family Membership is $75/year and includes one or both parents and children. Adult Membership is $40/year, Student Membership (for ages 18-21 and in school) is $30, and Youth Membership is $20/year. Fitness center membership is additional.