Enthusiastic, encouraging, well-qualified teachers and a spectacular array of offerings - including family classes, and comprehensive afterschool and summer programming - make instruction here a terrific choice for children as well as parents.

Kids can explore pottery, sculpture, drawing, painting, jewelry-making, multimedia, photography, fabric arts, knitting, and more during children's classes; teens ages 15 and older are welcome in adult classes. Some offerings combine visual with performing arts. Parent/child classes are offered for newborns and up as part of the center's Art for All Ages program, and family workshops are offered year-round, many with holiday themes. Homeschoolers can arrange custom classes; call 612.915.6600 to schedule.

The long waiting list for the unique Art Academy, for kids ages seven and up who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual arts, attests to its quality.

Parents can book time in the Peggy Kelly Media Studios to shoot portraits, transfer videos to DVD, and create electronic scrapbooks. If they don't know how, they can sign up for a class to learn. Handcrafted gifts, wearable art, and art supplies are sold in the Clark Gift Shop, and baked goods and coffee are available in a cafe area.

Enthusiastic, encouraging, well-qualified teachers and a spectacular array of offerings - including family classes, and comprehensive afterschool and summer programming - make instruction here a terrific choice for children as well as parents.

Kids can explore pottery, sculpture, drawing, painting, jewelry-making, multimedia, photography, fabric arts, knitting, and more during children's classes; teens ages 15 and older are welcome in adult classes. Some offerings combine visual with performing arts. Parent/child classes are offered for newborns and up as part of the center's Art for All Ages program, and family workshops are offered year-round, many with holiday themes. Homeschoolers can arrange custom classes; call 612.915.6600 to schedule.

The long waiting list for the unique Art Academy, for kids ages seven and up who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual arts, attests to its quality.

Parents can book time in the Peggy Kelly Media Studios to shoot portraits, transfer videos to DVD, and create electronic scrapbooks. If they don't know how, they can sign up for a class to learn. Handcrafted gifts, wearable art, and art supplies are sold in the Clark Gift Shop, and baked goods and coffee are available in a cafe area.

The offerings at the recently-renovated Franklin division of the Hennepin County Library (now merged with the MPL system) are as diverse as the community it serves.

Improvements here include an expanded children's section with a welcoming pavillion and storybook room; a teen-friendly area with magazines, books, computers, and comfortable seating; upgraded technology, including a Learning Center and Tech Center; enhanced world language offerings; and the addition of self-service checkout machines. Mosaic pictographs and petroglyphs celebrate the cultural richness of the neighborhood.

The library hosts events and programs for kids and families throughout the year, including Homework Helpers, with many bilingual offerings, and programs in Somali and Spanish.

Leonardo's Basement provides programs for girls and boys who want to design and build art, science, and technology projects. The 4,800-square-foot workshop is stuffed with tools and building materials, providing formal and informal creative and learning opportunities. The organization's Studio Bricolage program offers events and classes that give adults a chance to play, too!

Classes: Offerings include afternoon programming during the school year for kids ages six and up, morning classes for children ages four and five, special school release day workshops, and Saturday classes for youth and families. Computer animation and music-making classes for teens are also available. Check the website for a current schedule.

Summer Camps: Weeklong themed half-day camps are offered mornings and afternoons during select weeks over the summer. The camps combine art, science, math, and building experiences. Check the website for a complete schedule. Fees: $140/session; add $5/session for morning or afternoon aftercare. Camps can be combined for a full-day experience.

Birthday parties: On-site parties are usually scheduled on Saturday or Sunday afternoons for kids ages six to 16. Parties generally last 90 minutes, and include building a take-home project selected by the birthday child. Themes include inventions, painting, jewelry-making, electricity, and more. Refreshments can be brought in; space is provided, but not food. Cost: $20/child, including supplies, with a minimum charge of $75; additional fees may apply for particularly complex projects. Leonardo's will also bring the party to you; call for details.

The recreation center at Martin Luther King Park boasts craft and activity rooms (and two kilns!), a kitchen, and a large multi-sport gymnasium and field house with a vaulted ceiling, and all of these areas can be rented for parties.

Thoughout the year, the center hosts many sport and recreational programs as well as special events for preschoolers, elementary age kids, teens, and families. Many of the programs, including an afterschool computer lab, are offered at little or no cost. The Youthline program for teens meets at the park, too, and includes leadership, mentoring, social, and educational components.

Outdoors, the park features basketball and tennis courts, a tot lot playground and wading pool with fountain, and ball fields.

The recreation center at Martin Luther King Park boasts craft and activity rooms (and two kilns!), a kitchen, and a large multi-sport gymnasium and field house with a vaulted ceiling, and all of these areas can be rented for parties.

Thoughout the year, the center hosts many sport and recreational programs as well as special events for preschoolers, elementary age kids, teens, and families. Many of the programs, including an afterschool computer lab, are offered at little or no cost. The Youthline program for teens meets at the park, too, and includes leadership, mentoring, social, and educational components.

Outdoors, the park features basketball and tennis courts, a tot lot playground and wading pool with fountain, and ball fields.

The Northeast Branch of the MPL system is bustling, despite its plain-Jane but serviceable atmosphere.

The librarians are particularly friendly here, and the medium-sized collection of youth materials is relatively contained and easy to browse. There's usually a wait for internet access on the library's computers, but an automated self-service system makes check out easy.

Foreign language materials are available, and the library regularly hosts preschool and bilingual storytimes, homework help, and other programs.

The large fresco that greets visitors upon entering Pierre Bottineau Library - a recently-restored Hennepin County/MPL branch - is lovely, and the care that went into the award-winning renovation on the historic Grain Belt Brewery campus is evident throughout.

The Children's Library is set apart from the rest of the facilities, left of the entry. It features table and chair seating, a separate area for toddlers, a Youth Tech center, and an inviting gathering place. Restrooms are across from the automated check-out stations on the other side of the main entrance.

The Teen Zone is to the right of the entry, with computers and other amenities for older kids. Homework Help is offered regularly.

The library hosts events and programs for kids and families throughout the year.

The newest - and largest - branch of the Saint Paul Public Library system, opened in September, 2006. The award-winning mixed-use building has three floors of housing in addition to the 31,000-sq.-ft. library.

Rondo features daily storytimes, wi-fi internet access, a large collection of black history and foreign language materials, a dedicated homework center, and lots of public access computers. Patrons can buy snacks and beverages at an on-site coffee cart.

Saint Paul Public Schools has preK-12 programming comprising a wide array of educational opportunities, including traditional elementary, middle, and high school classes; special education programs; classes for four-year-olds; alternative learning centers; and language and art immersion.

Community Education offerings provide low-cost enrichment classes for adults, children, and families. Each session is filled with terrific arts & crafts, language, fencing, gymnastics, science, sports, and computer classes. Babysitter training classes are also available.

After two years of restoration and expansion, this exquisite Tudor-style historic MPL branch is back in business, and well-worth a visit!

The new Teen Zone, right of the main entrance, features fast computers, homework help, and other amenities for teens and tweens. The large, skylit Children's Library has extensive offerings, and "special spaces," including a carefully-restored inviting room for reading storybooks, a cozy Book Nook cubby where children can plop down in bean bag chairs to read, and a Youth Tech computer area.

The North Side Learning Center on the lower level provides academic assistance and tutoring.

The Science Museum offers visitors a wealth of hands-on activities, engaging exhibits, weekend science-in-action demonstrations, breathtaking large-format films, and a mind-boggling array of educational programming. The great river view - and seasonal activities in the "backyard" - are just added bonuses.

Board a real towboat in the Mississippi River Gallery, and learn how they got it up there. Explore the Primeval Swamp among the dinosaurs. Find out more about how bodies work than you might care to know in the Human Body Gallery (be sure to open that little door to get "sneezed on"!) and take on the role of an infectious disease fighting detective while exploring three "patients." Artifacts and oddities (no offense intended to the mummy) are on display in the Collections Gallery.

Even the restrooms are educational, with posted information on what ends up where in the waste stream.

In spring and summer, the museum hangs out in The Big Backyard. Features include - who knew there could be such a thing? - educational miniature golf, a giant sluice where kids can pan for fossils and gems, a medicinal garden, a 3D map of the world, a large maze, and more.

When stomachs start to rumble, look to the snack cart in the lobby, or - for more choice and better prices - head to the cafeteria on the sixth floor. The Explore Store entices with an enormous selection of science kits, gems, games, books, toys, and jewelry.

Classes: Family and children's weekend classes, for ages three and up, explore everything from magic to mechanics to mummies, with art-making often thrown into the mix. Many meet for just one session ... and many fill, so register as far in advance as possible.

Homeschoolers have their own selection of choose from, and computer classes are held in the Learning Technologies Center, down on the education level with the class and party rooms.

The museum also offers programs at the Warner Nature Center.

Summer camps: Hands-on experiences and fun learning opportunities abound at the Science Museum when school's out. Half-day and full-day camps are offered for kids ages four to 16.

Birthday parties: Reserve well in advance for these popular packages for ages four and up. Pick a theme from the catalog, and add on options such as Omnitheater admission or pizza, if you please. The basic package includes an hour of hands-on activities in a private room, followed by 30 minutes for cake and punch (provided), decorations and paper goods, and free admission to the exhibit halls. Kids make something to take home - be it dragon eyeballs or dinosaur eggs - and the birthday child gets a special button; $215 non-members; $175 members, for 10 guests.

Membership, at $95/family, provides unlimited exhibit access, free admission to the Omnitheater - or a discount on any special features showing, and discounts on classes, lectures, parties, and summer camps. Members receive a handy monthly newsletter with info on upcoming programming and invitations to members-only events.

Whittier Park, and its recreation center, are located next to the beautifully-renovated Whittier School, a handful of blocks away from the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the restaurants of "Eat Street."

The rec center boasts craft and activity rooms - enhanced by a kiln and dark room - a teaching kitchen and one for general use, and a large gymnasium. All of these areas can be rented for parties. Foosball, air hockey, and bumper pool are available, too.

The center also operates as community center, and welcomes kids and families after school with a computer lab, academic tutoring, bingo, movies, craft classes, open gym activities, pick-up basketball games, and more. Outdoors, the park features a basketball court, ball field, two playgrounds and a wading pool, and picnic tables.

Check the website for upcoming events and current class offerings.