Aikido Minnesota offers mixed-age classes, with payment on a monthly basis. The gentle quality of Aikido techniques appeals to men, women, and children; the movements are soft and smooth, but can be devastatingly effective when applied with force.

The study of Aikido offers spiritual development and exercise, in an environment that fosters discipline, respect, and proper etiquette. Parents may join in the Sunday afternoon classes for nine to 15 year olds for free if their children are enrolled.

Aikido Minnesota offers mixed-age classes, with payment on a monthly basis. The gentle quality of Aikido techniques appeals to men, women, and children; the movements are soft and smooth, but can be devastatingly effective when applied with force.

The study of Aikido offers spiritual development and exercise, in an environment that fosters discipline, respect, and proper etiquette. Parents may join in the Sunday afternoon classes for nine to 15 year olds for free if their children are enrolled.

The Youth Karate program at Cellar Kickboxing offers traditional martial arts training for ages six and up featuring blocking, striking, and self-defense techniques that build self-discipline, self-confidence, respect, and leadership skills. Kids learn at their own pace to reach their individual potential while also gaining teamwork skills. Moving through belt rankings keeps kids engaged with new challenges.

A Lil' Ninjas program for ages four and five promotes kindergarten readiness and basic motor skills using karate drills and games to reinforce a different skill each week, such listening or balance. Parents are welcome to observe the classes - as well as join the school's adult programs.

Students at Classsic TaeKwonDo Studios range in age from five to 74! The majority are adults, but all get a challenging workout, with the potential benefit of self-defense. Many children attend class with siblings and/or parents. Classic TaeKwonDo Studios emphasizes family involvement; children are not separated from adults, and women are not separated from men. Discipline and respect are stressed in training, though the atmosphere is non-militaristic.

All program fees include three months of unlimited participation, offering scheduling flexibility. Uniforms and semi-private lessons are also included.

Afterschool care: Children can be picked up at their schools and spend the afternoon in a safe and secure environment where they work on homework, have a wholesome (and usually organic) snack, enjoy games and activities, then spend an hour on TaeKwonDo before pick up.

Summer Camps: Weekly offerings for kids ages six to 12.

Students at Classsic TaeKwonDo Studios range in age from five to 74! The majority are adults, but all get a challenging workout, with the potential benefit of self-defense. Many children attend class with siblings and/or parents. Classic TaeKwonDo Studios emphasizes family involvement; children are not separated from adults, and women are not separated from men. Discipline and respect are stressed in training, though the atmosphere is non-militaristic.

All program fees include three months of unlimited participation, offering scheduling flexibility. Uniforms and semi-private lessons are also included.

Afterschool care: Children can be picked up at their schools and spend the afternoon in a safe and secure environment where they work on homework, have a wholesome (and usually organic) snack, enjoy games and activities, then spend an hour on TaeKwonDo before pick up.

Summer Camps: Weekly offerings for kids ages six to 12.

Enso Aikido Dojo offers affordable martial arts training in a family-run studio. Kids ages five to 12 enroll in the children's program; teens practice with adults.

Twenty years ago, former US kickboxing champ Terry Norblom devised a marriage of martial arts and music to teach kids kicks, punches, and blocks, as well as life skills such as discipline, compassion, and leadership. Set movements accompanied by original tunes aim to boost focus, precision, and stamina, as students progress through eight levels, from white-belted novices to masters in black.

To enroll, students purchase passes good for one to nine months, then attend as many level-appropriate classes as they want during that period.

The unique Kuk Sool Won method of instruction includes elements from the spectrum of Korean martial arts in classes for kids, adults, and families. Kuk Sool Won comprises body conditioning, fighting arts, self-defense, weapons training, and mental discipline.

The Maplewood Community Center features a health club with pool and recreational programming, childcare, a gymnasium, a theater, and more.

Parties: Packages range from just room rental ($40/hour) to theme parties (starting at $200) to Ultimate Parties that include wristbands, cake, treats, a host, and more (starting at $130). Inflatables, invitations, and meals available for an additional fee.

Despite the pain inflicted by ongoing budget cuts, the city's Park Board offerings are a key component of the generally high quality of life in Minneapolis.

The Park Board administers over 150 picnic areas, beaches, and parks, including some four dozen neighborhood Recreation Centers which offer free and low-cost enrichment programming, sports leagues, community events, and Rec Plus year-round childcare for ages five to 12. Phat Summer keeps kids ages 12 to 18 busy with specialized and evening offerings when school's out. Daily live entertainment is offered throughout the summer at several locations, including Minnehaha Park and Lake Harriet.

It also grooms skating rinks in the winter, and maintains the Parade Ice Garden, pastoral Nicollet Island, the Stone Arch Bridge, and other historical sites, and - in partnership with the Walker Art Center - the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, with its signature Spoonbridge and Cherry. Permits to reserve picnic pavillions for private parties at select sites start at $35/half-day.

The Park Board website is easy to navigate and full of useful information. The Park Finder lets users specify which facilities they're looking for, and parking info breaks down the combination of free, meter, pass, and pay-station parking offered in the parks. A page of suggested itineraries offers something for every age and activity level.

The Movement Arts Center offers karate instruction for kids and adults, with weekly family classes. The center's new facility features sprung wood floors, locker rooms with showers, and free parking. Family rates are offered and no long-term contracts are required.

Summer Camps: Weeklong programs for kids ages six to 12 ($225/full-day; $130/half-day) incorporate karate, theater, yoga, art, and/or chess. Structured classes provide social time along with opportunities to build discipline and self-esteem...and an illustrated album of summer memories! Campers must bring their own lunches and snacks. Some financial aid is available.

Adults and children can learn the Afro-Brazilian martial art of capoeira, which combines self-defense, music, dance, and acrobatics into a unique art form.

Children over age 10 are welcome in adult classes, which meet in the Center for Performing Arts in South Minneapolis - so families can learn together! Classes for younger children are offered at nearby Bryant Square Park. Students can pay per class, or get a discount by paying monthly.

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.

The St. Paul JCC offers fitness classes and gym facilities (including a pool) with programming for all ages, as well as a technology center and library, sports leagues, summer camps, school release day trips and workshops, parent/child classes, and afterschool care. The center also hosts family events and special workshops, including babysitter training, and martial arts and scuba lessons for teens.

Childcare is available most mornings for kids ages six weeks to six years (with advance reservations) while parents are on-site to work out or attend classes. ($2/hour; Call 651.255.4757 to book.)

The JCC's offerings for teens are particularly notable. The Teen Lounge (open to members in grades seven to 12) features a stereo and big-screen TV with VCR and DVD player; pool, foosball, and ping pong tables; and internet access and a DVD/CD burner. Teen-only events and programs include a support group for GLBT teens, sports and leaderships organizations, and a Performing Arts School that mounts productions throughout the year. Van service is available to transport kids to the JCC from area schools.

The JCC also offers training for the JCC Maccabi Games, a Jewish Olympics-style competition. Kids in grades eight and nine can apply to be counselors-in-training at the JCC's Camp Butwin near Lebanon Hills County Park in Eagan, an ACA-accredited facility for kindergarteners and up offering summer camps with boating, climbing, crafts, nature, and theatre components.

Teens can also earn money as Party Peppers, helping out during birthday parties for kids ages five to 10 which are offered to member children (guests need not be members) at the center on Sundays. Parties include activity leaders, a decorated party room, set-up and clean-up, and use of the pool and gym. Call 651.255.4740 for more information.

Aaron and Kristin Love's local franchise of the international The Little Gym chain offers professionally-developed, non-competitive programs to promote coordination, balance, rhythm, and flexibility, as well as emotional, social, and intellectual skills.

Parent/child classes (ages four months to three years) are 45 minutes long. One-hour offerings for preschoolers (ages three to six years) and grade schoolers (ages six to 12) include karate, dance, sports, and gymnastics. Enrollment is ongoing, with classes pro-rated for mid-session registrations; visit the website for a current schedule.

Parties: Turn over your guest list and The Little Gym mails out invitations and provides tableware, drinks, a t-shirt for the birthday child, and an instructor and assistant to lead a 90-minute party. Parties can be scheduled on weekends at 12:30pm, 2:30pm & 4:30pm.

Slater and Lise Crosby's local franchises of the international The Little Gym chain offer professionally-developed, non-competitive programs to promote coordination, balance, rhythm, and flexibility, as well as emotional, social, and intellectual skills.

Parent/child classes (ages four months to three years) are 45 minutes long. One-hour offerings for preschoolers (ages three to six years) and grade schoolers (ages six to 12) include karate, dance, sports, and gymnastics. Enrollment is ongoing, with classes pro-rated for mid-session registrations; check the website for a current schedule.

Regularly-scheduled Parents' Survival Nights provide themed childcare on Friday and Saturday evenings for kids ages three to 12, with games and activities.

Parties: Turn over your guest list and The Little Gym mails out invitations, and provides time in a party room with tableware, drinks, a t-shirt for the birthday child, and an instructor and assistant to lead a 90-minute party.

Slater and Lise Crosby's local franchises of the international The Little Gym chain offer professionally-developed, non-competitive programs to promote coordination, balance, rhythm, and flexibility, as well as emotional, social, and intellectual skills.

Parent/child classes (ages four months to three years) are 45 minutes long. One-hour offerings for preschoolers (ages three to six years) and grade schoolers (ages six to 12) include karate, dance, sports, and gymnastics. Enrollment is ongoing, with classes pro-rated for mid-session registrations; check the website for a current schedule.

Regularly-scheduled Parents' Survival Nights provide themed childcare on Friday and Saturday evenings for kids ages three to 12, with games and activities.

Parties: Turn over your guest list and The Little Gym mails out invitations, and provides time in a party room with tableware, drinks, a t-shirt for the birthday child, and an instructor and assistant to lead a 90-minute party.

World Martial Arts Center has been offering traditional martial arts training for adults and kids (ages five and up) since 1965.

Children can learn discipline and focus through martial arts, self-defense, and cardio kickboxing classes at World Taekwondo Academy coaching centers.

Mixed-age classes encourage the whole family to study together; summer camps and competitions offer additional opportunities for practice. WTA students participate in Olympic-style tournament sparring to progress from white to black belts, and get a free uniform when they enroll.

Children can learn discipline and focus through martial arts, self-defense, and cardio kickboxing classes at World Taekwondo Academy coaching centers.

Mixed-age classes encourage the whole family to study together; summer camps and competitions offer additional opportunities for practice. WTA students participate in Olympic-style tournament sparring to progress from white to black belts, and get a free uniform when they enroll.

Children can learn discipline and focus through martial arts, self-defense, and cardio kickboxing classes at World Taekwondo Academy coaching centers.

Mixed-age classes encourage the whole family to study together; summer camps and competitions offer additional opportunities for practice. WTA students participate in Olympic-style tournament sparring to progress from white to black belts, and get a free uniform when they enroll.

Children can learn discipline and focus through martial arts, self-defense, and cardio kickboxing classes at World Taekwondo Academy coaching centers.

Mixed-age classes encourage the whole family to study together; summer camps and competitions offer additional opportunities for practice. WTA students participate in Olympic-style tournament sparring to progress from white to black belts, and get a free uniform when they enroll.

Children can learn discipline and focus through martial arts, self-defense, and cardio kickboxing classes at World Taekwondo Academy coaching centers.

Mixed-age classes encourage the whole family to study together; summer camps and competitions offer additional opportunities for practice. WTA students participate in Olympic-style tournament sparring to progress from white to black belts, and get a free uniform when they enroll.

Children can learn discipline and focus through martial arts, self-defense, and cardio kickboxing classes at World Taekwondo Academy coaching centers.

Mixed-age classes encourage the whole family to study together; summer camps and competitions offer additional opportunities for practice. WTA students participate in Olympic-style tournament sparring to progress from white to black belts, and get a free uniform when they enroll.

The Southdale YMCA offers free on-site childcare (for kids from six weeks to 10 years old) while parents work out, with both indoor and outdoor play areas. And like most Ys, it also provides a wide variety of programming for kids and teens, including lots of youth sports leagues and enrichment classes, before and after school care, and teen councils and leadership clubs. Enrollment is open to all for most programs, though fees will be higher for non-members.

Group and private swim lessons are offered in the six-lane Olympic-size pool, with a smaller - and quieter - warming pool available for parents to use with babies and toddlers. Men's and women's family locker rooms provide a spacious place to change and shower. Kids can also get a workout on large muscle equipment in a Kids Gym and give the facility's climbing wall a shot.

The Tri-City SkatePark behind the building is open each afternoon from mid-April throught August, weather-permitting. The innovative in-ground concrete bowl provides a safe environment for skateboarders, inline skaters, and freestyle bikers to tool around, with depths ranging from four to 12 feet, street course elements, and challenges for a variety of skill levels. Waivers and safey gear are required for all users. Call 952.897.5462 for information on lessons. Daily use rates: Members $5; Non-members $9. Punch cards and season passes are also available.

Summer camp: Full-day programming is offered on-site all summer for school age kids, but for a real day camp experience the Southdale YMCA uses Kici Yapi, a fairly primitive 80-acre wooded site with a lake located near Prior Lake. Weeklong programs for ages four to 13 include traditional lanyard-and-archery-type camps, as well as specialized offerings for horseback riding, climbing, camping, and crafts. Seventh and eighth graders can take a leaders-in-training camp and assist counselors with younger kids. Bus transportation for campers is provided to/from sites in Minneapolis and several southern suburbs; kids enrolled in extended care in addition to camp get dropped off and/or picked up at the Southdale Y.

The Southdale YMCA offers free on-site childcare (for kids from six weeks to 10 years old) while parents work out, with both indoor and outdoor play areas. And like most Ys, it also provides a wide variety of programming for kids and teens, including lots of youth sports leagues and enrichment classes, before and after school care, and teen councils and leadership clubs. Enrollment is open to all for most programs, though fees will be higher for non-members.

Group and private swim lessons are offered in the six-lane Olympic-size pool, with a smaller - and quieter - warming pool available for parents to use with babies and toddlers. Men's and women's family locker rooms provide a spacious place to change and shower. Kids can also get a workout on large muscle equipment in a Kids Gym and give the facility's climbing wall a shot.

The Tri-City SkatePark behind the building is open each afternoon from mid-April throught August, weather-permitting. The innovative in-ground concrete bowl provides a safe environment for skateboarders, inline skaters, and freestyle bikers to tool around, with depths ranging from four to 12 feet, street course elements, and challenges for a variety of skill levels. Waivers and safey gear are required for all users. Call 952.897.5462 for information on lessons. Daily use rates: Members $5; Non-members $9. Punch cards and season passes are also available.

Summer camp: Full-day programming is offered on-site all summer for school age kids, but for a real day camp experience the Southdale YMCA uses Kici Yapi, a fairly primitive 80-acre wooded site with a lake located near Prior Lake. Weeklong programs for ages four to 13 include traditional lanyard-and-archery-type camps, as well as specialized offerings for horseback riding, climbing, camping, and crafts. Seventh and eighth graders can take a leaders-in-training camp and assist counselors with younger kids. Bus transportation for campers is provided to/from sites in Minneapolis and several southern suburbs; kids enrolled in extended care in addition to camp get dropped off and/or picked up at the Southdale Y.