The City of Edina Parks and Recreation Department offers a variety of youth activities throughout the year, including special events for families, summer playground programs, sports camps, tennis lessons, and adaptive programming.

Minnesota's ECFE program is an outstanding resource for parents of newborns to kindergarteners. Weekly classes typically begin with parent-child activities, followed by a circle time with songs and stories.

After that, parents usually head off to a separate room for coffee and discussion, while children stay behind with able childcare providers for more activities and snacktime, and in the process, build school-readiness skills.

The classes are designed to build healthy families, and offer parents a supportive, moderated forum to share experiences, tips, and concerns; a chance to connect with parents in similar circumstances, a particularly valuable benefit for families new to the area; and - nothing to sneeze at - a break from parenting, even if it's just for an hour or so.

The range of offerings is staggering: there are "non-separating" classes for newborns that cover infant massage; classes for toddlers with separation issues; and classes just for dads, teen parents, adoptive parents, and same-sex parents. Other offerings are designed for parents of children with special needs, or hospitalized children. Some classes are open to all kids under five, some serve only a narrow age range. The bottom line is that "You mean I'm not the only one?" is a common and empowering refrain in the program, which is offered throughout the state. Visit the >main directory for links to individual district programming.

Fraser offers an inclusive early childhood education program for children of all abilities, meeting both "typical" and special needs. Extended day care is available, as well as physical, occupational, speech, and music therapies.

In The Company of Kids offers classes and ShowBiz Kids summer camps exploring dance, acting, improv, voice, and more, and programs for children with special needs such as high-functioning forms of autism. Classes take place in a non-competitive environment, led by professional teachers. Group and private lessons are available by arrangement.

Parties: Two-hour themed parties include invitations, paper goods, food and beverages, a party host, games and activities, decorations, and set-up and clean-up. Parents supply the birthday cake and party favors. Themes include American Idol, cheerleading, Hannah Montana, Cheetah Girls, Transformers, animals, and princesses. Cost: $275/eight kids; $15/each additional child.

Kindermusik offers unique music and movement classes for children from birth through age seven.

The venerable MacPhail Center for Music - founded in 1907 - offers high-quality music instruction for more than 6,000 students each year, with offerings for kids as young as six weeks old.

And now it's doing it in a new, custom-built, state-of-the-art building featuring 56 specialized practice rooms, a 225-seat concert hall, studios, and more. The school continues to offer individual and group lessons in voice and dozens of instruments; Suzuki instruction; jazz education; an innovative Music Therapy program for kids with special needs; and Early Childhood Arts parent/child classes.

A variety of ensembles are offered for musicians ages nine and up. A two-year Certificate Program for ages 14 and up provides performance-oriented instruction for highly-motivated students. Some programs, including some summer camps, require auditions; for lessons, students are matched with instructors after a detailed placement interview.

The school is also a good source for free and low-cost music experiences, with numerous opportunities throughout the year to see faculty, adult students, and young people perform. Check the calendar for upcoming dates.

Summer camps: Ages nine and up can work on voice and instrument skills while getting to know like-minded peers. MacPhail also offers Music Therapy camps for kids with autism.

This state-certified program is available - free of charge - to any Minnesota resident ages 15 to 20 who is ready for high school coursework.

Earn a high school diploma from home, combine online classes with "traditional" schooling, or sharpen individual skills. Students benefit from small class sizes and personalized instruction in interactive classes.

The online component of Minneapolis Public Schools is designed to provide elective opportunities for high school students across the district, provide courses for students with scheduling conflicts, serve homebound students unable to attend "traditional" schools, and to provide standards-based credit makeup.

Parental permission is required to enroll. A staffed drop-in media lab for students and families provides assistance.

Minnesota also offers a state-approved online high school, and there are numerous options for K-12 students in other programs throughout the state. In this way, students can continue, expand, and enhance their education, by enrolling full-time, or just taking a course or two not otherwise available. A complete listing of state-certified online education programs can be found at iseek.org.

Family-to-Family and Kidshops workshops are two of the many programs offered by the Minnesota chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness to provide coping strategies and support to parents and children who are dealing with a family member with a mental illness. The free workshops are held at sites throughout the metro area. Preregistration is required.

Other NAMI programs offer information, advocacy, and support for caregivers of mentally ill children. A Dakota County Parent Liaison helps organize parents in that region.

Minnesota's most visited sports facility boasts 52 soccer fields on its 660-acre campus, along with four Olympic ice sheets, an 18-hole golf course, a stadium with a 400-meter track, an all-wood all-weather velodrome, and an event meeting center complete with dormitory and cafeteria.

The biggest event hosted by the site is the Schwan's USA Cup, the largest youth sporting event in the Western Hemisphere. Minnesota's Thunder and Lightning soccer teams also play some of their home games at NSC. In addition, the center offers year-round instruction, summer camps, some open access to facilities, party packages, sporting goods, and so much more it's exhausting just contemplating it.

Ice skating: A cafe and pro shop, public skating, and year-round skating and hockey instruction for kids ages four and up are offered at the Schwan Super Rink, including classes for special needs skaters taught by Olympic-certified coaches. Check the website for open skating hours - which vary from week to week - and information on current class offerings, or call 763.717.3880.

Golf: The newest addition to the NSC complex is the National Youth Golf Center, specifically designed to offer kids and families a non-threatening, affordable introduction to the sport. It features a club house and pro shop, oversized driving range, multiple tee boxes, an 18-hole events course, and an 18-hole bent grass putting course. Several levels of classes are offered from May to October for kids ages four and up, along with summer programming. Parent-child clinics, private lessons (starting at $25/half hour), and group lessons (starting at $15/person) are available, too. Call 763.792.7345 to schedule.

Soccer: NSC's Soccer Academy offers both day and residential summer camps, along with a wide array of general and specialized classes and training off-season and on. Check the website for offerings, or call 763.792.3999 for more information.

Other youth programming: Bikers ages 12 and up can enroll in development training at the Velodrome; All-Sport Camps for ages six to 16 provide exposure to numerous sports in a single program; and the Track and Field Club offers specialized training for high school athletes. There's even more - check the website for details.

Birthday parties: The Schwan Super Rink offers party packages during open skate times, as well as during private rentals. Fees include skate rental, use of a party area, invitations, pizza and soda, and decorations. Rates start at $135 for ten people. Catering can also be arranged through the Hat Trick Cafe on the upper level. Call 763.717.3880 to book a party or find out more.

St. David's - a non-profit, non-sectarian agency serving the west metro area since 1961 - offers year-round early education for children ages 16 months to five years old, including music and Spanish enrichment classes, and flexible scheduling options. Children with varying needs are welcome.

Services also include rehabilitative and mental health therapy for children and families, support services for children and young adults with special needs, and intervention services aimed at preventing child abuse and neglect.

TCDeaf.com offers a free weekly guide to events and news of interest to the deaf community in the Twin Cities - including notices of ASL-interpreted performances, tours, and classes for toddlers through adults - and links to other local resources and offers, such a free tickets to Twins games!

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.