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Activities, Enrichment and Classes

Are you looking for activities, classes or enrichment for your child? This guide features virtual and in-person activities, games, courses and attractions in the following areas:

  • Ascend Pittsburgh: Climbing lessons and programs, with locations in Point Breeze and South Side
    • All ages, age 13 and under must be directly supervised by an adult
  • British Swim School: Operates at several pools in the Pittsburgh area, and teaches water safety and swimming skills in addition to offering a swim team for experienced swimmers
    • All ages
  • CMU Athletic Camps and Clinic: A variety of camps and clinics, including soccer, basketball, volleyball, swimming and diving
    • Age varies by sport, from age 5 through high school
  • Cosmic Kids Yoga: Series of fun, engaging yoga routines for children; watch on YouTube or download the Cosmic Kids App for $10/month to stream ad-free
    • Best for children ages 2–12
  • First Tee Pittsburgh: Nonprofit youth development program that delivers life skills and character education through the game of golf; classes are held indoors and outdoors at locations throughout the Pittsburgh area
    • Ages 5–18
  • Gymkhana Gymnastics Schools: Gymnastics fun for all skill levels, with locations in Point Breeze, Bethel Park, Monroeville and Wexford
    • Ages 6 months–18 years
  • Kennywood Park: Traditional amusement park located in West Mifflin; one-day tickets and season passes available
    • All ages
  • Penguins Skating Academy: Classes cover skating, hockey and figure skating; located in Cranberry; Learn to Skate USA membership required
    • Ages 3+
  • Pittsburgh Ballet Theater: Dance education and training
  • Pittsburgh Fencers' Club: Classes and camps for fencers of all abilities, located in Point Breeze
    • Ages 7+
  • Pittsburgh Soccer Academy: Individual and small group training, video analysis, camps and clinics to develop soccer skills
    • Age 5 through high school
  • Sandcastle Water Park: Water slides, pools and other attractions, located near the Waterfront in West Homestead
    • All ages
  • The Scoring Factory: Basketball skills development clinics, camps and private training at locations around Pittsburgh
    • Grades 2–12
  • Switch and Signal Skatepark: Indoor skatepark in Swissvale offering private and group lessons, rentals and camps
    • All ages
  • The UPMC Rink at PPG Place: From November through February, the Plaza between Third and Fourth Avenues transforms into an outdoor ice skating rink; rental skates are available in toddler through adult sizes
    • All ages
  • USA Professional Karate: Karate classes and camps, located in Squirrel Hill
    • Ages 4+
  • Venture Outdoors: Nonprofit that inspires children and adults to explore nature through camps, workshops and other outdoor activities
    • All ages
  • YMCA Youth Programming: Programs for every age and skill level, including swimming, dancing, sports and the arts; offerings vary by location
    • All ages
  • Art for Kids Hub: Video lessons on drawing, painting and origami; watch on YouTube or become a member for $5.99/month to stream ad-free
    • All ages
  • Art in Motion Pittsburgh: Dance studio offering classes for a variety of dance styles and skill levels
    • Ages 3+
  • Artissima Art Studio: Toddler & Me classes and art classes for children, teens and adults; students experiment with different media, develop new techniques, and get inspired by art and art history
    • Ages 2.5+
  • August Wilson African American Cultural Center: A non-profit, multi-disciplinary arts center that celebrates the contributions of African Americans in Pittsburgh and beyond, through exhibitions, camps and events
    • All ages
  • Board & Brush: Customized wood sign painting studio that offers private DIY parties for children and teens at their Gibsonia location
    • Ages 6+
  • Carnegie Museum of Art: Collection featuring over 30,000 works of art, online tours, summer camps and art classes
    • All ages
  • CMU School of Music Preparatory School: Classes on piano, strings, chamber music, guitar, percussion and voice
    • Ages 4–18
  • DIY: On-demand classes on a variety of hands-on projects and subjects, including photography, drawing, LEGO and science
    • Ages 5+
  • East End Performing Arts: Summer camps and private lessons (in person or via Zoom) to build appreciation and understanding of music and theater
    • Camps for grades 6–9; lessons for grade 5 through adult
  • Gaynor's School of Cooking: Offers a large selection of age appropriate cooking and pastry and baking classes throughout the year, as well as seasonal themed classes
    • Ages 6–18
  • Heinz History Center: Smithsonian affiliate with six floors of historical exhibits, archives and a sports museum
    • All ages
  • The Laurie Berkner Band: YouTube channel with engaging and enriching music videos and "Berkner Break" educational videos
    • Appropriate for all ages, but geared toward elementary-aged children
  • Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems!: Children's book author and illustrator Mo Willems guides young artists through drawing activities via YouTube, with downloadable activity pages
    • Appropriate for all ages, but geared toward elementary-aged children
  • MetKids: The Metropolitan Museum of Art's online hub for children, which features an interactive map, a time machine to explore arts from different eras, and educational videos
    • All ages
  • North Hills Art Center: Classes, workshops, camps and open studios covering sculpture, pottery, drawing, painting and more
    • Ages 7+
  • Pittsburgh Cultural Trust: Theaters, galleries, and public art in Pittsburgh's Cultural District, with education and engagement activities for kids and families
    • All ages
  • Pittsburgh Girls Choir: Choral music education program featuring girlchoirs for all skill levels, camps and outreach events
    • Ages 6–18
  • Pittsburgh Glass Center SiO2 Youth Programs: Hands-on courses where students create glass art, learn the scientific principles of glass, and experience valuable life lessons through studio practice
    • Ages 5+, though most programs are geared toward middle and high schoolers
  • School of Rock: Performance-based 1-1 lessons and group band practices, music camps and workshops; locations in the South Hills and Wexford, with online classes available
    • Ages 4+
  • Alice: Free, block-based programming environment that teaches logical and computational thinking skills, fundamental principles of programming and object-oriented programming
    • Appropriate for all grade levels, but geared toward middle school through college
  • Assemble: Classes, camps and activities for children to engage in science, technology, engineering, art and math; located in Garfield
    • Grades 1–12
  • BuzzMath: Math problems and activities with automated corrections and progress monitoring, available with an annual license fee
    • Ages 6–16
  • Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy: Trains educators on how to use robots in the classroom, and offers educational materials and workshops for students to encourage an interest in STEM
    • Grades K–12
  • Carnegie Museum of Natural History: Offers explorations, exhibits and summer camps related to science, nature and world cultures
    • All ages; camps for ages 4+
  • Carnegie Science Center: Exhibits, workshops and summer camps for children and teens interested in STEM
    • Ages 3+
  • Center for Architecture Explorations: Architecture-based workshops, summer camps and courses, hosted by Carnegie Mellon Architecture
    • Grades K–12
  • The Citizen Science Lab: Nonprofit hands-on laboratory to explore life sciences, open to everyone to observe and analyze through discovery-based learning and STEM enrichment
    • Grades K–12
  • CMU Engineering Outreach Programs: Free in-person and virtual STEM programs hosted by the College of Engineering
    • Grades K–12
  • CMU School of Computer Science Outreach Initiatives: In-school, after-school and summer programs and resources
    • Grades pre-K through college
  • Code.org: Explore the world of computer science with free, engaging videos, self-paced tutorials, programming activities and more
    • Grades K–12+
  • First in Math: Website offering ways to play The 24® Game both online and offline
    • Grades K–8
  • Girls of Steel Robotics Team: Offers FIRST programs to teach STEM by working on robots of various sizes, as well as other programs throughout the year
    • Grades 1–12
  • The Governor's STEM Competition: Challenges student teams from across the state to research, design, and present a device that can make the quality of life better for Pennsylvanians by accomplishing a series of practical tasks that can fulfill real-world needs; open to high school students who attend a public, charter, or private school, a career and technical education center, or are homeschooled in Pennsylvania
    • Grades 9–12
  • How Does the Brain Work?: BrainFacts presents interactive modules on various neuroscience topics
    • Grades pre-K–12
  • Journey Through an Exploded Star: The Smithsonian takes you on an interactive exploration
    • Ages 13+
  • Leonard Gelfand Center for Service Learning and Outreach: Promotes STEM education and academic enrichment through workshops and free digital educational resources
    • Grades K–12
  • LIVE by Po-Shen Loh: CMU math professor tackles math questions from viewers and provides engaging videos on fundamental concepts; free videos on YouTube, or purchase online live or self-paced courses
    • Grades 7+
  • Math Playground: Math games on addition, subtraction, shapes, fractions, pre-algebra and more; free to play, or purchase a subscription to access more games and features
    • Grades K–6
  • MySTEM Academy: Summer camps and school year programming to learn about robotics and coding
    • Ages 8–12
  • National Aviary: Explore tropical, tranquil habitats close to home; the aviary offers classes, summer camps, animal encounters and virtual "meet and tweets"
    • All ages
  • Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Sciences: A summer enrichment experience for high school students interested in pursuing a career in science, hosted on CMU's campus
    • Open to rising high school seniors
  • Phet Math and Science Simulations: Website that offers free simulations on concepts related to physics, chemistry, math, earth science and biology
    • Grades K–12+
  • Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens: Summer camps and discovery programs on gardening, arts and crafts, healthy living and sustainability
    • All ages
  • Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium: Classes, summer camps and other activities, including online educational content
    • All ages; camps and classes ages 0–14

  • Sanctuaries 360° Virtual Dives: Take a virtual dive where you can swim with sea lions, see coral reefs and explore a shipwreck; includes lesson plans and activity sheets

    • All ages
  • Scratch MIT: Coding community for children and a coding language with a simple visual interface that allows young people to create digital stories, games, and animations
    • Ages 8–16
  • SUCCEED: CMU's Center for Climate, Energy, and Environmental Decision Making offers a free three-day summer program
    • Open to rising 10th and 11th graders
  • Understanding Food and Climate Change: Interactive online guide to explore how what we eat every day impacts the environment, touching on topics related to health, science and social studies
    • Grades 9–12
  • Book Club for Kids: Podcast where middle grade readers interview authors and talk about their favorite books
    • Grades 4–8
  • Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh: Library system that provides free access to books, movies, music and more; most branches have dedicated children and teen sections with activities and programming geared toward different age groups
    • All ages
  • Cast of Wonders: A young adult short fiction market that specializes in fantasy and welcomes submissions from writers under the age of 18
    • Ages 12+
  • Duolingo: Free website and app for learning new languages, math and music with bite-size, self-paced lessons and game-like features
    • Ages 4+
  • Education.com Language Arts Games: Free, interactive virtual games on many topics, including reading comprehension, early literacy and grammar
    • Grades Pre-K–6
  • iGeneration Youth: Through rigorous, hands-on training in media production and the business of journalism, students make connections with a global team of like-minded peers, get experience in the written and visual arts and see their work published nationwide; free basic membership with tiers of paid membership
    • Ages 10+
  • NewsFeed Defenders: Free online game where students run a fictional social media platform and learn the elements of high-quality journalism and markers of deceptive posts
    • Grades 6–12
  • Oxford Owl: Free ebooks and learning resources
    • Ages 3–11
  • Room Recess Sight Word Smash: Engaging online game that "says" a sight word, then students have to "smash" the corresponding text block on the screen
    • Grades K–1
  • Time for Kids: Articles on current events and a variety of topics
    • Grades K–6
  • Shakespeare's Globe Theatre Virtual Tour: Get a 360º view of this famous stage, and learn facts about Shakespeare's plays and life in 16th century England
    • All ages
  • Storybird: Read and create online comics, picture books and longform stories; also offers a selection of courses taught by professional writers and educators
    • Grades 1+
  • Story Time from Space: Astronauts at the International Space Station record themselves reading beloved children's books and giving science lessons
    • Grades K–12
  • Storyline Online: Actors from the SAG-AFTRA Foundation record themselves reading children's books; search by author, reader, book title or run time
    • Grades Pre-K–4
  • The Writing Studio: Tutoring, help with editing and writing, and creative writing workshops
    • Grades 3+
  • Young Writers Institute: Week-long summer program on Pitt's campus for young writers from across Western Pennsylvania to come together and develop their skills
    • Open to rising 5th–11th graders
  • ABC Mouse: A subscription-based digital education program featuring fun and interactive games, each designed to teach a specific educational concept
    • Ages 2–8
  • Allegheny County Parks: The parks around Pittsburgh host free or low-cost special events, including the popular summer concert series, family fun night at the movies, car cruises, fall festivals, holiday events, athletic programs and more
  • America's Test Kitchen Kids: Kid-friendly recipes, cooking tips, and food-based science lessons
    • Grades Pre-K+
  • Bloomfield Garfield Corporation Youth Programs: Low-income college and career readiness program for rising high school juniors and seniors, and a learn & earn program for youth ages 14–21 to get meaningful summer employment
    • Ages 14+
  • Boy Scouts of America: Program that offers fun and challenging activities that promote character development and physical fitness
    • Kindergarten through age 20
  • Brookline Teen Community Outreach: Community center offering a range of free services, including homework help, game and movie nights, counseling, community services projects, and classes on life skills such as cooking and applying for student loans
  • The Children's Museum of Pittsburgh: Hands-on, interactive museum with early learning programs and exhibits, museum lab for children age 10+, and camps for ages 4–13
    • All ages
  • CMU Pre-College Programs: Summer programs that mirror the undergraduate experience at CMU; high schoolers take college-level coursework, taught by CMU professors
    • Open to rising high school juniors and seniors over the age of 16
  • The Frick Pittsburgh: Offers programs throughout the year for families to engage in hands-on learning through museum visits, art making and outdoor activities on the grounds
    • All ages
  • Girl Scouts of Western PA: Join a troop to participate in activities to build character, leadership and workforce skills
    • Grades Pre-K+
  • Khan Academy: Nonprofit that offers online and app-based practice exercises and instructional videos covering a variety of subjects
    • Grades Pre-K through early college
  • Lauri Ann West Community Center: A paid fitness center, full-size gym, group exercise classes, an elevated walking trail, live music, children's classes, STEM programming, and an after-school arts and enrichment program for children
    • All ages
  • Outschool: Classes and special interest clubs on a variety of topics
    • Grades Pre-K–12
  • PBS Learning Media: Free, standards-aligned videos, interactives, lesson plans and more
    • Grades Pre-K–12
  • Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy: Explore one of Pittsburgh's city parks, attend an educational program or participate in a seasonal event
    • All ages
  • PROGRESS: CMU's Program for Research and Outreach on Gender Equity in Society offers workshops to teaches women and girl the art of negotiation
    • Ages 8–13
  • Project Ignite: A student-run outreach organization at Carnegie Mellon University offering an interdisciplinary project-based educational program for high school students in the greater Pittsburgh area
    • Open to high school students
  • The Queen's Gambit Chess Institute: Western PA organization that teaches innovation and creativity through the game of chess. Programs are offered through community partners.
    • Grades 1–12
  • Sarah Heinz House: After school programs and camps featuring a variety of activities; annual membership is also available and includes access to gym, pool, game room, homework assistance and classes
    • All ages; camps for grades Pre-K–12
  • Tech Nights for Girls: A free STEM outreach program hosted by CMU's School of Computer Science; through fun and interactive activities, students are exposed to cutting-edge, innovative science and technologies such as machine learning, computational biology and robotics
    • Grades 6–8
  • Tinkergarten: Free activities and insights to help give kids the benefits of purposeful, outdoor play
    • All ages