Avenues New York Explorers

Grades 1-2

Avenues First and Second Graders are growing quickly in their social, cognitive, and independent skills. They’re curious, but instead of looking to adults for all of the answers, they are starting to find answers through their own discoveries. They are gaining physical stamina and coordination, and are often on the lookout for new challenges. Designed with this in mind, Avenues has curated unique classes just for them.

Specialty classes begin directly after school and go until 4:30 pm (after care is available until 5:15 pm)
Stay & Play, our after care program, begins directly after school and goes until 5:15 pm.
All classes include snacks.
Our team will handle all logistics to ensure a smooth transition to after-school activities.

Registration is for the Winter/Spring season, and you can learn more about the fees by simply clicking on the registration button below. The cost of each class is based on the number of days it will run. Space is limited, and waitlists will be established when the program is full.

Important Dates:

WINTER/SPRING 2025

Registration for the Winter/Spring season opens Tuesday, November 12, at noon!
Stay & Play: First day of School (January 6) - June 12
Specialty Classes: January 13 - June 12

Register Now

Ready to register? Click on the green button below.

Program	Action
Grades 1-2 Class Registration	Register here
LD Stay and Play Registration	Register here

Want to learn more? Click on the class titles below for a drop-down description.

Monday

Science Lab TV

Put on your lab coats and secure your goggles- it's time for some whacky science! From mixing magic potions and making a slime monster come to life with stop motion, to building bottle rockets and tin foil boats- anything is possible in Weird Science Television! Working together in lab teams, kids will learn, then demonstrate and show others how to make mind-blowing experiments and more for their kid-run science show. Using their science skills, these creative kids will create their own Bill Nye-inspired TV show!

Chess Tactics

Tactics are an integral part of chess and occur throughout all phases of the game. This dynamic class focuses on common tactics such as Pins, Forks, Skewers, Double Attacks, Deflections, Discovered Checks, and Mating attacks. Each week we prepare a variety of puzzles and chess brainteasers, so students at all playing levels will be challenged and engaged. This class encourages imaginative chess play, and is ideal for a student who has mastered piece movement and the basic rules, may have tournament experience, and who enjoys working on puzzles and exercising creativity.

Build-A-Biz

Financial literacy is one of the most important topics anyone can learn. In the Spring, students have an opportunity to use what they’ve learned to develop and run their own business, either independently or with a partner. This will lead to a spring fair where students will sell their products or business, all for a worthwhile cause.

Tuesday

Robotics and Engineering

Students will build with purpose as they embark on story-driven, problem-solving adventures, creating robotic solutions that make a difference. Guided by empathy, they’ll work together to engineer creative answers to challenges like fixing a broken traffic light, setting up a museum alarm, or designing derby cars from recycled materials. Building on their robotics foundations, they’ll be introduced to new technology, like reed switches and motion sensors, to bring their ideas to life. Through these hands-on projects, campers will strengthen their teamwork, practice innovative problem-solving, and discover how engineering can make a positive impact on the world around them.

Circle Sing (Grades 1-5)

Welcome to our casual singing group for 1st-5th graders who want to sing with their friends. In Circle Sing, we meet weekly to practice vocal warmups, work on understanding our breath, play vocal games, learn how to harmonize, and, most importantly, sing (and sometimes move!) as a group, with feeling. Repertoire will be mostly selected from the pop and rock canon, with some musical theatre thrown in. This semester we will be learning about group vocal improvisation and collaborative songwriting. This project is open to anyone who wants to sing.

Wednesday

Coding and Computing

Our coders are leveling up! What’s next? We are forging ahead and focusing on new learning points. Grades 1 - 2 coders will learn how to leverage “extensions” which add a variety of new coding possibilities to their projects - whether it’s designing a translator using a text-to-speech extension, or inventing a game that can be controlled via camera sensing. We will also explore more advanced Scratch concepts like broadcasting, cloning, and functions. Students will learn that coding languages are simply mediums for expression - you’ll never reach a point where you’re “done” learning! Finally, we will use new types of input sensors like push buttons or light sensors to activate the code on their screen, creating interactive displays!

Pickleball

Sessions will focus on the skills and rules that are necessary to play and enjoy America's fastest-growing sport. Serving, "dinking", forehand and backhand strokes will be worked on consistently throughout the course with the goal of the students learning how to play and score a competitive match. Classes utilize interactive games and drills that make learning the game fun while also ensuring students learn the importance of sportsmanship, teamwork and individual effort.

Cheerleading

Cheerleaders will work on energetic movements and chants as well as basic stunting and tumbling skills. By emphasizing teamwork, athleticism, and spirit, our team will learn and grow in cheerleading together. This class will familiarize our new cheerleaders with cheer vocabulary and set them up for a future of spirited success.

Thursday

Parkour

In the second semester of Parkour, we will explore linking movements together to create longer “lines” of movement, build stamina, and learn new games. Students have begun to build strength, develop coordination, and increase their awareness of themselves and others as they engage in movement activities. Their confidence in trying something new has grown and they’ve learned tons of new games. Students are ready to engage in more complex activities and can begin to modify existing games and create new ones. As always, we place an emphasis on safe, fun movement progressions and techniques are scaled to participants’ ages and individual skill levels. New students are welcome to join; Semester I is not a prerequisite. Parkour skills are integrated into collaborative games that foster a sense of community and build social and problem-solving skills.

Architecture, Engineering, and Math

We are welcoming new and continuing students into our classroom as we are fostering the inventive and imaginative thinking that produces remarkable engineers, mathematicians, and inventors. This course teaches critical skills and thinking in a cross-disciplinary spirit. Each concept is presented via a hands-on project. Some topics that will be covered are: · Exploring historical structures and building our own version of the pyramid of Giza and the tower of Pisa, learning about what makes skyscrapers work, creating topographical maps, and blueprinting furniture, design, and spaces!

Friday

Painting, Drawing, and Sculpting (Grades 1-4)

Our artists will begin to explore a range of classic painting methods in this fun twist on traditional art techniques. Each week, we'll delve into a variety of mediums, such as charcoal, watercolors, colored pencils, acrylics, gouache, and more. Ideal for children eager to expand their knowledge of drawing and painting. This unique class will focus on traditional, and non-traditional, techniques, getting inspiration from old masters and contemporary artists. Some activities include, Orly Genger-inspired pipe cleaner and wire sculptures, Louise Bourgeois-inspired assemblages, Sol Lewitt-inspired rainbow sculptures, Clay slab cake slices, Christa David-inspired collages, and mixed media self portrait boxes!

Program	Action
Grades 1-2 Class Registration	Register here
LD Stay and Play Registration	Register here