New Classes for Children and Teens at Studio Arc

Three vertical photos: On the left, a boy in a white shirt playing a xylophone with a girl in a purple sweatshirt; center, a girl's in a blue shirt and wearing braids painting a puppet with pink paint; on the right, a boy in a blue shirt playing a keyboard.

During the month of April, a variety of new classes at Studio Arc were launched for children and teens with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Running through the end of June, Animal Yoga and Tumble Ninjas take place from 4 to 5 p.m. on alternating Tuesdays at Studio Arc for children ages 6 to 12. In the Animal Yoga classes, which started on April 2, young yogis learn simple animal and nature poses to stretch, move, and calm their bodies and minds. (Register at https://bit.ly/AnimalYogaSpring24) Tumble Ninjas, which started on April 9, combines different elements of circus yoga, mixed martial arts, and kick boxing to help build strength, stamina, and spirit, as participants stretch, move, and jump through fun obstacle courses and exercises while developing social skills, focus, and body awareness. (Register at https://bit.ly/NinjaSpring24)

A puppet-making class for children also got under way in April, as children learned how to make puppets, design a scenery set, and put on a puppet show together. The four-week class started on April 13 and culminates with a puppet show performance on May 4.

For teens ages 13 to 20, a Saturday afternoon Teen Jam Band class started on April 6, and has given participants the opportunity to experiment with different rhythms, grooves, rock genres, and chord patterns. No musical experience is necessary. Three sessions were held in April, and upcoming classes are scheduled for May 18, June 1, and June 15 from 4 to 5 p.m. (Register at https://bit.ly/JamBandSpring24)

These classes are offered in addition to the regular Communi-Play communication parties, which take place twice a month (including an art class for the second session each month) for children ages 2.5 to 5. Register for those at bit.ly/communi-play.

All of these Studio Arc programs are offered to families free of charge thanks to a generous grant from the Partnership for Children of Essex.

Studio Arc provides visitors with opportunities to engage in a wide range of visual and creative arts classes. If you are interested in learning more about the exciting and fun activities offered at Studio Arc, contact Director of Day Services Creative Programming Angela LoSapio at (973)535-1181 ext. 1231 or alosapio@arcessex.org.