Sponsored by Palaver Music Center
I've been getting quite a few emails lately asking me to include more things for kids. And there's a pretty good reason I haven't.
I don't have kids. Most of my friends don't have kids either. So while I like to think I've got a pretty good handle on what's happening around Portland, there's an entire side of this city I know next to nothing about.
And rather than pretend otherwise, I figured it was time to call in some help.
This week's guide is sponsored by Palaver Strings, an organization here in Portland that I care a lot about. You might know them from their concerts, but they also do some pretty incredible work getting instruments into kids' hands.
With their help, I've started putting together a list of things kids can do around Portland after school.
And I've got to say, there's a lot more going on than I realized.
Kids are learning the cello on Cumberland Avenue, writing stories on Washington Avenue, and rehearsing with rock bands on Fore Street. A whole other Portland is happening after school, and until recently, I hadn't given it much thought.
This is by no means a complete list as there are many wonderful programs in Portland. I'm counting on some of you to tell me which other's you love so I can keep adding to it.
One thing worth mentioning: some of these are regular after-school programs where kids can spend the afternoon, while others are weekly classes or activities. I've included the ages, costs, and schedules to make it a little easier to figure out what might work for your family.
Anyway, here's what I've found so far.
Music
Small-group classes and individual lessons
There's something pretty wonderful about a four-year-old getting to try a cello without their family first having to figure out how to buy a cello.
Some of my closest friends are members of Palaver Strings, so, over the last few years, I've gotten to know the organization really well. Most people probably know them from their concerts, but they also have a music school on Cumberland Avenue, where professional musicians teach kids as young as four.
Their Intro to Strings program introduces kids to violin, viola, and cello in groups of no more than five. They even provide the instrument and case, which seems pretty important when you're not entirely sure your four-year-old is going to stick with it.
At the end of the 15-week session, the kids put on a recital. And for those who want to stick with it, After-School Strings offers individual lessons, group classes, and more chances to perform.
One thing I really appreciate is that Palaver uses sliding-scale tuition and offers financial aid. Learning an instrument can get expensive pretty quickly, so it's nice to see them making it more accessible.
Ages: 4–5 for Intro to Strings; grades K–7 for After-School Strings
Where: 380 Cumberland Avenue, second floor
Cost: Intro to Strings is $50–$500 for the full session. After-School Strings is $70–$350 per month, based on household income. Financial aid is available, and instruments are included with Intro to Strings.
Schedule: Intro to Strings meets Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday afternoons for 15 weeks, January through May. After-School Strings offers weekly lessons and group classes during the school year for 30 weeks.
For younger children and new parents: Palaver also offers weekly music classes for children ages 0–4. Through its free Lullaby Project, new parents can work with musicians to write and record an original song for their child. That program is offered through community partners.
Lessons and youth bands
Learning to play the guitar is one thing. Finding a drummer, a bass player, and a few other people who actually want to start a band with you is another.
That's where the Maine Academy of Modern Music (MAMM) comes in. They offer lessons in guitar, bass, drums, piano, voice, and just about anything else you'd need to put a band together. But the part I really like is their youth band program, where kids as young as eight can start playing with other musicians.
They match students based on their instruments, musical interests, and ages. From there, the kids get to do all the things that come with being in a band. Picking songs, writing their own music, rehearsing every week, and eventually getting the chance to perform at venues around Portland.
Ages: Lessons across ages and skill levels; youth bands for ages 8–18
Where: 125 Presumpscot Street and 144 Fore Street
Cost: Private lessons are $180–$290 per month, depending on lesson length. Youth bands are $155 per month. Need-based scholarships are available.
Schedule: Weekly private lessons of 30–60 minutes or weekly 75-minute band rehearsals after school or in the evening.
Writing, Theater, Art, and Making Things
Free after-school writing programs
There's a place on Washington Avenue where kids can spend their afternoons creating stories that might one day end up in actual books!
The Telling Room is a nonprofit that helps young writers figure out what they want to say and how to say it. Their Story Sleuths program is for kids ages 10–14 and uses games, writing exercises, and trips around town to help them find stories worth telling.
For older kids who already have something they're working on, Works in Progress gives them a place to keep writing, get feedback, and spend time with others who enjoy doing the same thing.
And some of that writing can go a lot further than a school assignment. The Telling Room also runs programs where young writers can have their work published or performed.
Ages: 10–14 for Story Sleuths; 12–18 for Works in Progress
Where: 55 Washington Avenue, Suite 1E
Cost: Free.
Schedule: Weekly two-hour classes during the school year. Story Sleuths meets Mondays and Works in Progress meets Wednesdays, both from 3:30–5:30 p.m. Registration is by lottery. January 4, 2027, is the listed next registration date for Works in Progress; check the website for Story Sleuths registration.
Weekly after-school art classes
Most kids bring their artwork home and stick it on the fridge. At Oak Street Studios, they get their own First Friday art opening!
The studio on Congress Street gives kids a chance to work with real fine-art materials, with projects inspired by everything from art history to children's books. And at the end of each trimester, their work goes on display for the First Friday Art Walk, just like the grown-ups.
Oak Street Studios is now part of the nonprofit Side x Side, which runs the classes in the same Congress Street space. They keep the groups small, meet once a week, and occasionally take the kids on field trips around Portland.
Ages: Vary by class; current offerings include ages 6–12
Where: 636 Congress Street, at the corner of Congress and Park streets
Cost: Fall classes are $455 for 13 weeks, prorated for later starts. Payment plans are available.
Schedule: One-hour classes once a week, generally from 4:30–5:30 p.m. Sessions run in fall, winter, and spring.
Multiweek, drop-off classes
The Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine was one of the Logbook's very first sponsors, so I've had a soft spot for them for quite a while. I even went to their 21+ Halloween party this year. Not exactly an after-school activity, I know, but I wasn't going to pass up an excuse to spend a night at the museum.
I don't have kids, but if I did, I'd be bringing them here every chance I got. It's such a wonderful place, and it turns out there's a lot more going on than just the exhibits.
Their Afterschool Experiences give kids a chance to spend several weeks with the same group, doing everything from hands-on science experiments to theater classes where they get to make up characters and put together their own stories.
Ages: Offerings for grades K–2 and 3–5
Where: Thompson's Point
Cost: The current five-week theater session is $175. Other classes vary in price, and scholarships are available.
Schedule: Drop-off classes on Tuesdays or Wednesdays from 3:45–5:15 p.m., depending on the session.
Free community dance classes
Dance lessons can get expensive, especially when you're not entirely sure your kid is going to enjoy them.
Portland Youth Dance works with organizations like LearningWorks and the Boys & Girls Club to bring dance classes to kids who might not otherwise have the chance to take them.
They've also partnered with Portland Ballet to offer Community Ballet, a free beginner class for eligible kids ages 7–12. The classes take place on Forest Avenue and introduce children to the basics of ballet, from stretching and technique to music and choreography.
It's just half an hour on selected Wednesdays. A chance to try something new without having to commit to a whole season of lessons.
Ages: Community Ballet serves ages 7–12; other programs vary
Where: Portland Ballet, 517 Forest Avenue, Suite 2; other programs take place at partner locations
Cost: Community Ballet is free for eligible children.
Schedule: Selected Wednesdays, generally once a month, from 3:30–4 p.m. Registration is required.
Classes, with optional aftercare
Here's something I didn't realize about Breakwater. You don't actually have to go to school there to take their after-school classes. They're open to kids from all over Greater Portland.
And there's quite a bit to choose from. Depending on the session, kids can try everything from robotics and theater to painting, sports, and other activities. Classes run for a few weeks at a time, so there's a chance to try something new without committing to it for the rest of the year.
But here's the part I imagine some parents will appreciate even more. Breakwater also offers supervised aftercare and transportation from certain Portland elementary schools. Which, when you're trying to juggle work, school pickups, and everything else, is probably a pretty big deal.
Ages: Kindergarten through eighth grade for enrichment classes; AfterCare also lists K–8 eligibility
Where: 856 Brighton Avenue
Cost: Paid programs, with prices depending on the classes and AfterCare days selected. Full and partial scholarships are available.
Schedule: Enrichment classes typically last around an hour and run in six- or eight-week sessions. Supervised AfterCare is offered on school weekdays until 5:30 p.m., with registration in multiweek packages.
Sports and Getting Outside
Squash, academic support, and enrichment
I've played squash here a few times, and I've got to say, it's a lot of fun. The facility on Noyes Street is beautiful. But there's quite a bit more happening here than people chasing a little rubber ball around a court.
Portland Community Squash runs several programs for local kids. Their Farm Team gives elementary school students a chance to learn the game. At the same time, Rally Portland combines squash with academic support, wellness, and other activities for middle and high school students.
And for families who might not otherwise be able to afford it, they offer Access memberships that make the youth programs free.
Ages: Grades 3–5 for Farm Team; middle and high school students for Rally Portland
Where: 66 Noyes Street
Cost: Rally Portland is $250–$500 per season depending on membership type. Farm Team is $200 per season. Both are free for families with Access memberships. Membership is required.
Schedule: Rally Portland meets on weekday afternoons, with middle school sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays and high school sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays. Farm Team offers weekly elementary programming.
Outdoor adventure and leadership
Most after-school programs keep kids inside. Rippleffect has a slightly different idea.
They get kids outside, learning everything from outdoor survival skills to teamwork, with programs that take them into the woods and out on the water. Some are offered through local schools, while others are open for families to sign up for directly.
Their Fall Adventure Club has seventh and eighth graders spending five weeks learning outdoor skills and getting to know each other before heading off on an overnight trip to the White Mountains.
It's a seasonal program, but Rippleffect also runs outdoor leadership activities through local schools and community partners throughout the school year.
Ages: Vary by program; Fall Adventure Club serves grades 7–8
Where: School and community locations, including the Rippleffect Outdoor Community Center at 23 Orono Road
Cost: Fall Adventure Club is $565 for the five-week program and overnight expedition. Other programs vary, with limited need-based financial aid available.
Schedule: The 2026 Fall Adventure Club runs October 21–November 22, meeting Wednesdays from 3:30–5:30 p.m., with an overnight expedition at the end. Other school and seasonal programs have different schedules.
Regular After-School Programs
Weekday after-school programming
Homework help, art, sports, and even an indoor swimming pool. There's quite a bit happening inside the Boys & Girls Club on Cumberland Avenue.
The Portland Clubhouse gives kids somewhere to spend the afternoon every weekday. They can get help with schoolwork, try different activities, and hang out with other kids, all under one roof.
They even offer transportation from East End, Reiche, and Ocean Avenue schools, which I imagine makes life a whole lot easier for some parents.
Ages: 6–18
Where: 277 Cumberland Avenue
Cost: Membership-based. Financial assistance is available. Contact the Clubhouse for current fees.
Schedule: Monday through Friday, 2–6 p.m., with extended teen hours until 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Free, school-connected academic enrichment
Not every kid needs to join a rock band or learn ballet after school. Sometimes a little extra help with schoolwork and a chance to try something new is exactly what's needed.
That's where LearningWorks comes in. They partner with local schools to give kids a place to spend their afternoons working on hands-on projects involving everything from science and engineering to art, reading, and math.
The program is designed for students who could use some extra academic support, particularly those who might not otherwise have access to paid programs or tutoring.
It's completely free for eligible students, and they even include transportation and a snack. One thing to note is that enrollment goes through participating schools, rather than signing up for a regular community class.
Ages: Pre-K through fifth grade, subject to school and program eligibility
Where: Participating schools
Cost: Free for eligible students.
Schedule: Regular school-connected after-school sessions. Days and times depend on the participating school.
School-based care, classes, and sports
The city runs Before & After the Bell programs at several elementary schools, giving kids somewhere to go before and after school. But there's more than just childcare.
They also run classes and activities throughout the city, including cooking, crafts, basketball, and even archery. So whether your kid wants to learn something new or you just need help covering those afternoon hours, there are plenty of options.
Keep in mind that programs, prices, and available spots vary by school. They also offer financial assistance for eligible families, which is worth looking into.
Ages: Kindergarten through fifth grade for After the Bell; other recreation activities serve several age groups
Where: Schools and recreation facilities around Portland
Cost: After the Bell prices vary by school, with published examples ranging from $80–$115 per week. Fee waivers or reductions are available for eligible families. Other activities are priced separately.
Schedule: Regular supervised care on school weekdays, generally until 5:30 p.m. Hours vary by school, and shorter recreation classes have their own schedules.
Without a Weekly Commitment
Library visits and scheduled activities
Sometimes a good comic book and somewhere to sit is the perfect after school activity.
And that's one of the great things about the Portland Public Library. You don't need to sign up for a semester of classes or spend a bunch of money to find something to do.
The Children's Library downtown and the neighborhood branches offer storytimes, crafts, and other activities year-round. And for older kids, the Teen Library has study rooms, games, an art table, and programs for middle and high school students.
Just keep in mind that the library isn't supervised after school care, so you'll want to check the age and caregiver requirements before sending your kid off on their own.
Ages: Children and families; teen programs generally serve ages 12–19
Where: Downtown and neighborhood branches
Cost: Free.
Schedule: Drop-in visits during library hours, with additional scheduled activities and events. Some programs require registration.
I'm sure I've missed plenty of great programs. If your kids go somewhere they love, or there's an organization I should know about, hit reply and tell me.
I'd love to keep adding to this list and make it something Portland parents can actually use!
Thinking about music for your child? Palaver's program inquiry form lets you ask about the right starting point, schedules, and financial help without committing to a class.
