Pole Dancing Class
Believe it or not, a dance school in Canada has actually been holding a class for over a year now called "Little Spinners", which teaches kids the finer techniques of working a pole. What's more, the studio's owner claims parents "demanded" the classes. "They were saying, ‘My daughter plays on my pole at home all the time, I’d love her to actually learn how to do things properly and not hurt herself,'" said Kristy Craig, owner of one such studio. Call us crazy, but we're finding it pretty hard to believe that there were hoards of parents with poles at home, just dreaming of the day their daughter would spin around it correctly…
photo via Video Follies
Baby Dynamics Yoga
We're talking about the controversial practice of dynastic or "baby-swinging" yoga, which allegedly has been around for centuries, but pretty much shocked everyone who watched this video back in 2011. Lena Fokina, who made headlines for teaching its techniques to parents, claims such classes have been happening in her homeland of Russia for over 30 years.
For American yoga lovers who don't want to damage their kid in the process, fear not—there are non-swinging class options out there for you and your tots.
photo via Gawker
CrossFit for Toddlers
As if the CrossFit craze could get any more out of control, classes are now being held for kids as young as 3 years old. (Yes, really.) While the adult CrossFit fad usually involves things like flipping tires, performing ridiculous amounts of burpees and other incredible feats, toddler CrossFit at least keeps things age-appropriate and doesn't bring weights into the mix.
Still, the classes rely heavily on strength building, conditioning, and a circuit-like training routine, just like grown-up CrossFit, which has some parents raising eyebrows. And the cost can be unbelievable as well—this class in Long Island City, N.Y., will run parents up to $300.
photo via Que Mas
Baby Sports Training
With childhood obesity on the rise, some are cashing in on the need for parents to get their kids moving early. Sports training classes are cropping up for kids as young as 6 months old, and all aim to get even the tiniest, squirmiest infants learning coordination skills early.
Typical programs for tots cover the basics of things like dribbling a basketball and kicking around a soccer ball—you know, so your tot can learn to bend it like Beckham before he can even conjugate his first verb. And if you don't want to throw down on pricey classes, no worries; there are baby-friendly DVDs out there you could start with, like the athleticBaby or Baby Goes Pro series.
Toddler Cooking Class
We get teaching your kids to cook when they've reached elementary school age, but cooking with toddlers? Apparently cooking classes like New York's City's Taste Buds Kitchen are accepting kids as young as 2 into their programs, and swear the early culinary experience helps tots build valuable skills.
Now just what can preschool-age chefs accomplish in the kitchen? While they're not exactly sharpening their knife skills to become the next Bobby Flay, they do pitch in with a lot of whisking, peeling and grating, which could come in handy for you later.
Baby DJ Class
It's no secret babies love music. And studies have proven that early exposure can boost development dramatically—even improving the health of premature babies. But does it have to be all Mozart and Beethoven to have an impact? Maybe not, says Natalie Elizabeth Weiss, a Brooklyn-based DJ who developed "Baby DJ School" for precocious tots. For a cool $200, parents can drop off their wannabe hipsters at an eight-week course in a Crown Heights vintage clothing store, where the mini DJs learn to lay tracks and mix beats—all while still in their diapers.
Skeptical? Yeah, so were we. But Weiss swears Baby DJ class is for real. “It’s going to be easier for me to teach a 3-month-old how to DJ than it is to teach an adult how to DJ because they have especially plastic minds at that age," she told ABC News.
photo via Natalie Elizabeth Weiss
Baby Massage
Baby massage is a very real thing, and its proponents—like Infant Massage USA—claim it works wonders for kids with "elimination" problems, colic, and even sleeping and nursing issues. The Mommy & Me-style classes often combine music and massage in a program that aims to bond parent and child, which certainly seems nice. (You know what sounds even better, though? Mommy Massage.)
Pre-Verbal Language Classes
If you struggled through years of high school French and all you can say is "Please pass the butter," you may be able to reverse the trend for your kid. According to reports, baby language classes are growing in popularity—and more and more kids are learning multiple languages at once.
Classes like Baby French aim to teach basic language skills to the pre-verbal set (which means as young as six months), so they can absorb as much as possible while their brains are still developing.
Aerial Arts Class
Watching your kid walk a tightrope high above ground might be one of the most terrifying things a parent could see, but, believe it or not, some are paying big bucks for kids as young as 4 to do just that. At places like Trapeze U, little daredevils can wire walk, zip through the air on a flying trapeze, or partake in other aerial arts that would scare the crap out of the average kid (and the average adult).
In the end, though, kids are promised to have "increased balance, flexibility and confidence skills." (Not to mention they can also go off and literally join the circus, as the old saying goes.)
photo via Trapeze U
Archery for Kids
Think you've got the next Katniss Everdeen living under your roof? If your kid is 8 or older, you just might. Archery tends to be a sport only seen in Medieval Times-era movies, but it has a seriously devoted following in real life, too. In camps and training programs across the country, your kid can learn to shoot a bow and arrow with the best of them, strengthening precision skills with a fierce kind of discipline.
