Welcome to the 2026 Macaroni KID Back-to-School Guide! We're rounding up a listing of programs and activities that are being offered by local businesses and organizations this fall. Be sure to check back often as we are adding programs as we receive it each week. Don't forget to share this guide with your friends and let these businesses know that you read about them in Macaroni KID! When you mention us, it helps reinforce to our sponsors that parents turn to Macaroni KID to help plan their family fun during every season of the year.
Would you like your program to be added to this guide? Email meghanf@macaronikid.com.
For more detailed information about each of the programs, just click on its pink title in the Guide below or visit their web site via the Register Now or Learn More buttons!
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Affinity Esports, Newtown
Through our recreational and educational programs, your children are introduced to the world of esports, full of new and emerging career paths, experiential learning, and highly engaging social activities. Each of these programs has been structured to reinforce critical life skills, such as teamwork, communication, and problem solving. Through their time with us, we will guide your children to build healthy habits and harness their passion with an extreme commitment to balancing wellness, education, mentality, competition, and socialization. Esports have been linked to powerful outcomes, such as improved social and emotional skills, problem solving, future career viability, and academic performance.
- Ages 7-17 at all skill levels
- 10-week Educational Classes: Content Creation (Mondays), Game Creation (Tuesdays) and D&D and Tabletop Gaming (Wednesdays); Sept. 21 - Dec. 9.
- Competitive Club Teams (Saturdays); Workshops & FREE Tryouts 9/12, 9/19 and 9/26; Season runs Sept. 28 - Dec. 13.
- School Day Off Camps: Gamers Retreat: Sept. 21, Oct. 5, Nov. 3; Early Dismissal Days Half Day Camps: Nov. 4-6 & Dec. 23; Winter Break Camp: Dec. 28-31
- Weekly Social Gaming Club (Thursdays through Dec. 17)
- Weekly Youth Game Night (Fridays through Dec. 18)
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The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum is open Sundays through Friday from 12pm-5pm (closed Tuesdays) and on Saturdays from 10AM-5PM. The Museum is one of the few independent, non-collecting institutions in the country and the only museum in Connecticut solely dedicated to the presentation of contemporary art. Join us this fall for an All Ages Discovery Tour on August 15, September 19 and October 17 at 1PM and Story Time for Kids on August 15, September 19 and October 17 at 10:30am as part of the Museum's monthly FREE Third Saturdays program. Plus, don't miss Co-Create on October 3 and November 7 -- a family art adventure where kids ages 7-11 can explore the galleries with their parents as well as a Free Community Day on October 17th!
- Third Saturday Dates (Free Admission): August 15, September 19, October 17
- Co-Create A Family Art Adventure - October 3 & November 7
- Free Community Day, October 17
- Sensory Saturday on October 24
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This September 11-12, children, teens and adults are invited to audition for the Nutcracker! This wonderful Danbury tradition has been presented by the Danbury Music Centre for over 50 years. Featuring over 200 dancers, it showcases talented dancers from the greater Danbury area a part of this wonderful holiday tradition -- a fully staged production at Danbury HS with a live symphony orchestra! Also this fall -- Does your child play the violin, viola, cello, or double bass? Danbury Centre Strings provides a strings program that is free for school-aged children! The program is a challenging, exciting, and FUN educational ensemble experience for string players. Children will study standard string repertoire appropriate to their level of playing. They will develop playing technique, listening skills, orchestral technique, and ensemble experience. The Danbury Music Centre, is 501(c)(3), non-profit organization located at 256 Danbury Main Street housed in a beautiful 19th-century building, formerly the public library.
- Nutcracker Auditions will be September 11th & 12th; Performances December 11, 12 & 13. $175 to participate.
- FREE Fall Strings Program for children - Runs September through May!
- Keep an eye out for more classical community music experiences through ensembles and events throughout the year!
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Elevate your dance training at Danceline Bethel! Spanning 3,000+ square feet with 4 dedicated studio rooms, Danceline Bethel hosts dancers every season in both recreational and competitive programs (ages 3–18) across jazz, tap, ballet, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, and musical theater. What sets us apart? We offer two 5-month seasons per year, each ending with its own full recital! That means double the stage experience, faster skill progression, and maximum flexibility for your family. Our high-caliber program speaks for itself—coming off a standout season with numerous Regional awards and a 2nd Place title at Nationals, our classes fill up fast!
- Dates: September through January
- Ages: 3-18
- Full January Recital Performance
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The museum offers hands-on exhibits and programming to spark imagination in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts and math -- great for after-school exploration and enrichment learning. EverWonder also provides field trip style visits for home school groups from Pre-K to 6th grade. The program options work well with various curriculum, particularly those rooted in STEM. This school year, Newtown residents can take advantage of their Early Dismissal program where students ride the bus to EverWonder!
- School Year Hours: Open Wednesday through Sunday; Closed Mondays/Tuesdays for Field Trips/Groups.
- Ages: 0-12
- School field trips & outreach programs are booking through spring 2027 now!
- Early Dismissal program available for Newtown students who can ride the bus from school to EverWonder
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Join us for the Bongos Song Collection this Fall!
This fall, families will come together to sing, play, laugh, and learn with the Music Together Bongos Song Collection. The songs include lots of upbeat, active songs like "See How I'm Jumping," our take on the timeless nursery rhyme "Hey, Diddle, Diddle," and beautiful melodies such as the Japanese song "Hotaru Koi" and "Walking through the Woods." In addition to your weekly classes, registration includes recordings and materials for you to use at home, including an illustrated songbook and access to the songs through the Music Together app.
- Dates: Weekly Classes begin September 14th on Mondays (other days of the week TBD)
- Ages: 0-5
- Location: Outdoors at Brookfield Town Hall
- Macaroni KID Greater Danbury Readers get $100 Off for fall classes! Just mention us when registering!
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Join us this Fall! Soulshine Arts in Newtown offers the internationally loved and researched based Music Together® curriculum for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. We provide a musically rich immersive learning experience for families, but it just feels like fun- no musical skills required. Join our supportive community and make new friends while bonding with your child through music.
- Dates: Classes begin week of September 13th
- Ages: 0-5
- Location: 153 S. Main Street, Newtown (Blue Dome Building)
- Tuition includes a CD and Songbook, access to the Music Together app and Family Music Zone
- Macaroni KID readers save $20 on their first class with code MACKID26! Sibling discounts available.
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Join us this Fall! The New Pond Farm Education Center offers after-school programs in arts, creativity, cooking and more for both elementary and middle school students. Programs such as Artsynergy Productions: Creating Immersive Theatre for grades 3-4 runs on Thursdays and for grades 5-8 on Tuesdays, Farm to Table Kids for grades 2-4 runs on Tuesdays and After-School Improv: Laugh, Create and Shine! for grades 5-8 runs on Wednesdays.
- Dates: Classes begin week of September 7th
- Ages: Grades 2-8
- Location: 101 Marchant Road, Redding
- Direct bus service is available for Artsynergy and After School Improv classes from Redding Elementary School and John Read Middle School!
- Mention Macaroni KID when registering!
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Regional YMCA Children's Center, Bethel
The Regional YMCA Children's Center in Bethel offers a wide range of opportunities and activities to nurture children's interests and explore the world around them. Our year round, experienced staff provides students with academic support and a safe nurturing environment critical to academic success. Our focus on Healthy Living and use of the Food and Fun Curriculum promotes good nutrition habits and allows for plenty of opportunity for physical activity on our large outdoor playgrounds and fields.
- Schools: All Bethel and the following Danbury schools: Shelter Rock, South Street, and Ellsworth Avenue Schools
- Ages: K- 12 years old
- Hours: Before care starts at 7:30AM; After-care is until 5:30PM.
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Ridgefield Academy/Landmark Preschool
Ridgefield Academy/Landmark Preschool is a private co-ed day school educating students in Preschool - Grade 8. The Ridgefield Academy community celebrates childhood, pursues excellence, and cultivates kindness. An intellectually inspiring educational program fosters joyful learning and mutual respect. Each student is empowered to rise to their authentic self, preparing confident graduates who shape their future with ingenuity and integrity. With the right balance of challenge, individual attention, and support, students emerge from their RA/LP academic journey with the knowledge and confidence to achieve success in high school and beyond.
- Dates: Ongoing enrollment
- K - Grade 5 Open House: October 17 from 9:30-11:30
- Ages: PK - Grade 8
- A broad-based, challenging curriculum enhanced by a wide variety of extracurricular activities in athletics, the arts, and community service.
ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING AVAILABLE AT OUR LOCAL PARK & RECREATION DEPARTMENTS:
Danbury Youth Sports, Bethel, Ridgefield, Redding, Newtown, New Fairfield, Brookfield, New Milford
List your business here and reach thousands of local parents! Email meghanf@macaronikid.com for Back-to-School Guide pricing information.
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Macaroni Kid Greater Danbury is a free weekly newsletter and website focused on fun family events and information in our local area specifically: Danbury, Bethel, Ridgefield, Brookfield, Redding, Newtown, Sandy Hook, New Fairfield, New Milford, Sherman and Bridgewater, CT. We gather together all kinds of local family events and activities each week, and add useful information about classes, family-focused businesses, event and product reviews, recipes, crafts, school and camp guides and more.
