Parenting doesn’t come with a manual, that’s why we created LittleGuide. If you’re looking to sign your little up in an extra curricular activity or trying to figure out when to start looking at extra curricular activities, we’re here to help.

When to get started? 

Kids classes start as early as 4 months old for swim lessons (and it’s a great idea for safety reasons) but kids usually can’t fully engage in a structured class until they are 3 or 4 years old. That doesn’t mean you need to wait to sign up! We started soccer tots when my son was 2 and while the class resembled herding cats, he had fun playing with friends and we looked forward to chatting with fellow parents.

Where to sign up?

Almost all city and townships have a Parks and Recreation Department that offer a variety of youth classes and leagues. It’s a convenient way to find an activity close to home. The YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit also has 10 locations in southeast Michigan with a diverse list of available youth classes too. If you’re looking for specialized training or unique services, we put together a list of the most popular venues in the region and included what age classes start at.

Basketball: 4 years +

Dance: 3 years +

Football: 5 years +

Gymnastics: 15 months +

Hockey + Figure Skating: 5 years +

Martial Arts: 4 years +

Soccer: 18 months + 

Swimming: 4 months +

Junior Tennis: 4 years +