The Best After-School Programs in Forest Hills (2026)
Forest Hills packs an unusual amount into a small radius. Within a short walk of 71st–Continental you can find a tennis club that hosted 60 US Nationals, a musical theater program that's been running since 1916, free art classes at the public library, and a fencing club on the fourth floor of the Forest Hills Jewish Center.
That last one is us. Sheridan Fencing Academy has taught Queens kids at 106-06 Queens Boulevard for years, and below is our roundup of the best after-school activities in Forest Hills for the 2026-27 school year, put together by people who work in the neighborhood. No sponsorships — just the programs we'd point a friend toward.
12 best after school programs in Forest Hills
1. Commonpoint Queens (Central Queens)
Location: 67-09 108th Street, Forest Hills, NY 11375
Ages: Roughly 3 and up for swim; gymnastics, arts, and youth programs span wider
Schedule: Weekday afternoon swim lessons from 3:30 p.m., plus weekend slots across the school-year season
Cost: Session-based. Group learn-to-swim runs approximately $400 member / $450 non-member for a multi-week session; children's gymnastics approximately $288 member / $360 non-member.
Trial: No trial — registration is by session
Website: commonpoint.org
The former Central Queens Y is a 35,000-square-foot community facility with a full-sized indoor pool, and it's the neighborhood's default answer for swimming. The learn-to-swim ladder runs from Tiny Tots through competitive team, with a Fast Trac accelerated track for kids who pick it up quickly and a tryout for the advanced group.
It's more than a pool. Gymnastics, arts programming, and youth activities all run out of the same building, with free on-street parking and easy access from the Queens Boulevard buses.
Why we like it: Progression. A four-year-old can start in Level 1 and still be in the building at fourteen on a competitive team, which is rare for a community program and saves families from switching providers every few years.
2. The West Side Tennis Club
Location: 1 Tennis Place, Forest Hills, NY 11375 — a 14-acre campus in Forest Hills Gardens
Ages: 4–17, grouped as Tiny Tots (4–5), Red and Orange Ball (6–10), and Green and Yellow Ball (11–18)
Schedule: Year-round junior clinics including a dedicated after-school program; winter play moves indoors to a climate-controlled bubble
Cost: Membership-based, with a formal application and membership-committee review. Family membership covers two adults and all children up to 23. Inquire at 718-268-2300.
Trial: No drop-in trial — membership application required
Website: thewestsidetennisclub.com
The West Side Tennis Club hosted 60 editions of the US National Championships and still has the 14,000-seat Forest Hills Stadium on its grounds, which makes it the most storied address in the neighborhood by a distance. For a junior player, the practical draw is the courts — 38 of them across grass, red clay, Har-Tru, and DecoTurf, which almost no club anywhere offers.
Clinics run at four to six players per court with former collegiate players and certified pros coaching, and the program is continuous through the year rather than seasonal, so kids don't lose ground over the winter. There's a Junior Olympic pool on site too.
Why we like it: Beginners are genuinely welcome, which surprises people given the history. The club makes a point of teaching new players without pressure, and the year-round structure means a kid who starts in October isn't waiting until spring to improve.
3. Rose Academy of Ballet
Location: 108-10 72nd Avenue area, Forest Hills, NY 11375
Ages: 2 through adult — Tippy Toes (2–3), Pre-Ballet (3–5), then leveled classes
Schedule: Weekday and weekend classes across the school year; registration open
Cost: By class or semester through the studio's registration portal — confirm current rates
Trial: Contact the studio
Website: roseacademyofballet.com
Rose Academy has been in Forest Hills since 2006 teaching classical ballet with a deliberately unintimidating approach, and it carries far more than ballet. Tap, jazz, hip-hop, modern, contemporary, acrobatics, and musical theater all run under the same roof.
That range matters for a kid who isn't sure yet. A seven-year-old can start in ballet, discover she'd rather do hip-hop, and switch without leaving the studio or starting over socially.
Why we like it: The breadth under one roof. Most dance studios in Queens specialize; this one lets a kid try three styles in three years without a new commute or a new set of parents to get to know.
4. Hug Music
Location: 112-01 75th Avenue, Lower Level, Forest Hills, NY 11375
Ages: 0 through adult — Mommy and Me (0–4), Hug Melody Solo and Duo (3.5–6), private lessons from 6
Schedule: Weekly private lessons, in studio or in home
Cost: New students begin with a five-week starter package of weekly 30-minute private lessons, then move to semester enrollment — confirm current rates
Trial: The five-week starter package functions as an extended trial
Website: hugmusicny.com
Hug Music teaches piano, guitar, ukulele, flute, voice, and songwriting, and the instructors are Berklee graduates and working musicians rather than students filling a schedule. There's NYSSMA and ABRSM exam prep for kids heading toward auditions.
The part worth knowing is Musicreative, an inclusive program for students of all abilities staffed by board-certified music therapists. Families with a child who has been turned away elsewhere should start here.
Why we like it: The five-week starter package. Music lessons are the classic activity parents commit a year to in September and abandon by February, and a five-week entry is an honest way to find out first.
5. Champions Martial Arts — Forest Hills
Location: 71-72 Yellowstone Boulevard, Forest Hills, NY 11375
Ages: 3 and up — Little Tigers (3–5), Kids Martial Arts, Teen and Adult Taekwondo, plus a competition team
Schedule: Monday to Friday afternoons and evenings, Saturday mornings; most programs meet two to three times a week. There's a dedicated after-school martial arts program.
Cost: Membership-based — confirm the current rate with the location
Trial: Free trial class via the website form or by phone
Website: championstkd.com
Champions runs a taekwondo program built on belt progression, which is the mechanism that keeps kids showing up in February after the novelty has worn off. Classes are grouped tightly by age, and the after-school program is a distinct offering rather than an adult class with children in it.
Parents consistently report back on confidence and focus rather than technique, which is the honest reason most families sign up for martial arts in the first place.
Why we like it: Belt systems work. We use a version of one ourselves, because a kid who can see the next rung climbs it. For a child who needs structure and a visible sense of progress, this is a strong first activity.
6. Sheridan Fencing Academy
Location: 106-06 Queens Boulevard, 4th Floor, inside the Forest Hills Jewish Center — enter on 69th Road, Forest Hills, NY 11375. Two blocks from the E, F, M, and R at 71st–Continental.
Ages: 4 and up
Schedule: Classes available immediately after school Monday through Thursday, built around dismissal and pickup times, plus Sunday sessions
Cost: Monthly membership, with pricing set by how many days a week your child trains. Equipment is provided.
Trial: Free trial class for kids, all equipment provided
Website: sheridanfencing.com/queens
This is us. Our philosophy is that good training is fun training, and if you come up to the fourth floor on a Tuesday afternoon that's what it sounds like. The youngest groups learn footwork and coordination through games. Kids move up through a system of colored wristbands that gives them something to work toward. Nobody is made to feel behind.
Classes start right after school and all the equipment is here waiting, so there's nothing to buy and nothing to carry across the neighborhood. Kids get an hour of real movement, learn a skill none of their friends have, and make friends with the other kids on the strip. That's what we're actually selling.
You can book a free trial class or look at all our fencing programs and schedules for the Forest Hills club.
Why we like it: Bias acknowledged. Honestly, the thing fencing has that most after-school activities don't is that every kid in the room started from zero. Nobody grew up playing it in the park, so a nine-year-old who joins in November isn't behind anybody. That makes it an unusually easy room to walk into.
7. Garden Players Musical Theater for Kids
Location: Classes at The-Church-In-The-Gardens, 50 Ascan Avenue; performances at The Community House, both in Forest Hills Gardens
Ages: Roughly 5–15, with classes for children and teens 6–14
Schedule: School-year program running September through May, with in-class Sharing Days in December, a January winter concert with a professional band, and an original staged musical in May
Cost: Semester enrollment. No child has ever been refused for inability to pay — the program is a fiscally sponsored nonprofit.
Trial: Contact the program
Website: gardenplayers.com
Garden Players has been part of Forest Hills since 1916 and has focused on kids' musical theater since 2002 under artistic director Betina Hershey. Original musicals that premiered here have gone on to more than 2,000 performances in over 65 countries, and alumni have been accepted to LaGuardia and Frank Sinatra performing arts high schools.
The work is original and often socially conscious rather than a warmed-over Broadway junior version, which is a meaningful difference for a kid who's already done three years of the same shows.
Why we like it: The January winter concert with a live professional band. Most kids' theater programs build to one show a year; this one gives them a real stage in the middle of winter, which is exactly when a kid needs something to look forward to.
8. ProjectArt at the Forest Hills Library
Location: Queens Public Library, Forest Hills branch, 108-19 71st Avenue — steps from 71st–Continental
Ages: 4–18, with age-banded sections
Schedule: Free weekly classes running late September through May, with afternoon slots including Monday and Thursday
Cost: Free. Materials provided. Registration required in advance and space is limited.
Trial: Not applicable — the program is free
Website: afterschoolhq.com
ProjectArt runs free after-school art classes taught by working professional teaching artists inside the public library, with a curriculum aligned to National Arts Education Association standards. It is not a babysitting program dressed up as art.
Students who stay through mid-April are invited to a professional year-end exhibition, which means a nine-year-old ends the year with work hanging in a real show.
Why we like it: It's free, it's genuinely good, and it's in the library at the center of the neighborhood. Register early, because the sections fill and there's no waitlist magic that gets you in later.
9. New York Chess Academy
Location: Forest Hills, with camps run at a 112th Street church auditorium
Ages: All ages and levels
Schedule: After-school classes, private lessons, and weekend sessions across the school year
Cost: By semester or class, with a 5% sibling discount — confirm current rates
Trial: Contact the academy
Website: newyorkchessacademy.us
NYCA has been running since 2018 with affordability written into its mission, and it takes players from a first game through USCF-rated tournament play. That rated experience matters for a kid who's outgrown beating their parents and needs real competition to keep improving.
Parents describe the Saturday club as the thing their kids ask for rather than agree to, which is a low bar that a lot of chess programs still miss.
Why we like it: The price philosophy. Chess coaching in New York can get expensive fast, and a program that treats affordability as part of the mission keeps the game accessible to the families it should be accessible to.
10. Forest Hills Robotics League
Location: Based out of P.S. 144, Forest Hills
Ages: 6–18
Schedule: School-year robotics teams with weekday practices, preceded by a fall open house and registration event
Cost: Nonprofit — confirm season fees at registration
Trial: Attend the fall open house
Website: foresthillslego.com
FHRL is a sixteen-year-old local nonprofit running FIRST LEGO League teams for nearly 200 neighborhood kids, coached by volunteer parents. Programs run from introductory LEGO coding all the way to advanced programming, so the range covers a first-grader and a high school junior.
The results are real. Its Hydro Hackers team won against 56 teams at the NYC FIRST LEGO Championships and advanced to the World Festival in Houston.
Why we like it: It's a team sport for kids who don't want a team sport. Robotics competitions have the same season arc, the same practices, and the same nerves as a travel league, aimed at a completely different kid.
11. Russian School of Mathematics
Location: Forest Hills — confirm the current address with the center
Ages: K–12
Schedule: After-school and weekend classes across the school year, in classrooms averaging about 12 students with three levels per grade
Cost: Semester or term enrollment — confirm current rates
Trial: Contact the center about placement
Website: mathschool.com
RSM teaches a roughly 30-year-old curriculum adapted from elite Soviet math schools, built around understanding rather than memorization, and the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth has recognized it among the top ten schools in the world. In a neighborhood with a large Russian-speaking population, it's also a cultural fit that parents don't have to explain to their own parents.
Placement is by level rather than by grade, which means a kid who's ahead gets moved up and a kid who's struggling isn't stranded.
Why we like it: It's enrichment rather than remediation. Most math programs are aimed at catching kids up; RSM is aimed at kids who could go further than school is asking them to, and that's a different and underserved thing.
12. Metropolitan Oval Academy
Location: 60th Street and 60th Court, Maspeth, NY 11378 — roughly two to three miles northwest of central Forest Hills, so a drive or a bus and subway trip rather than a walk
Ages: 5–10 in the Juniors and Youth Development Program; the full academy spans roughly U-6 to U-19
Schedule: Fall and winter weekday sessions — the club publishes these only in a registration flyer, so confirm through its contact form
Cost: Not published for Juniors and YDP; registration runs through TeamSnap. For reference, the summer camp is $425 a week.
Trial: No free trial advertised for Juniors; competitive teams hold dated open tryouts
Website: metropolitanoval.org
Met Oval opened in 1925 and is the oldest continuously used soccer facility in the country, the only club in New York City that owns its own field, and a founding MLS NEXT member. It has placed more than 45 youth players into MLS and international academies over three years.
The coaching model is built on maximum ball contact and weekly connected skills cycles rather than scrimmage-heavy practices. Its player base reflects the borough, drawing from more than 30 countries with three quarters of youth players having at least one parent born outside the US.
Why we like it: It's the real soccer answer in this part of Queens and worth the trip if your kid is serious. We'd flag honestly that the Juniors schedule and pricing aren't published anywhere readable, so budget a phone call before you plan around it.
How to choose the right Forest Hills after-school program
A few honest things to think about before you register.
There are three pricing models here and they behave differently. Membership programs — fencing, martial arts, dance, gymnastics — charge monthly and let you add days, pause, or leave without a fight. Semester programs — music, swim, chess, math enrichment, theater — bill by term and lock you in once it starts. The West Side Tennis Club is a third thing entirely, requiring a membership application and committee review, so start that conversation months before you want your kid on a court.
Free and low-cost entry points are better here than in most neighborhoods. ProjectArt is genuinely free at the library. Sheridan Fencing Academy and Champions Martial Arts both offer free trials. Mathnasium and Kumon run free diagnostics. You can test three categories without spending anything.
The school-year programs close before the school year starts. Garden Players and ProjectArt run September through May, Commonpoint's swim season is fixed, and FHRL registers at a fall open house. Once those windows shut, the rolling-admission programs are your list — fencing, martial arts, and dance take new students any week of the year.
Ask where the enrollment actually sits for your kid's age. A stated range of 4 to 18 rarely means a program is equally good across it. Ask which age group has the most kids in it, not what the website's range says, because the answer determines whether your child has anyone to train alongside.
Frequently asked questions
What do after-school activities cost in Forest Hills?
Monthly membership programs generally run in the low hundreds per month depending on how many days a week your child attends, and semester programs run from roughly $400 for a multi-week swim session upward. Free options exist, including ProjectArt at the Forest Hills Library.
Which Forest Hills programs offer free trials?
Sheridan Fencing Academy offers a free trial class for kids with all equipment provided, and Champions Martial Arts runs a free trial through its website form. Mathnasium and Kumon both offer free diagnostic assessments, and Hug Music's five-week starter package works as an extended trial.
Are there free after-school programs in Forest Hills?
Yes. ProjectArt runs free weekly art classes at the Forest Hills branch of the Queens Public Library from late September through May, with materials provided. Space is limited and registration is required in advance.
Do I have to go into Manhattan for serious training?
No. Forest Hills has a nationally recognized soccer academy, a historic tennis club, an award-winning robotics league, and a fencing club with full competition strips, all without leaving Queens.
Can a four-year-old start an after-school activity here?
Yes. Sheridan Fencing Academy, Champions Martial Arts, Rose Academy of Ballet, ProjectArt, and Hug Music all take children at 4 or younger. Class lengths at that age generally run 40 minutes to an hour.
Which programs are walkable from 71st–Continental?
Sheridan Fencing Academy, Champions Martial Arts, Hug Music, Rose Academy of Ballet, Garden Players, and ProjectArt at the library all sit within a short walk of the E, F, M, and R hub. Commonpoint and Metropolitan Oval require a bus or a drive.
One final thought
Forest Hills quietly has one of the best after-school benches in the city, and the families who get the most out of it are the ones who commit to something and then stop looking. There is always a program with a fancier website a few subway stops away, and chasing it costs your kid the thing that actually builds skill, which is showing up to the same room every week for a year.
The right program is the one your child will still want to attend in February. That's usually about the room and the coach, not the credentials. Pick the one where your kid seemed happy during the trial.
If you want to see whether fencing is that room, we offer free trial classes for kids at our Forest Hills location year-round. No commitment, no sales pitch — just a class to find out if it clicks. You can also browse all our fencing programs or look at our Queens school-break camps if you're already thinking ahead to the winter break.