If you have a young dance-lover in your house, this summer may be a great time to check out the local dance studios and find out which one is right for your family.
A number of studios in the area are offering free sample classes, open houses, and other special events that let you and your little one step inside and give dance a try before deciding whether to commit to a full season.
Some of the classes and events begin as early as next week, so take a look at the offerings below and make sure your little dancer doesn’t miss his or her chance!
If you recommend one of these companies, please let us know in the comments!
Bravo Dance Company – Albertville (www.bravo.dance)
- Open Houses beginning May 23
- Princess Class $15 (ages 2–5) – 45 min class featuring ballet fundamentals and fun, wear your favorite princess dress
- Trolls Camp $35 (ages 4–10) – fun dance class with games, craft, and a Trolls-themed lunch
- 6-Week Recreational Classes $50 (ages 3–12) – ballet, tap, and jazz
- Toddler Thursdays $40 (age 2) – 4 weeks of creative movement and dance basics
KMC Dance – Albertville (kmcdancealbertville.com)
- Free sample classes – class consists of ballet and tap, attendees will receive a gift
- Ballerina Boutique $35 (ages 3–8) – 2 hours, attendees will pick out a tutu and get their hair done then enjoy a ballet class, craft, story, snack, and goody bag
- 4-Week Sessions $35-$40 (ages 3–9) – age-appropriate combinations of ballet, tap, and jazz offered
Central Park is getting a glow up! Check back in spring 2026 for updated photos.
Central Park in Albertville is one of our typical hangouts when the weather is nice. It’s located near our house, which makes it easy to get to either on a walk or as a quick stop while we’re out running other errands. But there are a few other features to this usually quiet, classic-style park make it worth a visit for us.
First, the merry-go-round. Whatever happened to merry-go-rounds? I feel like they appear at parks less and less often these days, and when you do see them at a “modern” park, they’re the huge plastic kind with built-in seats like this one. Don’t get me wrong, I love safety of that new style merry-go-round for my littlest kids, but there’s something about the old style that inspires creativity and lets kids experiment with physics and momentum. Sure, there’s danger involved, but some childhood memories need to include a little danger, haha! We all survived, right? 😀
Second, the smaller of the two slide structures is great for my 1-year-old. It has a set of wide, very shallow stairs that are perfect for a crawler or early walker, isn’t too hard for mom to supervise, and has a nice little slide that isn’t too intimidating or dangerous for the tiny ones.
Finally, there is a good bit of shade around. In addition to a covered picnic table right next to the playground, this park has lots of trees that provide shade for a picnic, nursing a baby, or just some quiet time for mom while the kids play.
Central Park also has a skate park, volleyball court, and basketball court that are located not far from the playground. There is also a large reserveable shelter as well as hockey and baseball facilities.
This park gets very busy during Albertville Friendly City Days and is also more popular on FYCC event days and during the farmer’s market (Thursday afternoons/evenings in summer).
Location: Near Albertville City Hall and the Church of St. Albert, on Lander Ave just off 57th Street (map)
Features: Playground, small gazebo with picnic table, skate park, volleyball court, basketball court
Playground Turf: Gravel
Recommended age range: 1–8
Restrooms: Portable
Parking: Street parking by playground, Paved lot within walking distance
Trails: None
Here are FYCC’s summer dates for Reading in the Park, Zoomobile, “Touch a Truck” and more!
Click here to download a printable version (PDF)
I’ll be posting a full summer calendar of events like these soon, so please check back in or follow on Facebook.
Click here to download a printable version (PDF)
This Friday from 6 to 9 p.m., the City of Albertville invites you and your family out for the evening to explore the local parks.
While you visit your favorite park—or maybe even check out a new one!—you’ll be able to enjoy free food from local businesses, visit with community organizations, meet your neighbors and elected officials, and see vehicles from the Fire Department and Public Works. In addition, Albertville Royalty and the seniors candidates will be paying a visit to each location.
These are the parks participating in the event and who you can expect to see there:
Four Seasons Park – 11830 51st Street NE (map)
– Foxtailers, hot dogs, Public Works equipment
Linwood Park – 11260 West Laketowne Drive NE (map)
– Albertville Lions, hot dogs, Public Works equipment
Oakside Park – 10820 Kantar Court NE (map)
– El Bamba, HealthSource, Public Works equipment
Villas Park – 10365 Kali Avenue NE (map)
– Emma’s, Public Works equipment
Westwind Park – 10687 Kalland Drive NW (map)
– Subway, Public Works equipment
Winter Park – 10381 64th Street NE (map)
– Andy’s Hometowne Pizza, Albertville Fire Department
For a description of ALL of Albertville’s parks, check out this list. >> Albertville Parks
(Please note that only the parks listed above are participating in Friday’s event)
Last weekend my family was in Maple Grove for a charity event and couldn’t resist stopping to play at the new Central Park in Maple Grove. Have you been there yet?
My favorite thing about this modern, creative playground is that it truly has something for everyone, with seven unique play zones, each tailored for different ages and interests.
There is a tiny tots play area in one corner of the park that is designated for kids 2–5, and I would even say it’s a great place to let your 1-year-old crawl and climb around. On the other end of the spectrum, there are several large climbing structures—including a 24-foot climbing tower—that can keep older kids entertained for hours. 
I’ve even seen the occasional teenager hanging out atop the large rock walls. My husband has said he wishes they would open it up to adults only on occasion because it’s just so fun to play there! 😉
As much as we love visiting here, there are a few drawbacks to this park. First, it can get really busy there during the summer months, and because the park is so large and spread out, I find that I really have to work to keep an eye on both kids as they run around. Second, there’s almost no shade at the playground until the trees grow in. There are some small canopies over the sand area, but as a parent you’ll find next to no shade, so take care on sunny days, especially if you have a baby with you. Also, some of the structures are metal. My daughter has more than once burned her legs on the slide and now refers to this playground as “the hot park.” 😀
If your kid has noise issues, beware the restrooms because the hand dryers are about a million decibels in that echo-y space! Finally, dogs are not permitted on the playground, so you may want to leave Fido at home.
In addition to the terrific playground, Central Park features a splash pad in the summer, an ice skating loop in the winter, and an indoor pavilion that’s great for a private party. (Oh, and did I mention indoor restrooms??!) You can also do lots of walking here, around the pond (~1 mile loop) or through the grounds in front of the pavilion. Here’s a map to get you started: link (pdf) If you do go walking, make sure to check out the beautiful garden and labyrinth (more info).
Location: 12000 Central Park Way, Maple Grove (map)
Playground Turf: Rubber, sand, artificial grass
Recommended age range: 1–12
Restrooms: Indoor (there’s also a changing area if you’re visiting the splash pad)
Concessions: Yes
Parking: Paved lot, street parking
More info: http://www.maplegrovemn.gov/parks-and-recreation/central-park-maple-grove
Please leave a comment if you have questions or anything else to add!