Author: Michael Witthaus

Why you’re seeing so many rabbits this year

Plus a check in on other local animals

By Zachary Lewis
[email protected]

It’s true, rabbits are everywhere.

Specifically, the eastern cottontails “have been increasing in New Hampshire because of, likely, the milder winters, and some of our development,” said Heidi Holman, Wildlife Diversity Biologist from New Hampshire Fish and Game.

They like the suburbs.

“The eastern cottontails do really well in our suburban neighborhoods. They take cover from us from some of their predators,” Holman said.

Eastern cottontails are on an upward trajectory.

“I think the populations are just growing so it seems like every year we keep seeing more rabbits … so we’re just seeing the populations continue to increase year over year, so every year [it’s] like we’re seeing the most rabbits we’ve ever seen right now, that’s the trend,” she said.

The Hippo spoke with several biologists from New Hampshire Fish and Game about the different bunnies in the state, along with some fellow mammals that call the Granite State their home.

BUNNIES

Species: New England cottontail

Eastern cottontail

Snowshoe hare

There are three types of what would typically be considered bunnies in the Granite State, according to Holman. The first is the New England cottontail.

“It’s also nicknamed the coney or a wood rabbit and that is in reference to the fact that it typically lived in interspersed thickets,” Holman said.

The next one is the eastern cottontail.

“This species is actually from the Midwest, so areas west of the Hudson River Valley, and they were brought to New England for release in the 1800s, early 1900s. At the time I don’t think they recognized them as two distinct species. They look incredibly similar, very similar in size, although if you get familiar with them you’ll notice eastern cottontails are bigger.”

Finally, the snowshoe hare.

”The third species of what we might link to rabbits would be the snowshoe hare,” Holman said. “It’s different than a cottontail rabbit. Its young are born with fur and can actually move around early on. They become more independent from their parents.”

Cottontails are not ready to go out on their own right away.

“Rabbits are born without fur and are blind and are in a nest … for a pretty long time, a couple weeks,” she said.

How are they doing? “Snowshoe hare are doing well,” Holman said. “They are being researched for the impacts of climate change, so that concept of them changing color and snow being on the ground, if they still change color but there is no snow, all of a sudden there’s this big white rabbit on a brown landscape so that could lead to higher predation rates, so the exact opposite of what keeps cottontails south, traditionally.”

The recently arrived eastern cottontail, relatively speaking, is faring fairly well.

“The eastern cottontail populations have been growing in New Hampshire pretty substantially, especially in the past five to 10 years, we’ve noticed them in many towns that we hadn’t detected them [in] for a long time,” Holman said.

When they first arrived, “we have documentation from literature that shows they were pretty much everywhere, ” she said. But as forests grew back, their numbers “retreated from this historic anomaly that had been created by people.”

Holman is from southwest New Hampshire and is noticing them there now too: “I grew up out there, I never saw a cottontail rabbit growing up and now I see them pretty regularly in the town I grew up in.”

The native rabbit species is not doing as well. “The New England cottontail has been declining for several decades and is listed as state endangered,” she said.

New Hampshire Fish and Game workers are studying their numbers.

“We have two different focus areas that we’ve been working on conservation,” Holman said. “One is in the Merrimack River corridor. There, it just has continued to decline, there’s just so much development along that corridor between Nashua, Londonderry and Manchester. Where we had the largest remnant population, we’ve slowly lost it to industrial buildings. We’re having a hard time creating a viable landscape with enough habitat for them to maintain a viable population.”

There is a different story on the Seacoast, where there is “a lot more agriculture, and you have larger parcels, maybe more historic farms … and more wooded areas too, which we’re finding might be critical for them…. The landscape In the Seacoast region is OK and we’ve been able to find a lot of landowners that are willing to work with us so we have been able to expand the population in that area, modestly, but we’re still working on it,” Holman said. The added wooded cover could be helping New England cottontails dodge predators while they find thickets of solitude. As mentioned above, the New England cottontail is listed as endangered on the state level as well.

How do the New England and eastern cottontail fit together?

“We don’t really know much at the moment about the interaction between cottontails and snowshoe hare,” Holman said. “If cottontails move north and snowshoe hare are all living in somewhat similar locations, would there be enough room, is there a competition issue, etc.”

Where to find them: The eastern cottontail “are from a more open landscape,” Holman said. “So there’s a lot more fields and native prairies in the Midwest. They live pretty much all the way to the West Coast as well. So they adapted to using more hedgerows and stone walls, less cover, they tend to be out in the open more…. They also tend to be more southern.”

As snow dwindles, certain bunny populations expand.

“One of the things that determines how far north they’re found is how many days of snow cover there is in a year.The longer winters make the brown rabbits more susceptible to predation, but as winters get shorter there’s a higher likelihood any individual will survive, so populations will continue to grow, and then they have the opportunity to disperse and move north,” she said.

Snowshoe hares are actually all over the place.

“We detect them across the entire state of New Hampshire because we do still get snow over most of the state,” Holman said.

The original bunnies have a smaller area. “Native New England cottontails were only really found in the southern part of the state, and they seem to have been more of a coastal species, again, where you’re going to get a lot more hurricanes, probably creation of coastal thicket, but they tend to be more southern,” she said.

Their place in the ecosystem: Rabbits like to multiply.

“They’re known for rapid reproduction, right, ‘breeds like bunnies,’ so they have multiple litters with lots of young, and that’s part of their role in the ecosystem because they are so plentiful only a small portion of them survive to make it to their first winter, anywhere, I think it’s 30 to 40 percent, and that may fluctuate somewhat but it’s less than half,” Holman said.

The change in seasons is an obstacle. “Survival over the course of winter is challenging,” she said.

Eastern cottontails have a unique advantage.

“UNH did some research and they determined that they had the ability to detect predators from a further distance, better peripheral vision, and they just happen to go out in the openings more regularly than our native rabbits,” Holman said.

Snowshoe hares have a helpful ability, she noted. They “change their fur color as the days get longer and shorter, so they turn to a white coat in the winter and that allows them to be less detectable to predators as they’re moving around. Then in the summer they tend to be a similar color to cottontail rabbits.”

The future: How are things looking for the eastern cottontail? “As of right now,” Holman said, “I see them continuing to potentially expand in the state. Similarly to how we’ve seen deer move north….”

They are doing better than the New England cottontail, which “don’t seem to do well sharing the habitat” with the eastern cottontail, she said, but “that’s some research we need to do. That is a huge concern for us over time.”

Brett Ferry, a colleague of Holman’s who specializes in small game spoke on the future of the snowshoe hare.

“There is some concern with less snow during the winter [that] they’ll be mismatched,” Ferry said. “Instead of being white to blend in with the snow. Some concern there for them but for now they remain a common species that is statewide.”

Bunnies at Millstone

The Millstone Wildlife Center in Widham (16 Millstone Road, millstonewildlife.com) rehabilitates mammals in the Granite State and has first-hand knowledge of how they are doing. When people find bunnies in their yard that need help, they typically reach out to Millstone and those bunnies are typically eastern cottontails.

“Most everyone that comes in here is the eastern cottontail.” said Frannie Greenberg, Executive Director.

Markings can help differentiate between eastern and New England cottontail, though a DNA test would be needed to be conclusive, but location is also a helpful indicator.

“Because of where they are found, we are going by habitat…,” Greenberg said. “We can surmise, because the amount of eastern cottontails in the state are much, much higher, that most all of the ones that come in here are eastern cottontails.”

Greenberg has noticed the increase of eastern cottontails in the state. “We are seeing that rabbit babies start coming earlier and earlier,” she said. “This year we had rabbits in March, and people aren’t usually thinking the rabbits are out with babies because there may be snow on the ground — they don’t care about that. If it’s a warm stretch they may start having their litters.”

These warm stretches are being utilized by the eastern cottontail.

“The rabbit population is on the rise in southern New Hampshire,” Greenberg said.

Again, warmer winters are fueling the surge. “If they start in March and they go all the way through October, there is plenty of time to have six or seven litters…,” Greenberg said. “That’s a lot of rabbits. It’s natural that not every rabbit makes it to adulthood, which is why rabbits are prolific, why they have more.”

The bunnies continue to do well, and although it remains to be seen how the eastern and New England cottontail cohabitate, the rise in eastern cottontails is good for larger predators.

“Enough of them have made it so that we see a notable difference over the last few years of the rabbit population in southern New Hampshire…,” Greenberg said. “The better rabbits do in the state, the more food sources there are for the other animals. They are the bottom of the food chain, so when there are more rabbits, they can support more predators so there can be more bobcats or foxes or other animals that would eat the rabbits.”

There is an issue for these larger predators that the MWC has noticed and that echoes the sentiments of NH Fish and Game, and that issue is rodenticide poisoning.

“Rodenticide poisoning is a concern,” Greenberg said. “We are seeing more and more that animals come in here with secondary rodenticide poisoning. That means they’re not necessarily the ones that get into the bait box that gets sick…. Even if it’s a few animals past that mouse. It can be that an animal eats the mouse and then something else eats that animal, that poisoning stays in their system.”

For foxes, rodenticide can exacerbate the effects of mange and make it harder to recover. “That, in turn, presents itself very often with mange. Mange in red foxes is something that the fox themselves have a harder time if they’re immunocompromised, if their systems just are struggling because of the rodenticide poisoning, mange seems to take a hold a whole lot quicker and be a more devastating problem for them in the state of New Hampshire,” Greenberg said.

The health of mammals in the state should be a concern for all. “If it’s a problem for them then it’s a problem for all of us if we want to maintain our red fox population.”

BOBCATS

Species: Lynx rufus (not to be confused with the Canada Lynx)

How are they doing? Oodles of bobcats live in the Granite State, according to Patrick Tate, a Fish and Game biologist.

“Bobcats are very abundant in New Hampshire and are doing great statewide,” Tate said. “Their densities do decline, and by density I mean number of animals per square mile, as one goes north, particularly in the White Mountain area and the very extreme northern parts of New Hampshire, and that is because of snow depth. They have small feet and don’t do exceptionally well with snow during the winter.”

We’re not talking about a small amount of snow.

“Not 4 or 5 inches, but 12 inches or more of snow. They don’t do well because their body weight pushes their feet through the snow and moving around becomes difficult,” Tate said.

The winters do appear to be changing, Tate noted: “Our winters are a little more mild than they’ve been in decades past. With milder winters, animals do better, predators do better.”

“There’s been various work done where predators of bobcat have altered in their number which allows bobcats to do greater, meaning reproduce more. Some of those predators, one in particular, are argued to be fisher, and there’s various work there, but at the same time where our bobcats are doing so well now our fisher may not be doing as well because in part of our bobcat population doing so well,” Tate said.

Where to find them: Bobcats can be found all over the state.

“Seeing a bobcat during daylight hours is not anything to be alarmed about,” Tate said. “The species will be active 24 hours a day, they will hunt during the day, that’s a normal behavior.”

They are not skittish.

“Seeing a bobcat walk away, rather than run away, from a person is a normal behavior. They tend to be tolerant of human presence.”

But chicken owners should be aware.

“Make sure they have a properly constructed chicken coop with a chicken run. Don’t rely on having chickens out during the day because there’s a lower number of predators. Bobcats learn to key in on human behavior and timing and will learn to hunt chickens during the day,” Tate said.

Their place in the ecosystem: Besides occasional chickens, what does a bobcat eat?

“Bobcats are capable of taking down anything from smaller than a mouse to whitetail deer-sized animal, any species between there: rabbits, raccoons, there’ve been situations where they’ve gone after foxes, deer fawns, gray squirrels, bird, beaver, muskrat, and adult whitetail deer,” Tate said. They like to eat and move on to their next errand.

“They are a strict carnivore species,” Tate said. “They will scavenge in the winter…. They tend not to cache animals unless it is the winter months, and during winter months they will cache whitetail deer because they can’t consume one entirely at one sitting.”

As to rivals, “fisher and bobcat are predators of one another,” he said.

The future: The outlook for the bobcat is unclear.

“The future all depends on what time scale we are talking about and how much habitat continues to be fragmented and the impact of those roads,” Tate said.

There is an issue with rodenticide. “Rodenticide use and how we use rodenticides has potential of impacting various wildlife species and indirectly bobcat. Where I stand now, the future does not look awful. I don’t want to put rose-colored glasses on and say it looks the best it’ll ever be,” he said.

“Predator species key on prey that are a little bit off and not acting correctly and they’ll kill those prey. That is called secondary poisoning. By killing mice and in situations where other animals are poisoned, the predator is then poisoned themselves…,” Tate said.

How many bobcats are affected by rodenticide? “The exact numbers on bobcats, I don’t know,” he said, “but I can say for sure with fox and fisher, it happens a lot.”

The UNH Veterinary Diagnostic Lab has done work with New Hampshire Fish and Game on fox and fisher and “it showed that over 90 percent had been exposed to rodenticide, of the animals we submitted,” he said.

Overall though, “bobcats are doing well and as long as our wildlife habitat, our unforced habitat, remains where it is, bobcats will continue to do well.”

BATS

Species: There are eight species of bats, three of them migratory, according to Sandra Houghton, a Wildlife Diversity Biologist in the Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program through the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. These include the hoary bat, silver-haired bat and eastern red bat.

The five that winter here are the little brown bat, the northern long-eared bat, the tricolored bat, the eastern small-footed bat and the big brown bat.

“The big brown bat is now much more common. It used to be the little brown bat prior to white-nose syndrome,” Houghton said.

How are they doing? Unfortunately, bats are not doing well and the main culprit is white-nose syndrome (WNS). “White-nose syndrome, it’s caused by a fungus that basically decimated bat populations, originally in the Northeast but now it’s kind of spread across the nation,” Houghton said. “It’s causing them to arouse more frequently during the winter and we just saw massive die-offs. A 90 percent decline in many of our wintering bat species.”

When and where did this come from? “It was first documented in New Hampshire in 2009 and most of that decline occurred generally by 2014, 2015, our numbers were low and have stabilized at that low number. It’s a little bit different for every species. Some have been impacted more severely…. It was first documented in New York…. It’s a little bit unknown … it may have come from Europe or Asia. It was a new fungus to the environment,” she said.

Some bats can carry the fungus and be asymptomatic but still pass on spores.

Will they get better? “Any recovery is going to be slow and uncertain. They’re generally only having one young each year and the likelihood of survival for that young is also more tenuous now than it was. That’s about how they are doing,” Houghton said.

Many bats are considered threatened or endangered both on a state and federal level.

“The northern long-eared bat was listed as federally threatened … it just became federally endangered…. The tricolor is proposed for listing as federally endangered and four out of the five of those species are state endangered,” Houghton said. These include the little brown bat, the northern long-eared bat, the tricolored bat and the eastern small-footed bat.

Where to find them: “The wintering locations are more confined,” Houghton said. “It might be an old mine or cave that has a suitable environment. That’s high humidity, generally over 80 percent humidity. The temperature is stable so it’s staying like 34 to 40 degrees. It’s inground.”

When the weather warms up, it’s a different story.

“During the summer, it’s really statewide. Different species use a variety of habitats,” she said. “Some of them live in trees. We have one bat, the eastern small-footed bat, that lives in more of a rock crevice, like a talus slope….”

Bats utilize snug spaces in trees too.

“Others will roost in different parts of a tree. some use the cracks and crevices, some will be among the leaves, and then some might be underneath the bark, and both the little brown bat and big brown bat will utilize man-made structure,” Houghton said.

Their place in the ecosystem: Bats will eat a lot of insects.

“They are our largest predator of night flying insects. They’re eating half their body weight, and when they’re pregnant or nursing they may be eating all of their body weight in insects and they’re eating a whole diversity, agricultural pests, forest pests, a mosquito that people find to be pesky,” Houghton said.

As for what eats bats, “predators could include owls or cats,” though that’s not an exhaustive list, she said.

The future: Not without hope, but having the joy of watching bats flutter about at twilight is an ongoing struggle.

“We see little glimmers of potential signs of recovery but any recovery is going to be slow and uncertain. Any glimmers we’re taking with caution,” Houghton said.

Some other good news include a certain longevity and the ability to have their offspring survive. “We’ve seen little brown bats who we’ve documented surviving over a decade,” she said. “Also, successfully having young and having the young return. Little signs of encouragement. Little things like that.”

CHIPMUNKS & SQUIRRELS

Species: Eastern gray squirrel

Red squirrel

Eastern chipmunk

How are they doing? According to Brett Ferry, the New Hampshire Fish and Game small game project leader, squirrels are doing fine.

“They are doing quite well,” Ferry said. “Their population is based on available food sources, mostly oak acorns, pine seeds and cones. If it’s a good pine cone year then there are a lot of pine seeds for them to eat over the winter.”

The chipmunks, “they’re doing fine as well,” he said, and they are on “the same track as squirrels…. Sometimes people call in because they occasionally see an albino squirrel or sometimes they’re black, but they’re all the same eastern gray squirrel; they just have some different color variations once in a while.”

Where to find them: “They’re pretty common, found statewide,” Ferry said. “The gray squirrels will be more in the southern part of the state. Red squirrels are more common in the north. But they’re both statewide…. There’s a hunting season on gray squirrels.” This starts on Sept. 1.

Their place in the ecosystem: Chipmunks and squirrels provide similar ecosystem services.

“They spread the seeds and nuts of the trees they eat. They spread acorns around, keeping those species going. Then, they’re also prey for predators such as hawks and owls, weasels…,” Ferry said.

The future: Squirrels do not seem to be going anywhere.

“They’re able to exist with humans pretty well, and good stands of oak trees to maintain acorns and future food sources so they should do well,” Ferry said. Chipmunks are “pretty much the same.”

COYOTES

Species: The eastern coyote, canis latrans variant, is what’s found in New Hampshire, as Patrick Tate explains. “They are a mix of western coyote DNA, a small amount of wolf DNA, and I’m going to use rough terms, call it 10 percent or so, and approximately 10 percent domestic dog,” Tate said.

These coyotes are found all the way from Ohio to the tip of Maine and from there down to the Carolinas and back up to Ohio.

It is interesting to note that “eastern coyotes in New Hampshire, which are pretty similar to all those occupying New England, would be extremely different from an eastern coyote on the edge of Ohio or New York.”

How are they doing? Coyotes are doing great. “Eastern coyotes are doing very well in New Hampshire,” Tate said. “They arrived in the state in the late ’30s, early 1940’s. The first documented one in New Hampshire was in 1944 and that was up in the Lakes Region…. Animals are generally present for a few years before they are officially documented.”

Where to find them: Coyotes are pretty much everywhere.

“By the 1970’s they [were] found statewide and they continue to remain statewide,” Tate said. “They are highly adaptable to all habitats and have the ability to do well in all the places they adapt to, so our cities have eastern coyotes in them and certainly every town in the state.”

Their place in the ecosystem: Coyotes eat lots of different types of food.

“They’re an omnivore species,” Tate said, “so they eat fruits, berries, and take prey up to the size of whitetail deer. They do very well at taking whitetail deer … If there is good snow depth or snow conditions they’ll do better.”

These animals excel at what they do, Tate said. “As predators, they are a consistent force through the year to remove sick and weak prey animals, which strengthens the prey species because the stronger ones survive. It’s that predator-prey relationship game that all the species that we discussed play, that they’re a part of…. They have the ability to help the natural ecological function of being a predator and capturing animals.”

The future: Tate does not have information on coyotes with rodenticide, but said “they do extremely well in all habitats and seem to be more resistant to human changes in the landscape. As a wildlife biologist, my projection is that they’ll continue to do well as they are….”

FOXES

Species: Red fox, Gray fox

These two types of foxes are “completely separate species. They have a different chromosome number and they do not have any ability to interbreed,” Tate said.

How are they doing? Tate and New Hampshire Fish and Game “are doing some trail camera work to determine densities” of fox populations, Tate said. Numbers for both species are down, he said. “Their numbers are down from the historic high; however, we have no reason to believe that foxes are about to leave this state and not be present.”

Where to find them: Both can be found statewide, and especially for “red fox, the density per square mile does not vary greatly throughout the entire state,” Tate said.

It is different for the gray fox.

“Gray foxes are near the northern limit of their range in New England. Because of that, as a person goes north, the density per square mile of gray fox declines,” he said.

Their place in the ecosystem: Foxes have a varied palate.

“They’re an omnivore species, both red and gray; interestingly their diets overlap,” Tate said. “So they’ll eat berries, they’ll eat fruits. Then mice, squirrels, rabbits … waterfowl, turkeys, wild turkeys, that’s all in their realm.”

Unlike the bobcat and coyote, foxes leave deer alone, he said. “They have less capabilities than bobcats.”

It is fun to note that gray foxes have retractable front claws. “They have the ability to climb trees,” Tate said. “When I say climb, they hold on with the front claws and with their rear claws, push themselves up the tree. So they’re not using limbs to climb; they’re actually using their claws to grip and climb the tree.”

Red foxes lack this trait. “Red foxes do not have that ability,” Tate said. “However, red foxes will climb ornamental trees that they’re able to jump limb to limb to get to fruit such as crab apples or apples…. It’s not the same type of climbing technique and one could argue that one does not climb at all. Whereas gray foxes can certainly climb trees.”

The future: The outlook is similar to that for the bobcat, although “based on exposure rates, I would argue that rodenticides are more impactful to the population because of the fox’s willingness to occupy residential settings at a greater level,” Tate said.

Foxes do not travel as far as bobcats either.

“They have smaller home ranges than bobcat, smaller area, and can expose themselves a little more because of that,” he said. This makes rodenticide exposure a greater concern. But it is important not to lose hope. “There’s work at the federal level regarding rodenticide … that continues to be ongoing,” Tate said, “so my hope is that the rodenticide issue gets cleared up over time and the population is less impacted by human presence.”

Your guide to sports, dance, arts, music and more extracurricular excitement

Get your kid excited about the new school year by finding a new team to join, a new style of dance or a new instrument to play. Here are some of the organizations offering opportunities for kids to try new things or get better at a favorite pastime this school year.

GENERAL

• Beaver Brook Association (117 Ridge Road, Hollis, 465-7787, beaverbrook.org) offers preschool as well as home school (with a class for grades 1-6 and one for grades 7-9) programming, beginning the week of Sept. 9.

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America (555 Union St., Manchester, 625-5031, mbgcnh.org; 1 Positive Place, Nashua, 883-0523, bgcn.com; 3 Geremonty Drive, Salem, 898-7709, salembgc.org; 56 Mont Vernon St., Milford, 672-1002, svbgc.org; 55 Bradley St., Concord, 224-1061, nhyouth.org; 40 E. Derry Road, Derry, 434-6695, derrybgclub.com) offers a variety of before- and after-school programs that include homework assistance, sports and recreation, arts and crafts, leadership development, life skills and more. Programs and costs vary with location and based on age.

• The Culinary Playground (16 Manning St., Suite 105, Derry, 339-1664, culinary-playground.com) offers one-time classes for mini chefs (ages 3-6) and older kids (6-11 and 11+) as well as six-week series that meet for an hour once a week. There are also one-time “kid with adult” cooking classes and classes for home-schoolers available as well. See the website for upcoming classes.

• Daniel Webster Council Scouts SA (625-6431, nhscouting.org) is the center of information for New Hampshire Scouts (formerly the Boy Scouts of America). Contact them for information about joining a local pack. Packs and Dens set their own start dates, meeting days and times and meeting locations. Many Packs hold fall activities where potential new members can learn more about Scouting.

• Franco-American Centre (100 Saint Anselm Drive, No. 1798, Manchester, 641- 7114, facnh.com) Children’s Beginner French is offered for ages 6-11 for 10 weeks on Tuesdays, Oct. 1, through Dec. 3. The classes run from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. and operate over Zoom. The cost is $150 plus a French workbook.

• Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains (1 Commerce Drive, Bedford, 888-474-9686, girlscoutsgwm.org) offers programs for girls in kindergarten through grade 12, focused on leadership-building, community engagement, STEM and nature. Visit their website or call to learn how to join a local troop or join as a solo Girl Scout. Troops set their own start dates, meeting days and times, and meeting locations. The council also offers programming and events.

• Girls at Work (200 Bedford St., Manchester, 345-0392, girlswork.org) offers after-school workshops for ages 8 to 14 where girls can learn building skills. Some classes are specifically offered for students of certain Manchester schools and some are open to all schools; see their website for details.

• Girls, Inc. of New Hampshire (340 Varney St., Manchester, 623-1117; 27 Burke St., Nashua, 882-6256, girlsincnewhampshire.org) Girls are picked up by bus at Nashua and Manchester schools to go to a Girls, Inc. center where they can participate in a variety of classes. The program runs from after school to 6 p.m. (or 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on full days) with a snack and dinner provided. The cost is $85 per week; financial assistance is available.

• Granite YMCA (30 Mechanic St., Manchester, 623-3558; 116 Goffstown Back Road, Goffstown, 497-4663; 206 Rockingham Road, Londonderry; 437-9622; 15 N. State St., Concord, 228-9622; 35 Industrial Way, Rochester, 332-7334; 550 Peverly Hill Road, Portsmouth, 431- 2334; 35 Bartlett Ave., Somersworth, 692-2081; graniteymca.org/child-care) YMCAs offer before- and after-school programs for kids and teens. Programs vary at each location; call the local branch. The Ys also offer athletic programs that can include, depending on the location, swimming, climbing, tennis, gymnastics, dances and a variety of sports. These programs run in sessions. Check with individual branches for session start dates.

• Hampshire Hills Athletic Club (50 Emerson Road, Milford, 673-7123, hampshirehills.com) offers classes, events and activities for children as well as adults.

• Manchester Police Athletic League (409 Beech St., Manchester, 626-0211, manchesterpoliceathleticleague.org) offers aikido, boxing, skateboarding and wrestling, as well as occasional cooking classes. MPAL is open to kids ages 5-18 who are attending school; membership is free.

• Mathnasium (257 DW Highway, Nashua; 1 Bicentennial Drive, Manchester; mathnasium.com) offers math classes for kindergarten through high school as well as test prep. Students are recommended to attend Mathnasium two to three times a week.

• NH Audubon (including Massabesic Center, 26 Audubon Way in Auburn, 668-2045; McLane Center, 84 Silk Farm Road in Concord, 224-9909; nhaudubon.org) offers family and children programs as well as homeschool programs. Next on the schedule: “The Magic of Monarchs Children’s Program” on Saturday, Sept. 7, at 9:30 a.m.

• YMCA of Greater Nashua (24 Stadium Drive, Nashua, 882-2011; 6 Henry Clay Drive, Merrimack, 881-7778, nmymca.org) offers before-school programs at Amherst Middle School and at the Merrimack YMCA (with transportation to schools included) and after-school programs at Amherst Clark-Wilkins Elementary School, Merrimack YMCA, Mont Vernon Village School and Nashua YMCA. The Ys also offer swimming, dance, arts, music, sports, ninja, teen classes and more.

ART

• Currier Museum Art Center (180 Pearl St., Manchester, 518-4922, currier.org) offers a myriad of weekly classes for kids and teens Wednesdays after school and Saturdays. The first fall session starts Sept. 25.

• Hollis Artspace (30 Ash St., Hollis, 465-4300, hollisartspace.com) offers youth classes and workshops. Fall 2024 schedule is coming soon, according to the website.

• Kimball Jenkins School of Art (266 N. Main St., Concord, 225-3932, kimballjenkins.com) offers youth classes and teen classes in various art forms.

• Let’s Play Music! (145 Hampstead Road, Derry, 425-7575; letsplaymusic.com) offers art classes (grouped by age) for kids ages 6-12 as well as classes for teens. Classes have open enrollment for students to join any time there are openings in a class.

• Paint pARTy (135 N. Broadway, Salem, 898-8800, paintpartynh.com) Classes in painting, drawing and art lessons in other media run continuously (for children as well as for teens and adults). Home-school and toddler-and-me classes are also available.

• Studio 550 Art Center (550 Elm St., Manchester, 232-5597, 550arts.com) After-school sessions are offered in the fall, winter and spring in clay sculpting as well as drawing and painting. Clay classes for kids 9-12 years old start Sept. 10 and run on Tuesday afternoons from 4 to 5:15 p.m. (eight total classes for $150); teen (ages 13-18) clay classes run Mondays, starting Sept. 9, and another on Thursdays, starting Sept. 12, both from 4 to 5:15 p.m. (eight total classes for $160). A home-school session also runs on Thursdays starting Sept. 5 for kids and teens (ages 12-18) and is a 10 week-session that runs from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. (10 total classes for $285). Students under 9 are welcome in one-day workshops and classes for home-school students can also be scheduled (for six or more students).

DANCE

Note on dance classes: In addition to monthly tuition, many dance classes also have registration, performance and costume fees. Many studios also offer discounts for siblings and for taking multiple classes per month.

• Alicia’s School of Dance (Fox Pond Plaza, 58 Route 129, Suite 201, Loudon, 406-0416, aliciasschoolofdance.com) The new season of classes begins Monday, Sept. 9. Offerings include a creative dance class for ages 2-3, tap/jazz/ballet combo classes for ages 4-10 (grouped according to age), hip-hop, gymnastics and teen classes. Classes cost $60 per month for one class a week plus $20 per class for extra classes and $35 per class for siblings and parents.

• Allegro Dance Academy (100 Factory St., Nashua, 886-7989, allegrodancenh.com) offers a variety of classes for several age groups, starting with ages 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 and up to ages 14 and older. Classes must have a minimum of six dancers to run. Classes include ballet, tap, hip-hop, tumbling, boys’ intro to hip-hop, acro, jazz, Irish, lyrical & contemporary, and performance team & technique. Pricing is per family; preschool registration is $69 per month, other pricing is tiered, depending on number of classes per week, and there is an annual registration and recital fee of $65 per student or $80 per family.

• Ameri-kids Baton & Dance (Candia Youth Athletic Association, 27 Raymond Road, Candia, 391-2254, ameri-kids.org) offers baton-twirling and dance in recreational and competitive programs for kids ages 3+, September through May. Classes start at $65 for a 45-minute session, plus an annual $30 registration fee.

• Bedford Dance Center (172 Route 101, Bedford, 472-5141, bedforddancecenter.com) Classes start in September; tuition costs between $59 and $74 per month, based on the hours per week of class, and a $315 per month pass allows for unlimited classes. Classes are available for ages 3 through 18 with subjects including ballet, acro, jazz, tap, hip-hop, modern dance and ensemble for different age and skill levels.

• Bedford Youth Performing Company (155 Route 101, Bedford, 472-3894, bypc.org) Classes begin the week of Aug. 26 and run through June 9. Dance classes include preschool ballet (starting at age 2-5) as well as ballet, acro, jazz and tap (for ages 5-18). Prices vary based on class and age and are charged monthly. BYPC also offers music and theater classes.

• Broadway Bound Performing Arts Center (501 DW Highway, Merrimack, 429-8844, broadwayboundpac.com) Classes start the week of Sept. 11 and include preschool classes (ages 2-5), ballet, hip-hop, jazz, lyrical, tap, tumbling, musical theater, theater arts and competition classes as well as special-needs classes. The center also offers adult ballet and tap. Most classes are $65 or $70 per month.

• The Cadouxdle Dance Studio (297 Derry Road, Hudson, 459-4392, thecadouxdledancestudio.com) Classes start at age 3 and beginner-friendly classes are available for elementary and middle school-age kids. Cadouxdle also offers private lessons and beginner-friendly adult classes. Offerings include tap, ballet, jazz, lyrical and more.

• Concord Dance Academy (26 Commercial St., Concord, 226-0200, concorddanceacademy.com) Competition classes start Sept. 9 and recreational classes start Sept. 16 and include tap/ballet/jazz combo classes (for ages 2-4 and 5-7), ballet, tap, hip-hop, jazz, contemporary (for ages 13+), pointe (also age 13+, by invitation) and karate. Tuition starts at $80. Adult classes in several subjects are also available.

• Creative Dance Workshop of Bow (1355 Route 3A, Unit A & B, Bow, 225-7711, nhdances.com) Classes start Sept. 11 and include Tiny Dancers (for ages 18 months through 3 years), Dance Kids (for ages 3-4), combo classes (tap/ballet/jazz or tap/jazz) grouped by age, and single-subject classes — ballet, tap, jazz, musical theater, acro, lyrical/contemporary and hip-hop. There are also dance teams (auditions required) and adult classes. Tuition per class is $75 per month.

• The Dance Company (130 Route 101A, Amherst, 864-8374, thedancecompanyonline.com) Classes begin in September. Offerings include preschool (grouped by age, from under 3 through 5) classes (ballet, tumble, tap) as well as acro, ballet, hip-hop, jazz, tap and theater for ages 5 through 18. Lyrical/contemporary and power clinics are also offered. Monthly tuition starts at $64 and is based on length of class.

• Dance Connection Fitness & Performing Arts (8 Rockingham Road, Windham, 893-4919, danceconnectionnh.com) The new season begins Sept. 16. Combo classes, grouped by age, are available for ages 2 1/2 through 8 (combos include ballet/tap, ballet/tap/jazz, hip-hop/gymnastics) as well as a cheerleader/gym class for ages 7-10. Single-subject classes include hip-hop (starting at age 5, including an all-boys class), contemporary (starting at age 8), gymnastics (starting at age 6) and company classes (which perform and compete).

• Dance Visions Network (699 Mast Road, Manchester, 626-7654, dancevisionsnetwork.com) Classes begin after Labor Day and are geared toward age 7+. Subjects include ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, hip-hop and tumbling. Monthly tuition is based on length of class.

• The Dancing Corner (23 Main St., Nashua, 889-7658, dancingcorner.com) Classes for the fall/winter/spring begin after Labor Day. Tuition is based on classes per week and is broken up into five equal payments, due on the first class of each new seven-week session. Classes range in age from 3 through adult with pre-dance classes (grouped by age) available for kids ages 3 through 6. Class subjects include ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop, lyrical, musical theater and more.

• Dimensions in Dance (84 Myrtle St., Manchester, 668-4196, dimensionsindance.com) Classes begin Sept. 9. Classes are available for ages 2 through adult and focuses include ballet, acro-jazz, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, modern, tap, theater dance and more. Monthly tuition is based on class length and starts at $55.

• Gen’s Dance Studio (151 Manchester St., Building 5, Concord, 224-0698) Classes start Sept. 16. Ages 3+. Tap, ballet, lyrical, jazz, tumbling. No registration fee. Prices vary based on class and age.

• Happy Feet Dance School (25 Indian Rock Road, Windham, 434-4437, happyfeetdanceschool.biz) Classes start at age 2 and are available through teens. Dance classes for ages 2-5 include Tiny Tots, Creative Dance and Kinder Kids classes. Offerings for ages 6 and up (grouped by age and skill level) include ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop, contemporary and more. Monthly tuition is based on length of class and starts at $65.

• Highland Dance of NH Scot (nhscot.org) is accepting new students for its classes, which will run in four sessions during the 2023-2024 school year, starting with the first session on Oct. 7. Eight-week sessions take place on Monday at 25 Triangle Park Drive in Concord, divided by ages with the youngest group (ages 5-6) dancing from 4:15 to 4:45 p.m. and then a beginner level I (ages 7-16) and beginner level II (ages 9-17) class.

• Kathy Blake Dance Studios (3 Northern Blvd., Amherst, 673-3978, kathyblakedancestudios.com) Classes begin Sept. 4. Classes are available for kids as young as 1 (walking) and classes for older preschoolers include ballet, tap & ballet and AcroDance. Classes for ages 5 through 18 (grouped by age and skill) include jazz, musical theater jazz, hip-hop, lyrical contemporary, AcroDance, ballet, tap and more. The studio also offers dance teams (grouped by age) and adult classes. Monthly tuition is based on class length and starts at $60.

• Londonderry Dance Academy (21 Buttrick Road, Londonderry, 432-0032, londonderrydance.com) Class begins Sept. 3 and offerings include ballet (starting at ages 2), jazz, tap, contemporary, hip-hop, acro and triple threat prep (open to ages 8-17). Tuition is billed every two months and is based on class length.

• Martin School of Dance (288 Route 101, Bedford, 488-2371, martinschoolofdance.com) Classes start Sept. 3 and include ballet, hip-hop, tap, acro and jazz. Classes are available for ages 2-5, ages 5-7 and ages 7+, including a program focused solely on ballet. (Adult fitness classes are also available).

• Melissa Hoffman Dance Center (210 Robinson Road, Hudson, 886-7909, melissahoffmandancecenter.info) Classes begin Sept. 9 and include offerings from babies through teens. Dance focuses include ballet, tap, hip-hop, tumble, modern, lyric and jazz.

• Miss Kelsey’s Dance Studio (2626 Brown Ave., Manchester, 606-2820, mkdance.com) Classes include acro, ballet, breakdance, lyrical/contemporary, hip-hop, jazz, tap and musical theater as well as a series of classes for preschool (as young as 1 1/2 years) students.

• Nancy Chippendale’s Dance Studios (49 Range Road, Building 2, Suite A, Windham, 458-7730, chippswindham.com) The studio offers Babysteps (ages 1-4) programming as well as recreational (ages 2-19) and competitive (entering grades 3-12; audition required) offerings. Recreational classes (grouped by age) include combo classes featuring ballet, tap, jazz and hip-hop (the mix of styles is based by age).

• New England School of Dance (679 Mast Road, Manchester, 935-7326, newenglandschoolofdance.com) offers a variety of classes that range from 30 minutes per week to an hour or two per week for younger students to classes for students hoping for a career in dance or theater (students in the pre-professional track, for example, take six to 10 hours of dance per week). Dance styles include ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical and acro. Monthly tuition is based on class length/number of class hours.

• New England Scottish Arts Centre has ongoing Highland dance classes for kids 7 and older with the first lesson always free and subsequent lessons $15 per class, according to their website. Classes are held on Sundays at noon and will be at the Creative Dance Workshop (1355 Route 3A, Bow). They also offer a version for kids ages 4-6 called Tartan Tots. Visit nhssa.org/dance.

• New Hampshire Academie of Dance (1 Action Blvd., No. 4, Londonderry, 432-4041, nhadance.com) Classes range from babies (Dance and Play With Me, starting at 8 months) through teen. Dance classes include ballet, aerial, hip-hop, jazz, acro, lyrical and tap. Monthly tuition is based on length of class/number of class hours and starts at $57.

• New Hampshire School of Ballet (183 Londonderry Tpke., Hooksett, 668-5330, nhschoolofballet.com) Class offerings include ballet (for kids starting at 2 1/2 years), tap, jazz, tumblers and lyrical. Students perform in two shows a year. Monthly tuition is based on class level and number of classes per week.

• N-Step Dance Center (1134 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 641-6787, nstepdance.com) Class offerings include preschool offerings (tiny tots for ages 1 1/2 as well as pre-dance), as well as multiple levels of ballet, lyrical, musical theater, jazz, hip-hop and tumbling. Monthly tuition varies by level and number of classes per month.

• Palace Theatres Dance Studio (palacetheatre.org) offers 11-week sessions starting in September, teaching technique and choreography in jazz, tap, contemporary and more. Classes are held at Forever Emma Studios, 516 Pine St., Manchester. Intro to Dance is for ages 3-5; a tap/jazz/ ballet hybrid class is offered for grades 1-2 and for grades 3-5. Classes in hip-hop and contemporary dance are offered for grades 4-12, and for grades 6-12 there are three levels of classes in tap, jazz, and dance technique. Classes cost $240 with some categories offering additional courses for $180.

• Rise Dance Studio (125 Northeastern Blvd., Nashua, 402-2706, risedancenh.com) Class offerings include pre-dance as well as ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary and hip-hop. The studio also features by-invitation ballet, hip-hop and contemporary companies.

• Southern New Hampshire Dance Theater (19 Harvey Road, Bedford, 637- 4398, snhdt.org) Company and Nutcracker auditions will be held Friday, Aug. 23, and Saturday, Aug. 24, for ages 8-18. Classes are offered in divisions — preschool (18 months to 6 years), youth (7-18), pre-professional (ages 10-18) and adult. Youth classes include ballet, modern, jazz, tap and hip-hop. There is also a student company.

• Turning Pointe Center of Dance (371 Pembroke St., Pembroke, 485-8710, turningpointecenterofdance.com) Monthly tuition is based on number of classes and starts at $75. Classes include ballet, jazz, lyrical, hip-hop and tap.

• Unbound Dance Academy (237 Londonderry Tpke., Hooksett, 714-2821, unbounddanceacademy.com) Classes begin Wednesday, Sept. 7. Class offerings start with parent-and-tot (ages 2+) through pre-dance classes (grouped by age to 6 years old). Classes for older students include ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical, modern/contemporary, tap, hip-hop, acro and musical theater.

GYMNASTICS

• A2 Gym & Cheer (16B Garabedian Drive, Salem, 328-8130, a2gc.com) Classes in gymnastics and tumbling start in September and registration is open now.

• Flipz the Gym for Kids (Flipz Gymnastics, 14 Chenell Drive, Concord, 224-3223, flipzgymnastics.com) offers classes for ages 12 months through 4 years, with ongoing openings as space is available. Classes are 45 minutes long with tuition based on the number of classes taken per week. Classes are Mondays through Tuesday at 8:30 and 9:30 a.m., Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m., and Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 and 9:30 a.m.

• Gymnastics Village (13 Caldwell Drive, Amherst, 889-8092, gymnasticsvillage.com) The school-year schedule begins Monday, Sept. 9. Gymnastics classes are offered for preschoolers and as after-school sessions (hour-long classes grouped by age). The studio also offers ninja challenge classes and boys’ and girls’ competitive gymnastics teams.

• Gym-Ken Gymnastics (184 Rockingham Road, Windham, 434-9060, gymkengymnastics.com) offers classes starting with walkers and preschoolers through a competitive girls’ team. Offerings include tumbling, gymnastics and parkour.

• Impact Gymnastics (301 River Road, Bow, 219-0343, impact-gymnastics.com) Classes start Tuesday, Sept. 5, and offerings include a preschool program (with classes for walking through 3 years old and 3-5 years old), a girls’ and boys’ recreational program, a boys’ and girls’ competitive program, a boys’ and girls’ pre-competitive program and a Special Athletes program designed for children ages 5-17.

• Noha’s Gymnastics Academy (200 Perimeter Road, Manchester, 518-7660; 30 Pond St., Nashua, 880-4927; ngacademy.us) offers recreational classes as well as a team.

• Palaestra Gymnastics Academy (8 Tinkham Ave., Derry, 818-4494, pgagym.com) offers preschool, recreational and team gymnastics as well as cheer/tumble. Fall classes start Sept. 9. • Phantom Gymnastics (142 Route 111, Hampstead, 329-9315, phantomgymnastics.com) Fall 1 session starts Sept. 9. The studio offers gymnastics for preschool and school age as well as a competitive team. Parkour and CPR education are also offered.

• Sky High Gymnastics (185 Elm St., Milford, 554-1097, skyhighgym.com) offers classes and open play.

• Southern New Hampshire Gymnastics Academy (4 Orchard View Drive, No. 11, Londonderry, 404-6181, snhga.com) Fall session classes begin Monday, Aug. 26. There are classes for ages 18 months through 18 years as well as a team program.

• Spectrum Gymnastics (26 Buttrick Road, Londonderry, 434-8388, spectrumgymnast.com) offers preschool and school-age classes grouped by age (including boys’ classes for grades 1-5). There are also two competitive teams.

• Tumble Town Gymnastics (444 E. Industrial Park Drive, No. 10, Manchester, 641-9591, tumbletownnh.com) offers preschool and school-age recreational and advanced classes as well as team programs. The new school year starts Tuesday, Sept. 3.

MARTIAL ARTS

• American Dragon Shaolin Kempo (146 Londonderry Turnpike, Unit 11, Hooksett, 629-9118, americandragonnh.com) offers classes for children, teens and adults, for $100 per month.

• Aqueous Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Fitness Center (30 Harvey Road, Bedford, 566-7775, aqueousbjj.com) offers individualized classes for children and adults.

• ATA Martial Arts of Merrimack (707 Milford Road, Merrimack, 881-5435, atabbanh.com) teaches self-defense to children and adults 4 years old and up, with in-person and virtual classes. Special focus is put on conflict avoidance and resolving conflict with words. Special-needs students are welcome.

• Averill’s Martial Arts Academy (3 N. Main St., Concord, 223-0300, averillsmartialarts.com) is a boxing gym with classes for men, women and children 10+. Beginners are allowed to participate at their own pace and comfort level and do not have to spar.

• Balance Point Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (50 Emerson Road, Milford, 470-7136, www.balancepointbjj.com) teaches classes to children and adults. Children’s classes are broken into two age groups — 5-9 years old, and 10-12 years old. Students ages 13 and 14 have the option of attending either the kids’ classes or adult classes with the head instructor’s approval.

• Bedford Martial Arts Academy (292 Route 101, Bedford, 626-9696; Bedford Martial Arts Academy East, 273 S. River Road, Bedford; 703-2327, bedfordmartialartsacademy.com) offers classes for mini masters (ages 3-6), as well as for school-age kids and teens and adults. The academy also operates the Elite After School program at Bedford elementary schools and on site at the academy.

• Blue Wave Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (1 Progress Ave., Nashua, 321-5032, bluewavejj.com) teaches classes to children ages 3-5 and 6-14. Priority is given to learning how to focus and behave responsibly.

• Bodyworks Martial Arts Training Center (45 Chenell Drive, Concord, 225-5620, bodyworksnh.com) teaches karate to children ages 4-6 and 7-11.

• Brazilian Top Team Londonderry (73 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, 212-9258, bttlondonderry.com) teaches classes for ages 4-6 once per week, and ages 7-16 twice per week.

• Bulsajo TaeKwonDo (703-1914, bulsajotkd.com) has classes for students 5 years old and up. Children’s classes focus on martial art skills, personal responsibility and listening skills. Classes are taught at the Allard Center YMCA (116 Goffstown Back Road, Goffstown) and Goffstown Parks and Recreation (55 S. Mast St., Goffstown).

• Capital City Tae Kwon Do (78 Fisherville Road, Concord, 227-0555, capitalcitytkd.com) teaches classes to boys and girls ages 6-12.

• Central Tae Kwon Do Academy (222 Central St., Suite 8, Hudson, 882-5617, central-tkd.com) offers tae kwon do and taerobics (a self-defense class).

• Checkmate Martial Arts (200 Elm St., Manchester, 666-5836, checkmateselfdefense.com) offers youth martial arts for ages 5-13 as well as adult classes.

• Chung’s Tae Kwon Do Academy (115 Northeastern Blvd., Nashua, 883- 2577, chungs-tkd.com) offers classes for ages 4 through adult.

• Concord Karate Studio and Academy (89 Fort Eddy Road, No. 3, Concord, 224-5425, cks-nh.com) teaches karate to children 3 years old and up. There is also a Family Class, where parents and children can learn together. There is an after-school program, which includes a 45-minute karate class, 45 minutes of academic support/tutoring and 45 minutes of special programming.

• Determined Martial Arts (Salzburg Square, 292 Route 101, Amherst, 672-3570, determinedma.com) offers classes for kids as young as 4 through adults.

• Dojo Sante (1 Winn Ave., Hudson, 467-9384, mbsdojosante.com) teaches martial arts to students 3 to 5 years old, and 6 and up, with a focus on anti-bullying behavior.

• Empowering Lives Martial Arts (542 Mast Road, No. 15, Goffstown, 978-414-5425, martialartsnewhampshire.com) has programs for ages 4-6 and 7-12 as well as teen and adult programs and special abilities programs (for children and adults). There is also a cardio kickboxing program open to teens and adults.

• Eric Menard’s Complete Martial Arts Academy (220 Innovative Way, Suite E, Nashua, 888-0010, cma-martialarts.com) offers classes for kids and adults.

• Family Martial Arts of Pelham (122 Bridge St., No. 6, Pelham, 635-8323, familymartialartsofpelham.com) offers classes for tots through teens.

• Gate City MMA (28 Charron Ave., Unit 8, Nashua, 722-0238, gatecitymma.com) teaches children 7 years old and up different aspects of Brazilian jiu jitsu, muay thai, wrestling, judo, kung fu and boxing. While the focus is confidence, respect, humility, leadership and skill, the classes are taught in a fun structure.

• Golden Crane Traditional Martial Arts (46 Lowell Road, No. 6, Windham, 437-2020, goldencranenh.com) offers classes grouped by age for ages 6 through teens as well as a variety of adult classes.

• Granite State American Kenpo Karate (290 Derry Road, No. 5, Hudson, 598-5400, gsakenpo.com) offers programs for kids ages 3+ as well as teens and adults.

• House of the Samurai (28 Buttrick Road, Londonderry, 434-2265, samurainh.com) teaches junior traditional karate classes geared toward children ages 4-12. Each class takes about 45 minutes.

• Independent Martial Arts School (138 Lake St, Nashua, 882-6917, imasnh.com) teaches children, teens and adults traditional kenpo karate, enshudo, weapons training, grappling and breaking.

• Inner Dragon Martial Arts (77 Derry Road, Hudson, 864-8756, innerdragonma.com) started enrolling beginner kids’ martial arts programs in July. There is also an after-school program.

• Inspired Martial Arts (58 Range Road, Windham, 893-7990, inspiredmartialartscenter.com) offers martial arts classes for kids as well as adults.

• Kaizen Academy (17 Freetown Road, No. 6, Raymond, 895-1545, raymondkarate.com) offers a juniors program for ages 6 to 12 as well as teen and adult programs.

• Karasu Tengu Academy (1 Chestnut St., No. 5D, Nashua, 689-4966, ktacademymma.com) teaches youth classes in Brazilian jiu jitsu, mixed martial arts and kickboxing for students 7+.

• Karate International of Windham (60 Rockingham Road, No. 14, Windham, 898-5367, windhamkarate.com) teaches karate to preschoolers, children, teens and adults.

• Kenpo Academy of Self Defense (40 Manchester Road, Derry, 437-9900, kenpo-academy.com) offers preschool, kid and teen programs (as well as adults).

• Kian Taekwondo (236 N. Broadway, Salem, 894-5425, kiantkd.com) teaches taekwondo to students 3 years old and up. The goal of the kids’ programs is to help children develop discipline as well as valuable self-defense skills.

• Leadership Martial Arts Academy (Harris Pond Plaza, 32 DW Highway, Unit 5, Merrimack, 718-0989, facebook.com/LMA603) Contact the studio for details.

• Leverage Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (70 Pembroke Road, Concord, 738-0227, leveragebjjnh.com) teaches Brazilian jiu jitsu to children 5-9 and 9-13.

• LFG Fitness – Life Fitness Goals (303 S. Broadway, Salem, 458-5899, lfgfitnessnh.com) offers a junior boxing program for teens and tweens, ages 11-17. A membership costs $99 per month.

• Manchester Karate & Gracie Jiu Jitsu Center (371 S. Willow St., Manchester, 625-5838, manchesterkarate.com) offers a kid program (for ages 4-12) and adult programs (13+) as well as self-defense programs for ages 14+.

• The Martial Arts Zone (31 Auburn St., Manchester, 206-5716, themartialartszone.com) Beginner kids’ classes are enrolling in August. Classes (grouped by age) run for ages 5-15. There are also a variety of adult classes.

• Meikyo Dojo (292 Derry Road, Hudson, 415-9658, meikyodojo.com) teaches children, teens and adults kyokshin karate, a traditional system of Japanese karate.

• Merrimack Karate (534 DW Highway, Merrimack, 424-7458, merrimackkarate.com) has programs for ages 6-12 as well as teen/adult programs for 13+.

• Mindset Wrestling (185 Elm St., Milford, 721-2551, mindsetwrestling.net) teaches wrestling to students in kindergarten through fifth grade, and in middle and high school.

• National Karate Institute (401 Main St., Salem, 205-1157, nationalkarateinstitute.godaddysites.com) teaches karate to children. Contact the studio for information.

• Neil Stone’s Karate Academy (22 Proctor Hill Road, Hollis, 672-8933, neilstoneskarate.com) offers programs (grouped by age) for ages 2-12 as well as teen/adult programs for 13+. There is also a home-school program.

• New England Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy (30 Henniker St., Unit 9, Concord, 369-4764, nebjj.com) offers a program for ages 5-8 and ages 9-13. Kids’ classes start at $100 per month.

• NH Kicks Taekwondo Family Fitness (90 Airport Road, Concord, 714-5472, nhkicks.com) offers classes for children 5-12, for teenagers, and for families to study together.

• Ocasio’s True Martial Arts – Plaistow (160 Plaistow Road, No. 5, Plaistow, 382-4199, ocasiostma.com) teaches karate to students 3 and up.

• Phoenix Fire Martial Arts (79 Plaistow Road, Plaistow, 234-8665, phnixfire.com) offers Shotokan martial arts for ages 3 and up as well as teen/adult krav maga classes.

• Professional Martial Arts Academy (15 E. Broadway, Derry, 434-7995, pmaderry.com; 501 DW Highway, Merrimack, 429-0008, pmamerrimack.com; 37 Plaistow Road, Plaistow, 974-2455, pmaplaistow.com) offers kids’ martial arts and jiu jitsu as well as adult programs. Kids’ classes are for children age 3 and older. Three classes and a uniform are $19.99.

• Souhegan Valley Karate Club (1 Main St., Brookline, 505-6777, svkc.online) teaches Okinawan-style karate to “Karate Kids” ages 5-10 on Saturday mornings.

• School of Warrior Arts (125 N. Lowell Road, Windham, 781-249-7073, facebook.com/schoolofwarriorarts) teaches Christian-oriented uechi ryu karate & Brazilian jiujitsu to children and teens.

• SDSS Martial Arts of Concord (124 Hall St., Suite E, Concord, 224-3777, facebook.com/SDSSofConcord) Contact the studio for information.

• Spero’s Martial Arts Academy (31 Westville Road, Plaistow, 275-7111, speromma.com) offers martial arts for children 4-8, kids’ MMA for ages 8-13 and kids’ jiu jitsu.

• Southpaw Boxing & Fitness (41 Range Road, Windham, 324-8200, southpaw-boxing.com) is a boxing gym with a youth program designed for ages 6-15 that teaches real boxing skills.

• Strikeback Dynamic Defense Systems (458 DW Highway, Merrimack, 262-9299, strikebackdds.com) teaches martial arts and self-defense to youth and adult students.

• Tiger Black Belt Academy (11 Kimball Drive, Unit 121, Hooksett, 627-7744, tigerblackbeltacademy.com) is offering a start-up special for the fall for $99, which includes a uniform and a month of classes. Classes start at age 3½ and are available for all ages and levels of training.

• Tim Barchard’s Professional Martial Arts Academy (15 E. Broadway, Derry, 434-7995, pmaderry.com) teaches martial arts and Brazilian jiu jitsu to kids and adults.

• Tokyo Joe’s Studios of Self Defense (85A Northeastern Blvd., Nashua, 889-

4165; 20 Hammond Road, Milford, 672-2100; tokyojoes.net) offers programs, grouped by age, for kids starting at age 3, including a teen group for ages 13-17. There are also adult classes.

• Tokyo Joe’s Studios and Team Link NH (1338 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 641-3444, tokyojoeshooksett.com) offers youth programs including kempo karate for ages 3-12, Brazilian jiu jitsu for ages 5-15 and kickboxing for ages 5-12. Adult programs start at 13 or 15, depending on the discipline.

• The Training Station (200 Elm St., Manchester, 505-0048, thetrainingstationnh.com) offers programs for kids, grouped by age, starting at age 3, with a teen class for ages 12-14 and adult and fitness programs starting at 15+.

• Triumph Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (456 W. Hollis St., Nashua, 769-3819, teamtriumphbjj.com) teaches Brazilian jiu jitsu to children and adults, six days per week.

• Universal Kenpo Federation (37 Wilton Road, Milford, 547-5226, facebook.com/UniversalKenpoFederation) offers lessons in kenpo karate to children and adults. Contact the studio for details.

• USA Ninja Challenge (locations at Gymnastics Village, 13 Caldwell Drive, Amherst, 889-8902, gymnasticsvillage.com; Flipz Gymnastics, 14 Chenell Drive, Concord, 224-3223, ninjaconcordnh.com; 17 Friars Drive, Unit 18, Hudson, 417-6820, ninjahudson.com; and 444 E. Industrial Park Drive, Manchester, 935-7100, ninjamanchesternh.com) offers ninja classes starting at age 4. The Concord location offers a teen fitness class and a class for ages 13-17. Hudson’s classes start at 2½, as do Manchester’s. There are also team programs for ages 6 and up.

• Valle Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (44 Nashua Road, Unit 19, Londonderry, 553-1736, vallebjj.com) teaches Brazilian jiu jitsu to children, teens and adults. • White Tiger Karate (120 Laconia Road, Suite 201, Tilton, 998-1511, whitetigerkarate.net) teaches children 18-36 months old, 3-4 years, 5-6 years, 7-9 years, and 10+ a mixture of karate, kung fu and muay Thai, with special instruction for children on the autism spectrum ages 7+.

• World Class Martial Arts (25 Nashua Road, Unit D3, Londonderry, 845-6115, londonderrymartialarts.com) offers classes for ages 3½ and up.

• Z10 Gibson’s Gym (168 Amory St., Manchester, 232-4651, facebook.com/Z10Taekwondo) Contact the studio for details.

• Zenith Martial Arts (40 Thorndike St., Concord, 513-9993, zenithmartialarts.net) offers kung fu classes grouped by age, starting at age 3, as well as kickboxing for ages 14+. An after-school program for 6+ is offered, with transportation from some Concord schools.

MUSIC

• AB Music School (4 Faxon Ave., Nashua, 978-677-9244, abmusicschool.com) offers personalized instruction on 15 instruments along with music theory and composition. Students are 4 years old and up. Lessons start at $120 per month.

• Amy Conley Music (102 Elm St., Milford, 249-9560, amyconleymusic.com) offers programs for families/early childhood and special needs, ukulele classes for teens and adults, and private guitar, ukulele, piano and banjo classes for ages 7 and up. Fall classes start Sept. 9.

• Bedford Youth Performing Company (155 Route 101, Bedford, 472-3894, bypc.org) offers musical programs for children as young as infants and toddlers as well as lessons for older kids in guitar, voice, piano, drums and percussion. BYPC also offers musical ensembles, including rock bands (by audition) for ages 10+. Fall lessons start Aug. 26.

• Bemish Green Piano Studio (188 Central St., Hudson, 235-9378, greenpiano.com) teaches piano to children and adults. Appointments may be scheduled up to 50 weeks in advance, and rescheduled or canceled 24 hours a day. Lessons begin at $147 per month.

• Bordeleau Keyboard Studios (8 Maple Drive, Bedford, 472-5566, facebook.com/BordeleauKeyboardStudios) is dedicated to the fine art of keyboard education. Contact the Studios for details.

• Carey & Henderson Vocal Studio (14 Court St., Nashua, 889-6580, careyhendersonvocal.org) trains vocalists of all ages and abilities. Styles include musical theater, popular music, jazz, opera/classical music, or any combination of the above. Lessons by appointment only.

• Charles Davis Drum Instructor (58 Monroe St., Nashua, 930-9897) teaches students in elementary school to high school, beginner to advanced.

• Concord Community Music School (23 Wall St., Concord, 228-1196, ccmusicschool.org) offers private lessons for voice, banjo, bass, bassoon, cello, clarinet, composition, double bass, fiddle, flute, French horn, guitar, mandolin, oboe, percussion, piano, recorder, saxophone, trombone, trumpet, tuba, ukulele, viola and violin. There are also group classes and ensembles for kids and teens (including, for teens, folk, rock and jazz bands). Tuition is based on a 16-week semester; financial aid is available. Classes start in September.

• Don Sanni Guitar & Bass Lessons (108 Taylor St., Nashua, 882-7468, donsanni.com) teaches students 8 years old and up.

• Eric Dupont Drum Instruction (809-9575, ericdupontdrums.com) teaches drummers of all ages. Lesson topics include Rudiments & Snare Drum Studies, Drum Set Technique & Coordination, Fundamental Drum Set Grooves, Song Forms, Brush Techniques, Chart Reading/Interpretation, Improvisation/Solo Transcription & Analysis, Equipment & Tuning, and Drum Set History & Evolution.

• Figaro Music Studios (254 N. State St., Unit G, Concord, 369-0265, figaromusicstudios.com) teaches children in preschool and older piano, guitar and choir skills.

• Guitar Center (1051 S. Willow St., Manchester, 621-3016; 258 DW Highway, Suite 4, Nashua, 891-5777, guitarcenter.com/services/lessons) teaches students of all ages and abilities guitar, bass, drums, piano, voice, DJing and more.

• Hollis Musical Arts (154 Witches Spring Road, Hollis, 400-1026, hollismusicalarts.com) teaches piano and voice to students of all ages.

• Jeanne Martin Piano Studio (38 Pearson Road, Merrimack, 493-2961, musictoenjoy.com) teaches piano to children and adults.

• Jimmy Mags Music Lessons (321 Laxson Ave, Manchester, 682-2550, jimmymagsmusic.com) teaches guitar, bass and piano to students of all ages. Lessons start at $110 per month.

• John Medeiros Jr. Music (498-3819, johnmedeirosjr.com) teaches drums, guitar and bass.

• Joy of Piano (1 Pembroke Drive, Derry, 703-8400, nhpianolessons.com) offers private instruction for children ages 5+.

• Kevin Horan Music (494-2716, kevinhoranmusic.com) teaches guitar and drums in person or online.

• Let’s Play Music! (2626 Brown Ave., Unit A2, Manchester, 218-3089; 145 Hampstead Road, Derry, 425-7575; 136 Lowell Road, Hudson, 882-8940; letsplaymusic.com) has choral groups and musical theater programs and rock bands as well as private lessons in piano, guitar & bass, stringed instruments, singing, drums, horns and reed instruments, ukulele, banjo, mandolin and accordion. Kindermusik classes are available for newborns through 4 years old and Kidzrock classes are available for 4- to 7-year-olds.

• Lidman Music Studio (419 Amherst St., Nashua, 913-5314, lidmanmusic.com) offers lessons in piano, violin and viola, with individual instruction and yearly recitals, for children as well as adults.

• Manchester Community Music School (2291 Elm St., Manchester, 644-4548, mcmusicschool.org) offers group programs, including a jazz ensemble, orchestras and choirs. Private lessons are offered in woodwind, brass, percussion, strings, voice, music theory, composition, piano, guitar, harp, ukulele, mandolin and more. Early childhood classes are also available.

• Manchester Music Mill (329 Elm St., Manchester, 623-8022, manchestermusicmill.com) See mmmlessons.com for the lessons-related landing page. Lessons include guitar, bass, drums, saxophone, clarinet, flute, trumpet, trombone, piano and voice.

• Melody Music Studios (277-3289, melodymusicstudios.com) teaches lessons in home, in a studio, or online, including piano, voice, guitar, drums, voice and band instruction.

• Merrimack Music Academy (1 Bryce Drive, Merrimack, merrimackmusicacademy.com, 493-9214) offers customized private music (including guitar, bass guitar and piano) and voice lesson for children and adults, according to their Facebook post.

• Mike Loce Music (5 Bowers Landing Drive, No. 304, Merrimack, 318-1723, mikeloce.com) teaches guitar to students of all ages.

• Milford Music Academy (37 Wilton Road, Milford, 219-1518) teaches in person or online for guitar, piano, voice, drums and bass guitar.

• Minjing Vandenbos Music Studio (52 Main St., Nashua, minjingvandenbos.com) provides piano instruction to students of all ages.

• Music Lessons By Lisa N (11 Redwood Ave, Concord, 781-832-2127, facebook.com/MusicByLisaN) provides instruction on saxophone, flute, clarinet, violin, piano and musical theory to students 5 to adult.

• Music Workshop of Concord (64 Dunklee St., Concord, 226-0690, musicworkshopofconcord.com) teaches piano to students from early childhood up.

• Nashua Community Music School (2 Lock St., Nashua, 881-7030, nashuacms.org) offers private lessons in piano, guitar, voice, violin, cello, flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, French horn, trombone and percussion. The school also offers music therapy for all ages, a group music class and ensembles including a rock band for current students. Introductory classes for kids include Mini Musicians (for ages 4 to 7) and Broadway Star Search (ages 7 to 10). The academic year starts on Sept. 9.

• NH Guitars (41 Range Road, Windham, 978-267-7597) teaches guitar, bass and ukulele to students of all ages.

• NH Tunes (250 Commercial St., No. 2017, Manchester, 660-2208, nhtunes.biz) offers lessons in voice, guitar, piano, ukulele, drum, banjo/mandolin and band instruments. There are also music discovery lessons (where a student can try multiple instruments) and music production.

• North Main Music (28 Charron Ave., Nashua, 505-4282, northmainmusic.com) teaches students of all ages guitar, drums, piano, bass, voice, violin, saxophone, ukulele and trumpet. North Main especially recommends the ukulele for students under 8 years old.

• Palace Theatre Voice Studio (palacetheatre.org) offers private vocal coaching each month, in person at Forever Emma studios in Manchester and via Zoom with professional performers from around the country, for grades 2 through 12, $30 per half hour. Email meganalves@palacethe-

atre.org for information.

• Peter Hostage Music Lessons (12 Adams Road, Londonderry, 437-2575, peterhostagemusiclessons.com) offers lessons in piano, guitar, bass guitar, voice, drums, banjo and mandolin to children and adults, in person or online.

• Piano Studio of Jacqueline Morin (15 Marion St., Concord, 508-633-5534, missjackienotes.com) teaches piano to students from 4 to adult.

• Quality Music Lessons (166 N. Broadway, Unit 4, Salem, 890-0209, qualitymusiclessonssalem.com) teaches individual lessons in voice and audition preparation, instruments and music theory. Instruments include piano, drums, ukulele, classical guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass and banjo. A flat fee of $100 is paid monthly for 30-minute weekly lessons.

• Rattlebox Studio (in Kimball Jenkins School of Art, 266 N. Main St, Concord, 770-298-6482, mraaronmusic.com) Mr. Aaron leads music classes for children up to 7 years old. Weekly, every Wednesday and Friday and most Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. Each 45-minute class is an introduction to music and creativity. Children sing, drum and dance to favorite original songs, kids’ classics and pop favorites. Each session is $15 for the first child, $10 for each sibling.

• The Real School of Music (10 A St., Derry, 260-6801, therealschoolofmusic.com) teaches music lessons for students ages 5 and up, bands and ensembles for students 9 and up, Yamaha group classes for ages 3 to 7, musical theater for ages 7 to 14, and adaptive music for neurodivergent students.

• Satellite School of the Arts (222 Cedar St., Manchester, satelliteschoolofthearts.com) teaches instrument lessons in piano, guitar, bass, violin, drums and saxophone, as well as songwriting and recording, and vocal and performance coaching. Financial assistance is available.

• School of Rock Nashua (225 DW Highway, Nashua, 600-7625, schoolofrock.com) is slated to open in Fall 2024 and will offer music programs for kids as young as 4 years old and songwriting programs for kids 12 and up as well as a house band program for ages 17 and under, according to the website where you can sign up to get updates on the opening.

• Souhegan Piano Instruction (294 Route 101, Unit 6, Amherst, 672-4844, see listing on Facebook) provides piano training to children of various ages.

• Strings and Things Music (339 Village St., Concord, 228-1971, stringsandthingsmusic.com) is a music store, offering lessons in banjo, mandolin, bass, clarinet, djembe, drums, fiddle, flute, saxophone, guitar, piano, trumpet and ukulele. Register for classes on the store’s website.

• Suzuki Violin Studio (890 Valley St., Manchester, 785-1884, musiclessonsnh.com) offers instruction in the studio, in students’ homes, or online. Instruments include violin, viola, cello, drums, guitar, piano, bass guitar, mandolin, songwriting and performing, music theory and improvisation training, rock band coaching, and ensemble and chamber music.

• Ted Herbert Music School (Majestic Studio Theatre, 880 Page St., Manchester; majestictheatre.net, tedherbert.com) offers lessons in brass, drums, guitar/bass, piano/keyboard, strings, theater/dance, voice and woodwind. Instrument rentals are available. The school also holds open mic nights for musicians of all levels.

• Travis Shelby Music Lessons (370-8853, travisshelbymusic.com) teaches students of all ages to play acoustic, electric or bass guitar. Lessons are structured around a student’s personal musical interests.

• Trinity Music Academy (Trinity Baptist Church, 80 Clinton St., Concord, 410-4138, tbcnh.org/tma) offers individual music lessons for flute, guitar (individual and group), piano (individual and group), trumpet, ukulele, viola, violin, voice and orchestra. There is a registration fee of $100, and a re-enrollment fee of $100. Thirty lessons are guaranteed through the academic year.

• The Voice Studio (16 Crystal Ave., Derry, 560-2495, thevoicestudione.com) teaches lessons to students of all ages in voice, piano, guitar, bass, ukulele and saxophone. Twice per year the Studio holds a recording camp.

• Weare School of Music (77 Barnard Hill Road, Weare, 206-0135, see listing on Facebook) is currently booking lessons for the fall in all school band instruments, piano, guitar, ukulele, recorder, violin, viola, cello and voice.

• Zagaria Vocal Academy Manchester (954-418-9730, musicandvoicelessonsmanchesternh.com) teaches musicians of all ages in piano, trumpet and voice.

SPORTS

• Amherst Soccer Club (amherstsoccerclub.com) Programs include tots (birth year 2020 to 2022), EDP U6-U10 (birth year 2015 to 2019) and U8-U19 Travel (birth year 2006 to 2016). In addition to a fall season, there is also winter skill training and a spring season.

• Bedford Athletic Club (bedfordac.com) Registration for fall soccer is open now. This is a six-week program designed to provide an opportunity to develop fundamental soccer skills in a fun environment, with recreational programs for pre-K, kindergarten, grades 1-2, grades 3-4, grades 5-6, and grades 7-9. An adaptive program is also listed. The cost is $65.

• Bedford Little League (bedfordll.com) fall baseball registration is open until Aug. 19. for Intermediates (ages 12-14), Majors (10-12), Minors AAA/AA Combo (8-10), and Single A Clinic (6-8). The 2024 fall season runs from Aug. 20 through Oct. 31. Visit the website to register.

• Boys & Girls Club of Central and Northern NH (55 Bradley St., Concord, 224-1061, nhyouth.org/athletics) The Meraki Volleyball Club of Bedford and the Boys & Girls Club are offering a program designed to teach and perfect foundational skills at every position. Kids in grades 4-6 will develop skills and work with trained staff to improve in the world of volleyball. The program costs $100 for one evening per week, and $185 for two evenings. The session runs from Sept. 17 through Oct. 23.

• Cannons Baseball Club (Concord, cannonsbaseballclub.com) offers year-round baseball and softball for middle school and high school.

• Concord Crew (concordcrew.org) offers fall, spring and summer youth programs, no prior experience necessary, according to the website. Practices take place at Bert Wittemore Bouthouse, 15 Loudon Road in Concord.

• Concord Soccer Association (concordsoccer.com) provides community-based youth soccer instruction and games. The program approach fosters character development, sportsmanship, skill acquisition and fun in a positive, respectful environment. It is focused on player development and has no standings, won-loss records, championships or playoffs below U12. Age groups for fall 2024: Kiddie Kicker I boys and girls born in 2020, Kiddie Kickers II boys and girls born in 2019, U8 boys and girls born in 2017 or 2018, U10 boys and girls born in 2015 or 2016, U12 boys and girls born in 2013 or 2014, U14 boys and girls born in 2012 or 2011 (boys born August-December 2010 will play U14 too, this fall), U19 girls born 2006-2010 (no U19 boys in fall because of HS soccer; there will be U19 boys next spring). Registration fees:Kiddie Kicker I $90, Kiddie Kicker II $125, U8 $140, U10 and above $160. A $25 fee will be charged on all registrations submitted after Aug. 9. Availability of a spot on a team is not guaranteed, even if registration is open.

• Concord Youth Soccer (concordnh.gov/1407/Fall-Youth-Soccer) Concord Parks & Recreation offers fall soccer leagues for children ages 4 years old through 6th grade. Leagues are broken down by age, grade and school: Soccer Fun-Damentals (ages 4 and 5), Division I (grades K and 1), Division II (grades 2 and 3), Division III (grades 4-6).

• Concord Youth Hockey Association (capitals.concordyouthhockey.org) The 2024 fall hockey season runs from October through December and features Learn To Skate, Intro to Hockey (Atoms), DynoMites (birth years 2019 through 2016) and Capitals Travel Team programs.

• Conway Arena (5 Stadium Drive, Nashua, 595-2400, conwayarena.com) Registration for fall skating opened Aug. 7. Conway is a hockey and figure skating rink with programs for all ages and abilities.

• Derry Diamond Athletic Association (derryll.org) offers baseball (ages 6-13) and softball (ages 6-14) fall programs. Registration will begin soon; check the website for updates.

• Derry Soccer Club (derrysoccerclub.org) offers recreation, intertown and travel leagues. Recreational programs are open for ages 2.5 and up with fall and spring seasons. The fall season begins in September.

• Girls on the Run New Hampshire (137 Water St., No. 3, Exeter, 778-1389, girlsontherunnh.org) is offered for girls in grades 3-8. Registration for the lottery for a spot in Girls on the Run NH opened Aug. 8. See the website for locations, which set their own weekly meet-up and run schedules, or to start a team. The fall season culminates in a 5K on Nov. 16 in Concord.

• Goffstown Junior Baseball (goffstownjrbaseball.com) There are currently spots open on the following Little League teams for the fall season: tee-ball, minor-player pitch, intermediate (50/70) and senior teams. Registration closes on Aug. 18.

• Goffstown Screamin’ Eagles (screamineagles.org) is a local nonprofit youth sports organization for ages 5-15, providing safe and competitive cheer teams for the youth of Goffstown and surrounding areas. Registration for the 2024 fall season is open.

• Granite Base Camp (300 Blondin Road, Manchester, 617-615-0004, experiencebasecamp.org) offers programming in archery, STEM, fishing, hiking, arts & crafts, environmental studies and more for ages 6-17.

• Granite State Kids New Hampshire Junior Team Tennis (granitestatekids.com) offers fall and spring programs in Bedford and winter junior team events at the YMCA in Goffstown. Fall tennis meets Mondays and Wednesday and begins Monday, Sept. 2. Classes are available for kids as young as 5 through kids 11+, with beginner, advanced beginner and intermediate levels.

• The Icenter (60 Lowell Road, Salem, 893-4448, icentersalem.com) offers competitive and recreational figure skating, learn to skate and learn to play hockey programs and Top Gun Hockey.

• Londonderry Soccer Club (londonderrysc.org) offers fall and spring recreational programs as well as a travel program. Recreation programs are available for ages 2 1/2 through 18. There is also a Unified Top Soccer program for grades K-8 for “athletes who need physical or emotional assistance in order to participate,” open to kids in Londonderry, Litchfield and Hudson. Registration is open now. The 2024 season runs from Sept. 7 through Oct. 26.

• Longfellow New Hampshire Tennis & Swim Club (140 Lock St., Nashua, 883-0153, longfellownh.com) offers junior tennis clinics for ages 5-18 of all abilities, Monday, Sept. 9, through Sunday, Nov. 3.

• Manchester Basketball League (manchesterbasketballleague.com) The 4th Annual Manchester Basketball League is set to begin in October and November. Registration will be open in August and September. There are divisions for boys and girls, ages 4+.

• Manchester East Soccer League (mesl.org) offers soccer for ages 4-18 (with interleague play for ages 12-18). Registration for fall costs $60 per player, $140 max per family.

• Manchester North Soccer League (PO Box 58, Manchester, mnsl.org) offers recreational soccer for kids ages 5-19 ($90 per kid for the season) and for younger kids ($55 per player). Its home fields are at Livingston Park in Manchester.

• Manchester Soccer League (manchestersoccerleague.com) The 3rd Annual Manchester Soccer League on the West Side will begin Saturday, Aug. 31. Register online.

• The Manchester Police Athletic League (409 Beech St., Manchester, 626-0211, manchesterpoliceathleticleague.org) offers a variety of athletic and enrichment programs, all of which are free. There are youth sports programs in aikido, boxing, skateboarding and wrestling. Visit the League website.

• Manchester Youth Sports Leagues The City of Manchester offers a variety of youth sports opportunities, from leagues to special tournaments. Leagues are run by private organizations but use fields and facilities maintained by Manchester Parks & Recreation. Sports leagues include baseball, basketball, football, ice hockey, soccer and softball. See links on the Manchester Parks and Recreation website for more specific information.

• Meraki Volleyball Club (68 Technology Drive, Bedford, 978-219-4041, merakivolleyball.com) Fall training for boys and girls in grades K-8 begins Aug. 29. Boys team tryouts are Aug. 18 and Aug. 25; girls team tryouts will be held in October.

• Merrimack Youth Baseball (myabaseball.com) is accepting registrations for the following age groups: T-Ball (ages 3-4), Rookie (ages 5-6), AA (ages 7-8), AAA (ages 9-10), Majors (ages 11-12) and Babe Ruth (ages 13-16).

• Milford Community Athletic Association (mcaa.us) Registration is open for the fall season in soccer, baseball and softball; contact the Association for details.

• My Gym Children’s Fitness Center (410 S. River Road, Bedford, 668-7196, mygym.com/bedford) offers classes for infants starting at 3 months old through preschool with a few classes for older kids (up to 10 years old, according to the website) including ninja training and gymnastics.

• Nashua Cal Ripken Baseball (multiple field locations in Nashua and surrounding towns, nashuacalripken.org) offers fall ball for ages 4-12 (with ages 4-6 playing tee-ball). The fall season starts in September and runs through October.

• NH Climbing and Fitness (10 Langdon Ave., Concord, 715-9171, nhclimbinggym.com) has climbing classes for ages 3-5, 6-8 and 9+. Call for more information.

• NE Inferno Baseball (noreastersbaseball.com) operates in regional facilities including in Nashua (3 Progress Ave.) for 10U to 16U.

• New Hampshire Junior Roller Derby (facebook.com/NHJrRollerDerby) teaches roller derby to any gender ages 8-17. See the website for future sessions and events.

• New Hampshire Spartans Youth Basketball (nhspartans.com) offers three tryout dates for Seacoast and Derry AAU teams starting Aug. 25 for grades 2 through high school for the fall season.

• New Hampshire Sportsplex (68 Technology Drive, Bedford, 641-1313, nhsportsplex.com) offers youth flag football (grouped by ages) for ages 5 through high school and youth recreational soccer in five age groups.

• New Hampshire Tomahawks Lacrosse (nhtomahawks.com) offers fall leagues and indoor winter leagues as well as fall clinics with programs starting for kids kindergarten and up (a recent summer program started at age 3).

• Project S.T.O.R.Y. (Supporting Talents of Rising Youth) (39 Shaker Road, Concord, 491-7740, projectstorynh.com/sports) offers soccer, basketball and dance programs. Project S.T.O.R.Y. pays all fees to select affiliated programs and offers transportation to those who need it. The Project’s Keach Soccer Club offers a fun and supportive environment for players of all ages and abilities at Keach Park in Concord. It meets once a week for pickup-style soccer, allowing athletes to learn from various players.

• Salem Youth Baseball (salemyouthbaseball.net) Registration is open for the fall season. Tee-ball is available for ages 4-6; baseball is available for ages 7-14.

• Seacoast Fencing Club (271 Wilson St., Manchester; 261 N. Main St., Rochester, 428-7040, seacoastfencingclub.org) offers group lessons for as young as 7, as well as competitive training starting at age 7, and private lessons. Both facilities will be closed during August.

• Tri-Town Ice Arena (311 W. River Road, Hooksett, 270-1024, tri-townicearena.com) is accepting registrations for its Learn To Skate, Learn Hockey and hockey league programs.

• Vertical Dreams (250 Commercial St., Manchester, 625-6919; 25 E. Otterson St., Nashua, 943-7571; verticaldreams.com) offers a youth climbing club (for kids ages 6-12 who are beginning climbers) beginning Sept. 24 in Manchester and Sept. 26 in Nashua. The youth climbing team (for experienced climbers ages 12-18) session starts on Sept. 25 in Manchester and Sept. 26 in Nashua. Both programs have a 10-week session. For either age group, the cost is $285.

• Weare Athletic Club (weareathleticclub.com) Registration is open for fall youth field hockey. The season starts Sept. 8.

• Wrestling Rebels (Boys & Girls Club of Greater Derry, 40 E. Derry Road, Derry, 434-6695, derrybgclub.org/team-page) is a youth wrestling club for kids pre-k through 8th grade. The wrestling season usually starts in October.

THEATER

• Actorsingers (219 Lake St., Nashua, 889-9691, actorsingers.org) amateur community theater group holds auditions for Teen Actorsingers productions in spring with show dates in summer and fall.

• Bedford Youth Performing Company (155 Route 101, Bedford, 472-3894, bypc.org) Classes begin the week of Aug. 26 and run through June 2025. BYPC offers several classes in performance and acting starting at age 4 through high school as well as by-invitation musical theater classes. Students can also participate in fall, Christmas and spring productions.

• The Community Players of Concord (communityplayersofconcord.org) offer winter and summer vacation camps and workshops as well as audition opportunities through their Children’s Theatre Project. The current show being auditioned is Bye Bye Birdie, with auditions Sunday, Aug. 18, and Monday, Aug. 19. See the website for details and requirements.

• Derryfield Repertory Theater (2108 River Road, Manchester, derryfieldrepertorytheatre.com) is a summer company founded in 2006 by Laurel Devino. Over the summer, DRT has two sessions of a musical theater camp for children in grades 4-12. For the first time, the DRT will stage a winter show in February 2025. According to the DRT website, more information will be available this fall.

• Kids Coop Theatre (46 E. Derry Road, Derry, kctnh.org) is open to kids ages 8-18. To audition for a show, membership to Kids Coop costs $30. The next show is Disney Descendants – The Musical. See the website for info about auditions and rehearsals.

• The Majestic Academy of Dramatic Arts (880 Page St., Manchester, 669-7469, majestictheatre.net) provides performing opportunities in community theater productions year-round. The next production is Sh-Boom: A Christmas Miracle with auditions Sunday, Aug. 18, at 7 p.m.

• Palace Youth Theatre (Forever Emma Studios, 516 Pine St., Manchester, 688-5588, palacetheatre.org) is open to performers in grades 2-12. The Palace Teen Company and the Palace Teen Apprentice Company are open to students ages 12-18 interested in pursuing theater beyond high school. Dance classes are offered (grouped by age) for ages 3 through 18+ beginning Sept. 9 and running for 11 weeks, culminating in a student showcase at the Palace Theatre. There will also be acting classes this fall. There are also several upcoming auditions for shows and for the teen companies; see palacetheatre.org/pyt/pyt-auditions.

• Peacock Players (14 Court St., Nashua, 886-7000, peacockplayers.org) offers vacation camps as well as productions for youth (ages 6-14), teens (ages 14-18), crossover (ages 6-18) and all ages. Upcoming auditions include Disney’s Alice in Wonderland Jr and Mean Girls High School Version.

• Riverbend Youth Company (Boys & Girls Club of Souhegan Valley, The Amato Center for the Performing Arts, 56 Mont Vernon St., Milford, amatocenter.org/riverbend-youth-company) presents mainstage plays and musicals with performers ages 6-18. Visit the Company’s website for news of upcoming auditions and productions.