Category: Featured Content

With fall around the corner, we will soon see the days get shorter, the temperatures cooler, and many hawks in the sky. According to Chris Martin, wildlife and conservation biologist at the New Hampshire Audubon, September through November is the time frame in which hawks migrate to their wintering locations, making fall an ideal time for hawk watching.

Not all hawks migrate. What classifies these species of birds as what we call birds of prey is their feet, which actually makes “raptor” the more accurate term.

“Some people refer to them as birds of prey … but that is sort of an artificial category,” Martin said. “The fact is almost all birds are carnivorous [to] some degree. … What separates these birds of prey is the fact that they have feet that are adapted to grasp living food items. … ‘Raptorial’ refers to that sort of style of foot that includes long claws and strong grasping feet.”

In New Hampshire, seven common categories of raptors are owls, accipiters, buteos, eagles, falcons, harriers and ospreys. Each is broken down further into different species as the result of evolution and natural selection, Martin says.

“The differences are based on their evolution and how they specialize,” he said. “Each group specializes in how they hunt, where they hunt, what they hunt for, and then they have specialties in the kind of habitat they put their nests in. The idea is [they] don’t want to compete with other types of birds of prey if [they] can create a specialty that works for [them].”

Common NH raptor species

Osprey

According to Martin, the driving factor for raptors to migrate is the availability of food.

Ospreys are the perfect example of how important this can be, as they rely almost exclusively on fish. With lakes being covered in ice here in New Hampshire during the winter, ospreys migrate to South America and the tropics in the fall. In the spring they return, except for the young ospreys, who, interestingly, don’t return until the following spring when they are 2 years old. While it is not clear why ospreys do this, Martin says it could be to hone their fish-catching skills.

“It’s certainly an odd strategy, but it seems to work,” Martin said.

The fishing strategy that ospreys use is unlike that of any other raptor, according to Martin.

“They evolved this style of diving into water and catching fish,” he said. “Other birds of prey use [their] feet to fish [but] in a different way than this. Osprey will fly over still water, like a lake, and see a fish near the surface and drop in on it from 50 feet above it. They go in feet first and grasp it as they hit the water, oftentimes [disappearing] into the water before [rising] back to the surface and [flying] off with a fish.”

According to hawkwatch.org, ospreys’ feet are specialized for grasping, with all four of their talons curved more than that of other raptors. They also have spicules, or small spines, on the bottom of their feet and the ability to rotate their outer toe backward to hold slippery objects and carry fish. They have black feathers on their topside, a white head with a black eye-line, and when in flight, they glide on bowed wings that form an “M” shape.

Returning to the north in the spring can be a gamble for osprey.

“[They] push the limits when they come back at the end of March,” Martin said. “Oftentimes the water around their nest site where they spend the spring and summer is still frozen when they get back [and] they have to resort to nearby flowing water and rivers. … That can be a challenge because it can be cloudy or muddy in the spring and they can’t see the fish that they’re trying to hunt.”

Many raptors are in a hurry to return and reclaim their breeding sites before they are taken over by another bird. Ospreys sometimes use dead trees that are exposed in marshes, a niche that most other birds of prey don’t occupy. They can also be found using transmission lines, telephone poles and electrical poles. In fact, Martin adds, it’s possible a quarter of our osprey population uses cell towers for their nests.

“They’re pretty adaptable to all sorts of environments,” he said.

Barred owl

At night, while other raptors are resting at their roosts, owls are active and on the hunt for voles, shrews, mice and other prey. These nocturnal birds have a series of adaptations that make them deft for nighttime hunting. According to Martin, in addition to their ability to see well in the dark, they rely on their hearing and are able to detect prey rustling and moving through blades of grass.

“Their ears are not uniformly placed on either side [of their head],” he said. “One is higher and the other is lower on the side of the skull and that helps them differentiate where a sound is coming from. I think a barred owl could probably locate prey and go after it … even if it was blind.”

The shape of their face also enables them to effectively locate sound.

“‘Facial disk’ is the term that we use for it,” Martin said. “[They have a] flattened face that puts their eyes forward and the face actually focuses sound and delivers it to the ears, so it helps with the process of pinpointing where a rustling sound is coming from.”

Of all the owls we have in New Hampshire, like the barn owl, which doesn’t currently breed in the state, and the snowy owl, which only resides here in the winter, barred owls are the most common.

“Barred owls are medium-sized forest owls that are very vocal and have a call that is easily recognized [that] sounds like ‘who cooks for you?’” Martin said. “It’s one that you often might find in a forested backyard or park and they often vocalize during the day as well. They are the owls in the state that you’re most likely to encounter just in your everyday activities.”

Although they don’t live in wetlands — they nest in cavities in large trees in forests — barred owls are often associated with wetlands, as much of what they eat is located on the forested edge and in grass along the edge of a marsh, like salamanders and leopard frogs. They also hunt on roadside edges, particularly in areas where there are ditches that can collect water, as much of their prey is associated with water. This, however, poses a great risk.

“A lot of times they’re so focused on hunting that when they make a dive at sort of a 45-degree angle from their perch to the ground to grab [their prey], if that dive includes going over a roadside, they often get hit by vehicles,” Martin said. “One of our key wildlife rehabilitators in Henniker … at Wings of Dawn receives many injured barred owls that [are] injured on one side of their head because of impact with a vehicle. That’s a very common injury.”

Peregrine falcon

Among the fastest of all raptors are falcons. With their speed and long, pointed wings, they have adapted to dive and chase their prey down in midair. Three well-known falcons in New Hampshire are kestrels, merlins and, perhaps the most famous, the peregrine falcon. Although their plumage varies, adult peregrines tend to be white below and bluish gray above while juveniles start out with a buff color on their underside and brown to a slate-like color above, according to hawkwatch.org.

“That’s the one that’s been subject to a lot of restoration efforts nationwide in the 1980s through early 2000s, and we’ve pretty much recovered them from a point where they were almost extinct in the U.S.,” Martin said. “They’re still on our New Hampshire state threatened list, but their population has been growing gradually.”

Peregrines take advantage of vertical landscape features for their nests, whether natural like cliffs, or manmade structures such as buildings and bridges. From their perch they have an optimal view to look for prey, which consists mostly of other birds such as starlings, blue jays, robins and other medium-sized birds, or birds as big as pigeons, mourning doves and occasionally a small duck, according to Martin. While birds of prey will take what’s abundant in their environment, he says the size of the prey is a factor.

“There’s a limit to the size of the food item that they can bring back,” he said. “[A] pigeon is probably the biggest, bulkiest thing that they will eat regularly, and that’s a real challenge for a male peregrine because they are the smaller of the two sexes and they do most of the hunting. A pigeon is a big item for them. It probably weighs close to the same amount as a male peregrine.”

In addition to other birds, young peregrines will train for hunting by catching dragonflies and bats.

Something that helps peregrine falcons hunt is their ability to sense weakness or vulnerability in other birds, Martin says. For example, if a bird is fatigued from migrating and struggling to find a place to land, peregrines can pick up on that and home in on that bird as a target.

“[It’s] just remarkable that they can recognize something that is out of its element and utilize that as a food source,” Martin said.

Broad-winged hawk

If you’ve seen a hawk soaring in circles in the open over a field, or dropping down onto a highway median, it was likely a buteo. Their long, broad wings make wide open spaces suitable for these birds to hunt, as they are well-adapted to using thermal lifts to bring them up high where they can scan for food, according to Martin.

“They’ll fly in circles over a field or a forest and look for an item that’s vulnerable and then dive on that,” he said. “Or in some cases they’ll perch on phone poles or wires and drop down on a mammal they see in the grass.”

New Hampshire buteo species include red-shouldered hawks, broad-winged hawks and rough-legged hawks, the last of which are only here during the winter months. While the red-tailed hawk is most commonly seen, the broad-winged hawk is likely the most numerous, nesting in tree canopies in the forest and feeding on prey like squirrels and mice.

According to hawkwatch.org, broad-winged hawks are small buteos with a compact body, bulky chest, a large head and about a 35-inch wingspan.

“[Broad-winged hawks] are very abundant in the state as a breeder, and are famous in the fall for kettling, a whole bunch of them getting together in a group and … migrating south,” Martin said. “Thousands of broad-winged hawks will travel all the way down to the tropics and into northern South America in September mostly, and so hawk watches where you can see these birds kettling and migrating are actually very popular in the eastern U.S.”

Sharp-shinned hawk

While buteos have long wings that enable them to soar through the open sky, accipiters have short wings that allow them to navigate between trees and around obstacles to go after prey, which in most cases are other birds, according to Martin.

“You might encounter an accipiter when you’re hiking in the woods,” he said. “It might come right down the path at you because it’s flying through that gap in the forest. It’s not trying to attack you necessarily, but it’s using those narrow lanes to maneuver and oftentimes surprise its prey.”

The most common accipiter, and the smallest hawk in North America, according to hawkwatch.org, is the sharp-shinned hawk.

“They’re only slightly bigger than blue jays, so that’s a bird most people would recognize … although they’re a little tough to see because the forest canopy hides them much of the time,” Martin said.

In flight, these birds appear stocky with short, rounded wings and a long, slender tail, as reported by hawkwatch.org, which describes them as adeptly maneuverable and buoyant. From below, adults are barred white and rufous, with upper parts being a grayish blue with a blackish head. Their eyes start out yellow as juveniles, eventually turning orange, then dark red as they age.

Bald eagle

While famous for their bright white head, yellow beak, blackish-colored body and expansive wingspan — eagles are the largest of all raptors — bald eagles do not look this way until they are fully mature. As juveniles they appear brown overall with a dark bill and eyes and a black tail with some white mottling, according to hawkwatch.org.

The bald eagle population in New Hampshire has drastically increased in the last 30 years, according to Martin, thanks to efforts to give them better conditions.

“Near a river or a lake you have a really good chance of seeing a bald eagle,” he said. “[People] would not have said the same thing back in the 1960s, ’70s or ’80s, so that’s a really obvious change.”

The slope of the population continues to climb, doubling every six or seven years.

“I’m waiting for it to curve and flatten off,” Martin said. “I assume we’re going to reach a carrying capacity at some point soon, but the charts aren’t showing it yet.”

While not exclusively fish eaters, bald eagles are rather aquatic-focused and build their nests near large lakes and rivers. Rather opportunistic hunters, they’ll eat a variety of prey such as muskrats, herons, duck and turtles and will even scavenge on roadkill and carrion when turkey vultures aren’t around to do so in the winter.

“They’re very adapted to cold weather,” Martin said. “Once an eagle pair establishes a territory for breeding, almost all of them will be on that territory within 5 miles of the nest site year-round through the coldest part of our winter season. They’ll do nest maintenance … and defend their territory from rivals that might want to move in and take over the site.”

Northern harrier

The only type of harrier in North America, appropriately named the northern harrier, is among the rarest raptors in the state.

“In New Hampshire currently their populations are listed endangered,” Martin said. “We probably only have 10 to 20 pairs of them anywhere in the state.”

What sets these birds apart from other raptors is that while most nest on cliffs, trees or other elevated areas, harriers nest on the ground. The breeding population is concentrated up north in Coos County, where there tend to be more hayfields, swamps and shrubby areas.

“They go to great lengths to hide where they nest by landing away from the nest and walking through the grass and shrubs to get to it, as opposed to landing right on the nest, which can pinpoint where it is to anything that might be watching,” Martin said.

They build their nests in high, dry spots of wetlands in areas with shrubs and vegetation. This serves as a platform for their nest and keeps their eggs out of the water. This also means that they are surrounded by water on all sides like a moat, which adds another layer of protection. Like owls, harriers rely a great deal on their hearing, and they even have the facial disk that is characteristic of owls. Adult male harriers have a white underside and gray upper side with black wingtips and yellow eyes, according to hawkwatch.org. Below, adult females are a buff color with streaks of brown and dark brown above. Their eyes start out a dark brown but change to yellow over about three years. Juvenile harriers resemble adult females but have distinct rufous underparts.

In the wetlands they feed on frogs and small wetland birds, but they also travel upland to grassy areas and hayfields where they will follow farmers who are tending to their fields to find other prey.

Martin says, “Harriers will follow these mowers because … they’re oftentimes displacing mice and voles that nest in the grass … [and] creating grasshopper and white footed moth mortality. That makes those things just available … for the picking, for the harriers to grab and then take back to their young.”

Migration and hawk watching

With September through October being migration season for raptors, the fall (and the spring, when they return) is the perfect time for hawk watching.

Phil Brown, bird conservation director and land specialist for the Harris Center for Conservation Education, says the ideal places to spot hawks are along ridge lines with a clear opening to the north, and coastlines, as some species, like ospreys and eagles, will follow the Merrimack and Connecticut rivers, hunting fish along the way.

According to Brown, broad-winged hawks make up the majority of the birds counted during the Pack Monadnock Raptor Observatory hawk watch at Miller State Park in Peterborough.

“We count about 15 different species of raptors that migrate throughout the fall,” Brown said. “We see hawks that [nest] in New Hampshire and surrounding New England, also species that are coming from farther north that are passing through. … The very common species, the broad-winged hawk … makes up about 75 percent of our annual count.”

The Harris Center is a regional land trust and environmental education organization in Hancock. One of its main missions is land protection, and in its 50-plus years it has helped protect 26,000 acres of land. The Center also focuses on the conservation of species in need and educates the public on these topics. The Harris Center has taken sole responsibility for the Pack Monadnock Raptor Observatory, which was founded by NH Audubon in 2005. Every day from Sept. 1 through Nov. 20, staff or volunteers count and document raptors during fall migration while also engaging with the public.

“It’s a perfect combination of education and research,” Brown said. “It’s a great way to engage with thousands of visitors every year. I think last year we had over 6,000 visitors, which was about average.”

Second to the broad-winged hawk is the sharp-shinned hawk, with smaller numbers of other raptors like bald eagles, osprey, peregrine falcons and red-tailed hawks.

“Sometimes … we have really excellent days where there are 4,000 to 5,000 hawks seen in one day from the observatory from one point, so that tends to really be something that surprises folks,” Brown said.

As far as what kind of bird you will see on a given day, this varies depending on the point in the season, as they don’t all migrate at the same time. They each respond to different triggers in the environment, whether that be availability of their food source, change in daylight length, thermal formations or the presence of ice or snow, according to Brown.

“As a result, you never know what you’re going to see at the hawk watch from day to day,” he said. “We have a good idea of who’s coming next and generally what numbers, but we get surprised up there every day to some degree.”

According to the observatory, some birds, like the red-shouldered hawk, pass through at a fairly steady rate throughout most of the migration season. The data for broad-winged hawks, however, is heavily skewed.

“[Broad-winged hawks] all fly together within a two-week period typically,” Brown said. “It’s thought to be more of a social gathering of convenience. They all have to get to where they’re going in the same conditions, so they travel on particular weather days that are advantageous to their migration, and that tends to bring them together in the same places at the same time.”

Transmitters affixed to some of these birds have located raptors traveling as far as South America, with broad-winged hawks being located in Brazil, Bolivia and Colombia, according to Brown. He adds that others, like the bald eagle and peregrine falcon, have less of a journey, traveling a short way south of the state border.

Population and conservation

According to Brown, hawk populations are still in their recovery phase.

When populations were dangerously low in the 1960s, with some breeding species completely gone from the state, efforts were taken across the nation to recover them, Martin said.

“The two species that we’ve focused on the most in the last couple decades have been the bald eagles and the peregrine falcons, and both have seen great recovery,” said Sandi Houghton, wildlife diversity biologist with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.

According to Martin, in the 1960s all breeding peregrines and bald eagles in New Hampshire were gone. The culprit was DDT, an insecticide heavily used in the ’50s and ’60s that worked its way up the food chain to top-level predators like raptors, preventing them from breeding successfully. The chemical caused the shells of their eggs to be brittle and thin, which caused them to break during incubation and hindered the shells’ ability to preserve moisture and regulate gas exchange from inside and outside the egg.

“The problem was the adults didn’t die from it, so for years both eagles and peregrines were trying to breed and failing, but for all intents and purposes you’d look at them and you’d see healthy birds,” Martin said. “So the problem snuck up on us when all of a sudden those older adults started to die [and] there were no young birds to replace them. The population just plummeted.”

NH Audubon has worked with other organizations like New Hampshire Fish and Game, The Peregrine Fund and White Mountain National Forest Fund to restore the peregrine falcon population since the early 1980s. This included steps involving the land, the health of the birds and the behavior of people.

“For peregrines, the biggest problem at the beginning was they were all gone,” Martin said. “So there was an effort to return them to the state by releasing young ones that had been raised in captivity [through] a process called hacking.”

He said that two release sites were established in northern New Hampshire, as well as others in surrounding states. Audubon, along with New Hampshire Fish and Game, started asking and training volunteers to look and listen for the presence of peregrines, as well as checking cliffs for nests. In the ’80s, occupied cliffs began being documented. Signs would eventually be put up asking people to not climb in these areas. The Peregrine Fund also collected unhatched eggs to check for high levels of chemicals and the thickness of the shells. Rock climbers were enlisted to put identification bands on peregrine chicks for the purpose of documenting where they would eventually go and where they would nest.

NH Audubon provides a livestream video of a peregrine falcon nest at the Brady Sullivan Tower on Elm Street in Manchester. Martin says an adult pair lives there year-round and fledged four young this past June, marking the 23rd consecutive year the peregrines on Elm Street have produced offspring.

While peregrines are still listed as threatened in New Hampshire, according to Houghton, there have been promising signs of recovery.

“We’ve gone from seven pairs in 1990 to almost 30 pairs currently,” Martin said. “That’s been 30 years, so the population has been growing very gradually.”

Martin says similar efforts were taken to recover the bald eagle population, which has gone from zero documented pairs in the ’60s to 10 sites nests around 2000 and now 100 territorial pairs in the state.

“In 2017 we were able to delist them from our threatened and endangered species list due to their recovery, and since then we’ve continued to see exponential growth,” Houghton said. “They’re in many ways a conservation success story that serves as a model for other species.”

Hawk watches

Visit hawkcount.org for information.

• Alton Bay Hawk Watch
  Alton
  Fall: Sept. 10 to Oct. 15
• Carter Hill Observatory
  Concord
  Fall: Sept. 1 to Nov. 15
• Grant’s Hill
  Gilmanton
• Little Blue Job Mountain
  Strafford, Farmington
• Pack Monadnock Raptor Migration Observatory
  Peterborough
  Fall: Sept. 1 to Nov. 20
• Pitcher Mountain
  Stoddard
  Spring: March 1 to June 1
  Fall: Aug. 20 to Nov. 30
• Peter Wood Hill
  Deering
  Spring: March 15 to April 30
  Fall: Sept. 1 to Oct. 30

Featured photo: Bald eagle. Photo by Joe Grande.

Your guide to Martial arts, Sports, Dance, Music and More spectacular extracurriculars

Soccer practice, theater rehearsals, painting class, guitar lessons, pointe — fall can present a packed schedule. As kids go back to school, their after-school activities also kick off a new season. Looking for something new to get your kid excited about the new school year? Or a place to build on skills? Or a sport to keep them active? Here are several area after-school activity offerings. Information is according to the organizations’ websites and social media. Registration has already begun or will begin shortly for many of these activities. Know of some fall fun not mentioned here? Let us know at adiaz@hippopress.com.

ART

• Creative Ventures Gallery (411 Nashua St., Milford, 672-2500, creativeventuresfineart.com) has an after-school class for the 8-to-12 age group called “Painting Fun for Children and Tweens”; the class meets on Thursdays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. See the website for details.

• Currier Museum Art Center (180 Pearl St., Manchester, 518-4922, currier.org) offers weekly classes for kids and teens Wednesdays afterschool and Saturdays. The first fall session starts Sept. 20; registration opens Monday, Aug. 21.

• 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 through 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) A stop-motion animation film class for ages 8 to 16 will run Tuesdays, 4 to 5:30 p.m., from Sept. 12 through Oct. 24. The cost is $140. Other 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) The 10-week fall session begins Tuesday, Sept. 5. Clay classes for kids 9 to 12 years old run Monday or Tuesday afternoons at 4 p.m. (the cost is $175 for a nine-week session on Mondays or $185 for a 10-week Tuesday session); a teen (ages 13 to 18) clay class runs Thursdays at 4 p.m. and costs $200. Classes for home-school students can also be scheduled (for six or more students); contact the studio.

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 Tuesday, Sept. 5. Offerings include a creative dance class for 2- to 3-year-olds, tap/jazz/ballet combo classes for 4- to 10-year-olds (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 1.5 to 2.5 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, 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 5 and up, 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, 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. 28 and run through June 8, 2024. Dance classes include preschool ballet (starting at age 2) as well as ballet, acro, jazz and tap (for ages 5 through 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 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 429-8844, broadwayboundpac.com) Classes start the week of Sept. 11 and include preschool classes (ages 2 through 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 Sept. 5. Classes start at age 3 and beginner-friendly classes are available for elementary and middle school-aged 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) Classes start Sept. 18 and include tap/ballet/jazz combo classes (for ages 2 to 4 and 5 to 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 to 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 $70 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 for ages 6 and up. Monthly tuition starts at $60 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. 18. Combo classes, grouped by age, are available for ages 2.5 through 8 (combos include ballet/tap, ballet/tap/jazz, hip-hop/gymnastics) as well as a cheerleader/gym class for ages 7 to 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 and up. 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 charged at the beginning of five seven-week sessions. 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. 5. 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 $48.

• 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 through 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 $64.

• 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. 9. Eight-week sessions take place on Monday at 25 Triangle Park Drive in Concord, divided by ages with the youngest group (ages 4 to 6) dancing from 4:30 to 5 p.m. through a beginner class for ages 16+ at 6:15 p.m.

• Kathy Blake Dance Studios (3 Northern Blvd., Amherst, 673-3978, kathyblakedancestudios.com) Classes begin Sept. 6. 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 offerings include ballet (starting at ages 2), jazz, tap, contemporary, hip-hop, acro and triple threat prep (open to ages 8 through 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 include ballet, hip-hop, tap, acro and jazz. Classes are available for ages 2 through 5, ages 5 to 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. 11 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 1.5 years) students.

• Nancy Chippendale’s Dance Studios (49 Range Road, Building 2, Suite A, Windham, 458-7730, chippswindham.com) The studio will have open house events on Tuesdays, Aug. 22, Aug. 29 and Sept. 5, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. The studio offers Babysteps (ages 1 to 4) programming as well as recreational (ages 2 to 19) and competitive (entering grades 3 through 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). Monthly tuition is based on length of class/number of class hours and starts at $80.

• New England School of Dance (679 Mast Road, Manchester, 935-7326, newenglandschoolofdance.com) offers a variety of classes that range from 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 6 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 Hampshire Academie of Dance (1 Action Blvd., No. 4, Londonderry, 432- 4041, nhadance.com) Classes start Sept. 11 with classes that 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 2.5 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 1.5 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 to 5; a tap/jazz/ballet hybrid class is offered for grades 1 and 2, and for grades 3 to 5. Classes in hip-hop and contemporary dance are offered for grades 4 to 12, and for grades 6 to 12 there are three levels of classes in tap, jazz, and dance technique. Classes cost $220 with some categories offering additional courses for $165.

• 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.

• Showcase Dance & Performing Arts Center (5 Executive Drive, Hudson, 883- 0055, showcasehudsonnh.com) offers dance classes starting at 12 months as well as cheerleading, a competitive dance team, tumbling classes and music and voice lessons. Graded technique classes include ballet, tap, acro, hip-hop and jazz.

• Southern New Hampshire Dance Theater (19 Harvey Road, Bedford, 637-4398, snhdt.org) Open house days are scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 23, from 4 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 26, from 9:30 a.m. to noon for prospective dancers ages 18 month to adults (see the website for the specific window to try out specific dance classes). Classes are offered in divisions — preschool (ages 18 months to 6 years), youth (ages 7 to 18), pre-professional (ages 10 to 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 $65. Classes include ballet, jazz, lyrical and hip-hop/tap.

• Unbound Dance Academy (237 Londonderry Tpke., Hooksett, 714-2821, unbounddanceacademy.com) An open house will be held Saturday, Aug. 26, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; find the academy on Facebook to see a schedule of classes offered for tryout (starting with a pre-ballet class for ages 3 to 5). 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, jazz, lyrical, modern/contemporary, tap, hip-hop and musical theater.

GENERAL

• Beaver Brook Association (117 Ridge Road in Hollis; 465-7787, beaverbrook.org) offers preschool as well as home school (with a class for 1st through 6th grade and one for 7th through 9th grade) programming, beginning the weeks of Sept. 5 and Sept. 11.

• 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 at each location and based on age. The Union Street Clubhouse has a teen center (for grades 9 to 12).

• The Culinary Playground (16 Manning St., Suite 105, Derry, 339-1664, culinary-playground.com) offers one-time classes for mini chefs (ages 3 to 6) and older kids (6 to 10 and 10+) as well as six-week series that meet for an hour once a week. There are also one-time kid-with-adult cooking classes. See the website for upcoming classes.

• Daniel Webster Council Scouts BSA (625-6431, nhscouting.org) is the center of information for Scouting in New Hampshire (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 to 11 for 10 weeks, Tuesdays, Sept. 19 through Nov. 28. The classes run from 4:15 to 5:15 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 13 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 the 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 2 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 $75 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. in 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 on sessions, with the first fall session running Sept. 5 through Oct. 23 (registration opens Aug. 21) and the second fall session running Oct. 30 through Dec. 17 (registration opens Oct. 16).

• 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 to 18 who are attending school; membership is free.

• Mathnasium (257 Daniel Webster Hwy., 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.

• 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 swim, dance, arts, music, sports, ninja, teen classes and more; fall programs start Sept. 5 with registration starting Aug. 28.

GYMNASTICS

• A2 Gym & Cheer (16B Garabedian Drive, Salem, 328-8130, a2gc.com) Classes in gymnastics and tumbling start the week of Sept. 5 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 5 years, with ongoing openings as space is available. Classes are 45 minutes long with tuition based on number of classes taken per week. Classes are Mondays through Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. Starting Oct. 1, the schedule will also include classes Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

• Gymnastics Village (13 Caldwell Drive, Amherst, 889-8092, gymnasticsvillage.com) The school-year schedule begins Wednesday, Aug. 30. 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 through 5 years old), a girls’ recreational program, a coed home-school program, a boys’ recreational program, a girls’ pre-competitive program and trampoline/tumbling.

• Noha’s Gymnastics Academy (200 Perimeter Road in Manchester, 518-7660; 30 Pond St. in 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. 5.

• Phantom Gymnastics (142 Route 111, Hampstead, 329-9315, phantomgymnastics.com) Fall #1 session starts Sept. 11. 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., No. 2, 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 begins Aug. 28. 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 to 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 Sept. 5.

MARTIAL ARTS

• Al Lima’s Studio of Self Defense (28 Lowell Road, Hudson, 765-5753, alssd.com) offers year-round classes for children and adults.

• Amherst Karate Studio (Salzburg Square, 292 Route 101, Amherst, 672-3570, amherstkaratestudio.com) offers classes for kids as young as 4 through adults.

• Bedford Martial Arts Academy (292 Route 101, Bedford, 626-9696, bedfordmartialartsacademy.com) offers classes for mini masters (ages 3 through 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.

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

• Checkmate Martial Arts (200 Elm St., Manchester, 666-5836, checkmateselfdefense.com) offers youth martial arts for ages 5 to 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 adults.

• Empowering Lives Martial Arts (542 Mast Road, No. 15, Goffstown, 978-414- 5425, martialartsnewhampshire.com) has programs for ages 4 through 6 and 7 through 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.

• Golden Crane Traditional Martial Arts (46 Lowell Road, No. 6, Windham, 437-2020, goldencranenh.com) offers classes grouped by age for age 5 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 as well as teens and adults.

• Inner Dragon Martial Arts (77 Derry Road, Hudson, 864-8756, innerdragonma.com) is enrolling beginner kids’ martial arts programs in August. 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 through 12 as well as teen and adult programs.

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

• Manchester Karate & Gracie Jiu Jitsu Center (371 S. Willow St., Manchester, 625-5838, manchesterkarate.com) offers a kid program (for ages 4 to 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 through 15. There are also a variety of adult classes.

• Merrimack Karate (534 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 424-7458, merrimackkarate.com) has kid programs for ages 5 through 12 as well as teen/adult programs for 13+.

• Neil Stone’s Karate Academy (22 Proctor Hill Road, Hollis, 672-8933, neilstoneskarate.com) offers programs (grouped by age) for ages 2 through 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 to 8 and ages 9 to 13.

• 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 Daniel Webster Hwy., 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.

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

• Tiger Black Belt Academy (11 Kimball Drive, Unit 121, Hooksett, 627-7744, tigerblackbeltacademy.com) is offering a start-up special for the fall of $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.

• 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 to 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 through 12, Brazilian jiu jitsu for ages 5 to 15 and kickboxing for ages 5 to 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 to 14 and adult and fitness programs starting at 15+.

• 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 13- to 17-year-olds. Hudson’s classes start at 2½, as do Manchester’s. There are also team programs for ages 6 and up.

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

• 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

• 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. Early fall classes start Sept. 12.

• Bedford Youth Performing Company (155 Route 101, Bedford, 472-3894, bypc.org) offers musical programs for 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. 28.

• 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. The fall semester for private lessons and choral ensembles begins Sept. 11 and two weeks later for all non-choral classes and ensembles.

• 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.

• Merrimack Music Academy (1 Bryce Drive in 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.

• 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. Fall session starts Sept. 11. The school also offers musical 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). Take a free trial lesson or try out a group class demo at the open house on Tuesday, Sept. 19, at 5 p.m.

• 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.

• 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@palacetheatre.org for information.

• Ted Herbert Music School (Majestic Studio Theatre, 880 Page St. in Manchester; majestictheatre.net, tedherbert.com) offers lessons in brass, drums, guitar/bass, piano/keyboard, strings, theater/dance, voice and woodwind. Instrument rentals available. The school also holds open mic nights for musicians of all levels; the next one is scheduled for Nov. 9.

SPORTS

• Amherst Soccer Club (amherstsoccerclub.com) Programs include tots (birth year 2019 to 2021), non-travel (birth year 2014 to 2018) and travel (birth year 2005 to 2015). In addition to a fall season, there is also winter skill training and a spring season.

• Bedford Athletic Club (bedfordac.com) Registration for fall is open now with recreational programs for pre-K and kindergarten (which start Sept. 9) and 1st through 6th grade (starting Aug. 28). (Grades 1 through 4 has separate girls’ and boys’ teams.) An adaptive program is also listed. Tryouts for the travel program (open to birth years 2009 through 2016) were in the spring; the travel program runs in the fall with a spring option.

• Bedford Cannons Youth Lacrosse (bedfordcannons.org) offers teams for boys, 1st-graders through 8th-graders, and girls, 1st-graders through 6th-graders. Registration for lacrosse opens toward the end of the year (usually in early December). In previous years, indoor skills clinics take place starting in January with outdoor team practices and games beginning in April. Lacrosse for pre-K and kindergarten is outdoors only and starts in April.

• Bedford Little League (bedfordll.com) Fall baseball runs Sept. 5 through Oct. 30 with one game per week for five weeks and two weeks of playoffs. Teams are open for ages 12-13, 10-12 and 8-10. A six-week clinic is open for ages 5 to 7. The Challenger Division (adaptive baseball) runs for ages 4 to 18 (or up to 22 if the player is still in school).

• Cannons Baseball Club (Concord, cannonsbaseballclub.com) offers year-round baseball and softball. A fall baseball season runs Sept. 9 through Oct. 29 for 9U-12U, middle school and high school.

• Conway Arena (5 Stadium Drive, Nashua, 595-2400, conwayarena.com) Registration for fall skating opened Aug. 9; there are two eight-week fall sessions, one starting Sept. 6 and the other starting Nov. 1 open to ages 4 and up. A fall “Learn to Play Hockey” session for ages 5 to 9 runs from Sept. 26 through Dec. 19, and a winter session runs Jan. 2 through March 24. Registration is also open now for the Junior Hawks Hockey 2023-2024 season.

• Derry Diamond Athletic Association (derryll.org) offers baseball (ages 6 through 13) and softball (ages 6 through 14) fall programs; registration closes Aug. 25.

• 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 3rd grade through 8th grade. Registration for the lottery for a spot in Girls on the Run NH opened Aug. 7. 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. 18 in Concord.

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

• Granite State Kids N.H. 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 Wednesdaydays and begins Wednesday, Sept. 6. 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 (which start Sept. 16) 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 2.5 through 18. There is also a Unified Top Soccer program for grades K through 8 for “athletes who need physical or emotional assistance in order to participate,” open to kids in Londonderry, Litchfield and Hudson.

• Longfellow New Hampshire Tennis & Swim Club (140 Lock St., Nashua, 883- 0153, longfellownh.com) offers junior tennis clinics for ages 5 through 18 of all abilities, starting Wednesday, Sept. 6, through Sunday, Oct. 29.

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

• Manchester North Soccer League (mnsl.org) offers recreational soccer for kids ages 5 through 19 ($90 per kid for the season) and for younger kids ($55 per player).

• 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 through 12 (with ages 4 through 6 playing tee-ball). The fall season starts in September and runs through October.

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

• NH Climbing and Fitness (10 Langdon Ave. in Concord; 715-9171, nhclimbinggym.com) The 10-week fall session begins Sept. 11 with climbing classes for ages 3 to 5, 6 to 8 and 9+.

• New Hampshire Junior Roller Derby (nhjuniorrollerderby.com) teaches roller derby to any gender ages 8 to 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. 20 for grades 2 through high school for a season that starts Sept. 18.

• 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. During the past summer, the Sportsplex also offered 3X3 basketball leagues for high school and adults. An 8-week session of soccer for ages 18 months through 7 years begins Sept. 16. A Lil Dribblers basketball session for ages 3 to 12 starts Sept. 12. Tee-ball/baseball for ages 3 through 7 begins on Sept. 6. An introductory lacrosse program for ages 4 to 8 begins Sept. 9.

• Salem Youth Baseball (salemyouthbaseball.net) has a fall ball season that opens Sept. 9 and runs through Oct. 28. Tee-ball is available for 4- to 6-year-olds; baseball is available for ages 7 to 14. A challenger division (adaptive baseball for children of all abilities) may also be open for fall 2023, based on player interest, and would be open to ages 4 through 22 (for players enrolled in school).

• 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 ages 7 and private lessons.

• Tri-Town Ice Arena (311 W. River Road in Hooksett; tri-townicearena.com, 270-1024) is accepting registrations for its learn to skate, learn hockey and hockey league programs. The hockey league season begins Sept. 23; the Mini Mountain Kings/Wildcat Cubs program (for ages 4 to 10) begins its first 2023/2024 session Sept. 6.

• Vertical Dreams (250 Commercial St. in Manchester, 625-6919; 25 E. Otterson St. in Nashua, 943-7571; verticaldreams.com) offers a Youth Climbing Club, a 10-week session for kids aged 6 to 12 who are beginning climbers. The session starts on Sept. 26 in Manchester and Sept. 27 in Nashua, both running from 4 to 6 p.m. A Youth Climbing Teams is for experienced climbers ages 12 to 18 at both locations (starting Sept. 27 in Nashua; Sept. 28 in Manchester). The 10-week sessions run from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on either Wednesdays or Thursdays (depending on location). For either age group, the cost is $285.

THEATER

• Actorsingers (Nashua, actorsingers.org) amateur community theater group holds auditions for Teen Actorsingers productions in spring with show dates in summer.

• Bedford Youth Performing Company (155 Route 101, Bedford, 472-3894, bypc.org) Classes begin the week of Aug. 28 and run through June 8, 2024. 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 The Sound of Music, with auditions Sunday, Aug. 13, and Monday, Aug. 14, for 16+ and Sunday, Aug. 20, and Monday, Aug. 21, for 15 and under. See the website for details and requirements.

• Kids Coop Theatre (Londonderry, admin@kids-coop-theatre.org, kids-coop-theatre.org) is open to kids ages 8 to 18. To audition for a show, membership to Kids Coop costs $30. The next show is the SpongeBob Musical, with auditions Aug. 20 and performances Nov. 17 through Nov. 19. See details about auditions and rehearsals on the website.

• The Majestic Academy of Dramatic Arts (880 Page St., Manchester, 669-7469, majestictheatre.net) privdes performing opportunities in community theatre productions year-round. The fall youth production is Zombie Night; see website for audition dates.

• Palace Youth Theatre (Forever Emma Studios, 516 Pine St., Manchester, 688-5588, palacetheatre.org) The Palace Youth Theatre is open to performers in 2nd grade through 12th grade. The Palace Teen Company and the Palace Teen Apprentice Company are open to students ages 12 through 18 interested in pursuing theater beyond high school. Dance classes are offered (grouped by age) for ages 3 through 18+ beginning Sept. 10 and running for 11 weeks, culminating in a student showcast at the Palace Theatre on Sunday, Nov. 26. 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 to 14), teens (ages 14 to 18), crossover (ages 6 to 18) and all ages. Upcoming auditions include James and the Giant Peach Jr. on Aug. 23 and Aug. 24 (for ages 6 to 14) and Beauty and the Beast on Aug. 27 and Aug. 28 (for ages 14 through 18).

• Riverbend Youth Company (Boys & Girls Club of Souhegan Valley, The Amato Center for the Performing Arts, 56 Mont Vernon St. in Milford, amatocenter.org/riverbend-youth-company) presents mainstage plays and musicals with performers ages 6 to 18. The Company will hold auditions for High School Musical on Aug. 21 and Aug. 22.

Featured photo: Tri-Town Ice Arena. Courtesy photo.