General Programs
The surrounding areas of St. Charles, specifically the 370 Valley, offer a plethora of after-school programs and activities for students of all levels and even adults, too. This includes the areas of New Town, Frenchtown, Main Street and more. Some of these activities offer creative activities and sports while others include after-school care for children.
One of the after-school programs that offers after school care is located right in the heart of New Town. The St. Charles Christian Church offers a program called Spark which was started in 2015 by Susie Pundmann. The Church recognized an unmet need in the neighborhood and already had a beautiful space not being used. This after-school program is very convenient for the residents of New Town, and this allows families to find care year-round with Spark during the school year and Camp Glory during the summer months.
Children can arrive as early as 6am before riding the bus to school and be picked up as late as 6pm in the evening. Children have the time for free play and interacting with friends, navigating relationships and learning how to communicate. This is great for helping children with interpersonal skills, and the staff provides support as friendship coaches. High school and college students work primarily with the children, and Susie works as the principal of Spark. The dinosaurs and dragons are two of the popular toys at Spark, and the dolls represent multiple ethnicities. Children enjoy this opportunity to socialize with friends in a relaxed environment.
Sports Programs
Here are a few of the area sport offerings!
Soccer
The St. Charles Soccer Complex is offering soccer training programs for youth. The options for this range from developing motor skills and basic concepts along with focusing on balance and coordination. The more advanced level allows soccer players to master dribbling, passing, receiving, defending and scoring. There is also training available for those aspiring to be the goalkeepers. The age range for this program is from 2 to 12 years old. More information can be found at www.stcharlesparks.com or via social media: @stcparksplaymo. Other sports activities can also be found on the website. Registration for this specific program can be found at www.coresoccertraining.com.
Fall Baseball: Portage Des Sioux
Portage Des Sioux offers fall baseball for varying levels. There are several leagues including T-Ball Plus, Junior Baseball, Baseball and Adult/Teen Softball. You can learn more and register by visiting https://www.portageball.org.
Pickleball
Pickleball lessons and leagues are offered at the courts at New Town. There are also a number of tournaments throughout the year that individuals and teams can participate in. Visit https://www.newtownpickleball.com for more information about pickleball and how to get involved!
Boxing Therapy
Boxing Therapy is a business located in Frenchtown in the heart of St. Charles that provides weight training, running, punches, heavy bag, defense techniques and jumping rope. There are boxing therapy sessions available for both adults and youth. Find more information and details at www.theboxingtherapygym.com. Boxing Therapy focuses on love, faith, unity and inclusion and has a mission to “Help people to give the best of themselves.” The Boxing Therapy was designed to help individuals boost self-esteem and confidence while managing stress and other emotions.
Community Karate Center
The Community Karate Center on New Town Boulevard offers karate classes at the Intro, Junior, Intermediate, Advanced and Adult levels. Classes have been taught here since 2018, and students can begin learning at age 5. Visit https://www.communitykaratecenter.com/ckc30daytrial for more details.
World Martial Arts Academy
The World Martial Arts Academy offers classes in karate and taekwondo for both children and adults. Kids’ birthday parties are also offered. You can find more information at https://blackbeltstl.com.
Climb So iLL Steel Shop
The Climb So Ill Steel Shop near main street offers indoor rock climbing, yoga and fitness. There are classes available for each of these areas. The gym offers a brief orientation to climbing, so all levels are welcome. There are areas for both children and adults for climbing. Visit the website at www.stcharlesclimbsoill.com. You can also send a message via the contact form: https://stcharles.climbsoill.com/contact-info/.
Outdoor/ Nature Activities
Boschert Greenway Bike Path
The Boschert Greenway stretches 5.4 miles between New Town, Fox Hill Park, Little Hills Expressway and Highway 370. Learn more at https://greatriversgreenway.org/blog/greenway/boschert-greenway/. There is also a Boschert Greenway Storytime and Stroll on October 4th at 9:30am. Some of the amenities include the playground, tables, bike racks and benches. There are many things to do including exploring history, fishing, dining, boating, grilling and playing sports.
Lakeside 370 Park Activities
Lakeside 370 Park offers equipment rentals which include kayaks, canoes, paddleboats and aqua cycle. There are also regular bikes available to rent such as the trike bike, dual bike and surrey bike. Visit the website at https://www.stpetersmo.net/717/Equipment-Rental for additional details.
Creative and Fine Arts Programs
Check out some of the creative and fine arts programs that range from music to painting to foreign language learning!
SIH Music Studio
SIH Music Studio offers music lessons which include piano, vocal technique, ear training, music theory and Ableton music software. Find additional information on the website: https://www.stuartandvesta.com/sihmusicstudio/.
Painted Sky Creative Lounge
The Painted Sky Creative Lounge offers classes in areas such as painting, crocheting, jewelry making and glasswork mosaic art. The studio is open on Tuesdays from 6pm to 9pm and Thursdays from 5pm to 9pm, along with weekend hours. The Painted Sky Creative Lounge also hosts open mic nights for aspiring artists and musicians. Visit the Facebook page for Painted Sky Creative Lounge or www.paintedskycreativelounge.com.
The Foundry Art Center
The Foundry Art Center is offering an after-school art club for children ages 7 to 11. The art club takes place on Thursdays from 5pm to 6pm. You can sign up here: https://foundryartcentre.org/kids-workshops.
New Town Dance Academy
The New Town Dance Academy offers a variety of dance classes including Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Acro, Turns and Leaps and Lyrical/Contemporary. Classes are offered for students Monday through Friday during the afternoon and evening following the school day. Visit www.ntdanceacademy.com for more details and registration information.
Bilinguaje: Spanish Learning Activities
Bilinguaje, Creative and International Language Boutique, is offering an after-school Spanish language learning activity for students of varying grade levels, including elementary, middle and high school. Email bilinguaje@gmail.com to express interest and provide preferred weekday availability, such as preferred days and times. Visit www.bilinguaje.com for more information about Spanish language learning!
St. Charles City-County Library
The St. Charles City-County Library also offers events and activities both after school and during the morning hours for adults and smaller children. Some of these events include Coffee and Conversation, Fun for Ones and Story Time. You can visit the following link for more information on two local libraries including the Kathryn-Linnemann branch and the Portage Des Sioux branch. Visit https://www.stchlibrary.org for more information.
The Bridge Story Time
The Bridge coffee shop hosts a story time for children on Fridays at 9:30am. Join for a new story each week, and then children can work on a craft. Visit https://www.thebridgecoffee.org to learn more!
More Activities
Orchard Farm Activities
The Orchard Farm School Districts offers the following after-school clubs and activities: Art Club, Student Council, Eagle Singers, Band, Cross Country, International Club, Basketball, Cheerleading, Leadership Club, Images Club and Chess Club. Learn more by visiting https://www.ofsd.k12.mo.us/schools/orchard_farm_middle_school/activities___athletics for Middle School activities.
Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts
Scouting involves experiencing adventure, leadership and personal growth. These are diverse and inclusive organizations.
Cub Scout troop information and details can be found at https://stlbsa.org/join-now/.
Girl Scout troop information can be viewed at https://www.girlscoutsem.org.
That’s a wrap of some of the after-school activities and programs in the 370 Valley area! There are many diverse opportunities to get involved in the community through art, music, sports and more!
About the author contributor
Susan Marie Blakey Urrutia is the founder of Bilinguaje, Creative and International Language Boutique. Susan Marie earned her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Bachelor of Journalism in Strategic Communications from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She studied for a semester at the Universidad de Alicante in Spain and then earned her MBA as a Rotary Scholar at the Universidad de Alcalá in Madrid, Spain. She has experience teaching Spanish as well as tutoring English. She also interprets and translates Spanish and English. Susan enjoys copywriting and creative strategy. Bilinguaje enjoys helping people reach goals with learning the Spanish language and helping businesses with creative communications!