Tag Archives: classes

At Private Picassos, art is about so much more than making something beautiful—it’s about exploring, experimenting, and building confidence along the way. Through engaging art classes, camps, parties, and hands-on creative experiences, students of all ages are encouraged to think creatively, solve problems, express themselves, and discover their own artistic voice. With experienced art educators guiding the process, Private Picassos creates a space where mistakes are welcome, messes are part of the fun, and every student can experience the joy—and lifelong benefits—of being an artist.

Private Picassos offers art experiences designed to grow with your child. Here are three favorite ways for young artists to get creative, build confidence, and explore their imaginations—after school, at home, or alongside a grownup.

After School Art Club
Give your child a creative place to land after school! Our After School Art Club combines school pickup, extended-day care, and lots of hands-on art making in one fun, welcoming program. Kids ages 5–10 explore a new theme each month—from clay and printmaking to comics, jewelry, and art from around the world—while developing their own ideas and experimenting with different materials. With school pickup from PS 9, PS 11, PS 20, and PS 56, plus optional extended care until 6pm, it’s an easy, enriching option for busy families.

Toddler Art Class
Little artists, big imaginations! Our Toddler Art classes are designed for curious young creators to explore art through playful, age-appropriate projects and sensory experiences. Kids experiment with paint, clay, collage, drawing, and more while building confidence, practicing fine motor skills, and discovering the joy of making something all their own. Classes are relaxed, engaging, and designed to let toddlers create, explore, and get a little messy along the way—with a grownup nearby to cheer them on.

In-Home Art Classes
Bring the art studio to your doorstep! Our private in-home art classes give kids the chance to explore their creativity with personalized instruction in the comfort of home. Each lesson is tailored to your child’s interests, age, and experience, with projects ranging from painting and drawing to mixed media, sculpture, and more. Perfect for one-on-one lessons, siblings, or small groups, these classes make it easy to fit creative time into your family’s schedule while giving young artists plenty of room to experiment and grow.

At Bell Family Company, we know that childcare can be about more than just filling the hours in a busy family schedule. Enrichment activities can give children opportunities to explore their interests, try something new, and build confidence along the way.

Older kids painting at the palette at Private Picassos’ studio

Looking to hire a babysitter or nanny for your family? Do you have friends that you want to refer who love children and want to be a sitter or nanny? Learn why Bell Family is the best childcare agency in the business, with childcare providers available across the U.S. (on-demand service available in the Tri-state & Dallas areas). Contact us today!

Bell Family Company

Bell Family Company Offering Virtual Sitters

March 31, 2020 bellfamilycompany

Due to COVID-19, Bell Family has launched Virtual Sitters to provide childcare relief to families across America.

To book a Virtual Sitter, simply click here and fill in the form. We will then coordinate everything and get you booked!

Our Virtual Sitters can:

Teach improv (read a play, act out scenes, etc.).
Bake together (you provide the ingredients, the Virtual Sitter will guide the junior chef).
Teach/practice another language (Spanish, French & more).
Learn or practice playing an instrument.
Tutor or help guide with homework and online lessons.
Do yoga, ballet or another movement activity.
Host a virtual book club or dance party.
Organize family photos, process paperwork, complete online grocery orders, etc.

“This is unbelievably genius. A must for parent survival right now!”
Mom of 2, West Coast

Bell Family Virtual Sitter teaching session

“It worked great! I got the whole kitchen cleaned and ate food sitting down!”
Mom of 3, Midwest

We hope that you will support this small business during this difficult time, and book a Virtual Sitter for an hour or two to help with the kids. Virtual Sitter rates are $23 per hour for 1 child, and $25 for 2 children (for 3+ children please inquire about rates). The booking minimum is one hour, but the hour can be split into 30-minute sessions (i.e., 30-min morning session and 30-min afternoon session the same day). Check out this video for a short clip of a Virtual Sitter doing a teaching lesson with a child.

Health

A Party with a Purpose

October 5, 2017 lindsay-bell

Drownings are the leading cause of death for children under four. What can help reduce this stat? Learning CPR.
Learning CPR is an easy activity that moms everywhere should partake in. There are a number of ways and locations where you can sign-up to learn CPR. Here are a few:
1. Online: if there is no location near you, become CPR certified through an online class.
2. American Red Cross: choose a location, select a class category, and then search for classes near you. They even have a class called Babysitting and Childcare.
3. Local Fire Department: for those living in NYC, FDNY offers free compressions-only CPR classes as part of its ongoing Free CPR Initiative.
What if there was one more way to learn CPR, and it was by having a party. Would you sign-up to learn?
CPR parties have been growing in apartments and homes everywhere. Imagine inviting other moms and friends to your home, along with a certified CPR trainer, and learning CPR right in your living room. That’s the exact idea of CPR parties – learning the life-saving skills of CPR and water safety education in a fast, fun and free environment.
To learn more about CPRParty™, visit their website and checkout their feature from Good Morning America!

Written by our Marketing & Social Media Consultant, Taylor Bell

Activities

KidPass – One Pass to Amazing Activities

September 21, 2017 lindsay-bell

We recently teamed up with KidPass to learn more about the thousands of activities they offer to kids throughout the New York area. Read our Q&A below to see how one pass can unlock a new world of fun for your little one(s). A special discount offer for Bell Family may even be in store, too!
Q: What are some examples of the variety of activities offered by KidPass? Are the activities for children of all ages?
A: Have you ever found yourself with a restless child and lots of time to fill? KidPass to the rescue! KidPass can get your child into 5,000 places to play in New York City like Kidville, Gymboree, NY Kids Club, 92Y, lots of swimming pools, all kinds of classes, and tons of open play spaces throughout NYC. If you can dream it, KidPass can take your kids there, and we have activities for newborns, toddlers, and kids up to age 17.
Q: What are the different plans you offer those looking to join, and how do the plans work?
A: Most of our parents choose the KidPass Basic Plan. For $49 a month, you get 10 credits to use on activities of your choice. Search by date and neighborhood, find an activity you like, and book it on our site. Your spot will be waiting for you when you arrive. If you ever want more credits, we’ve got a Family plan and a Power plan too.
Q: Many families have busy schedules and require flexibility. How flexible are the memberships and class schedules? Is there a fee for cancellations?
A: Oh we know how it is! We are all parents at KidPass and we know that plans can change quickly. If you make a reservation with KidPass and need to cancel it, your safest bet is to cancel it 24 hours in advance. And if you ever want to cancel your KidPass membership, there are no penalties for pausing or cancelling your account.
Q: How does a family or childcare provider get started?
A: We’re inviting all our friends from Bell Family to try KidPass for free for one month! Use this link and the discount will be applied at checkout. Come play with us soon!

Written by our Marketing & Social Media Consultant, Taylor Bell

Uncategorized

Holiday Camps for Kids

December 15, 2016 lindsay-bell

Looking for some fun activities for the lil’ ones this winter break? Kidz Central Station is offering some great classes to keep them active and your hands free!

From December 19th-30th, you can check out these classes:

1. Holiday Camp Snowflakes
Age: 3-4 years
Time: Weekdays 9am-Noon or 12:30pm-3:30pm
Cost: $15-$75

2. Holiday Camp Full Day (Peppermints)
Age: 4-5 years
Time: Weekdays 9am-3pm
Cost: $15-$125

3. Holiday Camp Full Day (Gingerbreads)
Age: 5-8 years
Time: Weekdays 9am-3pm
Cost: $15-$125

4. Holiday Cookie Wars
Age: 4-8 years or 9-13 years
Time: Weekdays 9am-Noon or 1pm-4pm
Cost: $100+

For the full list of semester holiday classes and additional event details, click here!

Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell

Uncategorized

Meet Songs for Seeds!

September 23, 2016 lindsay-bell

Songs for Seeds introduces an interactive class that encourages children (newborn to 6 years old) to sing, dance, and play along with a live, three-piece band. After being named “Best Kids’ Music Class” by New York Magazine and “Most Magical Music Class” by Red Tricycle, it’s no wonder everyone is wanting to know more about Songs for Seeds. We sat down with them for a short Q&A to learn all about their offerings. Read below, and sign your little one up for a class today!

1. What can a child and their parent(s) expect to takeaway from one of your 45-minute classes?
The biggest takeaway from our class is that it is really awesome to learn through play! Without even realizing it, the children walk away signing songs that reinforce colors, shapes, numbers, animals ad all they know is that they just had a good time! The parents walking away having just been able to enjoy themselves and their children is a relaxed, stimulating area.

2. How involved are the child’s parent(s) in each of the classes? Are they actively participating or just looking on from the sidelines? Parents/Caregivers are encouraged to participate throughout the entire class, however, it is their choice to be involved as little or as much as they want to be and feel their child wants them to be. All of the clapping, playing, dancing and questions-answer activities are designed to include a child and their adult.

3. You also make your services available for birthday parties and events. What do you provide for such events and how would someone go about hiring you?
Although we are not able to bring our roadie box (classroom setup) with us for parties or events, we do create an interactive concert. Using a lot of the songs/activities from class, we are able to engage them children with instruments, scarves, magic and of course, play! A quick inquiry e-mail to [email protected] OR a phone call (646-820-9916) is all it will take the get the conversation going and book your party or event.

4. For the moms and dads wanting to sign their little one up for a class, how do they get started?
Head to our website! You can find all schedules, classes, and pricing information directly on our site. You can also call me, Courtney Fischer-Karasin, directly 646-820-9916. We are so excited to share this AMAZING program with all of the little seedlings of Fairfield County!

Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell

Uncategorized

Wee Ones Club to the Rescue

September 20, 2016 lindsay-bell

Have an infant and already worrying about being cooped up in your apartment all winter log?

If you live near Midtown East, sign up for a trial at Wee Ones, and hop into their Turtles and Tadpoles class!

It’s a quaint, clean space with what seems like very happy teachers. My son and I went on a trial pass and it was a great experience! My son is 5 months and was the youngest baby in the room. The class is for 4 to 14-month-olds, which is quite a large span. The class started with introductions followed by “tumbling” time; one baby at a time participated, while the others sat and watched. After this, there were sing-alongs, a short playtime, a puppet show of sorts, and a very colorful parachute ending.

This is their youngest class offering designed to introduce and develop skills for children who are not yet walking. Curriculum is carefully designed to explore all developmental domains of our youngest members and includes music, gentle movement, basic sign language, tumbling, parachute, and bubbles. Class structure supports language, social emotional, physical and cognitive development.

The trial was $15, and you can sign up for a semester class which comes out to approimately $50 per class at 50 minutes per session.

I found the class on Kid Central Station. It was easy to find and easy to book!

Written by our Founder & CEO, Lindsay Bell

Uncategorized

New Kids on the Block: CityTot

February 27, 2015 lindsay-bell

CityTot is a new resource on early childhood classes and learning for NYC parents of young children. It was started by two local moms who know how difficult it can be to navigate the who, what, when, where and why of kids’ classes in the city. CityTot launched in December 2014 to significant interest from both parents and class providers alike. They are focusing on providing research, supporting class reviews, and fostering relationships among parents with children between the ages of 0-5. The site’s target audience is prenatal through preschool, and they are developing to be a one-stop shop for all things early childhood education.

One of their coolest features is a search engine for age appropriate classes for your kids under 5 – only they have an in depth filter system that makes it super user friendly.

CityTot just hosted their official launch party last night, where guests mixed & mingled with parents and providers. We’re so excited to see this new company grow! Check them out!