Things to Do in Manorville

At Village Center for the Arts, director Sharon Kaufman and co-owner Jayson Roberts lead art classes that span the creative spectrum, layering in lessons that detail their respective specializations. Kaufman, a teacher for 19 years, uses the pottery wheel to shape most of her work, and Roberts excels in the art of wood building. To help maintain positive energy, the duo carefully selects teachers and staff members who can communicate artistic concepts in fun, engaging ways that don't require actual engagements or wedding DJ contracts.

The center's art classes, camps, and open studio hours put students in the same space as the painting and sculpting experts. And the studio itself—a large colonial house capped with a classical pediment—provides guests with the comforts of working in a home-like setting without home-like limitations of owning only one Bob Ross DVD or having plenty of face paint but only one grandmother.

Tumbling Tykes began as a dream of owner and mother Denise Pardo, who always wanted to create a safe environment for kids to play and learn. Today, her facility buzzes with the voices of sock-clad children who clamber across its indoor and outdoor playgrounds stocked with colorful posters, interactive toys, and stimulating play structures. All of these are designed to foster creativity and self-confidence, as well as promoting physical fitness and improving motor skills. Besides birthday parties and parent-supervised open-play sessions, the center also hosts camps and attentive instructors lead kid-friendly classes in art, music, and cooking.