Things to Do in Rio Rancho

From owner/proprietor Paula Manning Lewis's harmonic interpretations of guitars to painterly creations by Caroline C. Blaker, Chroma Studios houses a bevy of local and cultural pieces. This month, the creative hub hones in on the works of New Mexico artists and celebrates its two-year anniversary. View a list of showcased artists here to get a feel for featured talents. Chroma's collection includes jewelry, ceramics, photography, and mixed media.

Let the children pad their stats instead of their pants at SportsMix, where a friendly lineup of instructors and referees turn hesitant halfbacks into blossoming fullbacks. The flag foraging begins with three weeks of practice, giving youngsters of all experience levels a shot at stardom and summer exercise. The remaining weeks fuel your child's football IQ by pairing comprehensive training with in-game action. Throughout the season, the players focus on between-the-huddle skills such as sportsmanship, teamwork, and the pure enjoyment of the game instead of pounding protein shakes blindfolded or throwing perfect spirals at birds.

Not Made in China Pottery Studio's seasoned potters mold minds with instructive, hands-on pottery classes. Stocked with all necessary clay, wheels, and tools to transform amorphous blobs into useful shapes—such as a jellyfish cage—the studio offers a host of practical classes. In approximately 2–2.5 hours, instructors help students develop techniques for creating one-of-a-kind bowls, sake pitchers, vases, and teacups during Tea for Two, The Sushi Date, or Ghost-inspired classes.

Marker-toting teams duck behind stacks of discarded tires as they evade their opponents on 007 Paintball's three varied paintball fields. On the 180'x100' hyperball and speedball courses, posses attempt to eliminate their opponents one by one as they juke around gray and black inflatable obstacles at breakneck speeds. The woodsball-scenario field spans 2 acres, populated by large wooden spools, plastic barrels, and discarded road signs, and hosts four action-packed games, including team elimination and center flag, in which players engage in rounds of ring around the rosy about the flag's pole.

Climbing at Stone Age is nothing like grappling the plywood-and-plastic climbing walls at a company picnic or showing Mom how you can reach the top of the telephone pole. Stone Age's walls are covered with state-of-the-awesome textures that mimic the conditions of real rocks (indentions, protrusions, overhangs, underhangs, cracks, and pissed-off eagles in their nests). Veteran climbers say rock climbing is like running a marathon, but the adrenaline rush comes in shorter, more intense bursts. Indoor climbing is a great way for someone to get started, or a perfect after-work and hail-, snow-, and meteor-shower-proof indoor alternative for experienced climbers who want continuous practice. It's also a great workout that builds up boulder shoulders and promontory pecs.

Latin tunes and hip-hop beats rumble through Salsa Baby's studio as footloose instructors lead students of all experience levels and ages through the twists and turns of fitness and social dances. Group salsa classes teach beginners the basics of leading and following, whereas sessions for intermediate movers dip into more complex and nuanced approaches, such as alternative timing or how to dance your way out of a bar fight. A quintet of instructors choreographs fun and challenging Zumba, salsa aerobic, and striptease workouts, and the onsite hip-hop troupe, Iron Bred Kidz, gets both funky and fresh while teaching the latest yard-stomping moves at schools and parties. Aside from group classes, Salsa Baby also hosts private lessons for myriad dance styles, such as the tango, waltz, and rumba.