Acting and Improv for Beginners
A low-pressure launchpad into acting and improv - games, scenes, and laughs with a possible performance of what you have worked on at the end of the semester.
↑ Back to scheduleCLASSES
Fall 2026 Class Schedule
Click a class to jump to its description below.
Tuesday
10:30
11:30
12:30 Lunch Time
1:00
Wednesday
10:30
11:30
12:30 Lunch Time
1:00
Thursday
10:30
1:00
Class Descriptions
Animal Crossing
A celebration of animals big and small - pets, service animals, rescue work, animal totems, animal-inspired art, and maybe a hands-on visit or nature center trip.
↑ Back to scheduleBeats Lab
Work in Soundtrap with an outside mentor, and supported by Ani, learning how to use the program to write, layer, and produce your own music.
↑ Back to scheduleBoffing
A rules-based foam-weapon combat sport - safety protocols, called shots, and structure games like capture the flag and castle sieges.
↑ Back to scheduleBoffing Jr (age 10 & under)
All the boffer battling of big-kid Boffing, sized right for younger kids.
↑ Back to scheduleChemistry and Microbiology
Real DIY chemistry and microbiology, backed by Matthew's actual science degrees - make things that fizz, pop, light up, grow, and sometimes taste good, building new skills week to week toward bigger experiments.
↑ Back to scheduleClay Projects
Structured pottery time focused on a specific project - hands-on shaping with a clear goal each week.
↑ Back to scheduleCooking & Baking for Wildflowers/Meadows
A hands-on cooking class for our younger learners, led by Jr. Facilitator Eli. Kids learn by making simple, delicious foods together while practicing kitchen skills.
↑ Back to scheduleCooking and Baking
Each week brings a new recipe, a new skill, and something delicious to eat in class.
↑ Back to scheduleCostume and Cosplay
A dedicated time and space to create costumes and cosplay pieces - bring your project or idea and dig in. Just in time for Halloween creations.
↑ Back to scheduleCrew for Theatre
Build the show from behind the scenes. Design costumes, props, sound, and sets, and/or run the day-of as stage crew and stage manager.
↑ Back to scheduleCulture Drop
Weekly guided conversations for teens on current events, pop culture, gaming, and digital content - a safe space to talk openly.
↑ Back to scheduleDIY Spa
A committed, month-long cycle exploring self-care traditions from a different culture each month - learn, craft, then throw open a Zig-Zag spa experience for the whole school inspired by what you discovered.
↑ Back to scheduleDnD Campaign
An ongoing Dungeons & Dragons campaign - build your character, join the party, and pick up the story where it left off each week.
↑ Back to scheduleDnD Campaign
A second ongoing D&D campaign - new party, new quest, same epic storytelling and dice-rolling drama.
↑ Back to scheduleDnD World-Building & Creative Writing
For aspiring Dungeon Masters and writers alike - learn to build worlds, craft lore, and design campaigns of your own.
↑ Back to scheduleEarth Explorers
Child-led, inquiry-based nature exploration - wonder questions, nature journaling, loose-parts building, and badges to earn as you become an expert on the world around ZigZag.
↑ Back to scheduleField Games
Capture the flag, volleyball, football, perpetual tag, and a few new games that mix ages and friend groups.
↑ Back to scheduleFilm
A '4 Rooms'-style filmmaking class - individuals write, direct, and cast their own short films, then collaborate to weave them into one collective movie.
↑ Back to scheduleFinance 101
A practical crash course in adulting - budgeting, insurance, credit, mortgages, and the everyday money skills that make real life easier.
↑ Back to scheduleGoals & Mentoring
A semester-long mentoring track for our teens and preteens - weekly group check-ins plus biweekly 1-on-1s with Anne, working backward from big goals to this week's next step.
↑ Back to scheduleGraphic Novels
A class exploring graphic novels like Pizza Witch for inspiration - character design, panel layouts, and building pages of your own.
↑ Back to scheduleGroup Games
Play classic and new group games in the field, from team challenges and running games to parachute games and more.
↑ Back to scheduleHistory Chats
You pick the topic - whatever sparks your curiosity - and each week Betsy researches it and brings the story to life.
↑ Back to scheduleInvitation to Play
A weekly invitation to imaginative play, with a new pretend-play setup each week. Kids might run a grocery store, set up a post office, play restaurant, create a vet clinic, or explore other real-world scenarios through play. The setup changes each week so there’s always something new to imagine, create, and explore together.
↑ Back to scheduleJiu-Jitsu
Join Coach Tikva to explore the fundamentals of Jiu Jitsu! Students will learn about balance, movement, leverage, and body awareness through positional drills, experimentation, and games.
↑ Back to scheduleJr. Facilitation Mentoring
A weekly check-in for Jr. Facilitators who have completed their initial training to talk about how things are going, reflect on their experiences, and work through any challenges. We’ll also continue building facilitation skills and support you as you grow into your role.
↑ Back to scheduleJr. Facilitation Training
Step into a leadership role as a Jr. Facilitator - peer mediation, restorative circles, NVC, and hands-on practice supporting the community.
↑ Back to scheduleKid Cafe
Design a theme, plan the menu, and host a monthly kid-run café - including a special theme each month celebrating ZigZag birthdays.
↑ Back to scheduleLocker Painting
Give your locker a creative makeover. Paint, decorate, and personalize your locker with your own designs.
↑ Back to scheduleMagic Maker
A cozy, ritual-filled space to create, connect, and belong - intention candles, friendship bracelets, and a little coven energy.
↑ Back to scheduleMakey Makey
A mini art-camp style class with a seasonal theme and a new technique to explore each week - more about your own creative process than the finished piece.
↑ Back to scheduleMoney Math
An 8-week, real-cash math class for younger kids - each week tackles one skill (counting, making change, division, budgeting) with store days to practice it hands-on.
↑ Back to scheduleMystery Science
Designed for the wildflower and meadows groups: a science class using the Mystery Science curriculum, where kids explore fascinating questions about the world around them through short stories, videos, discussion, experiments, and hands-on investigations.
↑ Back to scheduleNewspaper
Collaborate on The ZigZag Times - interviews, opinion pieces, reporting, and photos, published once a month; drop in when you can.
↑ Back to scheduleOpen Pond Time
An open time to play, explore, hang out, and enjoy the pond space.
↑ Back to scheduleOpen-Ended Pottery
Get your hands messy and your creativity flowing - free-form pottery time on the wheel to shape clay into bowls, cups, and more.
↑ Back to schedulePIP (Personal Interest Project)
Use this time to work on something you’re genuinely interested in, whether that’s a personal project, creative idea, skill you want to develop, or something you’ve been curious to explore. Facilitators are available to help you make a plan, find resources, set goals, and keep your project moving forward.
↑ Back to schedulePond Restoration
Work with Matthew to restore ZigZag’s ponds by clearing the spring, getting water flowing again, and removing algae and overgrowth. We’ll get our hands dirty while learning about the pond ecosystem and working together to bring the ponds back to pre-Helene beauty.
↑ Back to scheduleRAD Market Making
Prep for ZigZag's monthly partner farmers market - design and craft goods, with the option to actually sell them at the market.
↑ Back to scheduleSensory Fun
Get hands-on with fun sensory materials as we make things like slime, cloud dough, and other squishy, stretchy, and messy creations.
↑ Back to scheduleSilks
A relaxed class to explore the aerial silks however you like - play, practice your moves, or just enjoy nesting in the fabric.
↑ Back to scheduleSongwriting
A songwriting workshop where you share works-in-progress and collaborate with others - building toward recording some original ZigZag songs by semester's end.
↑ Back to scheduleStats
Ever wondered what's the most popular game, or whether ZigZag teens are taller than average? Ask your own question, then collect, graph, and interpret real data to answer it.
↑ Back to scheduleStitch and Sketch
Fiber arts projects brought in by Lora, or bring your own personal art project to work on alongside the group.
↑ Back to scheduleTED Talks
A public-speaking class built on TED-Ed's Student Talks program - watch and discuss Ted talks, then develop your own big idea into one, building toward a live showcase.
↑ Back to scheduleTheatre
Rehearsing She Kills Monsters - scenes, movement, and collaborative storytelling building toward performance at the Wortham.
↑ Back to scheduleWhittling
Learn the basics of whittling and safely use hand tools to turn pieces of wood into useful and creative objects. Projects may include wooden spoons, spatulas, and other simple carved tools and creations.
↑ Back to scheduleWildflower Storytime & Snack
Story, snack, and cozy togetherness for our Meadow-level friends - a gentle midday pause built just for them.
↑ Back to scheduleYoga
A yoga class for relaxation and wellness - a little self-care built into the day.
↑ Back to scheduleZigZag Cup Soccer
Teams of three will compete head-to-head in bracket-style soccer matches. Each match will be shorter rather than a full 90-minute game, keeping the competition fast-paced and fun.
↑ Back to schedule