Youth sports is big business. Kids across Forsyth Country partake in a wide array of athletic leagues and activities year round. The young athletes do not stop just because the temperatures drop. Many gyms, training centers and athletic facilities are positioned as the perfect locations for getting out of the elements. Being able to tap into discounts on year-round sports seasons and training sessions at some of these facilities also makes it so that memberships to these spots certainly can make sense.

YMCA

There are upwards of 12 branches in the Northwest North Carolina YMCA community. Branches across the county are hotspots of daily activity.

All YMCA of Northwest North Carolina members have access to all locations and programs. With membership at one branch, you can enjoy full access and amenities at each of the 12 locations.

Be sure to find out more at: ymcanwnc.org

RISE Indoor Sports (riseindoorsports.com)

If you’re looking for a place for the family to play indoor sports, master athletic skills or improve health and fitness, you’ll find it all here at RISE. With more than 123,000 square feet of regulation courts, fields and amenities, they are dedicated to providing best-in-class health, wellness and performance year-round through:

• local programming for leagues, camps, clinics and sport-specific training
  • tournament competitions for teams throughout the US
  • family fitness for all ages
  • court rental and special events

Diamond Xtreme (teamdxt.com)

Diamond Xtreme in Kernersville (263 Gretas Way Court) is a new kid on the block of sports facilities. Diamond Xtreme turns the per-session arrangement for baseball training on its head and offers a monthly membership for patrons.

Diamond Xtreme Training (DXT) is a state of the art 28,000-square-foot baseball and softball indoor, year-round training facility. The facility offers a wide variety of services from individual instruction, baseball and softball hitting cages, performance sports training, equipment sales and glove repair.

A Sketch, a Tune

When the weather gets frigid, coming indoors to dive into artistic endeavors is another terrific pastime. Encouraging musical and artistic talents is key. There are myriad musical instruments on sale on Facebook marketplace and at local music stores. Art supplies are abundant at local craft stores, and YouTube has no shortage of draw-along lessons for young Picassos. Being able to watch along as instructors build a sketch into something life-like is a great way to build children’s artistic interests and arm them with an arsenal of techniques and styles.

Everybody, Jump!

The youthful collective is always up for a good bounce on a trampoline. Trampoline parks are now in a battle to outdo each other. There is a wide array of trampolines at any of these indoor parks, both semi-vertical and horizontal, even replete with basketball hoops for dunking. Games of dodge ball on these trampolines make for a spirited contest that keeps the kids hopping.

Urban Air Adventure Park (www.urbanair.com) at 200 Summit Square Boulevard in Winston-Salem is a local hotspot. You can purchase monthly memberships that can allow your young ones access anytime they desire. Urban Air has a Skyrider attraction that has kids strapped securely into a track across the expansive park’s ceiling and flying high. The usual games of jousting above foam pits and challenging ropes courses are here, but plenty more as well. Urban Air Adventure Park has been voted BEST Gym In America for Kids by Shape Magazine.

Interactive Learning

Kaleideum has two locations in Winston-Salem. Both Kaleideum North (400 West Hanes Mill Road) and Kaleideum downtown (390 South Liberty Street) are filled with tactile and informative exhibits for kids.

Kaleideum North – With more than 25,000 square feet of exhibits and a 17-acre science and environmental park, there is so much to do at Kaleideum North.

• View the night sky in the Planetarium.
• Meet and learn more about a resident animal during an animal encounter.
• Check out the curiosity cart,which sparks curiosity about arts and crafts, museum collections, storytime and more.
• Take part in a hands-on prism experience, part of Kaleideum’s engineering and innovation initiative.
• Explore a science concept and engage with our staff during Science Live!

Kaleideum Downtown is open on weekends at its current South Liberty Street location (Saturdays 10-5pm, Sundays 1-5pm), and its new home currently is being constructed. Extending five floors from ground to top and including a 13,000-square-foot rooftop playground, the building will stand on the former site of the Forsyth County sheriff’s office, which was recently torn down.

The intended opening date for the new facility is anticipated for early 2024! Kaleideum officials said the attraction will also be a link between the arts and cultural districts to the north and more historic and civic districts to the south. The museum will be the anchor of the southern end of Merschel Park, a downtown open space south of where Fourth and Trade streets intersect.