Your kid's brain is built by back-and-forth. A screen can't do back-and-forth.
Small, screen-free Friday classes — real play, a real person, and you in the room. The first five years don't come back. Don't hand them to a tablet.
12 Fridays · you + your little one · a few spots left this season
A tablet can keep your kid busy. It can't build their brain.
Your kid's brain will never be this ready to learn again. The first years wire it for language, focus, and connection — through real back-and-forth with a real person. A screen can't do back-and-forth. Here's what the science says:
Brains grow on back-and-forth.
Your baby coos, you coo back. That “serve and return” wires the brain for language and focus — and a screen never returns the serve.
— Harvard Center on the Developing ChildUnder 3, screens barely teach.
Researchers call it the “video deficit”: little kids learn far more from a live person than from the same thing on a screen.
— Developmental researchThe pediatricians are blunt.
Their guideline for the youngest kids is one line — no screens before 18 months.
— American Academy of PediatricsAnd it doesn’t stop at toddlers.
Neuroscientist Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath told a U.S. Senate committee in 2026: “When tech enters education, learning goes down.”
— U.S. Senate testimony, 2026We built Academy Lane to be the opposite of a screen — small, live, hands-on, and impossible to swipe away.
Find your kid's class.
Pick by age. Every class is a small, screen-free group at our Lake Highlands space — time, price, and spots up front.
Want to see every time and location? Browse the full catalog →
Real families. Real words.
“We look forward to it every Friday! It's a really calm environment for him to explore and also for me to meet other moms. Seeing him learn how to use his voice, and understanding what he's trying to communicate to me has been so amazing.”
“I have learned so many tools that I can use at home that are super helpful. Having dedicated time has really allowed me to give him my undivided attention, and the class has given me tangible reminders of ways I can teach while we are playing to unlock more communication!”
“I'm grateful for the practical tools and strategies I learned through Academy Lane, which have helped me better support my toddler's development and growth. I highly recommend the program to parents looking for guidance and resources during the early years.”
Your class is three steps away.
Pick your class
Find the class for your kid's age. Day, price, and spots left — all on this page.
Reserve your spot
Tell us about your kid and pay. Two minutes, start to finish.
Show up & play
Come every Friday. You'll leave with one small thing to try at home that week.
If it looks like play, it's working.
Kids learn best when it feels like play — and you learn best right there beside them. Every class is real play, with a guide showing you exactly what to look for.
It didn’t exist for our daughter. So we built it.
My wife is a cardiologist — 70-hour weeks. I run companies, and I’m on the road more than I’m home. When our daughter Charlotte was little, we worried about the thing every busy family worries about: who’s shaping her days? We didn’t want the answer to be a tablet.
So I went looking for something better — real, in-person, the kind of back-and-forth that actually helps a little kid grow. Everywhere I looked I found apps, screens, “learning” through a piece of glass. That was the opposite of what we wanted.
So we built it. I brought in a team of specialists in how young children learn and asked them to design a real curriculum — no screens, just a guide, a small group, and a parent or caregiver in the room. Charlotte loved it. We saw it in how she played, how she connected, how she lit up on class days.
It worked so well that I asked our team at Oaklin Lane to open it up — so other families could have what ours did. That’s how Academy Lane started. We hope your family gets as much from it as Charlotte got from ours.
The people who'll guide you.
Madison Hart
Five years helping young kids and their families find their words through play — patient, warm, and endlessly curious about how little ones learn.
Ashleigh Arredondo
Focused on play, movement, and the everyday routines that help kids build confidence and independence.
Before you reserve.
Do I stay in the class with my child?+
Yes — every minute. These are caregiver-and-me classes: you're in the room, learning the moves, so the progress keeps going at home all week.
What actually happens in a class?+
A small group of grown-ups and kids moving through songs, books, and play — each Friday built around one real skill. You leave with one simple thing to try at home.
Which class is right for my child's age?+
Pick by your kid's age — Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers each have their own class above. Not sure? Tell us your child's age when you reserve and we'll point you to the right one.
Where are you, and when do classes meet?+
Lake Highlands, Dallas — every Friday for three months. You pick your exact time when you reserve.
What does it cost?+
One price for all 12 Fridays, shown on every class above. What you see is what you pay.
Give your kid the real thing.
Small, screen-free Friday classes in Lake Highlands — with you in the room. Pick your class and reserve in about two minutes.
Reserve a spot →