Recess Expands Kids' Activities Marketplace to Dallas and Houston, Backed by More Than $4M in Venture Funding

The fast-growing startup partners with schools and leading kids' activity brands to help families book trusted camps, classes, and after-school programs.

DALLAS and HOUSTON, June 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Recess, the kids' activities marketplace helping families discover and book camps, classes, after-school programs, and enrichment activities, today announced its expansion into Dallas and Houston following a successful launch in Austin.

 Fueled by surging demand from parents, Recess is building on its Austin momentum and expanding into two of Texas's largest metro areas as families look for a faster, more trusted way to find and book camps, classes, and kids' programs. Founded by two moms who experienced firsthand how painful and fragmented summer camp booking can be, Recess first launched in Texas to solve one of the most common challenges in modern family life: helping parents find trusted activities that fit their child's interests, schedule, and needs.

Recess is backed by more than $4 million in venture funding from investors including Baukunst, Wave Capital, Swizzle Ventures, and Laura Modi, founder and CEO of Bobbie and a TIME Women of the Year. The company has partnered with Austin ISD and with schools in Dallas-area districts including Frisco ISD, McKinney ISD, Dallas ISD, and Richardson ISD, as well as schools in Houston-area districts including Cy-Fair ISD, Katy ISD, and Spring Branch ISD. Recess also works with leading children's activity brands and providers such as School of Rock, Snapology, IDEA Lab Kids, USA Ninja Challenge, and The Little Gym.

"We love Recess and saw a significant increase in camp registrations after joining the platform," said Allison Phillips, Owner of Austin Youth Fitness. "The Recess team is amazing, deeply connected to the local community, and genuinely wants to support both program partners and the families who use their service. Their partnership and support have been invaluable."

Recess also works with child development and parenting experts to help families make more informed enrichment decisions. Collaborators include experts such as Dr. Mona Amin, board-certified pediatrician and founder of PedsDocTalk, bringing trusted guidance to parents as they choose programs that support their children's growth and well-being.

"Every child deserves access to experiences that help them discover who they are and what they love," said Amy Kiska, co-founder and CEO of Recess. "But for parents, finding those opportunities is overwhelming, fragmented, and time-consuming. Recess makes it easier for families to access trusted programs and for high-quality activity providers to reach the families who need them. Expanding into Dallas and Houston is a major milestone as we build toward making kids' activities easier to discover and book nationwide."

The expansion comes as working families face growing demand for care and enrichment outside of school hours. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 66.3% of two-parent households with children had both parents employed in 2025. With U.S. public schools typically in session about 180 days per year, families navigate roughly 80 non-school weekdays annually, along with summer break, school holidays, early release days, after-school hours, and last-minute schedule gaps.

Through the Recess Giveback Program, participating schools and parent organizations can offer families a trusted way to discover and book camps, classes, and after-school programs while receiving a portion of proceeds from bookings. The program helps schools support busy families, connect parents with high-quality enrichment options, and generate funds for their communities.

"Parents are piecing together camps and after-school care across dozens of websites, calendars, emails, and spreadsheets," said Molly Morse, co-founder and COO of Recess. "We are building Recess to be the trusted starting point for families — a place where they can easily discover programs that fit their child's interests, schedule, and needs, while also helping bookings support local schools."

With summer break underway, Recess is launching in Dallas and Houston at a critical time for families searching for seasonal programs. The platform features options across art, dance, languages, music, outdoors, sports, STEM, tutoring, and more. As Recess expands across Texas, the company is building toward a larger vision: becoming the national destination for families to find the activities, camps, and classes that help children grow, explore, and thrive.

For FAQs, media assets, and additional information about Recess's Dallas and Houston expansion, visit Recess.

About Recess
Founded in 2024 by Amy Kiska and Molly Morse , Recess is building the go-to marketplace for kids' activities. The platform helps families discover and book high-quality camps, classes, after-school programs, and enrichment experiences in one trusted place, while helping activity providers, schools, and community partners better reach and serve families.

By combining local inventory, school calendar data, real-time availability, and family-first discovery tools, Recess is solving one of the most persistent pain points in modern family life: coordinating children's schedules outside of school.

Recess is currently live in Austin, Dallas, and Houston, with plans to expand nationwide.

SOURCE Recess