New York Family’s August 2016 Issue

Cox--npWEAAycWg__ — Photo by Sarah Merians Photography. Denise Albert (left) wears an Erin by Erin Fetherson dress & Giuseppe Zanotti shoes from Neiman Marcus, Paramus, and bracelets by Alef Bet Jewelry; Melissa Musen Gerstein (right) wears a La Petite Robe Chiara Boni dress & Christian Louboutin shoes from Neiman Marcus, Paramus.

FEATURES

It’s A MOMS’ World
How Denise Albert and Melissa Musen Gerstein co-founded a media “mom-pire” built on candid conversation, parent-to-parent support, and a healthy dose of celebrity sparkle

See You In September (But Not So Fast)
Ten tips for savoring summer’s final days–plus, tips for family fun at popular summer destinations outside of the city

Planning & Perspective
Independent school officials and consultants offer advice on nursery and on-going admissions

Conversation Starters
Two local mothers engage in real talk about race and parenting

FAMILY FUN GUIDE

10 Great Events For August
Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day, Summer Streets, Cirque du Soleil’s “Toruk,” and more

BACK-TO-SCHOOL TREATS

Backpacks Are Back, Alright!
Our top backpack picks for every age, style, and sensibility

Pack To The Future
The coolest classroom essentials and school supplies for students of all ages

HOME & AWAY

Travel
Ten seasonal picks for family fun on Long Island’s North Fork

Quality Time
Make the most of your square footage with stylish and innovative solutions from Resource Furniture

COLUMNS

Editor’s Note
Parental Politics

Events & Offers
Big car seat giveaway, our new Sports e-newsletter, and the Blackboard Awards for Schools and Principals

Scoop
Baby gear from Rachel Zoe, French pastry classes for kids, a cool culture app, a new shopping resource, and science fun for girls

It’s My Party
Birthday celebrations at My Gym and Uno Chicago Grill, and with Simply Sports

Spotlight: Dance
Picking the right dance genre for your child–plus, where to dance in NYC

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Education
How a high school friendship sparked one writer’s passion for the Spanish language

Good Idea
NORY’s unique pay-as-you-go children’s classes offer innovation (and fun!) for NYC kids

Special Place
Through exploration and movement, MusiBambino fosters a lifelong love of music

Parent In Profile
As senior editorial director at POPSUGAR Moms, Rebecca Gruber helps foster one of the internet’s leading parenting communities

Starting Out
Digital baby journal Tinybeans helps parents celebrate and share the everyday moments

Last Word
One local mom prepares to have both her daughters at camp for the summer

Save

Play On! Studios

Play On! Studios offers theater day camps and after-school classes on the UWS that are guaranteed to give kids a summer full of acting, music, and fun they won't soon forget! Young actors will rehearse and perform in a full production, work with professional NYC actors/teaching artists, build up their skills in a nurturing, non-competitive environment and play lots of drama games! Creative Drama Camps are perfect for kids entering grades K-4. Campers will work each week to put on a brand-new show! Each session, they will receive a script, rehearse a production, make a set and costumes, and perform their play. Kids will also play drama games, play outside (weather permitting), and have tons of fun! Musical Theater Camps are aimed at kids entering grades 4-9. In Musical Theater Performance Camp, campers put on a complete musical production in a professional NYC theater! Campers will stretch their skills with drama exercises and games, vocal coaching, field trips, and building a professional set. Our incredible teaching artists and campers come together to put on a truly remarkable show! During the school year, classes are great for beginners or more experienced actors - sing, dance, and put on a play! Whether your child is just starting out, or ready for Broadway, we&rsquo;ve got the class for them. Classes are available for grades PreK-8, after school or on Saturdays! Come play with us. &nbsp;

The School at the Mark Morris Dance Center

The School at the Mark Morris Dance Center offers year-round, community-based dance and music programming in a fully inclusive and nurturing environment, located in the heart of the Brooklyn Cultural District. The School&rsquo;s diverse and professional faculty provides progressive and non-competitive instruction with all of our classes accompanied by live music. Though we are a non-recital school, there are opportunities for students to perform and for parents to see their dancers in action.

New York Society of Play Summer Camp and Classes

Summer Game Camp There are many who do not feel safe sending their children back out into the world with summer camp, this year. To serve those parents and keep the children connected and stimulated during this challenging time, we are offering NYSP Digital Summer Camp. The name of the game with NYSP Summer Camp is community. We have made a large effort to make our camp feel like a living space, with features including &ndash; - Role-Playing games familiar and new, led by our master storytellers! - Enriching electives such as Chess, World Building, Character Acting, Crafts, Drawing, and more! - Discussion and media screening rooms during lunch! - A digital campus! - Moderated chat hours! &nbsp; Join us for a summer of games, friends, and more! Mon - Fri 10am - 2:30pm &nbsp; Roleplay Expeditions: Dungeons &amp; Dragons No experience is required to join one of our Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our game masters have pre-made character sheets, so you'll be able to start playing the game right away! We adapt the rules of traditional Dungeons &amp; Dragons to make them more approachable to children of various ages. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop!&nbsp; &nbsp; Public games meet once per week, with different groups every time. Private games meet 1 to 2 times per week with the same group of kids. Since the players and the storyteller in the group are consistent, this enables us to tell epic tales of adventure together! &nbsp; Dungeons &amp; Dragons Junior No experience is required to join one of our drop-in Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our Dungeons &amp; Dragons Jr. game provides a D&amp;D storytelling experience without character sheets. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop! A great way to introduce young children to D&amp;D so they can eventually move onto the main game.