New York Family’s November 2013 Issue

nyf nov 13 Amanda Peet — Photo by Mark Abrahams / Trunk Archive

Amanda’s Second Act
After years on both the big and small screens, actress Amanda Peet has added a few more plum roles to her resume: mother of two, childhood vaccination advocate, and playwright

Lights! Camera! Celebration!
Our annual birthday party guide—inspired by some of our favorite kids’ movies—is your roadmap to the city’s best party venues—plus, plenty of fun themes, décor and game ideas, and tasty treats

Work It Out
Our career blogger Barri Waltcher helps at-home parents navigate their return to the workplace

Family Fun Guide

Ten Great Events For November
Power of Poison exhibit, Intrepid Museum’s Scout Day, “Ballerina Swan,” and more

Home & Away

Moms Of Real Estate: Part 2
In the second installment of our “Parents & Real Estate” series, four moms—and real estate power players—dish on neighborhood gems and making smart choices for family living

Travel
A wanderlustful winter destination guide to suit every family’s interests (and climate preferences)

Quality Time
Set your Thanksgiving table in style with our picks for seasonal décor, crafting, and baking

Columns

Editor’s Note
Giving thanks

Events & Offers
An Art Farm in the City semester class and membership giveaway, upcoming camp fairs, and the scoop on our weekly newsletters

Scoop
Julianne Moore’s new children’s book, a kids’ clothing store on the LES, the latest tech toy, and more

A Special Place
For 20 years, Eastside Westside Music Together has been helping parents and kids bond over the joys of singing and movement

Starting Out
Renowned parenting expert Priscilla Dunstan shares her insights on managing a crying baby and the importance of early infant-parent bonding

Special Needs
In Raising Henry, her book about parenting a child with Down syndrome, Columbia professor Rachel Adams examines the broader issues faced by families raising children with disabilities.

A Good Idea
No one has done more to help adoptive families and orphaned children around the world than local mom and “orphan doctor” Jane Aronson

Activity Of The Month: Music
A parent’s guide to helping their budding musician select a first instrument—with tips from local instructors and experts

Hot Trends
Get set for the winter sports season with our roundup of awesome city basketball programs

The Last Word
A local mom has visions of raising another baby as her teen nears the end of high school

That's Mandarin

That's Mandarin is one of the oldest Chinese language schools in China. With a unique approach to language learning and our own in-house teaching methodologies; we aim to be not only the most experienced, but also one of the best Mandarin schools in China! We focus on providing the smoothest service and the best teaching experience to all our students; no matter whether they are studying Chinese online with our innovative online language learning system or at one of our Chinese language schools in China. Founded in 2005, That&rsquo;s Mandarin has been delivering excellence in Chinese teaching for over 15 years to more than 30,000 students of different nationalities. We now have schools in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen with plans to open more locations in more cities soon.&nbsp; &nbsp; COURSE INFO&nbsp; Learn Chinese online and enjoy private online classes with our professional native Chinese teachers anytime, anywhere. Our Online Chinese Course is perfect for students abroad who want to learn Chinese remotely. Besides, online Chinese classes are also a great opportunity for those who don&rsquo;t have enough time to come to our Mandarin school. By using That&rsquo;s Mandarin special learning platform, you can have online Mandarin classes with our teachers anytime and anywhere.&nbsp; &nbsp; We Offer：&nbsp; &bull; Standard Chinese Course&nbsp; &bull; HSK Preparation Course&nbsp; &bull; Chinese Course for Kids&nbsp; &bull; Chinese Course for Corporate Clients&nbsp; &nbsp; All lessons are private Chinese classes with certified native Chinese teachers with 24/7 access to our online system.&nbsp; For every new student we offer a free trial lesson with us.&nbsp; &nbsp; Online Classes Content:&nbsp; &nbsp; REAL-LIFE PRACTICE&nbsp; &bull; Communication skills&nbsp; &bull; Speaking practice&nbsp; &bull; Real-life situations&nbsp; &bull; Modern Chinese expressions&nbsp; &nbsp; LANGUAGE LEARNING&nbsp; &bull; HSK Vocabulary&nbsp; &bull; Daily Vocabulary&nbsp; &bull; Useful Grammar&nbsp; &bull; Set Phrases&nbsp; &bull; Slang &amp; Idioms&nbsp; &nbsp; CULTURAL ELEMENTS&nbsp; &bull; Chinese culture&nbsp; &bull; Natural wonders&nbsp; &bull; Famous sights&nbsp; &bull; Festivals &amp; traditions&nbsp; &bull; Classic literature, opera &amp; art&nbsp; &nbsp; HEATED DISCUSSIONS&nbsp; &bull; Discovering interesting topics&nbsp; &bull; Discussing global topics&nbsp; &bull; Social phenomena&nbsp; &bull; Cultural differences&nbsp; &nbsp; How&nbsp;much?&nbsp; The price starts at $24. &nbsp; When?&nbsp; The schedule depends on your availability as the course is fully customized.&nbsp; &nbsp; Where?&nbsp; We use our in-house digital platform NihaoCafe to help you connect with your teacher, review class notes, and schedule classes.&nbsp; &bull; Online Chinese Class content and teacher&rsquo;s notes automatically get recorded into the system, so it&rsquo;s easy to review your classes&nbsp; &bull; There&rsquo;s a huge teaching resource database, so you can prepare for your future online Chinese classes in advance&nbsp; &bull; There is an online course arrangement system that manages your booked Chinese classes &ndash; to guarantee that wherever you are, you and your teachers can stay informed about the online Mandarin class schedule and changes&nbsp; &bull; Teachers can also add their own courseware including webpages, PowerPoint presentations, videos, etc. into the system anytime&nbsp; &nbsp; &bull; Our professional IT team is online 24 hours a day, ready to solve any unexpected issues&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; CONTACT: &nbsp; Website: https://www.thatsmandarin.com&nbsp; Email: [email protected]&nbsp; &nbsp; Phone: +86 10 8448 9799&nbsp;

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;

CK Kids

CK Kids offers various classes and programs, including Afterschool Program, Lil Chefs, Boys Hip-Hop, Ninja Starz, Lil Artists, CK Kids Athletic Programs, Acrobatics, Dance and Drama, and Karate.&nbsp;