Events: Top Kid-Friendly Activities For The Week

See the new Thomas the Tank Engine balloon during Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade this Thursday. Photo via social.macys.com — See the new Thomas the Tank Engine balloon during Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this Thursday. Photo via social.macys.com

It’s that time of year again! This week marks the start of the holiday season and we found a plethora of holiday events that are perfect for festive families. From Turkey Day traditions to a Russian Nutcracker performance, all ages can celebrate this most wonderful time of the year in the city. Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!

Wednesday, November 26-Thursday, November 27

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Balloon Inflation & Parade
Upper West Side, near the American Museum of Natural History
Inflation: Wed.: 3pm-10pm; Parade: Thurs: 9am-12pm
Once again, the biggest and best Thanksgiving parade is set to take the streets of Manhattan! Now’s your chance to see the 88th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade live. This year’s new balloons include Eruptor from Skylanders, Thomas the Tank Engine, Red Power Ranger, and Paddington Bear. There will also be musical performances by Renee Fleming, Nick Jonas, KISS, The Madden Brothers, Idina Menzel, and many more. Want to see the balloons without the hassle of navigating the crowds? On Wednesday afternoon, gather near the American Museum of Natural History (79th Street and Columbus Avenue) to watch them inflate. For our parade viewing tips, click here.

Beginning Friday, November 28

Macy’s Santaland
Macy’s Herald Square
Various times
Jolly St. Nick will begin his stint at Macy’s Herald Square store this Friday. All ages can ride up to the 8th floor and enter Santaland, where Santa will be present to hear Christmas wish lists and take photos. Through Wednesday, December 24. Photo packages start at $19.99.

Saturday, November 29

Party with Santa
Historic Richmond Town, Staten Island
12pm-3pm
Party it up with Santa this Saturday on Staten Island! Visit Historic Richmond Town for face painting, arts & crafts, games, sticker book giveaways, and photo ops with the big red man and his elves. Be sure to stick around for pizza, cupcakes, and other goodies. Admission is $15. Reservations are required. Ages 3 and up must be accompanied by an adult. No strollers allowed. This event will take place rain or shine.

Park Slope Holiday Tree Lighting
Corner of 5th Avenue & 3rd Street, Brooklyn
6:30pm
Join Brooklyn’s Park Slope community for a holiday tree lighting ceremony. Families with children of all ages can partake in hands-on activities with NY Kids Club, watch puppet performances by Puppetry Arts, listen to live music by Amy Miles, visit with Santa and Frosty the Snowman, and more. Plus, feast on hot chocolate, cookies, marshmallows, popcorn, and Belgian mini-brownies. This event is free.

Sunday, November 30

Moscow Ballet: Great Russian Nutcracker
Hammerstein Ballroom
1pm & 5pm
This Sunday only, the Moscow Ballet will perform the Great Russian Nutcracker at Manhattan Center’s Hammerstein Ballroom. Tchaikovsky’s full-length score provides the backdrop to this stunning ballet. Audiences will delight in a Christmas tree that grows before their eyes and 10-ft tall puppets that dance! This version of the classic Christmas ballet is sure to be a new favorite with children of all ages. Tickets start at $30.50.

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: info@thatsmandarin.com&nbsp; &nbsp; Phone: +86 10 8448 9799&nbsp;

The Ailey School – First Steps and Bounding Boys

<blockquote style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;"> <div dir="ltr"> <div class="m_-3740164643787738207m_4977048992707393770WordSection1"> At The Ailey School, FIRST STEPS offers a structured creative movement curriculum that allows girls (ages 3-6) and boys (age 3), to develop body awareness and control and learn the basics of dance technique. BOUNDING BOYS (ages 4-6) provides a more athletic experience, and an energetic approach to teaching dance skills. </div> </div> </blockquote>

Asphalt Green

Asphalt Green&rsquo;s high-quality sports programs start at 4 months old. Two beautiful facilities in vibrant Manhattan neighborhoods provide the optimal space for children to learn the fundamentals, play for leisure, or compete at the highest level. As the leading sports and fitness facility in Manhattan, Asphalt Green&rsquo;s never-before- seen training methods focus on improving your mental and physical game. Whether participating in swim, soccer, flag football, martial arts, basketball, baseball, tennis, or volleyball, coaches instill values that set athletes up for success in life and bring out their full potential in sports.