New & Notable Fall Classes

Every season brings some exciting additions to the landscape of children’s enrichments and activities in the city. Here’s the latest:

Asphalt Green: After years of planning and expectation, Asphalt Green has opened up its second major facility in the city. Based in Battery Park City, the new location offers their trademark menu of classes for kids in swimming, sports, fitness, cultural arts and more. asphaltgreen.org

BookNook: Within their comfortable and welcoming ambiance, this early childhood literacy enrichment program offers classes in everything related to literacy, from reading and phonics to handwriting and kindergarten readiness. booknook.nyc.com

Fastbreak Sports: The popular children’s sports program (primarily focused on basketball and flag football) opens its first home, transforming an old movie theater into gorgeous facility that will offers classes for little kids and serious training and coaching for older athletics. (See story here.) fastbreakkids.com

Fukasa Kai: Weekday afterschool children’s martial arts classes are held at the World Yoga Center on the Upper West Side. Classes are taught in the context of a non-competitive, supportive and safe environment, and there are offering of specialized classes for children with physical and cognitive challenges (including autism and cerebral palsy). In contrast with contemporary martial arts training, the traditional Asian martial arts are taught and structured within a framework of discipline, some benefits of which are: conscience building, increased self-esteem, and increased sense of inner peace. fukasakai.com

Kidville: Kidville has plans to bring their big popular menu of classes and birthday parties for little kids to three new sites this year, in the Financial District, Tribeca/Soho, and Williamsburg. (See profile here.) kidville.com

Let’s Gogh Art: The new mobile art program for kids 18 months to 5 years brings a variety of art-based education and enrichment programs—not to mention birthday parties—to schools, daycare centers, private homes, parks, and stores around the city. nyletsgoghart.com

New York Kids Club: They’re on a roll. The children’s activity and enrichment centers opened new locations in Tribeca a few months ago and in Park Slope in August; a new site in Williamsburg is scheduled to opening in January of 2014 and a Long Island City location will follow in September 2014. nykidsclub.com

Prenatal Yoga Center: Starting in September, the Prenatal Yoga Center will be offering their beloved prenatal classes at a new satellite location, the Jennifer Brilliant Yoga Studio, in Brooklyn’s Park Slope neighborhood. prenatalyogacenter.com

92Y: This fall marks the inauguration of 92Y’s new, state-of-the art Gymnastics Studio in the Sky. Skylights in the expansive new studio provide an open, airy atmosphere for a new slate of gymnastics programming for kids of all ages, whether they’re beginners or aspiring gymnasts. There are also programs for children with special needs. 92Y.org

For our guide to the best Fall 2013 classes, click here.

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;

Chickenshed NYC

Chickenshed is an inclusive theatre company that began in the UK in 1974. Chickenshed NYC is a young organization bringing that same ethos and unique methodology to the USA. Chickenshed&rsquo;s mission is to create entertaining and outstanding theatre that celebrates diversity and inspires positive change. Chickenshed's model of Inclusive Theatre is based in the belief that everyone can flourish when everyone is included. At Chickenshed everyone is welcome, everyone is valued, and together we produce remarkable theatre. We want to break down barriers between people to create a world without labels and where differences no longer divide. At Chickenshed, support is given to those who need it, and given by those who can . We believe that creative activities, self-expression and performance should be available to anyone who has the desire, no matter their background or circumstances. We know that when everyone has the opportunity to shine, amazing things happen. Chickenshed NYC provides programming for little ones, children and youth through semester-long activities and performances.

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;