New York Family’s November 2014 Issue

Features

Soul Sisters
“Girls” star and artist Jemima Kirke and renowned doula and musician Domino Kirke discuss motherhood, city living, and their creative career paths

Party City
There’s no place like NYC for a birthday fête to please any age or interest

Mitzvah Magic
From flashy fun to traditional elegance, our top picks for where to host your bar or bat mitzvah celebration are sure to delight

Education Trend Report
From changes in policy at the NYC Department of Education to technologies that are having an impact in how kids are educated to the rise of STEM and early language learning, there’s a lot of noteworthy education trends and news

Family Fun Guide

10 Great Events For November
“The Magic Flute” at New Victory, Canstruction, Gingerbread Lane at NYSci, and more

Home & Away

Quality Time
An ancient art comes together with modern style and plenty of fun activity options at Brooklyn’s Hiho Batik

Real Estate
A roundup of NYC’s most family-friendly new buildings and classic properties—with multi-bedroom units and amazing kids’ amenities

Columns

Editor’s Note
He for she & she for he

Events & Offers
Blackboard Awards nominations, the scoop on signing up for our newsletters, and an UPPAbaby travel system giveaway

Scoop
A cool cookbook for kids, a party supply resource, a new celeb-designed kids’ clothing line, adorable new baby gear, and science on wheels

Activity of the Month: Music
Picking up an instrument as a child can lead to a myriad of developmental and life-long benefits

Treats
Set the scene (and the table) for a fabulously festive Thanksgiving with our cornucopia of gifts

A Good Idea
Buoyed by his love of toys, local dad & journalist Jim Silver has created the ultimate shopping app—TTPM—for parents seeking reviews of all things play

Special Place
At Little Maestros, the City’s youngest musicians & dancers get their first taste of pop-rock & music education

The Last Word
A local mother of two reflects on nostalgia and shared experiences in parenting

The Little Gym of Bay Ridge- Bensonhurst

At The Little Gym of Bay Ridge-Bensonhurt, we specialize in unique, educational classes that revolve around active play. We give children a safe and inspiring space to direct their energy, build confidence, and develop key skills. Explore the range of classes we offer at The Little Gym of Bay Ridge-Bensonhurst to find the one that&rsquo;s just right for your child.&nbsp;

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

Looking for something to do with the kids in New York City that is fun, exciting, and educational? The Intrepid Museum offers family-friendly activities and programs all year long that keep children engaged, entertained, and curious about history and science. Fun rain or shine, the Museum offers both indoor and outdoor interactive exhibits and activities. With so many things to do and see, you&rsquo;ll never hear &ldquo;I&rsquo;m bored,&rdquo; when you climb aboard Intrepid. A non-profit, educational institution featuring the legendary aircraft carrier Intrepid, the space shuttle Enterprise, the world&rsquo;s fastest jets and a guided missile submarine.

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;