Picks Of The Week: December 19-25

With Hanukkah on the very
near horizon and Christmas just around the corner, the festive vibe in NYC just
went up ten notches! Whether you’re looking for last minute gifts, whipping up
gingerbread men (or ladies) or tidying up those (erm, dusty) corners—we hope you take a minute enjoy
the ones you love! Here’s a list to get you started. Happy Holidays from us at New York Family! —

Monday, December 19
Screening: Miracle on 34^th
Street
At Cobble Hill Cinemas
265 Court Street
4pm

“Big Movies For Little Kids” hosts a Christmas screening for the whole family.
This 1947 classic never tires!

Tuesday, December 20
Chanukah On Ice At Wollman Rink
Central Park South (59^th Street) And 6^th Avenue
6-9pm

Observe the first night of
Chanukah with a six-foot tall menorah (made of ice!). This skating party will
be decked out with kosher foods, like traditional Chanukah donuts, and the
groovy sounds of The Yeshiva Maccabeats.

Wednesday, December 21
Painting Studio At Children’s
Museum of the Arts
103 Charlton
St.
2-5pm

Kids 8 and up are invited
to paint the town their favorite color…or at least a blank canvas! Artist
Cecilia de Corral will be in the studio to guide the creative process.

ShirLaLa Chanukah Concert
At The 14^th
Street Y
344 East 14^th Street
6-6:45pm

Kiddos 6 and under will
love this concert led by Shira Klein. Human dreidel
spinning contest, anyone?

Thursday, December 22
A Christmas Carol, Oy! Hanukkah, Merry Kwanzaa
(Happy Ramadan) At ClockWorks
196 Columbia
Street, Brooklyn
7pm

More than 30 puppets are
featured in this adaptation of Dickens’ classic tale. Don’t miss the Czech,
English, Hebrew and Swahili a cappella!

Friday, December 23
The New York City Ballet
Presents George Balanchine’s The
Nutcracker At Lincoln Center
Columbus and 63^rd Street
2pm, 8pm

It’s not too late to get
your fix of sugar plums! Exquisite costumes and Tchaikovsky’s spellbinding
score will whisk away viewers of all ages.

Saturday, December 24
Hansel and Gretel At The Met Opera
70 Lincoln Center Plaza
6:30pm

Cap off your Christmas Eve
with Richard Jones’ English-language production of the Brothers Grimm fairy
tale. Recommended for children 7 and up.

Vintage Subway Rides On
The Sixth
Avenue Line

Between Queens Plaza and Second
Avenue,
you can hop on the F/M lines and ride a classic R1/9 car for the same toll. Nothing
like the holidays to make you crave nostalgia!

Sunday, December 25
Klez For Kids Family
Concert At The Museum At Eldridge Street
12 Eldridge
Street
1pm

Introduce the kids to a
little culture in this Eastern European Jewish concert. Clarinetist Greg Wall
will lead the way with singing, dancing and even a little Yiddish.

Presents To The Animals At The Queens Zoo
53-51 111th Street
1-3pm

Who says that animals can’t join in on the holiday fun, too? Watch as the Queens Zoo coyotes, pumas and bears receive festive treats. Arrive early to help decorate the boxes!

P.S. Family in town?
Nothing says “holidays” more than checking out a glitzed-up Christmas tree! Here’s our
list for our favorites around town.

Speakitaly NYC

SPEAKITALY NYC offers stimulating and entertaining lessons for children 0 to 16 years through a wide combination of activities based on the communicative approach anchored in the Common European Framework of Reference: active learning (group work, role plays, etc.) and practice exercises aimed to improve listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Kids will start speaking and using Italian in a very natural way.&nbsp; Small classes capped at 6 students to make sure each one gets the needed attention and facilitate learners' progress.&nbsp; Our method is driven by a didactic method that is the result of constant updates, professional certifications and more than 10 years of experience in working with non-native speakers from different native languages and levels of knowledge. Our aim is to develop a range of Italian language skills while improving accuracy that will enable the students and participants to interact without stress or feeling rushed. We want to help those in the community really embrace not only the true culture in Italy but the Italian culture within New York City&hellip; Who doesn&rsquo;t love what Italy represents in the kitchen, in history &amp; in the arts? Speakitaly wants to support multilingual families who want to learn a new language or pass along their ancestor&rsquo;s heritage and culture. Raffaella, the founder said: "We see language awareness and intercultural sensitivity as the milestones for an inclusive society. Italian, like all other languages, is an enrichment and a growth in every way. Vi aspettiamo!"

USC Gymnastics & Baseball Training Facility

We offer sports activities, after school programs, birthday parties &amp; private lessons for kids ages 3&ndash;13 years! Our gymnastics classes are a great way to keep your child active and healthy. We strive to empower and challenge children through the sport of gymnastics.

Instituto Cervantes

Children and teenagers learn to understand and express themselves in Spanish, while improving their communication skills through a dynamic immersion program taught by NATIVE TEACHERS that combines CLASSES, ARTISTIC WORKSHOPS and FUN ACTIVITIES! All of our high-qualified teachers are native Spanish speakers who adapt the structure of the class to the needs and levels of each group while conducting the classes entirely in Spanish. We offer both Spanish Summer Camps and Regular Courses for children along the year to foster language learning and multicultural understanding.