The November/December 2016 Issue Of New York Family

nyf_1216_c1 — Photo by Erica Berger Photography. Latham Thomas wears an Alexander McQueen dress from Neiman Marcus Paramus, a Satya Twena hat, and Stephanie Kantis earrings. DJ Fulano wears a Ralph Lauren Kids shirt, jacket, and jeans, and his own brooch.

FEATURES

In The Glow: Wellness maven and noted doula Latham Thomas fuels her success with purpose, passion, and holistic values—all while raising the coolest kid in NYC

Party Lines: Our favorite birthday party themes and venues promise to deliver tons of fun for kids of all ages

The Spirit Of The Season: Four worthy local charities showcase the joy and necessity of giving back

Learning Curve: Top NYC schools talk about this year’s biggest educational trends

Teaching Differently: Evidence-based instruction opens doors for students with special needs

Making A Mitzvah: From flashy fun to traditional elegance, our top picks for where to host your bar or bat mitzvah celebration are sure to delight–plus, planning tips and a practical worksheet for your budget

FAMILY FUN GUIDE

15 Events For Winter: The New York Botanical Gardens’ Holiday Train Show, Circus der Sinne’s “Mother Africa,” and more

Home For The Holidays: Our annual guide to New York City’s best holiday happenings—tree lightings, Santa sightings, ice skating, and more

GIFT GUIDE

The Nice List: Our guide to the holiday season’s most unique, educational, and fun toys for all ages

All That Glitters: Delight the deserving parents in your life with gifts that surprise, sparkle, and inspire

HOME & AWAY

Quality Time: Celebrate the holidays in the sweetest way with a cozy DIY hot cocoa bar that’s as fun to set up as it is to enjoy

Real Estate: Part II of our guide to NYC’s most impressive new residential buildings

COLUMNS

Editor’s Note: Winter wonders

Events & Offers: Our upcoming Camp Fairs, Winter’s Eve at Lincoln Square, and two big holiday giveaways (Rockettes tickets and tickets to “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical”

Scoop: A Martha Stewart-approved meal-kit delivery box, the coolest local kids’ clothing line, a great babysitting app, a hip children’s book, and a new science facility

Spotlight: Gymnastics: Inspired by the #FinalFive at last summer’s Olympics, we asked young gymnasts from popular local programs to showcase their favorite skills

Parent In Profile: Darcy Miller’s Celebrate Everything aims to inspire, delight, and show families how they can DIT (Do It Together)

Good Idea: With his Grammy-winning original songs and a hit kids’ TV show, Tim Kubart steps into the “kindie” music spotlight

Special Place: Creative Play for Kids offers a dynamic developmental program for growing minds

Education: Insider tips for choosing the best boarding or country day school for your child

Wellness: When your child shows signs of a food allergy, don’t panic—get educated

Last Word: A mother delights in watching her introverted son find a like-minded best friend

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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!"

New York Society of Play Summer Camp and Classes

Summer Game Camp There are many who do not feel safe sending their children back out into the world with summer camp, this year. To serve those parents and keep the children connected and stimulated during this challenging time, we are offering NYSP Digital Summer Camp. The name of the game with NYSP Summer Camp is community. We have made a large effort to make our camp feel like a living space, with features including &ndash; - Role-Playing games familiar and new, led by our master storytellers! - Enriching electives such as Chess, World Building, Character Acting, Crafts, Drawing, and more! - Discussion and media screening rooms during lunch! - A digital campus! - Moderated chat hours! &nbsp; Join us for a summer of games, friends, and more! Mon - Fri 10am - 2:30pm &nbsp; Roleplay Expeditions: Dungeons &amp; Dragons No experience is required to join one of our Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our game masters have pre-made character sheets, so you'll be able to start playing the game right away! We adapt the rules of traditional Dungeons &amp; Dragons to make them more approachable to children of various ages. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop!&nbsp; &nbsp; Public games meet once per week, with different groups every time. Private games meet 1 to 2 times per week with the same group of kids. Since the players and the storyteller in the group are consistent, this enables us to tell epic tales of adventure together! &nbsp; Dungeons &amp; Dragons Junior No experience is required to join one of our drop-in Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our Dungeons &amp; Dragons Jr. game provides a D&amp;D storytelling experience without character sheets. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop! A great way to introduce young children to D&amp;D so they can eventually move onto the main game.