10 Great Events For January 2015

Audubon Winter EcoCruise
Sundays beginning January 3 [All Ages] Climb aboard the Audubon Winter EcoCruise for a winter water adventure in the New York Harbor! Seek out peek-a-boo-playing harbor seals and learn about New York’s surprising bird diversity while spotting ducks, geese, loons, and sandpipers throughout the ride. The EcoCruise is a unique way to experience NYC’s winter ecosystems and create fun memories with the family. $25-35. Children 3 and under are free. Pier 16, South Street Seaport, 212-742-1969, nywatertaxi.com
El Museo Del Barrio's Three Kings Day Parade
January 6 [All Ages] Join in on the fun at the 38th annual Three Kings Day Parade! El Museo del Barrio will be hosting this vibrant celebration, which features live camels, bright puppets, parrandas, and dancing. It is not only a fun way to spend the day, but also a great opportunity to teach your children about the history and traditions behind this holiday. Free. Parade begins at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and ends at El Museo del Barrio, 212-831-7272, elmuseo.org
Disney on Ice: "Princesses & Heroes" at Nassau Coliseum
January 8-11 [All Ages] In case you missed Elsa and Anna’s “Frozen on Ice” appearance, they’re back for Disney On Ice’s “Princesses & Heroes” at the Nassau Coliseum. Follow eight Disney Princesses—Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Tiana, Jasmine, Aurora, and Snow White—along with Anna and Elsa on a journey to make their wildest dreams come true. You’ll witness high-flying jumps and acrobatics, beautiful ice skating techniques, and an incredible display of special effects—including a fire-breathing dragon! Tickets start at $15. Nassau Coliseum, 1255 Hampstead Turnpike, Uniondale, NY, 800-745-3000, disneyonice.com
Kids' Night on Broadway
January 9-15 [All Ages] Kids’ Night on Broadway (KNOB), presented by the Broadway League and the New York Times, has created the perfect set-up for the whole family to see a Broadway show at an affordable cost! Kids ages 6-18 are invited to see a Broadway show for free, accompanied by a full-paying adult. The KNOB tickets provide access to pre-show activities, restaurant and parking discounts, educational programs and more fun for the whole family! Participating shows include “Aladdin,” “Matilda,” and “Mamma Mia!” Ticket prices will vary per show. kidsnightonbroadway.com
Carnegie Kids: "Songs For Unusual Creatures"
January 11 [All Ages] Critters like blobfish, elephant shrews, and Chinese salamanders swim, scuttle, and hop while author and composer Michael Hearst takes the audience on an interactive journey through the animal kingdom. This Carnegie Kids concert features projected images and videos of the animals, while Hearst and his band compliment their movements on quirky instruments like the theremin, claviola, and stylophone. Free; reservations recommended. Carnegie Hall Resnick Education Wing, West 56th Street, east of 7th Avenue, 212-247-7800, carnegiehall.org
Wild Kratts Live
January 17-19 [All Ages] Join the real-life stars of PBS’ Emmy-nominated “Wild Kratts” in a theatrical animal adventure! Martin and Chris Kratt create an authentic on-stage Wild Kratts adventure, where they learn fun and interesting facts about the animals that they encounter while trying to save the day. $32-75. NYU Skirball Theater, 566 LaGuardia Place, 212-992-8484, nyuskirball.org
Martin Luther King Jr. Day at CMOM
January 19 [All Ages] Join CMOM for a day-long celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. Make your own children’s book honoring Dr. King and his wife, Coretta Scott King (5 and up); help create a mosaic of Dr. King’s portrait; and help CMOM and their Upper West Side neighbor Mugi Studio decorate fun and educational ceramic tiles to decorate CMOM’s partner outreach locations. Free with museum admission. Children’s Museum of Manhattan, Amsterdam Avenue and West 83rd Street, 212-721-1223, cmom.org
"Lionboy" at the New Victory Theater
Beginning January 23 [Ages 8+] Head over to the New Victory Theater to catch the Olivier Award-winning British theater company Complicite’s adaptation of “LIONBOY,” the dystopian tale of a young boy who sets out to save his family. Charming and witty, “LIONBOY” will captivate imaginations with a floating circus, a hot air balloon, and a pride of performing lions. Be sure to check out the New Victory’s online family activity that accompanies the production! Full-price tickets start at $15. New Victory Theater, 209 West 42nd Street, 646-223-3010, newvictory.org (photo from alumniarts.columbia.edu)
Thalia Kids' Book Club: Tuck Everlasting
January 25 [Ages 9+] Join Symphony Space’s acclaimed Thalia Kids’ Book Club and Bank Street Bookstore for a celebration of the 40th anniversary of Tuck Everlasting, the beloved young adult novel by Natalie Babbitt. Babbitt will discuss the novel—about a young girl who stumbles upon the mysterious Tuck family—and its legacy with Wicked author Gregory Maguire. An audience Q&A and book signing will follow the discussion. $15; $12 for members. Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway at 96th Street, symphonyspace.org
Celebrasia NYC
Beginning January 25 [All Ages] Celebrasia NYC is a winter-long celebration of various Asian New Year traditions, through collaboration among NYC’s leading cultural institutions specifically designed for children and families! Join the Japan Society for a New Year’s Day celebration on January 25, complete with taiko drumming and rice pounding; ring in the Korean New Year with calligraphy lessons and traditional games at the Korea Society on January 31. The party continues through February, with a Himalayan celebration at the Rubin Museum on February 22, and ends in March, with a Persian New Year Family Day at the Asia Society on March 21. Event prices and locations vary. celebrasia.org

Academics West

Academics West is an accredited high-support college preparatory school designed to meet the academic and social-emotional goals of its students. Our unique model allows for each student to benefit from a customized educational experience to ensure they are acquiring the skills necessary to navigate their post-secondary lives whether they attend college or pursue another path to future success. Students can select different tracks to construct the most beneficial program to suit their needs and goals. Unlike conventional education, this innovative model enables students to prepare for an ever-changing world that requires young people to have advanced executive functioning, interpersonal and leadership skills to become independent and resilient adults. &nbsp;

Manhattan Mandarin

Manhattan Mandarin runs the Mandarin after-school programs at over 40 schools nationwide, including St. Bernard's, Chapin, Allen-Stevenson, and Buckley. Whether in schools, students' homes, in the office, online, or on our beloved China trips, our teachers and tutors have helped hundreds of students of all ages master the Mandarin language on their own unique paths to fluency. Our philosophy has always been to make private lessons and classes perfectly tailored for each individual student. We look forward to working with you. - Jamie Keyte, Founder

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!"