Picks of the Week: November 5-11

Eric Carl at Symphony Space — "Treasured Stories By Eric Carle" at Symphony Space

Hope everyone is safe and sound after Hurricane Sandy! Although the city is still cleaning up, and the areas surrounding Manhattan still need our help, we’re happy that some fantastic events are returning to their normal schedule this week. Take a gander at what’s going down in the next few days.

Friday, November 9-Sunday, November 11

The 2012 Chocolate Show
The Metropolitan Pavilion
10 am-7 pm
Calling all chocoholics! You won’t want to miss the 15th annual Chocolate Show with live cooking demos, book signings, an,d of course, chocolate available for purchase. Kids will especially dig the Kids Zone, where they will be able to make chocolate truffles, bark, and dip all sorts of treats into molten chocolate. Tickets are $40 at the door for adults and are free for the first 2 children accompanied by the adult. Additional children’s tickets are $10.

Saturday, November 10

“Treasured Stories By Eric Carle”
Symphony Space
11 am & 2 pm
The Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia presents Treasured Stories By Eric Carle. The glow-in-the-dark production adapts Eric Carle most beloved tales (The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See, and Papa, Please Get the Moon) for the stage. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for children.

Saturday, November 10 & Sunday, November 11

The Little Orchestra Society’s “Things That Go Bang!”
They Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College
Various times
This family-friendly concert, featuring guest conductor Paul Haas, introduces kids to percussion music from composers like Gershwin, Tchaikovsky, and others. Tickets start at $15.

British Swim School - Manhattan

The premier learn-to-swim provider for people of all ages, offering programs for children ages 3-months through adults.&nbsp; British Swim School uses gentle teaching methods and a survival-first approach to help people of all experience levels become safer, stronger swimmers. British Swim School&rsquo;s safe, fun, and effective instructional program has made it the preferred choice for parents and students for over 40 years. Come see the British Swim School difference!

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!"

PaleyLand Holiday Experience

Celebrate the holidays at PaleyLand at the Paley Museum, New York's must-visit destination for a holiday adventure, just steps from Rockefeller Center! Our five-floor immersive holiday extravaganza, includes photos with Santa and holiday characters, crafts, giveaways, screenings of classic holiday favorites, hot chocolate, a magical train display, and more. Escape the cold and the crowds, and enjoy our indoor wonderland where families can play, relax, and create timeless memories together in our holiday oasis in the heart of midtown Manhattan. General Admission to PaleyLand is free for children under 12. The holiday extravaganza is open from November 20 &ndash; January 5 at the Paley Museum, 25 W 52 Street, NYC. Paley Members enjoy free access. Come to PaleyLand again and again to see all your favorite characters and screenings. After just one visit, membership pays for itself! &nbsp;