Alina's blog

I was born in the former Soviet Union and grew up speaking Russian with my parents in the U.S. Once I became a mom, I wanted to pass the language and culture on to my three children. But with a dad who only speaks English, that's proven to be tougher than I'd expected. On top of that, the age difference between my kids (the eldest is in eighth grade, the youngest kindergarten) means they're rarely interested in the same activities, so finding an all-ages Russian activities has been a challenge.

However, after years of personal research and experimentation, we've found several great programs that teach a combination of Russian language, Russian culture and even Russian-Jewish culture. Since June marks NYC's 11th annual Russian Heritage Month, this seems like the perfect time to give Russia some love. Here are five ways kids can experience Russian culture in New York City.

In the age of digital everything you might think old-school DJing with those shiny black things we called records would be dead and gone. But not so. There are a number of DJ schools in NYC that teach retro turntable action as well as digital music mixing via state-of-the-art technology.

While most of these programs are primarily aimed at adults, three Manhattan schools also offer classes for junior DJs. Mixing, blending, scratching and beats are just some of what participants learn, and by the end they have their own professionally recorded demos. (Too bad they'll need to wait until they're 21 to actually spin at a club.) Here are the top DJ classes for tweens and teens in New York City.

Your kindergartner just told you he wants, no needs to invite all of his classmates to his fifth birthday party. Even in Brooklyn, the average apartment isn't going to be able to accommodate all of those kids, and assuming if you could figure out a way to get them all in there, would you really want to?

For preschoolers and young school-age kids, gym parties are an easy solution. The young guests get to run, tumble, bounce and jump around without having to worry about breaking anything or using their indoor voices, while you sit back, relax and just watch. By the end, they're so tuckered out, even the sugar rush from the cake won't get them going again.

Here are 14 Brooklyn gym party places where kids can celebrate by burning off all their excess energy. Find even more birthday ideas in our Party Guide.

Like many multicultural families in our melting pot of a city, we speak multiple languages in our home including English, Russian (that's where I'm from) and a couple of others thanks to Hebrew school and regular school. My oldest son is currently learning Spanish and is really loving it. He certainly gets many opportunities to practice it in daily life in NYC.

Many New York City public schools offer wonderful dual language Spanish programs (as well as other tongues). But there are also other options. NYC is filled with places where young kids can learn how to habla Español. Some spots offer foreign language classes for preschoolers, while others have lessons for elementary students, a great enrichment option if your child's school doesn't offer a second language. Here are 11 of our favorite Spanish classes for New York City kids:

The National Museum of the American Indian, which is located in the stunning Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, is a great destination on any day, literally. It's one of only a few NYC museums that are open every day throughout the year (save Christmas) and admission is always free.

But this winter, there's a new reason to visit: The institution's first-ever Animation Celebration! Looking North. Instead of bundling up and listening to traditional tales around a fire, families are invited to experience the vibrant stories and culture of Native Americans from Canada’s Arctic and Subarctic regions in the museum's toasty second floor screening room.