欢迎 · Welcome
I grew up in Malaysia, where speaking several languages in a single day was just normal life. When I became a mom in New York, I wanted the same for my son. Then I looked around our neighborhood and found almost nothing for raising a bilingual child. So I taught him at home myself, making every material by hand and learning the hard way what keeps a toddler interested and what doesn’t. By the time my second son arrived, our home had become a little Mandarin world of its own. I realized other moms nearby were looking for the same thing, so I opened our door. That’s how Mandarin Together began: at home, as a mom, one word at a time.
— Christine Loh, Founder
Why families choose us
- A real playdate, in Mandarin. It feels like a playdate, just with more friends. That’s why we’re a playgroup, not a class.
- Play-based learning. Kids pick up Mandarin through songs, games, crafts, and play, the way little ones learn best.
- Home-based, comfortable, safe. A cozy, familiar setting where children relax. Relaxed kids are the ones who start talking.
- Confidence to speak. Every Sunday, kids say new words out loud and get a little braver each week.
- Stories together. We read storybooks and tell stories in Mandarin.
- Mandarin for real life. Practical words kids use every day, at the table, at the park, at home.
- Cultural celebrations. Mid-Autumn mooncakes, Lunar New Year, Winter Solstice dumplings, plus everyday holidays celebrated in Mandarin.
- Thoughtfully planned. Every session is planned by a Mandarin teacher with more than 10 years at leading schools across NYC.
What We Believe
A second language shouldn’t feel like homework. It should feel like belonging: songs you know, foods you’ve made, stories you ask for again.
Different cultures · Different words · A bigger world.
What We Offer
- Sunday Playgroup: play-based Mandarin in a warm, home setting.
- Seasonal Celebrations: Mid-Autumn, Halloween, Winter Solstice, Lunar New Year. Open to guest families.
Our goal: any family, Chinese-speaking or not, can give their child Mandarin, from the first word to real fluency.
What a session looks like
- Songs and rhymes
- Storybook time in Mandarin
- A themed craft or game
- Free play, in Mandarin
Team
Christine Loh, Founder
Christine Loh has taught Mandarin for more than 10 years at leading schools across New York City. She grew up in Malaysia, where moving between languages was part of daily life. Today she speaks five languages fluently and is learning a sixth.
As a mom of two young boys, Christine has read to her children in multiple languages since they were babies. When she couldn’t find the resources she wanted for raising bilingual kids on the Upper East Side, she began teaching her own sons at home and creating her own materials. Mandarin Together grew from that home: a play-based Mandarin playgroup where children learn through songs, stories, play, and cultural celebrations, in a setting that feels as comfortable as their own living room.
Christine believes language is best learned the way children learn everything: by playing, laughing, and trying.
Get Started
Come to one Sunday and see for yourself.
Contact
Questions about dates, fit, or anything else? Send us a message.
- Email: mandarintogethernyc [at] gmail [dot] com
- Instagram: @mandarintogether
- WhatsApp: +1 (917) 583-3455