Diana Kim

Diana Kim has been a contributor to Mommy Poppins for nearly 8 years. A Brooklyn mom of three (ages 7-16), she loves exploring family-friendly events and activities in Brooklyn and sharing the best finds with readers.

Latest posts by Diana

Top Magicians, Magic Shops, and Magic Shows in NYC

Submitted by Diana Kim on Thu, 09/22/2022 - 11:14am

The Brooklyn Magic Shop hosts classes, camps, and private birthday parties with Apolino the Magician. Photo by the author

Kids love all things magic, and parents can find a handful of magicians, magic shows, and magic shops in NYC. At these mystifying destinations, kids can attend magic shows in NYC staged by world-class magicians, plus stock up on all the tricks of the trade, and even enroll in a magic class to learn the craft themselves.

From Abracadabra to The Brooklyn Magic Shop and beyond, read on for the best magic shops in NYC, plus our favorite magic classes and New York City magic shows, then marvel when your kid learns to perform unbelievable sleight of hand tricks that'll leave you amazed. Find more offbeat classes for kids in our New York City Classes for Kids Guide.

Best of Queens, NY: 47 Things To Do in NYC's Largest, Most Diverse Borough

Submitted by Diana Kim on Tue, 09/20/2022 - 6:11pm

The TWA Hotel makes JFK a worthy destination for fun things to do in Queens. Photo by the author

If you're looking for family-friendly things to do in Queens, NY, you've come to the right place. Queens is a melting pot of people and communities from various cultures and backgrounds. Indeed, it's the city's most diverse borough, and that makes Queens a great place to explore with kids. Excellent museums and cultural institutions, like NYSCI and the Queens Museum, a wide array of family-friendly restaurants and cuisines to try, plus a very cool night market, top-notch parks and playgrounds, and a ton of kid-friendly activities can all be found in Queens.

While we've highlighted some of our favorite kid-friendly Queens neighborhoods in our Neighborhood Guide, below we're putting forth our best-of-Queens list. This list of the top 47 things to do in Queens with kids includes all our picks for destination-worthy fun and family-friendly places to eat in Queens.

Ninja Warrior Gyms and Parkour in NYC for Kids: Cool Classes for Your Little Daredevil

Submitted by Diana Kim on Mon, 09/19/2022 - 5:08pm

Take parkour in NYC with The Movement Creative, which offers classes in three NYC boroughs. Photo courtesy of the Movement Creative

If you've got an active kid who's looking for a physical challenge, why hit one of these ninja warrior gyms where they can learn parkour in NYC? These local parkour classes specialize in building the skills necessary to conquer ninja warrior obstacles and take place at ninja warrior gyms in NYC, plus parks in the great outdoors, helping kids build physical skills, push their limits, and gain confidence all while having fun in a safe and supportive environment. These ninja warrior gyms and parkour classes in NYC are sure to keep exercise fresh and exciting.

If you're looking to learn parkour in NYC, we've profiled several kid-friendly destinations that offer an introduction to the sport with classes and free play, including Area 53, and the New York Ninja and Brooklyn Ninja Academies. Many of these ninja warrior gyms and parkour classes accept kids as young as age 6, and some even teach parkour in NYC to adults.

You can find more sports classes for active kids in our directory of classes and listings. Check our New York City Classes for Kids Guide for more kids’ activities and classes for kids of all ages and interests.

Best of Brooklyn: 50 Things To Do in the Family-Friendly Hipster Haven

Submitted by Diana Kim on Sun, 08/14/2022 - 8:33am

Prospect Park comes alive with the BRIC! Celebrate Brooklyn music festival each summer.

When it comes to things to do in Brooklyn, the borough has it all for families—great schools, iconic landmarks, great parks and playgrounds, eclectic dining, and the most interesting stores and museums. While we've covered a lot of our favorite things to do in Brooklyn and the borough's top neighborhoods in our Neighborhood Guides, ranging from the top things to do in Park Slope to the best of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn Heights, and beyond, consider this our best-of-Brooklyn list. Below, we've rounded up our top 50 best things to do in Brooklyn with kids. Our picks are a mix of old favorites and new classics.

Read on to discover our picks for Brooklyn's top attractions, the best playgrounds in Brooklyn, our top picks for family-friendly Brooklyn restaurants, museums, and the best things to do in Brooklyn with kids.

Virtual Reality for Kids in NYC: 8 Spots Where Kids Get Inside Games and Immersive Experiences

Submitted by Diana Kim on Mon, 07/11/2022 - 3:55pm

Ride a virtual roller coaster—at more—at Escape Virtuality, a virtual reality for kids destination in NYC. Photo by Jody Mercier

Virtual reality for kids in NYC is becoming an increasingly popular activity. With gaming technology growing ever more sophisticated, spending a day immersed in one of these VR for kids outings allows visitors to enter an immersive and interactive new realm of fun.

When it comes to virtual reality for kids in NYC, there are a number of futuristic pop-ups and permanent exhibits catering to kids. Some of these VR for kids experiences are located within kid-friendly attractions, like those at Harry Potter New York, while others are standalone destinations all their own, including the brand new RiseNY in Times Square. Read on for seven picks for virtual reality for kids in NYC.

Family-Friendly Mini Golf Pops up at The William Vale

Submitted by Diana Kim on Thu, 07/07/2022 - 11:21am

One of the most family-friendly hotels in NYC, The William Vale in Williamsburg has just unveiled a mini-golf course called VALE(mini)GOLF, a bespoke 9-hole course, just as the summer season gets going. It's a great addition to the hotel as well as a kid-friendly outing in the neighborhood. Read on for details on our mini-golf outing, plus more fun things to do at this local kid-friendly hotel.

Why We're Loving WildPlay Jones Beach Adventure Park

Submitted by Diana Kim on Tue, 06/28/2022 - 10:00am

Featuring ziplines, wobbly bridges, cargo nets, and more, WildPlay has something for every age group. Photo courtesy of WildPlay

If your family’s looking for a little adventure this summer, WildPlay at Jones Beach delivers with enough thrilling oceanside obstacle courses and ziplines to make for a great day trip! With four levels of adventure courses, featuring tight ropes, cargo nets, rope swings, wobbly bridges, swinging buoys, and more, WildPlay has something for every age group. And I can vouch because I recently took my three brave kids–ranging from 5 to 14–to visit, and they all had a fantastic time.

We headed out to Jones Beach on a beautiful Friday afternoon and, after filling out a few waivers, WildPlay’s friendly instructors strapped on our harnesses and walked us through a safety demo so we could get right to climbing. After learning how to maneuver the pulleys over the “lifeline cables” and getting a tutorial on how to ride the ziplines, all three kids had gotten the hang of it and we set off to have some fun.

Read on for a rundown of the courses, what to know before you go, and a WildPlay coupon code for Mommy Poppins readers!

Summer Bucket List for NYC Teens: Best Things To Do in NYC for Teenagers 2022

Submitted by Diana Kim on Mon, 06/13/2022 - 5:06pm

What could be cooler than a trip to the eye-popping Summit One Vanderbilt? Photo by the author

Summer in New York City is the perfect time for teens to explore, get active, make friends, learn new skills and tackle one of these bucket list-worthy summer activities for teens. Whether they're enrolled in a teen-friendly summer camp, honing skills at a summer internship, or have landed a teen-friendly part-time job, NYC teens have plenty of options to keep busy.

When they do have some downtime, though, there are plenty of fun things to do. To help navigate the myriad options, we've rounded up 12 summer activities for teens that are guaranteed to deliver a good time, whether they're into fun in the great outdoors or want to check out a cool new NYC destination. If that's not enough to keep boredom at bay, bookmark this list of 15 all-seasons teen activities for NYC's ultra-cool big kids.

We've got even more teen activities in our Tweens & Teens Guide to NYC, and you can also search our Family Activity Calendar for teen-specific events.

Diana Kim

Latest posts by Diana

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