Drew Kristofik

Drew Kristofik’s career took a twist from editing teen magazines to a seven-year stint at MacNeil/Lehrer, followed by a long run at Nickelodeon/Viacom as Director of Content for Nick Online and Editor-in-Chief of ParentsConnect.com. A founding member of the Webby Award-winning GoCityKids, she’s written for Family Fun, Vanity Fair, and New York. Her middle school novel, The Time Boat, is available on Amazon Kindle. Drew keeps the MommyPoppins New York Events calendar spot-on and can be reached at events@mommypoppins.com.

Latest posts by Drew

Free Activities for Kids in February 2025: 36 Best Things To Do in NYC

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Tue, 01/28/2025 - 12:27pm

Ring the Year of the Snake at Lincoln Center with a daylong celebration on Josie Robertson Plaza. Photo by Sachyn Mital

February is short and sweet and full of free things to do in NYC with kids. Our top picks for the best free activities for kids this February include the big Lunar New Year Parade in Chinatown, the annual Ice Sculpture Show on Governors Island, and we're kicking off the month with our own summer camp fair, CAMPTOPIA this Sunday in Brooklyn.

Families can celebrate Yoko Ono's birthday at the Park Avenue Armory with a forest of Wish Trees, and we've got free Midwinter Break activities covered, too, with some help from the Urban Park Rangers.

Read on for our top free activity picks all month long and bookmark our Family Activity Calendar and NYC Kids' Guide to Winter Activities for more seasonal picks.

MLK Weekend 2025 in New York City: Best Things To Do with Kids

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Fri, 01/17/2025 - 11:53am

Pay homage to the life and legacy of Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. with a celebration at the Brooklyn Children's Museum. Photo by Winston Williams

Looking for the best things to do in New York City this weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this long MLK weekend.

The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend in New York City offers plenty of opportunities to honor the man and his mission. Kids can check out the FREE BAM-hosted tribute to the Civil Rights leader, head to the Brooklyn Children's Museum for puppet performances and a volunteer project, salute the Freedom Quilters of Gee's Bend at Wave Hill, or create a community mural at CMOM.

22 Best Lunar New Year Celebrations and Parades in NYC for Families

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Tue, 01/14/2025 - 3:16pm

The Better Chinatown Society hosts its annual Lunar New Year Parade on Sunday, February 16. Photo by Bob Dea

Lunar New Year is one of our favorite winter celebrations in New York City. Although the holiday is often referred to as Chinese New Year, many Asian nations celebrate Lunar New Year. In 2025, the holiday falls on Wednesday, January 29, and city kids can mark this cultural holiday with family-friendly celebrations citywide, from Chinatown's firecracker ceremony to a Lunar New Year celebration at the Queens Botanical Garden and the spectacular New York City Lunar New Year Parade and Festival on Sunday, February 16.

Free Kids Week Programming in NYC Parks

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Wed, 01/01/2025 - 11:12am

Urban Park Rangers teach kids how to safely explore the natural world. Photo courtesy of NYC Parks

If you need to stave off cabin fever during April break, the New York City Parks Department has just the thing to get you out of the house. The Urban Park Rangers are hosting a slew of FREE “Kids Week” programs. Immerse your kids in the natural world.

Best Board Games of All Time, By Age

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Wed, 01/01/2025 - 9:58am

Pull out a block, place it on top but don't let the tower fall in the fun and challenging Jenga. Photo by Jody Mercier

Why not go old-school for family night this week and gather around the table to play one of the best board games of all time? Classics are classics for a reason; these board games are so fun they stand the test of time.

Here, we've rounded up the best board games of all time and sorted them by age, so you can start playing while kids are still preschoolers and keep having family game nights up through high school!

Need more options for screen-free family time? We've got the 100 Best Board Games for Family Game Night and tons more family fun in our Games and Activities Guide for Family Fun.

35 Free and Fun Things To Do in NYC in January with Kids

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Sun, 12/29/2024 - 6:32am

Join Manhattan Country School for its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative March. Photo courtesy of the school

If your bank account needs a rest, fear not: We've found 35 FREE things to do in January to keep New York City families busy all month long.

Though most of the big holiday attractions in NYC are packing up the tinsel this month, January celebrations like the Three Kings Day Parade in East Harlem and the Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative March are just around the corner. Plus, Battery Park City's KindieRock series kicks off at the end of January, so little ones have a warm spot to shake their sillies out, and Lunar New Year fun sizzles at the annual Firecracker Ceremony in Sara Roosevelt Park!

18 Best Things To Do in NYC January 2025 with Kids

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Fri, 12/27/2024 - 8:58am

Museo del Barrio's The Three Kings Day Parade takes over the streets of East Harlem Photo by Mommy Poppins

From New Year's Day to MLK weekend, January can be a great time for indoor and outdoor activities. Don't miss our favorite kid-friendly events and activities in New York City this month.

Our January forecast of fun lights up the winter gloom. Start the new year by watching Coney Island Polar Bear Club members plunge into the freezing Atlantic, catch up with the Three Kings as they hand out gifts on the Lower East Side, and honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at BAM's always-moving tribute. You can close down the first month of 2025 with FIAF's brilliant annual Animation First Film Fest and the Lunar New Year Firecracker Festival in Chinatown.

We’re adding more events to our Family Activity Calendar every day, so don’t forget to check it frequently.

New Year's Eve Weekend 2024 in NYC: Drone Show, Noon Year's Eve, and More Things To Do

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Fri, 12/27/2024 - 8:43am

The big ball drop in Times Square is an unforgettable New Year's Eve sight, if you can handle the crowds! Photo by Michael Hull

Looking for the best things to do in New York City this New Year's Eve weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this New Year's holiday weekend.

It's time to ring in 2025, and you don't have to stay up until midnight on Tuesday to get in on the fun. Count down to the New Year with Grammy-nominated music artist Fyütch at the NYPL, celebrate Kwanzaa at the Brooklyn Children's Museum, take a first day hike to start the year on the right foot, or watch the Coney Island Polar Bear Club members take their annual frigid dip in the Atlantic.

Drew Kristofik

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