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

New Year's Eve Drone Shows, Balloon Drops, and Celebrations for Kids in NYC

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Sun, 12/22/2024 - 7:42pm

The ball drops at noon at CMOM! Photo courtesy of the museum

New Year's Eve is almost upon us, and there are lots of ways to ring in 2025 in New York City with kids, even though the traditional fireworks shows have been canceled due to drought. We've rounded up the city's best family-friendly New Year's Eve celebrations, including Times Square's legendary ball drop. Our family-friendly picks include a drone show over Prospect Park and a special Big Apple Circus performance. However you welcome the new year, we hope it's a blast.

You can find even more seasonal fun in our Holiday Guide for NYC Families, and be sure to check out our post on 38 fun things to do over Christmas vacation.

Christmas Weekend 2024 in NYC Top Things To Do: Make Music NYC, BCM Birthday & Hanukkah

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Fri, 12/20/2024 - 9:55am

Skate beneath the historic Brooklyn Bridge while taking in the iconic views of the Manhattan skyline at Roebling Rink. Photo courtesy of venue

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

You may still have gifts to wrap (or—gulp—shop for) and stockings to hang, but there's festive fun to be had all weekend and beyond. Make Music NYC returns for its winter solstice sessions and the Brooklyn Children's Museum is celebrating its 125th birthday with FREE admission all weekend. Our annual Christmas favorites include singing carols under the Washington Square Arch, catching a holiday show, and checking out the Dyker Lights.

Christmas Day marks the first day of Hannukah, and families can catch the Oran Etkin concert at the Jewish Museum or celebrate with Jazzukkah at the Museum at Eldridge Street.

No matter how you celebrate, Happy Holidays from the Mommy Poppins team!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show Soars in NYC

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Tue, 12/10/2024 - 9:59am

Eric Carle's colorful animals come to life on stage,

It’s never easy to successfully adapt a popular book for stage or film (the expectations!), nor to keep a theater full of toddlers and preschoolers engaged and seated for an hour. Yet, the latest stage adaptation of Eric Carle’s beloved The Very Hungry Caterpillar, playing in NYC this winter, does all that and more.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show, now at the Duke through Sunday, January 5, 2025, retells four iconic Carle tales with 75 handcrafted large-scale puppets, three actors who double as puppeteers and narrators and subtle but lyrical music that readies the audience for the animal magic about to appear on stage. It’s earnest, colorful, artsy and will hold your kid in awe for 60+ solid minutes.

36 Free Holiday and Christmas Events in NYC for Kids

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Sun, 12/01/2024 - 5:45am

Enjoy the Coca-Cola Winter Wonderland experience at the Apollo for free. Photo courtesy of the Apollo

When it comes to holiday gifts, we've got the perfect one for you, dear reader: This list of FREE holiday and Christmas events in NYC. Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year's Eve are all fast approaching, but between Nutcrackers, family-friendly holiday shows, special meals with Santa, and gift-giving, things can get expensive. So, we've rounded up 36 FREE holiday and Christmas events in NYC to enjoy now through New Year's Eve.

For more things to do in New York City this season, bookmark our NYC Kids' Guide to Holiday Activities and Christmas Events and our always-up-to-date Family Activity Calendar.

22 Best Things To Do in NYC December 2024 with Kids

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Fri, 11/29/2024 - 9:57am

Don't Let The Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical takes the stage at the Queens Theater. Photo by Jeremy Daniel/TheaterWorks USA

Holiday lights, sights, and celebrations abound in NYC this December. Read on for our top things to do with kids to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year's Eve.

We're still plowing through the leftover turkey, and we have to start prepping for Christmas, Hanukkah, and 2024's final bow. Luckily, there's a spectacular array of kid-friendly things to do in December.

The month kicks off with Annie at the Theater at Madison Square Garden, and Whoopi Goldberg takes on a starring role. The Met Opera's The Magic Flute is a can't-miss at Lincoln Center, plus the month brings tons of holiday fun, including the cacophony of musical madness that is Unsilent Night.

Keep our top picks for holiday must-do's handy all month long, too, and bookmark our NYC Kids' Guide to Holiday and Christmas Events for easy access to all the holiday hullabaloo that pops up!

Thanksgiving Day Weekend 2024 in NYC: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and More Things To Do

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Fri, 11/29/2024 - 9:40am

Experience a kaleidoscope of photo-ops, plus acrobatic shows, tasty food, craft cocktails, live music, and more at the captivating light festival, Lektrik, at the Queens Botanical Garden. Photo courtesy of Fever

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

We're grateful for so much this weekend, including two behind-the-scenes Thanksgiving Day Parade peeks: the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon Inflation and Marching Bands Practice at the Seaport Museum. Then, Thursday brings the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and Macy's Santaland opens Friday, serving as the gateway to the sparkly NYC holiday season.

We're anticipating classic holiday fun, like the New York City Ballet's Nutcracker at Lincoln Center, plus new holiday happenings, including the brilliant Lektrik light show setting the Queens Botanical Garden aglow. Read on for all our top picks for Thanksgiving Day weekend fun in NYC.

Best Christmas Tree Lightings in NYC with Fun Activities for Kids, Plus Menorah Lightings, Too

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Tue, 11/26/2024 - 12:32pm

Celebrate the start of the holiday season at Calypso, Carols, and Cocoa: The Dumbo Holiday Lighting. Photo by Hassan Mokaddam

Good news for the crowd-averse: You don't have to brave the commotion of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting to witness a fabulous Christmas tree lighting in New York City. We've rounded up a collection of local NYC Christmas tree lightings that are much less crowded and every bit as lovely, from Brooklyn and Queens to the Bronx and everywhere in between, including the biggest living tree, a tree made of traffic cones, and a ceremony with fireworks!

This year, Hanukkah begins on Wednesday, December 25, and upcoming menorah lightings include the two biggies, in Brooklyn and Manhattan.

We've got more fun things to do this holiday season in our NYC Kids' Guide to the Christmas and the Holidays, including our list of 12 must-do holiday activities and our favorite holiday lights displays across the five boroughs.

Christmas Tree Farms Near DC

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Tue, 11/19/2024 - 11:13am

Find the perfect tree for your family at Snickers Gap Tree Farm. Photo courtesy of the farm

Want to fill your home with the smell of fresh pine, balsam, fir, or spruce this holiday season? Head to one of several festive Christmas tree farms near DC, where you can cut your own Christmas tree for a truly authentic holiday experience and photo opportunity.

If you're not up to the challenge of chopping down a tree, no worries—many of the Christmas tree farms on our list also offer fresh-cut trees ready to be wrapped up and wrangled into your living room. So, you'll get the experience of visiting a Christmas tree farm without all the extra work.

Most of these Christmas tree farms in Maryland and Northern Virginia open the day after Thanksgiving and close when they run out of trees, so be sure to call or check the website before you go. And if you're looking for more holiday fun, see our Christmas Activities and Holiday Guide for DC Kids, which includes our ultimate list of must-do Christmas events and holiday activities in DC. Here's to making holiday memories with your family!

Drew Kristofik

Latest posts by Drew

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