Raven Snook

Raven is a writer, editor, performer and mom, who was born and bred in NYC, just like her husband, her mother and now, her daughter. In addition to Mommy Poppins, she has written about parenting and pop culture for New York Magazine, Time Out New York, The Village Voice, the New York Post, TV Guide and SheKnows. She's also the founder of Hot Mama Burlesque, the world's only all-moms burlesque show.

Latest posts by Raven Snook

All About Oz: 5 Ways to Experience the Magic of the Wizard of Oz in NYC

Submitted by Raven Snook on Wed, 02/27/2013 - 10:00am

Disney's epic adventure Oz: The Great and Powerful hits theaters next Friday, March 8 and I don't think I've been this excited about a family movie since the relaunch of The Muppets back in 2011. My daughter and I are both counting down the days until we can see this Wizard of Oz prequel, which focuses on the Kansas-born Wizard's journey to Oz, where he tangles with three stunning witches, including my kid's favorite, Glinda (that's her in the photo, dressed up as the original Good Witch for Halloween a few years back).

If your kids (or you) are as into all things Oz as my family is, there are some fun ways to celebrate L. Frank Baum's magical world right here in New York City. From Books of Wonder's unparalleled collection of Oz titles to a behind-the-scenes tour of the musical Wicked to a big blue Oz hot-air balloon set to land in Central Park, here are five ways to get carried away to this fantastical place—no tornado required.

Giveaway: 10 Pirate Picture Books by Local Children's Author Carole P. Roman

Submitted by Raven Snook on Mon, 02/25/2013 - 10:00am

Carole P. Roman wasn't always a children's book author. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens before settling on Long Island, she became a teacher, then a mother and finally went into the family transportation business. But once her own kids had kids, she realized she wanted to try something more creative.

After watching his mother make up stories for his young child, Roman's son dared her write a children's book. So in 2012, she self-published Captain No Beard - An Imaginary Tale of a Pirate's Life, a rollicking adventure about kids pretending to be on a pirate ship. Although it was initially done as a lark, the book went on to make Kirkus Reviews' list of the Best Indie Books of 2012 and suddenly a series of books—and Roman's new career—was born.

We're giving away copies of Roman's second Captain No Beard story, Pepper Parrot's Problem with Patience, to ten lucky readers. Read on for details on how to enter, and for our interview with the author about her favorite places to take her grandchildren, her creative inspirations and a peek at the new books she's working on.

This Week: Summer Camp Guide 2013, Maple Sugaring Day Trips, Purim Carnivals

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 02/21/2013 - 4:00pm

I never thought I'd be so happy to see school buses clogging up the streets! Those yellow vehicles were a welcome sight for the NYC families who suffered through the month-long strike. It was a wonderful way to return to school after midwinter break, which was short but filled with fun. Here at Mommy Poppins, we even slowed down a bit so we could spend some quality time with our children. We hope you did too!

But now it's back to business. And since it's February, one of the top things on most parents' to-do lists is figuring out summer camp. We're in the midst of updating and expanding our NYC Summer Camp Guide, and this week we posted about the best new programs set to debut this year. But don't just look at our Camp Guide: Our sister sites also have the scoop on exceptional camps in their areas, including commuter programs. So check out our Summer Camp Guides for Long Island, Connecticut and New Jersey.

Even though February break has come and gone, these final winter weekends are a great time for day trips. Maple sugaring season has arrived and we've got the scoop on the best places to taste the sweet stuff in upstate New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Or consider a visit to the World of Wings in nearby Teaneck, New Jersey, where kids can get up close and personal with butterflies, insects and reptiles, and then hit an indoor bounce house, all in one building!

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

This Week: Awesome Presidents' Day Weekend Events and Day Trips, Best Annual Parades for NYC Kids, Sahara Sam's Giveaway

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 02/14/2013 - 4:00pm

We hope you enjoyed your snow day last weekend as much as we did. Even though we were disappointed that so many events were canceled at the last minute, I know my family was glad to have a bit of a break from running around. My daughter spent hours playing in the snow—in fact she refused to leave until her toes started burning from the cold (snow in your boots gets you every time)..

While we might get a few light flurries this weekend, it doesn't look like sledding will be on the agenda over midwinter school break, but lots of other fun activities are. We've got Chinese New Year Parades, awesome day trip and staycation ideas, roundups of the best current museum exhibits for kids and family shows, and more in our Winter Fun Guide. Out in New Jersey, maple sugaring season has arrived and on Long Island, you can try to spot the seals. Plus the Mommy Poppins team is hosting a special Presidents' Day art meet-up at Hiho Batik. The possibilities for the four-day recess are almost endless.

Our New Jersey site is also giving away two family four-packs to Sahara Sam's Oasis Indoor Water Park in West Berlin. Of course if you subscribe to our free newsletters you knew that already, since we've been telling you about it all week. We're always giving away things in our emails which is why it's worth signing up.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

This Week: NYC Winter Break Day Trips and Camps, Best Family Theater Shows, Focus on Fort Greene Clinton Hill

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 02/07/2013 - 4:00pm

Even though both Staten Island Chuck and Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early spring, it sounds like we're going to get enough snow this weekend to go sledding, cross-country skiing down the street and maybe even have a full-fledged snow day. We're doing our best to keep our calendar and posts updated with accurate info, but we predict there will be many cancellations so if you're heading to an event, be sure to check the official website to confirm it's still happening.

If the blizzard inspires you to keep the fun inside, you can try some Valentine's Day-themed crafts, catch a family show or explore a new kid-friendly museum exhibit like Canstruction at the World Financial Center. My daughter went to see it last weekend and she took the photo above of a poodle made entirely from canned food! Our Winter Fun Guide is filled with info on all of these activities and more, so you can make the most of the season, both indoors and out.

If you're trying to figure out what to do during the upcoming four-day winter break, we just did posts on Presidents' Day break camps and NYC day trips. If you're thinking of traveling further afield, our friends across the Hudson just shared their list of the top 100 things to do in New Jersey with kids before they grow up and our Travel site has a roundup of great winter getaway deals and discounts, including an awesome Disney cruise deal.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

This Week: February Go NYC List, Chinese New Year Celebrations, Best Winter Exhibits for Kids

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 01/31/2013 - 4:00pm

We admit we jumped the gun when we posted our list of the best sledding hills in NYC earlier this week. We were just so excited about the snow (that's my daughter in the photo, gleefully making snow angels in her schoolyard) and we had hoped there would be more of it.

Of course we don't need a blizzard to enjoy winter sports. Many nearby ski and snow tubing resorts blow their own, and our New Jersey and Connecticut sites have plenty of great seasonal activity suggestions, in case you're thinking about taking a trip over the upcoming four-day midwinter break. Looking for additional getaway suggestions? Our Travel site also has a post about five mini-vacation spots for families in the Northeast, including the popular CoCo Key Water Resorts in New Jersey and Connecticut.

Back here in NYC, we launched our February Go NYC List featuring the absolute best things to do with kids throughout the month so you can plan ahead. We're particularly excited about the Citi Pond Winter Film Festival, which kicks off this coming Monday, February 4 with an outdoor screening of the classic animated Disney flick Peter Pan in Bryant Park. The Mommy Poppins team will be there with a table so come say hello. We'll even be handing out vouchers for free hot chocolate to our readers while supplies last. Watch the movie as you glide around the ice or pull up a rink-side chair.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

This Week: Indoor Places to Play, Class and Theater Deals, Best Winter Concerts

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 01/24/2013 - 4:00pm

The only thing worse than having to go out in the cold is hearing people complain about it. So we're not going to do that. Instead, we'll tell you about our favorite places to play indoors, not just preschooler play spaces but an indoor skatepark and rock climbing gyms that appeal to older kids.

Of course, by the weekend it's supposed to be a balmy 30 degrees, much better weather for outdoor winter activities. Take a day trip to Fairfield, Connecticut to go ice fishing, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing, and of course there are great snow tubing and downhill skiing spots all over the tri-state area. And if you really want to fantasize about getting out of the city (or need to plan a spring break getaway), our Travel site has a review and slide show of the all-inclusive resort Azul Beach Hotel in Cancun, Mexico.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

Deals on Winter Kids' Classes: Swimming Lessons, Test Prep, Dance, Theater and Animation Classes & More

Submitted by Raven Snook on Mon, 01/21/2013 - 10:00am

Now that winter has come to stay, you'll probably be spending a lot of time indoors, but you can't just stay at home the whole season or the kids will go stir crazy. Time to sign up for some winter classes. We reached out to some of our favorite educational and enriching NYC programs and asked them to extend deals to our readers. The result is ten excellent offers for kids that you won't want to miss, from babies through tweens. Save up to 50% on classes like swimming, musical theater, Spanish, dance and animation. We even have discounts on test prep programs. Act fast! These deals are too hot to hang around long.

Latest posts by Raven Snook

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