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

Free and Fun Things to Do This Weekend with NYC Kids: Children’s Carnival in Queens, Titanic 100th Anniversary, New Kids' Shows

Submitted by Raven Snook on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 4:00pm

Spring kicks into high gear this weekend with the start of festival season and the debut of a few wonderful new family shows. Enjoy kiddie rides, magic and more at the Queens Country Farm Museum's annual Children's Carnival, or check out two kids' theater productions we're really excited about: The Butterfly by Making Books Sing and the New Acting Company's irreverent adaptation of Jack & the Beanstalk.

This weekend also marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, and we've found age-appropriate ways kids can learn about the tragedy. In other water-related news, the Parks Department holds its online lottery for free spring swimming lessons this weekend. We've got the scoop on how to vie for a spot for your kid.

These are just a few of the great things going on this weekend. All of our best bets are below. You can find additional suggestions in our Event Calendar and our Spring Fun Guide.

Tribeca's Beloved Moomah Set to Reopen... Sort Of

Submitted by Raven Snook on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 10:00am

As New Yorkers, we realize that businesses (especially kid-centric ones) are constantly opening and closing. But it really broke our hearts when one of our favorite haunts, Moomah, announced that it was shutting its doors at the end of March.

But it's a woman prerogative to change her mind, and that's just what Tracey Stewart did. Due to public outcry, she's decided to reopen Moomah, albeit in a different form.

This Week: Easter Egg Hunts and Spring Festivals, Focus on Dumbo, Things to Do Over Spring Break

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 04/05/2012 - 4:00pm

Easter is the main event this week and all of our sites have posts about cool community Easter egg hunts and festivals, from NYC to Long Island to New Jersey and beyond. We also updated our posts about New Jersey's awesome Easter Bunny train rides and where to take photos with the big rabbit in NYC, and our Boston site has tips on creating healthier Easter baskets.

This week also marks the start of Passover and spring break. If you're planning a NYC staycation, we have lots of ideas about what to do over spring break. And if you want to get out of town, you have plenty of time to take a day trip or even plan a longer getaway with the help of our new Mommy Poppins Travel Site.

Here's what else we shared this week on our NYC site:

Giveaway: Win Season Tickets to TADA! Youth Theater

Submitted by Raven Snook on Tue, 03/27/2012 - 4:00pm

I love taking my kid to see live theater. Over the years, we've seen shows from Broadway to the Fringe Festival, but the ones that have made the biggest impression on her are the productions at TADA! Youth Theater. Part of that is because she's watching her peers onstage: the children's troupe is made up of local youngsters ages 8 to 18. But I think my daughter loves TADA! for the same reason I do: Its original musicals are funny, sweet, thought-provoking and all around awesome. And the tickets are super-affordable:$15 for adults, $8 for kids.

We've written many rave reviews of past TADA! shows, so we're excited to offer a huge ticket giveaway for the company's entire 2012-2013 season. One lucky family will win four tickets to four TADA! musicals, including Up to You, which opens in April, and two runner-ups will snag seats to one or two shows. All told, over $500 worth of prizes!

Read on for more info on this wonderful kids' theater company, and the scoop on how to enter to win TADA! tickets.

Best Kids' Classes in Harlem: Places to Play and Learn Indoors

Submitted by Raven Snook on Mon, 03/26/2012 - 10:00am

While Harlem has a ton of lovely outdoor parks and playgrounds, there are no drop-in indoor play spaces like many other Manhattan neighborhoods (unless you count Chuck E. Cheese's).

Happily, Harlem does have lots of wonderful places that offer cool kids' classes. Whether your children are looking to swim, dance, make art or just run around like maniacs, here are the top spots for children's classes in Harlem.

Weekly Wrap Up: Easter Egg Hunts, Spring Break Camps, Harlem Family-Friendly Restaurants

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 03/22/2012 - 4:00pm

If you've passed by any store displays lately, then you know Easter (and scary looking Easter Bunnies) are coming. Even though the holiday isn't until April 8, Easter egg hunts kick off this weekend in New York City, Long Island, Connecticut and even up in Boston. You can also go for an old-fashioned train ride with the Easter Bunny in New Jersey.

Since spring is officially here, you need to figure out what to do with the kids over spring break, which is why we rounded up 29 NYC spring break camps. If you're thinking about taking a day or weekend trip, we have lots of ideas in our Travel Guide. Or how about exploring a new-to-you NYC neighborhood? So far we've launched in-depth guides to Chinatown, Harlem, Park Slope, Jackson Heights and the Upper West Side.

If you want to stay on top of everything that's going on in New Jersey, Long Island, Connecticut, Boston or Los Angeles, you can subscribe to our free newsletters. Read on for everything we covered on Mommy Poppins NYC this week.

Weekly Wrap Up: St. Patrick's Day Celebrations for NYC Kids, Ways to Ring in Spring, Best New NYC Summer Camps

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 03/15/2012 - 4:00pm

We've been hitting the park every day after school this week, as you can see from our photo. The city really comes alive in spring and it's always thrilling to experience. You can celebrate the new season at home by reading books about nature, and then head out to one of NYC's Destination Playgrounds or the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, where the cherry blossoms are already starting to bloom. There's also a cool Cherry Blossoms: Japan Fest at the American Museum of Natural History Museum this Saturday.

Spring fever is hitting our regional sites as well. Our New Jersey site is already looking ahead to Easter with an awesome Easter Bunny Train Ride giveaway. And even though the Philadelphia International Flower Show has ended, you can head up to Massachusetts for the Boston Flower & Garden Show, which is on view through Sunday. Of course St. Patrick's Day is the main event this weekend, and we've got roundups of genuinely kid-friendly celebrations all over the tri-state area, including NYC, NJ, Long Island and Connecticut.

Weekly Wrap Up: Free and Cheap Summer Camps, Focus on Harlem, Drop-in NYC Play Spaces

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 4:00pm

This week we updated our post about drop-in play spaces in Manhattan, but one fun romping spot was missing: Moomah. That's because the Tribeca mainstay is closing at the end of this month. That's my daughter in the photo painting a birdhouse last weekend. When I told her that was probably the last time we'd eat/craft/play there, she cried. If you're a fan, definitely put a final visit to Moomah on your March to-do list.

Another important thing to do this month? Sign up for summer camp. Our Camp Guide has been updated for the season, including our popular post about free and cheap summer camps. One of the programs we spotlight, the NYC Parks Experience Summer Day Camp, which costs $500 for the entire summer, is holding its online lottery this weekend. So you'll want to read our article to find out how to vie for a spot.

NYC's neighborhood of the month is Harlem, while Long Island will be focusing on the best things to do with kids in Oyster Bay. Meanwhile, our Connecticut folks have compiled an awesome list of 110 things to do with kids in CT before they grow up... broken down by season!

Latest posts by Raven Snook

Pages