Roberta Brown

Roberta to launched Mommy Poppins' Los Angeles in 2011. Previously she served as LA Editor for GoCityKids, National Editor for ParentsConnect, and Editor for NickMom—all of which worked out well for her son, who grew up serving as Chief Guinea Pig for all things fun in LA and beyond.

Latest posts by Roberta

Free Skiing for 5th Grade Kids at These Ski Resorts in the West

Submitted by Roberta B on Wed, 01/07/2015 - 3:53am

Skiing - it sounds so appealing, doesn't it? Getting some much needed exercise, filling everyone's lungs with fresh mountain air, letting the kids play in snow, enjoying an activity the whole family can do together -- ah, right. That's what stops you every year. Because the whole family sounds like a whole lot more people when you're counting lift tickets rather than heads.

The good news is that some ski resorts seem to understand this dilemma and have been inspired to create 5th Graders Ski Free programs around the country. Not only did you read that right, there are no tricks or strings. No, you don't have to give anyone a credit card number that auto-pays annual ski passes every year until college. In fact, you don't really have to do anything but choose the right ski resort and prove that your kid is in the 5th grade. The rest is a win-win for all involved: the ski resort takes a gamble on hooking your kids for life after letting them ski free for an entire season. Fair enough. Mom and Dad get to ski without coughing up the extra cash to find out whether Junior loves or hates snow sports. Everyone wins; everyone skis, and all just for reaching the ripe old age of ten.

Camps for LA Kids on School Vacation Days

Submitted by Roberta B on Tue, 01/06/2015 - 2:51am

Remember when a day off from school sounded like a good thing?

Now that we’re the grown-ups, of course, it’s a different story. And as if Monday holidays to honor veterans, presidents, and the like were not enough, our current economic struggles have also left us with a legacy of “Furlough Days” – which translates loosely as “random days when we need to find childcare.”

Luckily some enterprising local camps who know how to show a kid a good time offer fun options for school kids on days when there is no school. If you’ve suddenly discovered that tomorrow is one of those days, try checking out one of the camps below that generally have us covered on LA school vacation days - whenever they come.

Should Kids Go "Into the Woods" at El Capitan? Parent Movie Review

Submitted by Roberta B on Mon, 12/29/2014 - 4:49pm

Disney's Christmas day film release at El Capitan is quite different from movies of Christmases past; Into the Woods is definitely no Frozen. In some circles, the release is just as big if not bigger than last season's yuletide kinder-blockbuster, but I don't foresee many three-year-olds memorizing these lyrics. The question on many parents' minds, therefore, is what the right age is for kids to see Into the Woods, and the film's PG rating doesn't go very far to answering the question. Anticipation for this film has been huge - Sondheim fans are arguably as loyal as Star Wars fans - but should you bring your kids? There are those who say no, but I'll go with a qualified yes.

Hot Holiday Deals: Save Big on Kids' Karate, Swimming, Cooking, & Parenting Classes

Submitted by Roberta B on Sun, 12/07/2014 - 11:00am

The holiday season is upon us, and you may be wondering how you'll be able to afford to fulfill everyone's wishes. Our generous sponsors can help, with deals on everything from karate to cooking to swimming with an Olympian. We've even got discounts on classes for new and soon-to-be parents. Read on for all the bargain details; but don't delay, because when the holidays are gone, most of these discounts are, too!

Walking with Dinosaurs: A Roaring Good Time

Submitted by Roberta B on Fri, 09/05/2014 - 1:42pm

I can still remember the thrill when I first saw Jurassic Park, the whole new world that first time that Steven Spielberg brought dinosaurs out of the past and moved them around on a screen for us in a way that did not look remotely animated. It was breathtaking and would have been an amazing thing to show a child - if not for all of the violent death and destruction brought on by Spielberg's intensely PG-13 plot. If only there were a way to bring dinos to life with that same impact, but in a way that little ones could better handle - perhaps even learn from. And with that, we bring you Walking with Dinosaurs.

Open Houses and Classes with Free Trials: After School Enrichment Options for LA Kids

Submitted by Roberta B on Wed, 09/03/2014 - 12:20pm

So we're back in school. We're packing lunches, going to PTA meetings. and overseeing homework. And we're probably starting to wrap our minds around figuring out some enrichment classes to fill in the gaps and/or add some sparkle to the process. Your child might attend a school with a great onsite, low-cost after-school program, which takes care of half the question already; on the other hand you might be trying to figure out the shortest distance between your house and a place to constructively use those ballet shoes. Open houses and free trial classes make the hunt for great classes a little more do-able, which is why we offer this list of 10 great places that offer chances to try it out for free, either in the coming weeks or - in many cases - all year long.

This Week: Labor Day Weekend, 5 Great Plays, & Summer's Last Hurrah

Submitted by Roberta B on Thu, 08/28/2014 - 4:28pm

Another Labor Day, another chance to honor hard work by taking a few days off—like our NYC editor, Raven, who is away in Martha's Vineyard celebrating the end of summer. Even without her here, Mommy Poppins can lead the charge away from labor this holiday weekend, and toward all that is fun, festive and/or FREE this week, in easy reach of the city. Feel free to bury your heads in the sand for one more weekend before facing the back-to-school music.

Care to escape the city for, say, Elizabethan England? It's never too late (or at least not until late September); the New York Renaissance Faire is still going strong in Tuxedo Park, including the holiday Monday. Or spend a few corny hours in Sleepy Hollow for Philipsburg Manor's CORNucopia celebration in Westchester.

If you're headed for the Hamptons this weekend, there's a Pow Wow worth stopping in on, and our New Jersey team has several suggestions for day trips in the Garden State (or you plan-ahead types can take a look at upcoming September festivals in NJ). Connecticut has fairs and festivals popping up all over this holiday weekend, including a life-affirming Labor Day parade in Newtown.

And wherever you spend this holiday weekend, make sure you take a minute to enter our Cinderella ticket giveaway. One lucky family will win four tickets to see the musical on Broadway!

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

This Week's Picks: Marionettes and Meteors, August 4 - 8

Submitted by Roberta B on Sun, 08/03/2014 - 9:49pm

They just don't make summer vacation the way they used to - by which I mean it didn't used to end in the middle of August. But since you get what you get and you don't get upset, it's time to make the best out of the small amount of summer left to us. Catch some free movies; dance at some free concerts, and indulge in some beach shack food and ice cream. This week there are meteor showers and campfires worth staying up late for, so long live summer break!

Roberta Brown

Latest posts by Roberta

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