Susan Miele

Latest posts by Susan

Weekend Fun for Westchester Kids: Maker Day, Berenstain Bears, Star Wars, Jan. 9-10

Submitted by Susan Miele on Wed, 01/06/2016 - 4:00pm

As the temperature drops in Westchester, the fun doesn’t stop—it just moves mostly indoors. We know the holidays can cost a pretty penny, so we’ve made a point of identifying fun family events that won’t break the bank. In fact, of the eight top picks we’ve listed below, seven are entirely FREE!

Our recommendations include getting your creative juices flowing at Maker Day or Dia:Beacon Community Free Day; competing for the crown at the Annual Chess Tournament; meeting African creatures at Animal Embassy; and channeling The Force at Celebrate Star Wars.

Read on for more details and more options, and then continue on to our Event Calendar and January GoList for even more fun and enriching programs!

Weekday Picks for Westchester Kids: Three Kings Day, Fashion Arts, STEAM, Jan. 4-8

Submitted by Susan Miele on Sun, 01/03/2016 - 4:00pm

Happy new year! As we return from the holidays to our usual routines, so do the types of events on tap for Westchester families. While a couple holiday events are cropping up—such as Three Kings Day Celebration and New Year’s Firework Painting—there’s also a departure from holiday fare with novelties like 19th Century Tin-Punch Decoration.

Regardless, we understand the need to keep the kids occupied and have compiled our top picks below. One added perk: They're all FREE! If one of your new year’s resolutions is to plan ahead and identify more enriching opportunities for your kids, look no further than our January GoList and our Event Calendar!

Westchester News: 7 Updates Families Should Know

Submitted by Susan Miele on Fri, 01/01/2016 - 5:25pm

Keeping tabs on the changing landscape of Westchester businesses is no small task, with all the openings, closings and relocations. We've kept our ear to the ground to help you stay in the know for your start to 2016. Read on to learn about new sweet spots, a new location for maternity clothes, a new facility where you can fly(!) and more.

Be sure to sign up for our free newsletters to get all our latest news, roundups and in-depth reviews delivered straight to your inbox!

Weekend Fun for Westchester Kids: Disney’s Tarzan, Winter Hike, College Basketball, Jan. 2-3

Submitted by Susan Miele on Wed, 12/30/2015 - 4:00pm

Hear that? It’s the calm that follows the holiday hullabaloo. This weekend, activities for Westchester families quiet down a notch, so there’s a greater emphasis on R&R than on ultra-stimulating fanfare.

A great holiday antidote might be a Winter Hike to Lost Pond—both to get back to nature and to burn off all that feasting! For some high-flying fun, see a performance of Disney's Tarzan or watch the swooshes and alley-oops of Iona College Women's Basketball. Join in a FREE wood-working project at Home Depot Kids' Workshops or bop along with your BFFs at Teen Movie.

Refer to our Event Calendar for our daily listings, and complete an easy new year’s resolution to take more advantage of all the Westchester and the Hudson Valley have to offer by signing up for our FREE weekly newsletters!

Happy New Year from your mom friends at Mommy Poppins!

Weekday Picks for Westchester Kids: School Break, New Year's, Dec. 28-Jan.1

Submitted by Susan Miele on Sun, 12/27/2015 - 4:00pm

With Christmas now behind us, many Westchester families can use a breather! But New Year’s is coming, and school is out all week, so we’re making sure you have plenty of options from which to choose to keep the fun going. Because many of us have already spent a small fortune on the holidays, we’re emphasizing FREE activities to go easy on your wallet.

Entertainment abounds with programs such as the two Mr. Bungles workshops, where kids learn how to perform magic tricks and make balloon figures. More fun instruction can be had at Pop Culture POP Art, where comic books and canvas are two of the materials used to create art in the style of the 1960s movement. As for New Year’s, it would be hard to top the excitement at Ring in the New Year at Noon, which simulates Times Square (minus the madness) with a countdown and balloon drop at the respectable hour of 12pm, plus family activities and more.

Read on for more, and be sure to check out our Event Calendar for an ever-expanding list of fun and enriching options for kids. Sign up for our FREE weekly newsletter to get top picks delivered straight to your inbox!

Weekend Fun for Westchester Kids: Paper Bag Players, Kwanzaa, Slam Dunk Tournament, Dec. 26-27

Submitted by Susan Miele on Wed, 12/23/2015 - 4:00pm

Though Christmas is Friday, the seasonal fun continues throughout the weekend in Westchester and the Hudson Valley. Equally noteworthy: Holiday hoopla is also starting to simmer down.

If you haven’t yet squeezed in enough holiday events, there’s still a chance to catch Winter Wonderland and other recurring attractions; check our Event Calendar for the full list of options. But if you’re ready to move on, your kids might enjoy the comic antics of The Paper Bag Players or cheering at the Slam Dunk Tournament. If FREE is sounding good about now, shift holiday gears at a Kwanzaa Celebration or enjoy a performance by the Spring Valley Puppet Theater, among others.

Read on for our top weekend picks, and check out our roundup of holiday mini-camps to help keep your kids occupied next week. Also be sure to sign up for our FREE weekly newsletters to get top picks delivered straight to your inbox.

Merry Christmas and Happy Kwanzaa from your friends at Mommy Poppins!

Weekday Picks for Westchester Kids: Historic Christmas, Candlelight Tours, Light Show, Dec. 21-25

Submitted by Susan Miele on Sun, 12/20/2015 - 4:00pm

Ho-ho-ho, it’s Christmas week! If you celebrate the holiday, you’re probably super busy with last-minute preparations. Don’t worry, we’re not recommending any frivolous activities to add to your schedule but rather some possible enhancements to optimize enjoyment of the season.

Two such events promote holiday serenity, with an escape from the modern-day commercial trappings that often consume us. Visit either of two historic sites for some old-fashioned Christmas charm at Family Holiday Program or Holiday Tour by Candlelight (and remind your kids that children used to be lucky to get an orange in their stocking!). If you’re up for a little dazzle, the North Kensico Christmas Light Show is a fun sight to behold.

There are more options to choose from, including for those who don’t celebrate Christmas, so read on and visit our Event Calendar for ideas.

We parents go to great lengths to work magic for our children. Because it’s all about family, we do what we do. A very merry Christmas from the moms at Mommy Poppins!

Weekend Fun for Westchester Kids: Holiday Shows and Other Fun, Dec. 19-20

Submitted by Susan Miele on Wed, 12/16/2015 - 4:00pm

The holidays are closing in, and Westchester and Hudson Valley families are scrambling to soak up all the fun! This weekend, the festivities are ratcheted up, so put on your jingle bells, light those lights and don’t miss these highlights!

Adding to the various iterations this month of the Tchaikovsky classic, this weekend showcases The Westchester Ballet Company Presents The Nutcracker and The Colonial Nutcracker. Additional options for holiday entertainment include Westchester Philharmonic's Winter Pops, featuring a Broadway star, and The Laurie Berkner Band's Holiday Celebration. Among the FREE holiday craft workshops is the distinctive Holiday Decorations from Nature.

Read on for just a few of the many happenings we’ve culled from our Event Calendar, and also view the many options in our Holiday Fun Guide we’ve worked hard to identify for you. Enjoy it all!

Susan Miele

Latest posts by Susan

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