Mommy Poppins - Things to Do in NYC with Kids

NYC Beaches After Sandy: What to Expect at Rockaway, Coney Island, Brighton Beach and Others in 2013

Stephanie — Tue, 21 May 2013 20:00:00 +0000

New York City beaches open for the season this Memorial Day weekend despite the damage they sustained during Hurricane Sandy. The Parks Department staff, and sanitation and construction crews have been working nonstop to make sure they are safe and clean, and that the sand is back where it belongs. (In some communities, sand washed up onto residents' front lawns!) This is good news for NYC families because—much as we enjoy hitting the Jersey Shore, Long Island beaches and Fire Island—we're not big fans of renting cars or sitting in traffic.

While it won't quite be business as usual for New York City's beaches this summer, you'll still be able to hop on a subway, bus or ferry to hit the shores. From the "Bronx Rivera" to the iconic Coney Island to the Rockaways, these eight urban seasides offer everything that suburban beaches do except the out-of-town commute.

5 Inexpensive Birthday Party Room Rentals for NYC Kids

Raven — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:00:00 +0000

With so many amazing things to do with kids in NYC we're never jealous of suburban families... except when it comes to throwing birthday parties for our children. Most of us don't have the space to host a big bash at home and no backyard for a bouncy house. And while there are lots of great party places in all five boroughs, buying an all-inclusive package can get pretty pricey, especially if you want to invite the whole class.

But if you're a DIY type who just suffers from space constraints take heart: There actually are some ways to rent relatively inexpensive party rooms in NYC, you just have to know where to look.

Governors Island with Kids: Vintage Carnival Rides and What Else is New for 2013

Stephanie — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:00:00 +0000

This Memorial Day weekend Governors Island reopens for the season. It's truly my favorite summer destination in NYC. Whenever I go I think to myself, if they built condos here, I would totally want to buy one. (Thankfully, the island is considered a national monument, so not even Trump can get his hands on this real estate!)

This 172-acre oasis was once home to the U.S. Army and Coast Guard, and is full of quaint 19th-century houses, grassy hills and traffic-free bike paths. It's just a seven-minute ferry ride from lower Manhattan, but if you stand in a spot where the city skyline is out of view, you feel as if you've been transported to 1800s New England. In addition to being a fantastic place for families to relax and explore, the isle hosts lots of cool festivals and activities throughout the season, most of which are FREE. The ferry ride there is FREE, too.

For 2013, all of the big kid attractions will be back, including the opening day family festival, the Figment arts fest when the mini-golf course and Interactive Sculpture Garden debut, and the Children's Museum of the Arts Free Island Outpost. But there are also some really exciting new additions, notably a French festival of vintage carnival rides and carousels in July! Read on for the scoop on the very best things to do on Governors Island with kids this season.

5 Ways for Kids to Experience Russian Culture in NYC

Alina — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:00:00 +0000

I was born in the former Soviet Union and grew up speaking Russian with my parents in the U.S. Once I became a mom, I wanted to pass the language and culture on to my three children. But with a dad who only speaks English, that's proven to be tougher than I'd expected. On top of that, the age difference between my kids (the eldest is in eighth grade, the youngest kindergarten) means they're rarely interested in the same activities, so finding an all-ages Russian activities has been a challenge.

However, after years of personal research and experimentation, we've found several great programs that teach a combination of Russian language, Russian culture and even Russian-Jewish culture. Since June marks NYC's 11th annual Russian Heritage Month, this seems like the perfect time to give Russia some love. Here are five ways kids can experience Russian culture in New York City.

Memorial Day Weekend Getaways: 5 Fun Day Trips for NYC Families

Stephanie — Sun, 19 May 2013 20:00:00 +0000

Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer. And while there are plenty of fun things to do in NYC—beaches, Governors Island, Coney Island and Victorian Gardens Amusement Park all open for the season—the three-day vacation is a great time to skip town and enjoy a quick getaway. After all, you have three more months to experience all the summer fun the city has to offer.

We've rounded up five cool family destinations that are all two hours or less by car from midtown Manhattan. From farm fun to creative festivals to the revamped Crayola Experience, here are five great day trips for NYC families this Memorial Day weekend. You can find more travel inspiration in our Family Day Trips and Weekend Getaways Guide.

Family-Friendly Crown Heights Restaurants: Where to Eat with Kids in Brooklyn

Lisa B — Sun, 19 May 2013 14:00:00 +0000

We finish up our month-long focus on Crown Heights, Brooklyn with a roundup of our favorite family-friendly restaurants in the area. These eateries really reflect the diversity of the neighborhood. You'll find delicious kosher spots serving up New York-style pastrami on rye alongside authentic Mexican joints, Indian delicacies like samosas dished out next to Caribbean staples such as roti and jerk chicken.

Although most of these small, family-run restaurants don't have kids' menus, they all offer lots of options for picky little eaters and price-conscious parents. So after a trip to one of the neighborhood's great cultural attractions like the Brooklyn Children's Museum, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden or the Jewish Children's Museum, grab a family meal at once of these kid-friendly Crown Heights restaurants.

This Week: Mommy Poppins App, Memorial Day Weekend Travel Deals, a Dino Ride at the Bronx Zoo, Coney Island Post-Sandy

Raven — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:00:00 +0000

We're still basking in a Mother's Day afterglow (that's three generations of my family in the photo) but we're also counting down to Memorial Day weekend. Our Travel site rounded up some excellent getaway deals for the upcoming holiday weekend including destinations that are a short drive from NYC. Our regional sites are full of cool spring day trip ideas like the Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange, New Jersey, the USS Nautilus and Submarine Force Museum in Groton, Connecticut or pick-your-own strawberry farms throughout the Garden State. If you decide to make it a Memorial Day weekend staycation, there's certainly plenty to do in town like the opening day family festival on Governors Island, the debut of the Dinosaur Safari ride at the Bronx Zoo and the start of the Coney Island season.

There's still time to subscribe to our Hamptons and North Fork newsletter and be automatically entered to win fun prizes. We also have another great giveaway going on: Enter to win a week of Summer Adventure Camp: City Edition run by NY City Explorers.

Wish you could enjoy all of our Mommy Poppins recommendations when you're on the go? Well, soon there'll be an app for that. We're readying our Mommy Poppins App for launch but we need your help. We started an IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign so that we can raise enough money to make the app free to all. Contribute to our goal and you'll snag some cool swag and, of course, get the benefit of using the app once it debuts in June. We believe that Mommy Poppins is more than just a website, it's a community. This app is a way for us all to collaborate on something really cool.

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

Mommy Poppins App Is Coming! Help Us Launch It and Win Cool Rewards

mommy — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:00:00 +0000

We know you count on Mommy Poppins to find cool things to do with your kids. And we've heard that on the computer, our site is pretty easy to navigate and find what you're looking for. But when you're out and about, finding kid-friendly activities or places to eat on Mommy Poppins isn't that easy. Yeah, we have neighborhood pages with maps, but we admit it's not the best way to find stuff on your smartphone.

That will change with the launch of our new app. The Mommy Poppins App will allow you to find all the great places we write about on our sites—spots to create, be active, learn, shop, eat and more—easily on your phone. We've been working on it for months and we are on track to launch in June. But we have a few final hurdles to jump and we're hoping you can help. And we've got some great incentives if you do.

Read on to find out more about the Mommy Poppins App and the IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign we just launched where you can snag cool rewards like swag, your child's picture in the app, a ticket to our swanky launch party or even a private consultation with Mommy Poppins founder, Anna Fader.