Giveaways

It's not surprising that yoga is becoming increasingly popular in New York City. Life here, as wonderful as it is, can be seriously intense—especially for kids. While lots of NYC adult yoga studios offer specialized classes for children and families, only a handful cater to kids all the time. Yogi Beans, which just opened its first freestanding studio on the Upper East Side, is one of these programs.

Recently, I took my six-year-old daughter—who may dress like a pink princess but has a lot of what people call "boy energy"—to a Yogi Beans class. She's taken yoga before and it's one of the few activities that gets her to calm down, focus and follow directions. I was really impressed with what I saw but perhaps the biggest endorsement comes from my daughter, who's now begging for me to sign her up for the semester.

We've got the scoop on everything Yogi Beans' new studio offers, including awesome looking birthday parties. In fact, one lucky reader will win a Yogi Beans birthday party for 12 kids valued at $625!

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.

All year round, the Bronx Zoo offers awesome, animal-themed activities that enhance an already fun trip to the wildlife sanctuary. Its current offering is particularly eye-catching—the Great Summer Zoofari: A Lego Wildlife Expedition.

Throughout the grounds, there are huge, amazingly realistic Lego sculptures of the zoo's residents. Families can track them all down using the map included in their Zoofari passport. Even if your children have been to the zoo a hundred times (like mine), it makes your visit feel new and exciting—especially if your kids are really into Legos (like mine!).

Although many of the sculptures are out in the open, some are difficult to find, so it feels like a scavenger hunt. The zoo is also hosting special activities in conjunction with the display, including hands-on Lego Activity Stations, Lego Master Builder workshops, live music and Wildlife Theater performances.

Plus, Mommy Poppins is hosting an exclusive Zoofari giveaway: Fifteen lucky families will get to visit the Bronx Zoo, go on the Zoofari and enjoy breakfast with a Lego Master Builder. Read on for info on how to enter, and to hear all about our Lego animal adventure. We've even got a cool (and quick) video so you can see all the fun to be had.

I'm excited to invite you to a free advance screening of one of this summer's top family films, Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer, just for Mommy Poppins readers—yah!

I don't think there's a kid in New York City who doesn't read Megan McDonald's wonderful books about goofball Judy Moody—and to read them is to love them. Now the world of this gleeful third grader is coming to life in the new movie, Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer. The film looks like a lot of fun, and my kids and I are looking forward to checking it out at Mommy Poppins' exclusive (and free) advance screening. I hope you'll join us.

The screening will take place on Wednesday, June 8 at 5:30pm on the Upper West Side. We have an entire theater, but I expect these seats to go fast so RSVP ASAP if you'd like to go. Read on to get a behind-the-scenes peek at the making of the movie, as well as info on your chance to snag free tickets.

We've had a great week of giveaways this week and made some very happy Holidays for a few folks. While there's still time to enter our giveaway for a $100 Best Buy Gift card (closing Thursday, December 23 at 10PM), today we're giving away 4 tickets to Cirque de Soleil's Wintuk.