Stephanie

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Stephanie Ogozalek

Stephanie was only eight-years-old when she watched Rhoda Morgenstern attempt to toss her hat into the air in the middle of a busy, '70s NYC street. She knew right away that she had to live there. Nearly 40 years later, Stephanie does live here, is married with a son, and can’t imagine residing anywhere else. In addition to being mom and all the “jobs” that come with that title, she is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in the magazines Saveur, Chile Pepper and Family Fun, and on Disney’s website Go.com. She makes sure the Mommy Poppins NYC Events Calendar is chock-full of the best the Big Apple has to offer, and shares her family's adventures in her many posts. If you're planning a cool kids' event, let her know at stephanie@mommypoppins.com.

Latest posts by Stephanie

May 20 2013

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

Things to do with kids: Governors Island with Kids: Vintage Carnival Rides and What Else is New for 2013

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.

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May 19 2013

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

Things to do with kids: Memorial Day Weekend Getaways: 5 Fun Day Trips for NYC Families

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.

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May 15 2013

Free & Fun Things to Do this Weekend with NYC Kids: Outdoor Festivals, Dance Parade, Kings County Fair May 18-19

Things to do with kids: Free & Fun Things to Do this Weekend with NYC Kids: Outdoor Festivals, Dance Parade, Kings County Fair May 18-19

Do you like outdoor festivals? Then you're going to love this weekend. A bunch of our annual favorites take place on Saturday and Sunday, including the Fleece Festival in Prospect Park, the Ninth Avenue Food Festival in Midtown West, downtown Manhattan's free New York Dance Parade, Madison Square Park's no-cost Spring Kids Fest and Brooklyn's ride-filled Kings County Fair.

It's also a great weekend for enriching multicultural fun like El Museo del Barrio's Spanish lit-themed Super Sabado, the National Museum of the American Indian's Hawaiian celebration and the Children's Museum of the Arts' Caribbean Fest.

These are just a few of the great things going on this weekend. All of our best bets are below. Remember, there are even more options in our Event Calendar and our Spring Fun Guide.

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May 8 2013

Mother's Day with NYC Kids: Things to Do this Weekend, Free Outdoor Festivals, Garden Party, Parade of Trains May 11-12

Things to do with kids: Mother's Day with NYC Kids: Things to Do this Weekend, Free Outdoor Festivals, Garden Party, Parade of Trains May 11-12

If it pours on Saturday or Sunday, some of our outdoor event picks may be canceled, rescheduled or move inside. We're doing our best to keep this post updated, but if it does rain on the weekend, be sure to check the events' official websites before heading out to find out if anything has changed. Mothers Day is Sunday, so moms, this weekend should be all about you. Why don't you decide what to do on Saturday and Sunday? (As if you don't do that most of the time anyway.) There are lots of fabulous outdoor activities including a slew of cool school festivals, Socrates Sculpture Park's annual Kite Flight, a no-cost Brady Rymer concert in Battery Park and the New York Botanical Garden's Mothers Day Garden Party. Plus, after being closed for many months due to damage caused by Hurricane Sandy, Tribeca's popular Pier 25 playground is set to reopen on Saturday.

If Mother Nature decides to make it rain on our big weekend (how could she?) there's plenty of indoor fun too beyond Mother's Day brunch. My family plans to check out the Parade of Trains celebration in Grand Central Terminal. And on Saturday you can get geeky at the Kids Comic Con in the Bronx or bring your natural treasures to the American Museum of Natural History for Identification Day.

These are just a few of the great things going on this Mother's Day weekend. All of our best bets are below, You can find additional options in our Event Calendar and our Spring Fun Guide. Happy Mother’s Day to all of you from your fellow moms at Mommy Poppins.

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May 5 2013

Miniature Golf Courses for NYC Kids

Things to do with kids: Miniature Golf Courses for NYC Kids

I admit it: Mini golf is one of those things I endure for the sake of my son. I never enjoyed it as a kid and I don’t love it as an adult, but my kid could play every day. I know that for many families, mini golf is a quintessential warm weather activity that they look forward to every year. And spring is definitely a great season to play before the summer humidity kicks in.

While there are plenty of courses on Long Island and in New Jersey , you don't need to head out of town for putt-putt golf. There are currently a dozen places to play mini golf right here in New York City (including one indoor course), complete with spinning windmills, bridges, water features, you know, the works. Even the course at Pier 25 in Hudson River Park, which was closed due to damage caused by Hurricane Sandy, has reopened.

Find out where else you can play mini golf in NYC. See you on the green!

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May 1 2013

Free & Fun Things to Do this Weekend with NYC Kids: IDEAS CITY StreetFest, Spring Festivals, Free Comics, Cool Concerts May 4-5

Things to do with kids: Free & Fun Things to Do this Weekend with NYC Kids: IDEAS CITY StreetFest, Spring Festivals, Free Comics, Cool Concerts May 4-5

Are you ready for some free fun? Because there's plenty of it this weekend. Spring festival season kicks into high gear with the return of the New Museum's biennial IDEAS CITY StreetFest, Hippo Playground's annual spring fair, a slew of school fairs and the NYC Irish Dance Festival, which kicks off this season of Summer on the Hudson.

Lots of our top event picks for the month of May take place this weekend as well, like the Super Sonic Kindie Music Festival, citywide volunteering initiative It's My Park Day and the New York Road Runners' no-cost Youth Jamboree. Plus there are free concerts by Gustafer Yellowgold and Sugar Free Allstars, the annual Cinco de Mayo Mexican Parade and free comic books will be given away in all five boroughs.

These are just a few of the great things going on this weekend. All of our best bets are below. You can find additional options in our Event Calendar and our Spring Fun Guide. And if you're looking to plan out your entire month, check out the new edition of our NYC Go List, which highlights the absolute best things to do with kids throughout May.

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Apr 28 2013

32 NYC Festivals, Street Fairs and Carnivals May 2013

Things to do with kids: 32 NYC Festivals, Street Fairs and Carnivals May 2013

There are street fairs and then there are street fairs. We don't mean those random ones that sell irregular socks and fried Oreos; we're talking about true community festivals. Each one is unique and reflects the character of its neighborhood, and many feature rides, performances, activities and food. The hard part, of course, is knowing which ones are which, 'cause while we all love to stock up on cheap socks, we're not going to drag our family across town to do so.

We've gone through the city's list of festivals, street fairs and carnivals for the month of May and picked out our favorites from years past and some new events that sound promising. All of these fests are FREE or just a couple of bucks, and in most cases your dollars go to support a local charity or school, so you can feel good about spending money. In our research, we were bummed to learn that one of annual picks, the Hudson River Pageant, won't be happening this year. But there are 32 other awesome fests to choose from! You can find even more seasonal activities in our Spring Fun Guide.

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Apr 24 2013

Free & Fun Things to Do This Weekend with NYC Kids: Cherry Blossom Festival, Tribeca Family Festival, Street Games April 27-28

Things to do with kids: Free & Fun Things to Do This Weekend with NYC Kids: Cherry Blossom Festival, Tribeca Family Festival, Street Games April 27-28

Are you good at making tough decisions? We hope so, because there's a slew of amazing activities to choose from this weekend, including three picks from our April NYC Go List: the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Sakura Matsuri: Cherry Blossom Festival, the Parks Department's no-cost celebration of Street Games in East Harlem and the Tribeca Film Festival's free Family Street Fair.

While those three annual family favorites promise to be super-cool, they'll also be super-crowded. So you might want to try hitting an event that's a bit more under the radar like Park Slope's Fifth Avenue Family Fest, the Queens Botanical Garden's Arbor Festival or your local YMCA for Healthy Kids Day. If you just feel like hanging out at a local green space, check out our Parks and Playgrounds Guide for the scoop on NYC's best outdoor play spots.

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

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