| Mommy Poppins - Things to Do with Kids

16 NYC Restaurants Serving Family Thanksgiving Dinner

Submitted by Diana Kim on Fri, 10/14/2016 - 5:00pm

Thanksgiving is a time to count your blessings—and to spend hours in the kitchen, right? Eh, we New Yorkers of small space fame and rapid-fire takeout options often prefer to let someone else handle our annual turkey fest. Of course, in New York City we can choose from a number of award-winning restaurants for that amazing dinner. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up a number of options in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens to make this November 24 as easy and delicious as possible.

Now, instead of deep-cleaning your apartment to meet those far-flung relatives (and their expectations), you can spend the night before in a more festive way—say watching the inflation of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade balloons. After all, what could be of a more New York City Thanksgiving experience than that?

Take a Scary Ride on the Rails to the Darkside

Submitted by Jennifer Coe on Fri, 10/14/2016 - 2:54pm

Run on down to the Connecticut Trolley Museum for their annual Rails to the Darkside event, and you might end up running away in fright! As mentioned in Mommy Poppin's Scariest Haunted Houses and Attractions, this event is not for kids nor for the faint of heart. For lots more Halloween Fun, spooky and non spooky, check out our Halloween Guide.

Say Boo at the Zoo: 5 LA and OC Zoos with Cool Halloween Events

Submitted by Roberta B on Fri, 10/14/2016 - 11:57am

Let the record show that there is more than one way to smash a pumpkin, and handing it to a hippo is definitely one of them. A gorilla does the job pretty well, too, as does a tiger, or—well, just about any other animal at the zoo. This discovery by our nation's zookeepers has led to a peculiar Halloween tradition—that we highly recommend!

Each year Southern California's zoos (and Griffith Park is only one of the options, as you'll see below) plan Halloween events, usually treating resident critters to their favorite delicacies stuffed inside pumpkins. For some, the delicacy may actually be the pumpkin itself (chomp chomp), while the more carnivorously inclined seem to view the pumpkins more as wrapping paper (smash smash). Either way, zoo animals smashing pumpkins ups the ante on traditional pumpkin patches. Check out all the beastly fun at Southland zoos this season.

Pop-Up Ice Skating Rinks in the Hamptons and North Fork

Submitted by James Smith on Fri, 10/14/2016 - 11:47am

What’s better than gliding across a sheet of ice on a lovely winter day? How about doing it outdoors, where all of the season’s pageantry is on display?

Pop-up-ice rinks are popping up all over the East End of Long Island these days, from low-cost, low-frills facilities to high-end clubs that cater to every perk a skater could imagine.

We’ve got your winter entertainment covered here, with five seasonal rinks from Riverhead to East Hampton and Greenport. All are open to the public without residency restrictions but costs can be higher for nonresidents. For good measure, we’ve also included a pair of up-Island pop-up rinks just in case your seasonal shopping takes you off the East End.

As always, be advised these facilities are weather-dependent and opening and closing dates vary based on temperature, rainfall and patron interest. Prices are as of October 2016.

Cirque du Soleil's New Circus Act Flies Into NYC with Kurios

Submitted by Raven Snook on Fri, 10/14/2016 - 10:00am

Cirque du Soleil returned to Randall’s Island for the first time in six years this fall, bringing with it a brand-new steampunk-themed show, Kurios, that’s brimming with the physics-defying performances that first catapulted the troupe to fame.

While the Canadian troupe's last show on the isle, Ovo, was fantastic, Cirque has certainly had plenty of misses over the years, especially with its attempts to branch into new terrain (see Broadway's Paramour), but also because after 35 shows–and plenty of imitators—it all started to feel a bit redundant for avid fans.

I couldn’t help wondering as I made the trek over to Randall’s with my tween-age daughter, would this new spectacle recapture some of that old magic? Read on for the scoop on this new kooky show in town, and how to save money on tickets.

The Harry Potter Festival Returns to Chestnut Hill on October 22

Submitted by Cait Sumner on Fri, 10/14/2016 - 8:48am

Once a year, Chestnut Hill and all its local businesses transform into a magical place for the Harry Potter Festival. From Butter Beer, to sorting hats and quidditch, if you're a Harry Potter fan this event cannot be missed. You can even meet Harry and his friends! Here's everything you need to know before you go on October 22.

Ragamuffin Parades: Costume Parades for Westchester Families

Submitted by Sonia Gonzalez on Thu, 10/13/2016 - 4:00pm

Halloween is just around the corner! In addition to our list of top outings for this month, there are seasonal celebrations all over town, including a plethora of ragamuffin parades. (Did you know these actually started out as a Thanksgiving Day tradition?)

In addition to traditional marches, some towns go a step further with carnivals, entertainment, live music and more. Read on to find out where to join the ragamuffin tradition in Westchester!

Looking for more seasonal fun? Check out our Event Calendar and follow us on Facebook!

Adorable Last-Minute Halloween Costume Ideas

Submitted by Rachael Cherry on Thu, 10/13/2016 - 1:05pm

Despite bearing the job title of "Stay At Home Mom," I am not one of those crafty moms (much to my chagrin). I've tried to be, multiple times, but my attempts at being creative and crafty usually end up falling short of the high standards I see on social media. To top it off, I also have a bad habit of procrastinating (one of the many reasons I am a proud and frequent Amazon Prime user; two-day shipping for life!). All that to say, when it comes to holidays like Halloween, it's not unusual for me to be scraping together ideas that are cheap and easy at the last minute so my kid can trick or treat - or trunk or treat - in costume. Find yourself in the same situation? Check out these costume ideas for some last-minute inspiration: