Houston

Top 10 North Carolina Beaches for Families

Submitted by Christine Mooney on Sat, 06/23/2018 - 11:00am

North Carolina is home to top notch colleges, bustling cities, fun towns tucked into the Blue Ridge Mountains, and some of the best beaches on the East Coast. Most of these beaches are a far cry from the bustling carnival-like atmosphere of the boardwalk towns in the Jersey Shore, and others take a bit more effort to get to than you might expect, but they’re definitely worth it. Wild horses, cute seaside towns, and a dose of southern charm make North Carolina a great beach destination for you and your family.

Keep reading for our top picks for family-friendly beaches in North Carolina.

16 Kid-Friendly Restaurants With Room to Play in Houston

Submitted by Rachael Cherry on Fri, 06/22/2018 - 12:01pm

Relaxing on the patio with good food and drinks is something that, prior to kids, we used to love to do... and then we had kids and going out to eat became nothing short of a nightmare that quickly got nixed from our weekend plans. Where we once sat back and talked uninterrupted about our respective weeks, we now went through constant rounds of "don't touch that!" and, "honey, leave those nice people alone." All seemed lost, and we resigned ourselves to spending our evenings out at Chick-fil-A... until we found restaurants with play spaces for kids (we also spent an exhaustive amount of time eating near the green area at CityCentre).

Talk about a game changer - it's like these restaurants knew that us parents needed a space to unwind a bit with the kids in tow, and they delivered with patios that opened up to enclosed playgrounds, sand pits (ok, this one is a catch-22 because of sand everywhere), and toys.

Weekend Fun for Houston Kids: Summer Campout, Movie Nights, June 23-24

Submitted by Rachael Cherry on Wed, 06/20/2018 - 11:40pm

Summer activities are happening in full force around our city, and this weekend is packed to the brim with some awesome events you don't want to miss. With the sun promising to come back out by Saturday, now is the time to start picking out some outdoor activities, whether it's an evening summer "campout", breakfast on the bayou, or taking part in STEM Saturday at Discovery Green. We also highly recommend checking out Challenger Seven Memorial Park in Webster, named as such for the seven astronauts who lost their lives in the 1986 Challenger space shuttle explosion. (Since we live in Houston, though, and the weather changes on a dime, here's a handy little Indoor Fun Guide JUST IN CASE.)

All of this on-again, off-again rain can make it challenging to pre-plan your days, however our event calendar is full of both indoor and outdoor activities for kids of all ages, so you never have to worry about what you're going to do. Doing some long-term planning? Then head over to our June GoList for a highlight reel of this month's events.

If you'd like everything happening on Mommy Poppins delivered straight to you in one concise email, sign up for our weekly newslette r. You'll never miss a new post again once you do!

Event planners: we want YOU! We love featuring the best events happening in and around Houston, and we try our best to get everything up on our calendar. If you notice that your event hasn't made it on yet, or you want to get a head start and ensure it's on our calendar nice and early, please submit your event to us so we can get it published. All you have to do is fill out the form and hit submit, then we'll take it from there.Easy-peasy.

Let's chat about the weekend now, and see what's in store.

Blast Off Into Nature at Challenger Seven Memorial Park

Submitted by Ashley Jones on Mon, 06/18/2018 - 8:15pm

Looking for a serene spot to connect with nature that's large enough to take your entire extended family? Look no further than Challenger Seven Memorial Park in Webster. Known for it's miles of winding trails, lush green spaces, stellar playground equipment, and plenty of picnic tables and pavilions, this park is a hot spot for family fun.

Cabo with Kids! All Inclusive Decadence at Mexico's Grand Velas Resort Los Cabos

Submitted by Roberta B on Sat, 06/16/2018 - 1:24pm

Sometimes as parents we're happy to plan the family vacation around theme parks and cartoon characters; other times we want to be pampered like a real princess, not a Disney princess. A vacation that provides grown-up decadence and luxury with fun and entertainment for kids (including time supervised by someone else)—that is the ultimate family getaway. And that is what we found in Los Cabos at Grand Velas' new seaside resort.

Where to See Fourth of July Fireworks Around Houston With Kids

Submitted by Rachael Cherry on Sat, 06/16/2018 - 12:59am

Stars and stripes, street festivals, live music and fanfare all make the Fourth of July spectacular, but no celebration is complete without an impressive display of fireworks. Luckily, when it comes to celebrating our nation's independence, there's one thing that's certain: the Bayou City knows how to light up the sky and throw down (...in a family-friendly way, of course).

Father's Day Weekend Fun for Houston Kids: Fun Runs, Barbecue & Brews, Texas Taco Mania, June 16-17

Submitted by Rachael Cherry on Wed, 06/13/2018 - 9:36pm

To all the dads, grandfathers, and men who fill the role of dad: Happy Father's Day from all of us on the Mommy Poppins Houston team! You guys are the best! Starting to panic because you still don't have anything planned to celebrate Dad? In addition to a weekend packed with Father's Day specific events, we also put together a unique list of Father's Day ideas we know Dad will actually love.

In case you missed it, we have had a lot of fun posts pop up on Mommy Poppins recently that are packed with fun summer ideas:

We make it easy to keep your days full of interesting and unique activities; simply check out our event calendar for different things that are happening in and around Houston all week long, or our June GoList for an overview of some of the best events to attend throughout the month. We can also send all of our latest and greatest articles straight to your inbox when you sign up for our weekly newslette r. It's the easiest way to stay up to speed with everything that's happening on our site.

For anyone planning or hosting an event: we want to make sure you get coverage! We are constantly researching all of the events and activities going on in Houston and updating our calendar accordingly, however if you notice your event hasn't made it to our calendar yet we'd love for you to submit your event to us so we can get it published. Help us help you!

Now let's get to planning this Father's Day weekend!

Best Houston Spots to Take Instagram-Worthy Photos of Your Kid

Submitted by Frances Broussa... on Mon, 06/11/2018 - 8:40am

Make the most of what Houston has to offer and fill up your iCloud storage with memories at the same time by snapping shots of your little ones at some of the city's most photogenic spots. Picture-perfect smiles are not included in our list of recommendations for the best places to take shareable photos of your kids.

10 Must-See Dinosaur Theme Parks and Attractions for Kids

Submitted by Elaine Paoloni ... on Sat, 06/09/2018 - 1:25pm

If your kid is fascinated by dinosaurs, chances are everything in your home revolves around the prehistoric creatures, including your family vacations. Your nearby natural history or kids' science museum is a great bet for a quick trip to study major fossil displays. For an even bigger thrill, families might want to check out one of the many outdoor dinosaur parks, from full amusement parks to nature walks and mini fossil digs.

We've rounded up a list of 10 great places for dinosaur lovers across the country. These dinosaur-themed attractions offer up-close encounters with lifelike creatures, thrilling rides, impressive fossils, and more fun things to do and see for kids, including dino-theater.

For more family vacation ideas—that may, or may not, involve dinosaurs—check out our United States Family Travel Guide.

40 Free Things to Do with Houston Kids This Summer

Submitted by Rachael Cherry on Fri, 06/08/2018 - 4:51pm

Summer days mean extra sunlight, lots of time with friends and filling our days with as many engaging and entertaining activities as possible. However, thrifty is in my genes - and being primarily a one income family, is a necessity for us - and while I love to plan full days of fun with my kids, I also love to primarily plan days that don't require opening my wallet often, if at all. To help any other families who may want to save a buck without sacrificing any fun, here's a bucket list of 30 FREE activities we'll be taking advantage of this summer.