| Page 1632 | Mommy Poppins - Things to Do with Kids

Chocolate Show - New York: Sweet Stuff for Families

Submitted by Allison Tibaldi on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 3:00pm

Yes, we realize your kids will be unwrapping their trick-or-treat loot for weeks to come. But if your family is as serious about sweets as mine, it's worth checking out the 14th annual Chocolate Show - New York, which takes place Thursday, November 10-Sunday, November 13. While the tickets are pricey ($30-$40 for adults), children under 12 get in free and once inside, all tastes and activities are included. The only additional cost is if you want to buy chocolates to take home. (For me, resistance is futile.)

My children and I attended Chocolate Show - NY last year and just loved it. (I mean, it's chocolate. What's not to love?) It's very family-friendly and even includes a Kids Zone, where creative youngsters can draw and paint with chocolate, make chocolate-flavored pasta and decorate cupcakes with—wait for it—chocolate. New this year is the Chocolate Grab game. Just like a scene out of Willy Wonka, kids will grab handfuls of chocolate and the child who finds the specially wrapped piece will win a prize, like tickets to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular or the upcoming revival of Peter Pan.

Here are other some other sweet things you can do at the 2011 edition of Chocolate Show - New York.

Destination Library: The Children's Center at 42nd Street

Submitted by Katy on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 9:00am

In 2008, we wrote about the opening of the Children's Center at 42nd Street in the main branch of the New York Public Library. Its three-year anniversary is coming up, so we thought it would be the perfect time to take a closer look at this fantastic family spot, the second in our series of Destination Libraries.

While the Children's Center at 42nd may not be as state-of-the-art as the new Children's Library Discovery Center in Queens, it is home to more than 50,000 books, hundreds of DVDs and CDs and, most impressively, the original Winnie-the-Pooh. Plus there's a slew of programming for children, everything from popular storytimes to live shows and concerts by acts like the Paper Bag Players or Gustafer Yellowgold, who normally charge for their performances.

With the weather turning nippier, my preschooler and I decided to head to midtown to check out all the Children's Center at 42nd Street has to offer.

Halloween 2011 for NYC Kids: Things to Do on Monday, October 31

Submitted by Stephanie Ogozalek on Sun, 10/30/2011 - 4:00pm

It's been a few years since Halloween fell on a school day (not to mention a school night). But if your kids didn't get trick-or-treating out of their system over the weekend at various parties (or if their festivities were totally snowed out on Saturday, which felt more like Christmas than Halloween), you can still celebrate on Monday night.

We've rounded up awesome family parades, spooky parties, cool haunted houses and, of course, great places to score candy. And here's the real treat: All of them are free or very inexpensive. So grab your little ghosts and goblins—or in my case, a flying squirrel—and hit the town. Whatever you decide to do, try to arrive early and plan for crowds: Young or old, everyone in New York City loves Halloween!

Kidberry: A New Harlem Tot Spot Offers Kids' Classes and a Sense of Community

Submitted by Raven Snook on Sun, 10/30/2011 - 9:00am

Sadly, Kidberry closed its doors in August 2013. I've lived in Harlem for over a decade now and I've certainly seen a lot of changes, both good and bad. It's been bittersweet to watch a slew of new shops and restaurants open as stalwarts closed. Mainly I've been surprised that very few of these new businesses seemed aimed at children. Strange considering so many families live in (and keep moving to) the area.

Local mom Mekia Denby also noticed this problem and decided to do something about it. A twentysomething Columbia University grad who lives in Harlem, she was so annoyed when she found out that she had to drag her two young children all the way downtown for music classes that she started her own program uptown. For a few years, she taught Music Together classes at a community center, and they became so popular that she hired the mom of one of her students, Pamela Flood Morrison, as an additional instructor. Soon the pair was talking about opening their own education and music center, and last month Kidberry was born.

Weekly Wrap Up: Halloween is Here, Outdoor Ice-Skating Rinks Open, Mystery at AMNH

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 4:00pm

Does anyone else think Halloween should be a mandatory three-day weekend? Especially with October 31 falling on a Monday. Even though you can get your fill of Halloween parties and costume parades over the weekend, my family still intends to trick-or-treat door-to-door on Monday evening... even though I know we'll pay for it on Tuesday morning.

While Halloween was definitely our theme of the week, we're already looking ahead to winter fun (although we hope we're not as bad as Duane Reade, which has had a Christmas section since, oh, about August). Many outdoor ice-skating rinks open for the season this week, and we reviewed Mystery at the Museum, which is a cool, interactive way to tour the American Museum of Natural History. Remember that when you're entertaining out-of-town holiday guests.

And that's just a bit of what's going on. Here's what we covered this week on Mommy Poppins in NYC, New Jersey, Long Island and Connecticut, as well as selected stories from our brand-new sites in Boston and Los Angeles.

NYC Online Grocery Shopping Smackdown: FreshDirect vs. Peapod

Submitted by Anna Fader on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 10:00am

When it comes to most things to do, NYC beats the suburbs hands down. Grocery shopping? Not one of them. Supermarket-deprived neighborhoods, walk-ups and lack of a parking (or even a car) make city shopping a challenge. For a long time FreshDirect has been a game changer for NYC families, but now there's a new option for online grocery shopping. This year, Peapod brought suburban grocery shopping to the City and I put it to the test.

Read on to find out how Peapod's new service in NYC stacks up to FreshDirect and how you can save a lot of dough on your groceries.

Halloween Weekend in New Jersey October 28-31

Submitted by Shari Simpson on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 11:39pm

We’ve haled the haunted houses, prattled on about the parades and listed Halloween events until we’re Wicked-Witch-green in the face. But guess what? The main event is Monday so there’s more; more screams, more squeals, more spooky happenings, all weekend long. Creative Jack-o-lanterns on display, haunted hayrides, pet parades, and a freaky funeral reenactment celebrate this weekend's tricks and treats. Have fun and don't eat too much candy!

10/28 Update: It's supposed to rain and SNOW this weekend in NJ, so make sure to double-check that your weekend event is still happening!

Play Date at the ICA, Classic Cartoons, Halloween Fun and More for Boston Kids and Families, Oct 28-30

Submitted by Audrey Trieschman on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 11:02pm

Happy Halloween!

Boston families can enjoy a variety of Halloween weekend activities that run the gamut from the scary to the not-so-spooky. Check out our roundup of Halloween fun for events that have been happening all season, plus 20 free (and one almost free) events happening at local libraries, malls, and bookstores. And read on for even more coverage of Halloween events, plus performances by the Airborne Comedians and Stacey Peasley, Play Date at the ICA, the annual Classic Cartoon Festival, and more.

As always, if the weather is questionable, we recommend checking with the venue before heading to any outdoor event.

Keith Munslow Ticket Giveaway: Keith Munslow comes to the Regent Theatre in Arlington on Saturday, 10/29, and two Mommy Poppins Boston families can win free tickets to see his show, Songs and Stories, Cartoons and Comedy. Send me an email to enter. Winners will be selected by Friday at 2pm.