Jody Mercier

Jody Mercier always dreamed of being a mom, and she's raised three wonderful kids in New York City. Since that job only pays in hugs, she’s spent her career as a journalist covering health, fitness, sports, and parenting for Sports Illustrated, espnW, and Mommy Poppins. Follow her family’s adventures on Instagram @momtakesmanhattan or reach her at jody@mommypoppins.com.

Latest posts by Jody

Little League Baseball Programs in NYC

Submitted by Jody Mercier on Fri, 02/07/2020 - 10:05am

Many city Little League programs start with T-ball catering to kids as young as age 4.

The Yankees and the Mets aren't the only ones stepping up to the plate this spring. Thousands of kids across the city are eagerly dusting off their cleats in anticipation of Little League season. As a proud, long-time baseball mom, I know parents are often surprised at just how early in the year you have to register to ensure your child can join them. If you want to get in the game this spring, the time to register for Little League Baseball programs in NYC is now.

Joining a Little League team can be fun for the entire family. Moms and dads volunteer to help manage the leagues, coach the teams, run the concession stands, and maintain the grounds. Since most leagues are nonprofits, registration fees are relatively affordable. Most cost less than $300 for the entire season, and that includes nifty uniforms. If that's still out of your range, some leagues offer financial assistance.

Indoor Play Spaces With Weekend Hours for NYC Kids

Submitted by Jody Mercier on Fri, 01/31/2020 - 4:06pm

Explore everything that CMOM has to offer. Photo by the author

Indoor play spots are an essential resource for NYC families with young children—and limited square feet—as temperatures begin a steady decline into winter. Unfortunately, so many of the city's indoor play spots are limited to weekday hours. While that's great for caregivers Monday through Friday, mom and dad are left out in the cold, scrambling to fill weekends with their preschoolers in other ways. But, lucky for you, we've uncovered nearly three dozen fantastic play spaces with weekend hours.

The spots all offer drop-in play hours for kids; no membership required. All include playthings sized just right for the little ones, including babies in many instances. They are stroller-friendly and equipped with changing stations, making them no-fuss options for the toddler squad.

February GoList: Best Things To Do With NYC Kids

Submitted by Jody Mercier on Sun, 01/26/2020 - 4:12pm

Get your calendars ready! Here are the top 15 things to do with NYC kids this February, plus 10 more great events happening this month.

Even though it's the shortest month, there are still plenty of awesome family activities in NYC. Our February GoList includes annual favorites such as Chinatown's Lunar New Year Parade, the activity-filled Intrepid Kids Week during the public school midwinter break, and the city's most prominent movie fest for families: the New York International Children's Film Festival. Of course, there are some brand-new, exceptional shows, concerts, and other extraordinary experiences for kids of all ages. We made sure to highlight a range of options, whether you have toddlers, elementary schoolers, or older kids.

16 Epic Kid-Friendly Openings Coming to NYC in 2020

Submitted by Jody Mercier on Thu, 01/16/2020 - 4:00pm

Improve your Spinjitsu skils at Lego Ninjago World. Photo courtesy of Legoland New York

So far this month, we've ushered in a new decade, taken a ride on an interactive art installation, and celebrated the news a Harry Potter megastore opens this summer. City kids have it pretty good but dare we say, the best is yet to come. Our 2020 calendar is already packed with epic kid-friendly openings.

We've scoured the five boroughs to pull together this list of the most anticipated kid-friendly fun on the horizon, and there's something for everyone. We're psyched to celebrate the 150th anniversary of two of our favorite museums and are excitedly anticipating new thrills at Coney Island's Luna Park. We're dreaming of hot summer days and cooling off at a sprawling new splash pad, and killing time until then by twirling on a sky-high ice rink that's already open.

Here are 16 can't-miss openings, premieres, celebrations, and must-do activities for New York City kids this year.

Harry Potter Store Set to Debut in Summer 2020

Submitted by Jody Mercier on Mon, 01/13/2020 - 4:04pm

Get ready muggles: The largest collection of Wizarding World products in the world is coming to Flatiron this summer. Rendering courtesy of Warner Bros. Wizarding World

Raise your glasses of butterbeer in celebration: A brand new Harry Potter store is coming to New York City. The shop, which promises to house the world's largest collection of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts products under one roof, opens in the heart of the Flatiron District this summer.

While New York has seen its share of Harry Potter pop-ups, from the huge History of Magic exhibition at the New-York Historical Society to a fun coffee shop in the East Village, the new Harry Potter store is here to stay.

Giant Seesaws Invade Two NYC Neighborhoods

Submitted by Jody Mercier on Wed, 01/08/2020 - 10:12am

As visitors put Impulse's giant seesaws into motion, they radiate light and emit musical elements. Photo by Alexandre Ayer

It's no secret New York City is our favorite playground. Always on the hunt for a cool place to play, we were thrilled to visit Impulse, a public art installation that brings giant seesaws to the Garment District and to hear about a second similar installation entitled Wave-Field at the South Street Seaport.

These innovative installations give New Yorkers young and old a pair of unexpected new playgrounds in the heart of the city. Read on for details and plan your outing whether you live uptown or downtown. But hurry: Both displays are here for a limited run.

15 Best New Kid-Friendly NYC Destinations of 2019

Submitted by Jody Mercier on Tue, 12/24/2019 - 1:30pm

Camp is now in Brooklyn at Citypoint. Photo by Ros Muggeridge

It's prime season for end-of-year "best of" lists, and at Mommy Poppins, we love a good year-end roundup too. So we've searched our archives and scrolled through our Instagram feed to bring you this list of the best kid-friendly openings in NYC in 2019. From the debut of an entirely new neighborhood and shopping hotbed to some long awaited and highly anticipated openings, it's been quite a year for city kids. We've seen some classic destinations get upgrades and made some new friends along the way.

Without further ado, here is our list of the 15 best kid-friendly destinations that opened (or re-opened!) in 2019 in New York City.

7 Things to Love About NYC's National Museum of Mathematics

Submitted by Jody Mercier on Thu, 12/19/2019 - 9:29am

MoMath is wall-to-wall with interactive STEM activities kids really enjoy.

Editor's note: MoMath has shuttered its East 26th Street location. Temporary programming will be offered at 225 Fifth Avenue and a new MoMath location is slated to open in 2026. We have a sneak peek to share here.

My kids are usually game for adventure. They've trotted all over the five boroughs to help me review a range of museums, playgrounds, and play spaces. So I was a bit surprised when they protested an outing to the National Museum of Mathematics, a.k.a. MoMath. Math is boring, they exclaimed.

What was much less surprising: Their reaction after actually spending an afternoon at MoMath, one of the best STEM spots in NYC. I believe my 6-year-old's exact words were, "That's the best museum! When can we go back?" Read on for seven reasons to love the National Museum of Mathematics, and plan your own fun-filled (and educational!) outing.

Jody Mercier

Latest posts by Jody

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