Drew Kristofik

Drew Kristofik's early career editing teen magazines somehow morphed into a seven-year stint at MacNeil/Lehrer, followed by a very long sojourn at Nickelodeon/Viacom as Director of Content for Nick online and then Editor-in-Chief of ParentsConnect.com local. She was a founding member of the WebbyAward winning GoCityKids, has written for Family Fun Magazine, Vanity Fair, and New York, and her novel for middle schoolers, The Time Boat, is available on Amazon Kindle. She strives to keep the MommyPoppins New York Events calendar packed and accurate, and can be reached at events@mommypoppins.com.

Latest posts by Drew

18 Best Things To Do in NYC January 2025 with Kids

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Fri, 12/27/2024 - 8:58am

Museo del Barrio's The Three Kings Day Parade takes over the streets of East Harlem Photo by Mommy Poppins

From New Year's Day to MLK weekend, January can be a great time for indoor and outdoor activities. Don't miss our favorite kid-friendly events and activities in New York City this month.

Our January forecast of fun lights up the winter gloom. Start the new year by watching Coney Island Polar Bear Club members plunge into the freezing Atlantic, catch up with the Three Kings as they hand out gifts on the Lower East Side, and honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at BAM's always-moving tribute. You can close down the first month of 2025 with FIAF's brilliant annual Animation First Film Fest and the Lunar New Year Firecracker Festival in Chinatown.

We’re adding more events to our Family Activity Calendar every day, so don’t forget to check it frequently.

New Year's Eve Weekend 2024 in NYC: Drone Show, Noon Year's Eve, and More Things To Do

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Fri, 12/27/2024 - 8:43am

The big ball drop in Times Square is an unforgettable New Year's Eve sight, if you can handle the crowds! Photo by Michael Hull

Looking for the best things to do in New York City this New Year's Eve weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this New Year's holiday weekend.

It's time to ring in 2025, and you don't have to stay up until midnight on Tuesday to get in on the fun. Count down to the New Year with Grammy-nominated music artist Fyütch at the NYPL, celebrate Kwanzaa at the Brooklyn Children's Museum, take a first day hike to start the year on the right foot, or watch the Coney Island Polar Bear Club members take their annual frigid dip in the Atlantic.

New Year's Eve Drone Shows, Balloon Drops, and Celebrations for Kids in NYC

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Sun, 12/22/2024 - 7:42pm

The ball drops at noon at CMOM! Photo courtesy of the museum

New Year's Eve is almost upon us, and there are lots of ways to ring in 2025 in New York City with kids, even though the traditional fireworks shows have been canceled due to drought. We've rounded up the city's best family-friendly New Year's Eve celebrations, including Times Square's legendary ball drop. Our family-friendly picks include a drone show over Prospect Park and a special Big Apple Circus performance. However you welcome the new year, we hope it's a blast.

You can find even more seasonal fun in our Holiday Guide for NYC Families, and be sure to check out our post on 38 fun things to do over Christmas vacation.

Christmas Weekend 2024 in NYC Top Things To Do: Make Music NYC, BCM Birthday & Hanukkah

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Fri, 12/20/2024 - 9:55am

Skate beneath the historic Brooklyn Bridge while taking in the iconic views of the Manhattan skyline at Roebling Rink. Photo courtesy of venue

Looking for the best things to do in New York City this Christmas weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this weekend.

You may still have gifts to wrap (or—gulp—shop for) and stockings to hang, but there's festive fun to be had all weekend and beyond. Make Music NYC returns for its winter solstice sessions and the Brooklyn Children's Museum is celebrating its 125th birthday with FREE admission all weekend. Our annual Christmas favorites include singing carols under the Washington Square Arch, catching a holiday show, and checking out the Dyker Lights.

Christmas Day marks the first day of Hannukah, and families can catch the Oran Etkin concert at the Jewish Museum or celebrate with Jazzukkah at the Museum at Eldridge Street.

No matter how you celebrate, Happy Holidays from the Mommy Poppins team!

Make Music NYC, Winter Solstice, and More Things To Do in NYC this Weekend with Kids

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Fri, 12/13/2024 - 10:00am

The Paley Center's must-see holiday extravaganza fills five floors with holiday fun and winter wonderland magic. Photo courtesy of PaleyLand

Looking for the best things to do in New York City this weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list.

December just keeps getting nuttier with the beloved Hard Nut version of The Nutcracker opening at BAM. Mozart's Magic Flute is back at the Met, with its deliriously fun family party Saturday. Sunday brings a choice of Hanukkah celebrations with Hanukkah Family Day at the Jewish Museum and the 92Y's Hanukkah Extravaganzukah. Plus, Christmas classics get a makeover during Rockefeller Center's Tuba Christmas and the traveling Unsilent Night in the Village.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show Soars in NYC

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Tue, 12/10/2024 - 9:59am

Eric Carle's colorful animals come to life on stage,

It’s never easy to successfully adapt a popular book for stage or film (the expectations!), nor to keep a theater full of toddlers and preschoolers engaged and seated for an hour. Yet, the latest stage adaptation of Eric Carle’s beloved The Very Hungry Caterpillar, playing in NYC this winter, does all that and more.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show, now at the Duke through Sunday, January 5, 2025, retells four iconic Carle tales with 75 handcrafted large-scale puppets, three actors who double as puppeteers and narrators and subtle but lyrical music that readies the audience for the animal magic about to appear on stage. It’s earnest, colorful, artsy and will hold your kid in awe for 60+ solid minutes.

36 Free Holiday and Christmas Events in NYC for Kids

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Sun, 12/01/2024 - 5:45am

Enjoy the Coca-Cola Winter Wonderland experience at the Apollo for free. Photo courtesy of the Apollo

When it comes to holiday gifts, we've got the perfect one for you, dear reader: This list of FREE holiday and Christmas events in NYC. Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year's Eve are all fast approaching, but between Nutcrackers, family-friendly holiday shows, special meals with Santa, and gift-giving, things can get expensive. So, we've rounded up 36 FREE holiday and Christmas events in NYC to enjoy now through New Year's Eve.

For more things to do in New York City this season, bookmark our NYC Kids' Guide to Holiday Activities and Christmas Events and our always-up-to-date Family Activity Calendar.

22 Best Things To Do in NYC December 2024 with Kids

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Fri, 11/29/2024 - 9:57am

Don't Let The Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical takes the stage at the Queens Theater. Photo by Jeremy Daniel/TheaterWorks USA

Holiday lights, sights, and celebrations abound in NYC this December. Read on for our top things to do with kids to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year's Eve.

We're still plowing through the leftover turkey, and we have to start prepping for Christmas, Hanukkah, and 2024's final bow. Luckily, there's a spectacular array of kid-friendly things to do in December.

The month kicks off with Annie at the Theater at Madison Square Garden, and Whoopi Goldberg takes on a starring role. The Met Opera's The Magic Flute is a can't-miss at Lincoln Center, plus the month brings tons of holiday fun, including the cacophony of musical madness that is Unsilent Night.

Keep our top picks for holiday must-do's handy all month long, too, and bookmark our NYC Kids' Guide to Holiday and Christmas Events for easy access to all the holiday hullabaloo that pops up!

Drew Kristofik

Latest posts by Drew

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