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

Things to Do This Weekend: Harlem Fest, Sand Castles, Kites, Math Fest, Honey

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Wed, 08/14/2019 - 12:00pm

Kick off your flip-flops and enjoy free outdoor play in the high-powered sprinklers at Asphalt Green's Sprinkler Day. Photo courtesy of Asphalt Green

We're counting on having a great time at the fourth annual Math Festival hosted by MoMath on Saturday, with laser cutting, giant mazes, music, and roller coaster design to make STEM irresistible.

Also this Saturday: Watch the colors fly at the Upper West Side's annual Kite Flying Festival. Scoot down to the third (and final) Summer Streets Fest. Skip through the sprinklers at Asphalt Green's second splashy free-for-all. Or head down to Coney Island to enjoy the sunshine and artistry at the annual Sand Sculpting Contest.

Harlem Week romps through uptown all weekend long, with a children's festival on Saturday and daily performances that run from hip hop to poetry to tap dance. And Wave Hill is literally buzzing—it's Honey Weekend again, and that means candle-making, sweet treats, and the traditional Be a Bee workshop and parade.

All this, plus over a hundred other events (50+ each day) are baked into the Mommy Poppins Calendar. Check out our list of the 50 best places to cool off this summer, and don't forget the fun-packed August Go List. And the outdoor movies that were canceled due to all the rain earlier this summer are now being scheduled through September—bookmark our Free Outdoor Movie page to see what's playing (for free!) near you.

Weekend Fun: Summer Streets, Tomato Fest, Battery Dance Fest, Fish Count

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Wed, 08/07/2019 - 4:00pm

Tip your garden hat to the great tomato at NYBG. Photo courtesy of NYBG

High on our "must" list of things to do in New York City this weekend are the second car-free Summer Streets fest on Park Avenue on Saturday, and the New York Botanical Garden's Totally Tomatoes Fest (our toddler eats them like apples!). And, if you're in the Bronx anyway, stopping by the Bronx Zoo's Dinosaur Safari might make a perfect topper for the day.

New York City kids who like to dance (a decided majority) should love the FREE Kids' Dance Class at Rockefeller Center on Saturday, perfect prep for the 38th Annual Battery Dance Festival, which starts its week-long run in Wagner Park on Sunday. If the wiggles continue, head over to Brooklyn Bridge Park for the Moving Together Dance Series and shake them out!

City parks are packed with cool activities, like the Great Fish Count on Randall's Island, the Macy's Fishing Clinic in Prospect Park, foraging tours with Wildman Steve Brill (in Central Park on Saturday and Prospect Park on Sunday), Great Jazz on the Great Hill, and an outdoor screening of Wonder Park.

Our August GoList and Summer Fun Guide are powered up with the best ideas for family outings, and our event calendar adds things to do daily. And don't miss our list of Summer Must Dos: 40 ways to squeeze all the fun you can out of summer, before the school year starts up again.

Weekend Fun: Summer Streets, Dragon Boats, Kids Rule Fest

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Wed, 07/31/2019 - 3:00pm

It's all about the kids at Kids Rule Weekend. Photo courtesy of Lehman Stages

And just like that, it's August! But summer is far from winding down for New York City kids. Proof? Two words: Summer Streets. For three straight Saturdays beginning August 3, Manhattan blocks traffic on an unbroken route from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Upper East Side and replaces it with fun outdoor activities—even a climbing wall and a zip line—at stops along the way. See our full lowdown on Summer Streets.

Kids Rule Weekend returns to Lehman College in the Bronx with pony rides and water slides for the toddler and preschool set. The Lincoln Center Out of Doors Family Day kicks off with World Roots music. The Rockaways' Water Fest is wet and wild as ever. Theatro SEA's Arts for All Fest pops up on the Lower East Side with a weekend-long celebration of Puerto Rican plena. And Hong Kong Dragon Boats race through Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

There's lots happening on NYC's riverfronts this weekend, too: Light a lantern for peace at the Hindu Lamp Ceremony in Brooklyn Bridge Park, or show off your dance moves at the Sweet Spot Festival at West Harlem Piers Park. Grab an oar and try your hand at Community Rowing, or learn to kayak or canoe at Hallets Cove.

Our August GoList has all the must-do events for families coming up this month, and don't forget the Summer Fun Guide, bursting with cool stuff to do, including how to get to the beach in a hurry, water park day trips, and even FREE splash pads.

Weekend Fun: Midsummer PowWow, Poetry Fest, City of Science, Storytelling Fest

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Wed, 07/24/2019 - 4:00pm

Jump into the biggest world's biggest inflatable at Big Bounce America in Brooklyn. Photo courtesy of Big Bounce America

It's another jam-packed summer weekend in NYC, and after last weekend's deep-fried weather we're hoping to venture out into more temperate temperatures. The spectacular Thunderbird Mid-Summer Powwow brings over 40 Native nations together for a weekend of dance and celebration in Queens, Brooklyn is staking a claim to hosting the world's biggest bounce house, Lehman College in the Bronx is cooking up tons of City of Science fun, Biennial artist Robert Bittenbender is helping kids create a giant velcro installation at the Whitney, and, as usual, there's MUCH more happening around all five boroughs.

At the 9th Annual New York Poetry Festival on Governors Island, kids can go on a word-themed scavenger hunt, speak their minds at the afternoon open mic sessions, and listen to some of America's best poets recite. Meanwhile, the High Line Young Storytellers Fest helps kids build their own tales, Stories at the Statue in Central Park has two classic Hans Christian Andersen tales on the docket this Saturday, and authors read kids' books at Books of Wonder's UWS locale on Saturday and Chelsea store on Sunday. You can always find more story events by searching our calendar.

On Sunday, head over to the Brooklyn Roots Fest at Lefferts Historic House, check out the Ballet Folklorico Mexicano's Guelaguetza Festival at Socrates Sculpture Park, explore Central Park's North Woods on a Discovery Walk specifically designed for families, or boogie with Rolie Polie Guacamolie in Fort Greene.

Keep an eye on our packed Summer Fun Guide and our NYC Event Calendar for a non-stop panoply of fun things to do with the family as we head into August!

Weekend Fun: Sprinkler Day, Moon Landing, Open Gardens, Sharks

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Wed, 07/17/2019 - 4:00pm

Sprinkler Day is back at Asphalt Green. Photo courtesy of Asphalt Green

It's mid-July, which means the time is ripe to race through some sprinklers. This weekend marks the return of one of NYC's water fun highlights: the (FREE!) salute to shower power, Sprinkler Day at Asphalt Green (there's another one in August, if this weekend doesn't work for you). Midsummer also produces a bounty of, well, produce—so what better time to hold the annual Open Gardens Day? Saturday's your chance to explore a few of the city's gorgeous green community gardens.

PLUS: It's the 50th anniversary of America's trip to the moon, so the American Museum of Natural History is hosting a day packed with performances, hands-on activities, and presentations dedicated to the wonders of space. Kids can also make moon models and more with Science Teacher Sarah—for free! Or head out to Staten Island to make exploding moon rocks and eat moon pies!

Is that all, you ask? Well, no, of course not. There's a whole parade of family-friendly events trooping through town: The Paley Center is unveiling its Shark Week exhibit, the Rubin Museum hosts its annual Block Party, Dumbo hosts the annual Come Out and Play Family Day, and the (air-conditioned) American Gargoyles story time and workshop at the Skyscraper Museum invites kids to take another look at familiar buildings (author Neil Cohen visits Long Island City on Sunday, too).

Our ever-expanding summer fun calendar has lots more in store, including free outdoor movies in every borough. Keep an eye on our July GoList. And if the heat is getting to you, don't miss our list of 50 fun things to do to cool off in NYC.

Weekend Fun: City of Water, Back to the Beach, Bastille Day

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Wed, 07/10/2019 - 4:00pm

Dive into science with your family this summer for catch and release fishing, microscopic investigations, River-inspired crafts and more. Photo courtesy of Hudson River Park

Some weekends it feels like all the summer fun is happening at once—not that we're complaining!

Saturday brings City of Water Day to the Seaport, the It's Your Tern Festival to Governors Island, the Boardwalk Children's Festival to the Rockaways, Woodstock nostalgia to the Children's Museum of Manhattan, and Colonial ice cream flavors to Washington Heights.

On Sunday, cheer the Disability Pride Parade from Madison Square Park to Union Square, or allez-y vites to celebrate Bastille Day in Midtown East. Plus, you can dance to early American music at SummerStage's Family Day in Central Park.

Staten Island's Midland Beach hosts Back to the Beach all weekend, with live music, rides, and fab food—and it's a snap to get there from Manhattan. This weekend you can also rev your engines at the NYC E-Prix in Brooklyn, gorge on Italian treats at the Annual Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, or practice 18th century military drills at the New York Historical Society's Continental Army Weekend celebration.

And that's just the tip of the calendar iceberg: Check out free outdoor movies, the best pools for toddlers and kids, a whopping list of 35 great summer day trips, and our boredom-busting rundown of 100 free things to do with kids this summer.

Fun Things to Do on July 4th in NYC If Your Family Doesn’t Like Fireworks

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Mon, 07/01/2019 - 4:00pm

The annual hot dog eating contest at Coney Island is a fun way to spend the 4th of July with kids. Photo courtesy of the event

Fireworks just aren't for everyone. For little kids especially, the loud noises and flashing lights in the sky can be overwhelming and a little scary. If that's the case in your family, the Fourth of July might be a bit of a challenge in New York City.

But no worries: You don't have to line up midday to stand in a crush of strangers and then wait for nightfall to watch the sky explode in order to enjoy this holiday in NYC. We've got a cool dozen ideas to help you navigate the birth of our nation, gunpowder-free!

Of course, you can also always turn to our July GoList, our compendium of 100 Free Things to do with NYC Kids This Summer, and our bulging calendar for more ideas. Happy 4th!

Weekend Fun: Pride Parade, Jedi Training, Mud Day

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Wed, 06/26/2019 - 4:00pm

Let off some STEAM with STEM Kids NYC at Governors Island. Photo courtesy of STEM NYC

Pride Month concludes with a bunch of kid-friendly events this weekend, including the Kidding Around Pride Picnic, Youth Pride for teens in Central Park, and the big parade on Sunday. Little ones can learn about kindness and inclusion at Books of Wonder's Pride Weekend Picture Book Bonanza in Chelsea, and historical re-enactors bring the Stonewall Uprising to life at the New York Historical Society's DiMenna Children's History Museum.

Meanwhile, Star Wars fans can do some Jedi training at the Chelsea Rec Center, St John the Divine breaks out a Carnival for kids to celebrate the start of summer, it's International Mud Day on Staten Island (and, apparently, all over the world!), and ye olde timey Traditions Fest promises a weekend full of activities from the 18th century to modern times.

As of this week, NYC pools are officially open for cool, splashy fun, not to mention NYC beaches and all our favorite splash pads and water parks. Naturally, there are plenty of free, family-friendly movies in the parks and other fun options packing the MommyPoppins calendar.

Looking ahead to next week's July 4th celebrations? We have a comprehensive guide to seeing the Macy's Fireworks and other fireworks shows around NYC.