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

Weekend Fun: Tartans, Folk Fest, Apple Blossoms, Egg Hunts...and Eels!

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Wed, 04/03/2019 - 4:00pm

Step inside LSD's (Diplo, Labrinth, & Sia) psychedelic "Genius" video at Sony Square Fan 360. Photo by Janet Bloom

Brooklyn is family fun HQ for NYC families this weekend: Not only is it Luna Park Opening Day (expanding this year to include a rope course and zip lines), but the Brooklyn Folk Festival brings bands, sing-alongs, a banjo toss, and more. Dance to the music of David Bowie at the Rock and Roll Playhouse for FREE on Saturday, and Smorgasburg is back in Prospect Park come Sunday.

In the mood for some bagpipe music and men in kilts? Excellent: It's Tartan Week, with the return of the Fifth Avenue Tartan Day Parade Saturday and a concert of music from the highlands Sunday. Pro tip: Get to Bryant Park before Saturday's parade for a Pipes and Drums performance.

In Queens, kids can enjoy the Apple Blossom Children's Carnival at the Queens County Farm Museum or the hands-on fun that is the Bionic Me exhibit at the New York Hall of Science. You can go full herbal at the Botanical Garden on Saturday, too.

Don't forget to apply for FREE summer STEM camps (Friday is the deadline), or to get your tickets for one or two of the lovely children's shows playing this spring, including The World Inside Me, which closes after this weekend. And did we mention that it's Eel Weekend in the Bronx? And that Staten Island is hosting a massive Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday? Consider yourself notified.

We're endlessly adding to our Event Calendar, so don't forget to check it before heading out. Plus, please peruse the April Go List, April Spring Festivals, and FREE things to do this month to prep for the amazing month ahead in NYC! And don't miss our invaluable guide to all the Easter Egg Hunts around town.

Weekend Fun: Brick Fest, Lightning Thief, Earth Hour, PJ Masks, Carousel

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Wed, 03/27/2019 - 4:00pm

Even if it's still chilly you can celebrate spring with a ride or two on the beautiful carousel in the heart of Brooklyn's Prospect Park! Photo by Mommy Poppins

It's our sworn duty to bring you all the best NYC events every week, but this week we have one nationwide event to share: Join us and the World Wildlife Fund for EarthHour on Saturday to help focus attention on protecting nature. We'll be sitting in the dark, hoping to see some stars.

For the rest of the weekend, the lights are fully ON and all systems are GO. Don't miss the New York Hall of Science's annual Brick Fest Live, the city's ultimate salute to LEGO—this year featuring glow-in-the-dark bricks! Seats are still available for one of the hottest tickets in town, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, at the Beacon all weekend. And if you're looking for confirmation that spring has arrived, the Prospect Park Carousel is newly open and ready to take kids for a spin or two.

If you're looking for pure entertainment, don't miss PJ Masks Live at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik at Lincoln Center, Not My Monster at the Flea, The Paper Bag Players at the Jewish Museum, Swan Lake at Lehman College, or The Kids 'N Comedy March show.

If EarthHour inspires you to commune with nature, meet some squirrels at Fort Greene Park, make a rose terrarium at Morris-Jumel, or celebrate Holi, the Indian Color Festival, at the Queens Museum.

Our event calendar is fizzing over the top with more great things to do, and we have carefully curated lists of the Best Spring Events for Toddlers and Preschoolers and the Best Shows for Kids This Spring—catch 'em while you can!

Weekend Fun: Flower Show, Purim, Kids' Theater, Circus...and Desserts!

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Wed, 03/20/2019 - 3:30pm

Astonishing athletes defy gravity and execute breathtaking feats in the spellbinding New Shanghai Circus. Photo courtesy of the circus

It's officially spring! While the weather might not have gotten the memo (yet), the Macy's Flower Show is blooming again with a space-inspired floral fantasy featuring marvelous celestial blooms, and kids can take a trip to outer space with Peppa Pig on opening day this Sunday.

This weekend dishes up plenty of great theater for kids too, including Colors at BAM, The Magic Schoolbus, While You Were Out at LaMama Kids, and Underneath a Magical Moon, a re-imagining of Peter Pan (sign up for the interactive pre-show workshop). The New Shanghai Circus takes a bow in Queens on Saturday and Staten Island on Sunday.

If you're looking for FREE fun (who isn't?), make balloon cars at Brooklyn's MakerSpace, catch a free concert and screening of Up in Queens, sing songs from around the world with Mr. Patrick at the Children's Library, take in lion dancing (and popcorn!) at Sunset Park's Lantern Cultural Fest, or check out Philosophy for Kids as part of the Tilt Festival at the Brooklyn Library.

Purim parties on at the Riverdale Temple and Rock and Roll Playhouse on Sunday, or make holiday masks all weekend at the Children's Museum of Manhattan. And for the cherry on top, confections rule at the Dessert Goals Festival, all weekend in Long Island City.

For more, more, more, peruse the March GoList, FREE things to do this month, and our ever-expanding calendar.

Best Events This Fall for NYC Preschoolers

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Sun, 09/02/2018 - 9:20am

All aboard the Transit Museum's vintage buses at October's Bus Festival. Photo courtesy of the museum

Let the fall fun begin! This fall there are tons of events, festivals, and shows in NYC just right for the preschool crowd. From fall fairs with petting zoos to music performances to great toddler and preschooler activities, here are 30+ fall events for NYC preschoolers—and best of all, many events and activities are FREE.

Don't forget to check out our September GoList and Best NYC Fall Festivals for even more great fall events, not to mention our just released Fall Fun Guide. Looking for a special day trip? Preschoolers are old enough to pick their own apples this September or even find the perfect pumpkin.

Labor Day Weekend Things to Do with NYC Kids: Festivals, Unicycles, Beaches

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Wed, 08/29/2018 - 11:28am

Labor Day Weekend 2018 is the the last weekend to enjoy the amazing Pop-Up Pool in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Etienne Frossard for BBP

For NYC kids, Labor Day weekend means one thing: time to finish that summer bucket list before heading back to school. There's plenty going, too. On Governors Island, ride into NYC's annual unicycle fest. Or head to an outdoor carnival at the Richmond County Fair. Plus, Wildman Steve Brill is prowling the parks in Brooklyn and Queens for fascinating tours of NYC's green spaces.

There's still time to end the summer with your beach game strong: Hit the Jersey shore with our handy-dandy guide, daytrip to Long Beach or Asbury Park, take the subway (or ferry) to the beach, or hit the road for a nearby freshwater swimming lake. For less sandy but equally fun options, see our guide to outdoor pools and sprinklers within the five boroughs, plus nearby amusement parks and water theme parks.

Looking for something low impact and close to home? Enjoy family brunch outdoors at one of these kid-friendly restaurants in Manhattan or Brooklyn, or go for an ice cream crawl at these worthy NYC sweet shops. If the clouds don't stay away this weekend, we've got suggestions for rainy day fun at museums and play spaces.

You could also go on an impromptu art hunt: Public art popping up around NYC includes suits of armor dotting the lawns of Fort Tryon Park, a Poetry Jukebox in Greenwich Village, and—our fave—dusk.space at the Seaport.

On Monday, don't miss the FREE pie throwing event that kicks off the 2018 NY Clown Theatre Festival. If ever there was a reason to stick around the city on Labor Day weekend, this might be it.

Read on for all of our Labor Day weekend picks. You'll find additional suggestions in our Event Calendar and September GoList. Farewell, summer!

Weekend Fun: US Open Kids' Day, Battle of Brooklyn, Soapbox Derby, and Sprinklers

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Wed, 08/22/2018 - 4:00pm

Enjoy the last days of summer at Sprinkler Day at Asphalt Green. Photo courtesy of the Asphalt Green

Tennis anyone? The annual Arthur Ashe Kids' Day is back, bringing tennis stars and music superstars to NYC in advance of next weekend's US Open. Can't get to Queens? Check out the US Open Experience down in the Financial District for kids' clinics and big-screen tennis viewing.

For old-fashioned summer fun, soapbox contraptions roll through Park Slope at Saturday's South Slope Derby, or get soaked at Sprinkler Day at Asphalt Green. History buffs can celebrate the anniversary of the Battle of Brooklyn, fought in 1776 on land that is now part of Green-Wood Cemetery, at the Battle of Brooklyn Monuments Tour or the Battle of Brooklyn Commemoration on Sunday.

Also on Sunday, it's time to Boogie on the Boulevard up in the Bronx. The center lanes of the Grand Concourse from 162nd Street to 170th Street are closed to cars and open to a world of fun—with free music, art, and activities. This weekend is also your last chance to snag a free hot dog from the Hot Dog Bus.

Check a few more things off that "before school starts" summer bucket list—or start planning for fall: Tickets for Smithsonian Museum Day Live, offering FREE access to museums all around the city on September 22, are available to download now. Get 'em before they're gone! For more end-of-summer fun, check our August GoList and Event Calendar.

Weekend Fun: Math Fest, Kites, Sand Sculptures, and Harlem Week

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Wed, 08/15/2018 - 4:01pm

A new art installation at the Seaport, dusk.space, provides a little bit of nature in the city. Photo by myrealestateshots via NYC Parks

Statistically speaking, we're due for a dry weekend, and that would be an excellent thing, since we're counting on having a great time at the third annual Math Festival hosted by MoMath on Saturday. Laser cutting, giant mazes, music, and roller coaster design make STEM as exciting as sunshine after a long, soggy stretch.

Also this Saturday: Watch the colors fly at the Upper West Side's annual Kite Flying Festival. Bring a good kite and some string, or take advantage of the materials supplied on site (while supplies last). Down at Coney Island, enjoy the sunshine and artistry at the annual Sand Sculpting Contest, and learn some sand sculpting tricks of your own at Kaiser Park on Neptune Avenue, where the NYC Parks and Rec team awaits with a sand creature building program from 11am-12:30pm on Saturday.

Harlem Week romps through uptown all weekend long, with a children's festival on Saturday and Sunday. Daily performances run from hip hop to poetry to tap dance. And do visit our favorite new art installation, dusk.space, at the Seaport. It's magical to lie under the grid as the sun goes down and smell freshly mown grass, listen to crickets, and watch the "fireflies."

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 are now being scheduled through September—follow our August Movie page, updated frequently, to see what's playing (for free!) near you.

Weekend Fun: Dragon Boats, Puppet Shows, Dance Fest

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Wed, 08/08/2018 - 4:00pm

Celebrate bees and honey at Wave Hill's Honey Weekend. Photo by Erics Berger

High on our "must" list of things to do in New York City this weekend are the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in Corona Park, and this Saturday's car-free Summer Streets fest on Park Avenue. Looking to cool off with some indoor fun? This weekend's Puppet Fringe Festival includes some great productions for kids, like the gorgeous Sueno: A Latino Take on A Midsummer Night's Dream, featuring 50 carnival puppets, stilt walkers, music, and dance.

New York City kids who like to dance (a decided majority) should love the FREE West African Dance performance at the 37th Annual Battery Dance Festival on Saturday. And on Sunday, YahYa Kamate hosts a West African Dance class for all ages at Morris-Jumel Mansion.

City parks are packed with cool activities, like Mostly Mozart concert in Central Park, and the last Summer on the Hudson Playdate of the year, featuring magic with Sammie and Tudie. Foodies in training can cultivate their palates at Connecting through Food in Queens' Socrates Sculpture Park, Totally Tomatoes Weekend at the New York Botanical Garden, and Honey Weekend at Wave Hill.

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: 33 ways to squeeze all the fun you can out of summer, before the school year starts up again.