Meghan Rose

Before becoming a parent, Meghan Rose worked at pioneering internet companies like AOL, eToys.com, and eBay. After having twins, she shifted her focus to literacy, co-authoring Home is Where the Books Are (Choice Literacy, 2013) and launching LitforKids.com. Now based in Los Angeles, Meghan is all about finding fun things to do with kids. Please send her ALL your ideas and suggestions for national parenting and travel articles, or drop a note just say hi: meghan@mommypoppins.com

Latest posts by Meghan

Amazon Prime Day 2025: Our Favorite Deals for Parents and Kids

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Tue, 07/01/2025 - 8:01am

Legos are on sale. Stock up for birthdays, holidays, and rainy days! Photo courtesy of LEGO

Woah! Stop the presses: Amazon Prime Day is July 8-11 this year, for four full days of summer savings. While all the deals won't be available until Prime Days, we've rounded up our favorite early deals at Amazon's biggest sale of the year that parents and kids adore, to help you know where to look first!

It's right in line with our theme this summer: it's a Summer of Savings for parents and families.

Every year, the Amazon Prime Day(s) sale has some of the best deals and lowest prices of the year. I've done a ton of research and have been asking friends and coworkers to determine which of the sale items are really worth the money. These are huge brands, beloved products, toys, and home hacks that make parenting easier.

While we can't know everything that will be on sale yet, here are the early announced deals we're tracking... come back during Prime Day (week!) to see what we add! Some deals are live early, some are available only during the sale days.

For more favorite products we have tested and love, check out our recommendations for the best backyard toys, the coolest pool floats for kids, and the very best beach gear for families.

Joke Day, 4th of July, Shark Week, and More Holidays & Activities for July 2025

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Thu, 06/26/2025 - 8:26am

It's Shark Week! Photo by Jaime Summersille for Mommy Poppins

July is the heart of summer, and while it kicks off with our biggest national holiday and all the parades and fireworks that the Fourth of July brings, the rest of the month seems like it's a holiday desert. Not so! July has Shark Week and Joke Day, Gummy Worm Day, and Pflasterspektakel Linz! You'll have to keep reading to find out what that is, and how to celebrate it with kids...

Check this list, and you’ll find the perfect thing to do with your kids each and every day of July, whether it's a reason to have a disco dance party or the perfect excuse to watch an Indiana Jones movie. Be sure to check our local summer guides for more ideas to keep you busy in July and all summer long.

Summer 2025 Bingo Cards for Kids [PRINTABLE]

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Tue, 06/10/2025 - 8:07am

Bingo cards give structure to summer fun and put kids in the driver's seat!

We created free, downloadable, printable summer bingo cards for kids as a summer boredom buster!

Summer can stretch out like an endless abyss. Sure, you can think of things to do with your kids for those first few days. Then it gets tough: there are weeks and weeks to fill with summer activities for kids. And you need to do it without spending a fortune. We have hundreds (thousands, really!) of ideas for free and cheap summer fun in our Ultimate Summer Bucket List: 100 Free Indoor and Outdoor Games and Activities for Kids and local Summer Guides.

But sometimes you need help with a place to start, something that gives you a goal, and even puts your kids in charge of picking the activities in a fun and interactive way. Enter…these free printable bingo cards. Summer boredom busted! We have both a pre-filled and a DIY summer bingo card for you to use to give kids the reins to design a summer full of fun.

Summer of Savings 2025: Save Money on Kids Activities and Travel This Summer with Mommy Poppins

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Sun, 06/01/2025 - 6:41am

Find the best free and cheap activities in your city this summer with Mommy Poppins.

I know I’m not the only one stressing about the cost of everything this summer. I’m Meghan, the Mommy Poppins Managing Editor and a parent of twins, so I know how expensive summer can get with camps, outings, vacations, childcare, and more. That’s why I charged our team of amazing parents here at Mommy Poppins to create what I’m calling our “Summer of Savings!”

In a world of AI articles and chatbots, Mommy Poppins is nothing but real moms and dads who are out there every day, checking out the inside scoop on all the stuff to do with our own families and figuring out how to solve the parenting problems we’re facing ourselves. We live across the country and our kids run a huge range of ages and interests. And we've been out there, scouring the country for fun things to do in our regions and on vacations that our kids will adore and that won't cost a fortune.

The end results are our awesome local Summer Guides where, in addition to thousands of ideas for fun (mostly FREE and budget-friendly) things to do with kids this summer, we've also reached out to some of our favorite local businesses to ask them for exclusive deals, discounts, and savings for you.

Read on for the scoop...

Donuts, Dads, and More Holidays & Activities for June 2025

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Thu, 05/29/2025 - 8:17am

Take the kids fishing for Fishing Day. Or you can play "Go Fish." Photo by Meghan Rose for Mommy Poppins

June is for Dads, Grads, and summer fun. And that's not all, there's National Donut Day, Donald Duck Day, Dancing Day, and even some celebrations that don't start with the letter D! As we kick off summer with all these activities, June is a month where you’ll never be searching for activities, things to do, and fun things to celebrate with kids!

Check this list, and you’ll find the perfect thing to do with your kids each and every day. Be sure to check our local summer guides for more ideas to keep you busy in June and all summer long.

35 Things To Do on Mother's Day 2025 in Los Angeles

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Fri, 05/02/2025 - 12:31pm

MOMentum Place is Theatricum Botanicum's annual Mother's Day celebration. Photo courtesy of the event.

Mother's Day is Sunday, May 11, 2025. Mom deserves something special, and what is more special than a fantastic, memory-making experience? This list is full of fun outings that the whole family will enjoy, but they're especially focused on the woman of the hour.

Start with brunch, of course, whether at a spectacular spot serving one of the best Mother's Day brunches in Los Angeles or one of these easy Mother's Day recipes that kids can make. Then, bellies full and happy, move on to one—or more—of these Mother's Day ideas in Los Angeles that will delight and surprise the mothers in your life.

Happy Mother’s Day from all of us at Mommy Poppins!

Free Comic Book Day, Grump Out, and More Holidays & Activities for May 2025

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Thu, 05/01/2025 - 7:21am

Even cats get grumpy. There's a day for that! Starfleet Pet photo by Reba Spike, via Flickr 2.0

May has Mother's Day and Memorial Day Weekend, but there are 29 other days in May to celebrate and we've rounded up something fun and maybe a little bit silly to celebrate and do every single day in May. Like Star Wars Day, National Grump Out, and Geek Pride Day! This is a month where you’ll never be searching for activities, things to do, and fun things to celebrate with kids!

You know what else May means? It's almost summer. To start planning your summer vacation, check out our Summer Vacation Guide. Bookmark it. It's the only thing you need to turn your summer into something entirely unforgettable, with thousands of local events & activities, and more fun things to do at home!

Pranks, Peeps, Pets, Passover, and More Holidays & Activities for April 2025

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Thu, 03/27/2025 - 10:48am

Make some recycled crafts together for Earth Day! Photo by Ally Noel

This year Easter and Spring Break are hitting a little late, so April is packed with spring fun. Throw in a few April Fools' Day pranks to kick it off, and then even Peeps Day, Passover, and National Unicorn Day — this is a month where you’ll never be searching for activities, things to do, and fun things to celebrate with kids!

Check this list, and you’ll find the perfect thing to do with your kids each and every day. For making fun family plans for Spring Break, either in your local Spring Break guide, in our roundup of expensive Spring Break trips, or at a fabulous, family-friendly all-inclusive resort, you need look no further than our incredible Family Travel Guide!

Meghan Rose

Latest posts by Meghan

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