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

Mommy Poppins Launches in Miami and the San Francisco Bay Area

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Sun, 07/10/2022 - 1:36pm

Things like having a children's museum with a view like this make it easy to leave your heart in San Francisco. Photo courtesy of the Bay Area Discovery Museum

Did you start to go a little stir crazy in your city during the past few years? Everyone here at Mommy Poppins felt a bit housebound, and got excited talking about the places we couldn't wait to visit with our kids. A couple of places kept coming up, one on each coast. These are cities we've played in, dreamed about, and maybe even left our hearts in, just a little bit. So, we got to work and now we can announce that Mommy Poppins San Francisco Bay Area and Miami are here!

Our two new sites join our growing family of cities that includes NYC, Long Island, New Jersey, Westchester, Connecticut, DC, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Houston, Orlando, and Atlanta. Also expanding: the cool things you can do on our site. We recently redesigned our search pages with a cleaner, easier-to-use design and new functionality. You can now find camps and classes on your local calendar of events and even buy tickets directly from our website — if an event has a red "Book It" tag, you can purchase tickets immediately, with no added fees.

In short, we've been busy...

What’s New: Best Openings and Attractions for Kids and Families Spring 2022

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Thu, 05/26/2022 - 12:30pm

Rise NY is a breathtaking simulated aerial tour of NYC. Photo courtesy of Rise NY

Discover the best openings and attractions for kids this spring: these are perfect ideas for family summer travel!

Is the world getting back to normal? Is there a normal anymore? These questions are frankly too much to contemplate as school wraps up and parents are desperately trying to finalize non-refundable summer camp and family travel plans. But one thing we can say for sure is that big things are opening again, and there's probably something new and exciting wherever you happen to live or plan to travel to this summer. From a new amusement park for tots in San Diego to a new way to go skating at Rockefeller Center in NYC, here are the highlights of the best things that have opened recently for kids and families.

If you are planning a family trip this summer, we've got plenty of reviews, resources, and ideas in our Family Travel Guide. And if you're staying home, we rounded up a cool 100 fun activities on our Ultimate Summer Bucket List.

Cherry Picking near Los Angeles with Kids: Favorite Family Farms in the Leona Valley

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Tue, 05/24/2022 - 10:34am

Picking your own makes them taste extra sweet. Photo courtesy of Villa del Sol

Of course you can go cherry picking near Los Angeles—SoCal is the fruit basket of the country!

You've been strawberry picking with your kids, and everyone has visited a local farm to pick a pumpkin from the patch in person. But have you ever gone cherry picking? Cherries do best in the high desert, and there are several pick-your-own cherry orchards in the Leona Valley, near Palmdale. It's a pretty ride into high desert horse country, and when you get there, kids can not only go cherry picking, but also pick other stone fruits and enjoy some time on the farm.

The Best Carlsbad Hotels Near Legoland California for Families

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Tue, 05/17/2022 - 11:25am

Take a Lego break on a water slide. Photo courtesy of the Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa

There’s just something about Legoland California. It’s such a special place that even though you can drive here from Los Angeles or San Diego for a day, you really want to spend the night to be there the minute it opens, go back the next day to the Water Park, or just stay and explore the very underrated and gorgeous town of Carlsbad. Which is why we’ve rounded up the best Carlsbad hotels near Legoland—some within walking distance, some by the beach—all will ensure that you have a wonderful stay in town.

So come for my favorite of the SoCal theme parks, stay for the Flower Fields, the strawberry picking, the charming beach town, the ocean walks, and so much more. Or use Carlsbad as a non-crowded jumping off point to explore all that San Diego has to offer, from Sesame Place San Diego to the San Diego Zoo and so much more.

Best Children’s Theaters in the US: Why Bringing Young Kids to the Theater Is So Important

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Thu, 05/05/2022 - 11:43am

Watch as kids become entranced by a live show. Photo by Alexis Buatti Ramos, courtesy of the New Victory Theater

Look around a theater, the next time you're there and watch their faces as all kids—even the very youngest—become entranced by live theater. You can see it happen, as they are transported by the stories, the characters, the scenes. And it’s not just fun and games; from live theater, kids learn empathy, problem-solving skills, and how to work well with others.

Want to bring your kids to see some wonderful live theater? We’ve not only rounded up the best Children’s Theaters in the country, but we also made it easy for parents to find the best live children's theaters and shows for kids taking place near you, wherever you live. You can even buy tickets to these shows right from our website, and take your kids to a show this weekend.

Tried and Tested: 10 Things We’re Obsessed with This March

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Mon, 02/28/2022 - 2:00pm

Turning Red is the newest Pixar movie. Nuff said. Photo courtesy of Disney

Time to spring forward into March with a whole lot of green, some self-care and snacking, superb screen time, and even a little madness.

March is Women’s History Month, and it happens to kick off on Mardi Gras this year— that combination of girl power and a party spirit is the mood for this month. All our picks either bring a sense of party and playfulness or they’re self-care, post-play pick-me-ups. With the state of the world, that's right where I want to live. A few things on this list are brand new, but several are just new to me; they’re recommendations from friends, co-workers, and loved ones that I’ve been trying out for the last month and become obsessed with. There’s even a pick from each of my kids.

Read on to discover a way to take 20 minutes for yourself, your new favorite breakfast treat, a family TV show I’ve been waiting for for years, and more.

10 Reasons to Love February: Stacey Abrams Book, Lego Globe, Target Brightroom, and More

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Mon, 01/31/2022 - 11:40am

A page from Stacey's Extraordinary Words. Photo courtesy of Amazon

While many people deride February as a short, cold, miserable month, let me give you 10 reasons it's the best month of the year.

In my family, February is the month of celebrations because one year in February, I got the best birthday gift I’ve ever gotten: My twins were born the morning before my own birthday. So our family of four celebrates three birthdays in 48 hours. Throw in Groundhog Day, Lunar New Year, Valentine’s Day, and Mardi Gras—all of which I adore for various reasons—and this is the month when my family celebrates something almost every day. But even if you don't have a cornucopia of festivities, this February there is a lot to celebrate. From a new excuse to bake more cakes to the shows that will have your family glued to the TV, here's the scoop on what's cool and new this February.

10 Picks to Start 2022 Off Right

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Mon, 12/27/2021 - 1:55pm

This deliciously decadent recipe came from our Chicago events editor. Photo courtesy of Maureen Wilkey

Down with Omicron; we've picked ten fun and inspiring things to get excited about as we head into 2022.

Just as my kids were finishing up their last days of school before the holiday, the Omicron spike hit. Each day, I watched their spirits dip further as our Nutcracker tickets became useless, our family's traditional Christmas Eve restaurant closed, and family and friends decided it was safest to postpone getting together. When I sat down to write about the things I'm loving for January, I was stumped. Then, as I began to pile through my inbox, our Facebook pages, and the event calendars, I realized there’s actually a lot to look forward to in 2022.

Because this is what Mommy Poppins is about: treasuring the time we have with our kids and inspiring families to have amazing and enriching experiences together. Sometimes that might just be watching a great movie, snuggled up on the couch. And it turns out there are a couple of new ones this month—read on. Or it might be baking with kids; at the top of my list is a dessert that Maureen, our Chicago Events Editor, passed around to our team. My daughter also shared a couple of tips she’s picked up in her school’s yoga class, for how we can all head into 2022 with grace, peace, and joy. I hope you find inspiration in our picks below, and that we all head into the New Year safe, healthy, happy, and together.

Meghan Rose

Latest posts by Meghan

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