Rachael Cherry

Latest posts by Rachael Cherry

Weekend Fun for Houston Kids: Nature Walk, Million Penny Challenge, Aug. 10-11

Submitted by Rachael Cherry on Wed, 08/07/2019 - 11:48pm

Spend Sunday in nature doing crafts and activities at Clear Creek Nature Center. Photo courtesy of the City of League City.

First things first: did you hear that Toys 'R' Us is making a come back to The Galleria after the 2018 closing with a newly "reimagined" store that doubles as both a store and a play space? We can't wait for November to see the end result of our childhood favorite's facelift.

Now, back to business. Where on earth has the summer gone? We are quickly making our way to the midway point of August, which we all know means saying goodbye to flip flops and lazy days and hello to school buses, packed lunches, backpacks, and some semblence of a normal routine! I'm sure we can all agree that this is equal parts exciting and stressful, which is where we come in...

We're confident this weekend is going to be an excellent one. This is the ideal time to take advantage of activities like sandcastle building lessons at Stewart Beach, Evening Chill at the Houston Zoo, and visiting Candytopia. There's also still time to make some headway on our 50 Free Things to Do in Houston With Kids This Summer list and our 40 Ways to Beat the Houston Heat This Summer list. We say pack in as much summer fun as you can!

You can also check out our event calendar for ideas, as well as our August GoList, and you can sign up for our weekly newslette r to stay in the loop with all the awesome articles posted on Mommy Poppins. For anyone planning an event, we would love to get you some extra coverage! All we ask is that you submit your event to our calendar, and we'll review it and take care of the rest!

Now let's check out what's happening around Houston this weekend.

Weekend Fun for Houston Kids: Back to School Splash Bash, Root Beer Float Day, Aug. 3-4

Submitted by Rachael Cherry on Thu, 08/01/2019 - 2:46am

Make a splash before school starts at this back-to-school splash bash. Photo courtesy of Sugar Land Town Square.

It's hard to believe it's already August and that the summer holiday is drawing to a close. With back-to-school in sight, there's only one thing to do: pack in as much summer fun as possible before it's time to return to backpacks and school supplies.

Our event calendar is the best place to find events happening every day of the week, and this weekend is no exception. Activities we're eyeing include sandcastle building at Stewart Beach, Jurassic Quest happening all weekend downtown, Levy Park's Island Summer Block Party, and Root Beer Float Day at Saint Arnold Brewing Co.

One thing that isn't ending any time soon is the heat, so we rounded up some of the best spots for frozen treats to enjoy, because obviously the best way to cool off is with something cold and sweet! We also have a master list of 20 playgrounds that boast tons of shade, so you can take playtime outdoors even when the temperatures are climbing; just make sure to pack lots of water to avoid any dehydration. And if you're looking for something indoors to do, we have you covered there also. As longtime fans of indoor playgrounds, we were thrilled to check out Kidtastic - and we think you should, too! You won't be disappointed.

Now it's time to check out what this weekend has in store for Houstonians, so let's get to it!

Weekend Fun for Houston Kids: Repticon, Fit & Foodie 5k, July 27-28

Submitted by Rachael Cherry on Wed, 07/24/2019 - 8:53pm

Families line up at the start line to help end hunger in preschool-aged children and get fit. Photo courtesy of J. Vince Photography.

The dog days of summer are a thing, right? While the beginning of summer held the "do all the things!" mentality, by the end of July it can be a little harder to muster up that same energy. If screentime is taking over, check out our helpful tips for screentime management.

Other ways we're battling summer boredom: by providing you with tons of great things to do around Houston with kids on our event calendar and continuously cranking out new ideas! One of our latest articles - 40 Ways to Beat the Houston Heat This Summer - is a great example of how you can stay cool and still have tons of fun with your family this summer.

There are also a ton of amazing stage productions happening this weekend, which offer a great way to stay cool while doing something different than the regular indoor movie flick idea. Just look at all these options: "You're A Good Man Charlie Brown" at MATCH, "Murder on the Orient Express" on the Alley stage, "Mamma Mia!" is taking over Stageworks Theatre, Kids' Backporch Productions is putting on "Matilda," and Baytown Little Theater is performing their rendition of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." There are so many options all over town that picking which one to attend will be the hardest part of your day.

Before we sign off, we also wanted to highlight one more piece of interesting news: Houston is getting a new Animal & Aquarium Adventure in the spring of 2020, and it looks awesome!

Now let's check out this weekend's events.

Weekend Fun for Houston Kids: Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Celebrations, Birding 101, July 20-21

Submitted by Rachael Cherry on Thu, 07/18/2019 - 12:52am

Kids learn all about our feathered friends in Birding 101. Photo courtesy of Sheldon Lake State Park.

The weather is hot, hot, hot these days and being outside can be nothing short of brutal. Pools, splash pads, and water parks are the obvious solutions, but we wanted to take the fun level up a notch for you, which led to this amazing round up of 25 Water Games for Kids To Play All Summer Long. Plus, there's an awesome free printable you can download to check them off as you try them!

This weekend also marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing, and Houston is celebrating it big by hosting events all around the city. From Space Center Houston and Discovery Green to the 1907 Depot Museum in Tomball and Dow Park in Deer Park, one thing is certain: there's definitely a moon landing celebration happening in your neck of the woods. You can even head to Pleasure Pier and the Children's Museum of Houston to get in on the festivities!

For even more summer fun, we highly recommend checking out our Summer Fun Guide and 50 FREE Things to Do with Kids This Summer lists, as well as our July GoList and event calendar. And don't forget to enter our Mommy Poppins Great Big Summer Giveaway for your chance to win some awesome prize packages.

Now let's check out what all this weekend has in store so we can make it another great one!

Kidtastic Park Indoor Playground: Colorful Fun in Northwest Houston

Submitted by Rachael Cherry on Mon, 07/15/2019 - 5:09pm

Kids can climb to their hearts content at Kidtastic.

There is no shortage of great indoor playgrounds around Houston for kids, and the latest opening in northwest Houston does not disappoint. Kidtastic Indoor Playground has a stimulating (and monitored) playground as well as a separate toddler play area, and is guaranteed to land on your kid's list of favorite places to play around the city!

Houston Has a New Animal & Aquarium Adventure Coming to Town

Submitted by Rachael Cherry on Thu, 07/11/2019 - 9:14am

Hands-on animal fun at the upcoming Houston Aquarium and Animal Adventure.

There's a new interactive animal experience, zoo and aquarium coming to Houston, and it's promising to be a wild ride for animal lovers of all ages. Houston Aquarium and Animal Adventure isn't just an animal sanctuary, it's a hands-on animal encounter opening plus inflatable play land plus obstacle course adventure opening in northeast Houston that will have you coming back repeatedly for more.

Weekend Fun for Houston Kids: Meet the Animals at Nature Discovery Center, Bastille Day, July 13-14

Submitted by Rachael Cherry on Wed, 07/10/2019 - 5:22pm

Kids get up close and personal with animals at Meet the Animals./Photo courtesy of Nature Discovery Center.

Feel like you're officially tapped out on spending money on activities this summer? We get it. While the start of summer brings that rush of "DO ALL THE THINGS," by mid-summer, spending money to go places can start to wear on a parent. To ease that burden, we accumulated a list of 50 FREE activities you can do this summer that will keep the kids busy and entertained without the extra expense. Plus, did you know that there are a ton of museums around Houston that offer free admission on certain days or at certain times? Sign us up for that!

The midpoint of summer can also bring that pull to stay home a little more - at least it does in our house, on both my end and my kids' end - and when we're all feeling a little burned out from being on the go so much, we pull out this handy little list of indoor activities and exercises. These allow us to stay home, but also to expend some energy, which is a win-win on those days when it's just too hot to be outside running.

And if that weren't enough, we have our July GoList, which is one of our favorite monthly features to give to you, and our event calendar, which is always primed and ready for you to take advantage of, highlighting as many activities - many that are free! - around Houston and the surrounding areas as possible. If those links aren't bookmarked on your computer yet, they need to be!

Before we sign off, did you hear that about the Mommy Poppins Great Big Summer Giveaway? Each week we're featuring an awesome prize package that we want YOU to win!

Now, without further ado, let's get to crackin' on this weekend's events.

Weekend Fun for Houston Kids: AsiaFest, Freedom Celebrations, June 29-30

Submitted by Rachael Cherry on Wed, 06/26/2019 - 5:24pm

Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month at AsiaFest with a weekend of FREE family-friendly activities./Photo courtesy of Asia Society Texas Center.

This weekend is our very last weekend in June, and July is on the horizon! We would say we're sad to see June go, but we're so excited about all of the upcoming 4th of July celebrations and fireworks that saying goodbye isn't quite so hard. You can even start celebrating Independence Day early by heading to the Freedom Festival, All American Sunday, or Star Spangled Spectacular this weekend.

If you're looking for unique things to do in the coming weeks, we highly recommend making a trip to Candytopia for some sugary sweet fun or to the Houston Zoo to check out their Dinosaur exhibit; both are in town for a limited time and are perfect unique summer activities to do with the kids.

Be sure to check out event calendar during the week for even more family fun, and if you have an event you'd like publicized we invite you to submit it to our calendar! You can also sign up for our weekly newsletter to have all the Mommy Poppins fun delivered to you.

Now let's check out what's happening around Houston this weekend; there's a ton of family fun that you don't want to miss.