Raven Snook

Raven is a writer, editor, performer and mom, who was born and bred in NYC, just like her husband, her mother and now, her daughter. As a writer, she's contributed articles to New York Magazine, Time Out New York, The Village Voice, the New York Post, TV Guide, Better Homes and Gardens, iVillage, AOL TV and Moviefone, Parents.com, and worked as an in-house editor for ParentsConnect.com and TimeOutKids.com. As a performer, she's appeared on many downtown stages (sometimes even for pay!), a couple of obscure films and TV shows, and The Maury Povich Show as a female drag queen. She's also the founder of Hot Mama Burlesque, the world's only all-moms burlesque show. After being the NYC editor from March 2011-March 2015, she is now happy to just be a blogger as she pursues additional writing opportunities.

Latest posts by Raven Snook

This Week: NYC Harvest Festivals, Best Fall Museum Exhibits for Kids, Cool New After-School Classes

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 09/11/2014 - 12:00pm

Everything's coming up autumn on all of our sites this week. In NYC, we officially launched our Fall Fun Guide with new posts about the best museum exhibits for families this season, and harvest festivals, pumpkin patches and even a giant corn maze right here in the Big Apple.

Speaking of apples, we added a bunch of new posts to our Pick Your Own Guide including apple orchards on Long Island and in New Jersey (even low-spray ones), and pumpkin patches in Connecticut. Long Island also highlighted ten fall foliage nature walks, although you don't need to leave NYC to see cool colorful leaves.

If you're looking for a culture-filled destination for one of the upcoming holiday weekends (public school kids have four days off for Rosh Hashanah and three days for Columbus Day), our Family Travel site just shared a great three-day itinerary for Montreal. Fall is a wonderful season to visit before the winter chill sets in, although the city is quite beautiful around the holidays.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

This Week: NYC Fall Festivals, Apple Picking Season, Free Trial Classes for Kids, Back to School Fun

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 09/04/2014 - 2:00pm

Facebook has been a seemingly endless stream of adorable back-to-school pics this week. We even posted some first day pics from our Mommy Poppins bloggers and are encouraging readers to share their photos in the comments. (We can't get enough of those spiffy outfits and backpacks.) In addition to getting back to the books, we've been prepping for fall, updating our apple picking posts and our roundup of September fairs and festivals, and compiling lists of FREE trial classes for enriching kids' programs in NYC, New Jersey and beyond.

All of our regional sites also published brand-new September Go Lists highlighting the best things to do with kids throughout the month in Westchester, New Jersey, on Long Island and even further afield. With the Rosh Hashanah holiday weekend coming up (public schools are closed Thursday, September 25 and Friday, September 26, in case you didn't know), you may have time for a Go List-inspired day trip or a weekend getaway. Our Travel site just did a lovely post about Lake George in the Adirondacks, which is a wonderful destination for fall foliage.

And we have a great giveaway going on: Enter to win four tickets to see the long-running smash Blue Man Group. It's one of our top five Off-Broadway shows for families.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

This Week: NY County Fairs, Labor Day Weekend Family Getaways, Free NYC After School, End-of-Summer Fun

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 08/21/2014 - 12:00pm

Even though it's still a week away, Labor Day weekend seems to be on everyone's mind. So we started a special Labor Day section in our Summer Fun Guide featuring family getaway ideas, including destinations that don't require a car, plus last-minute travel deals on more far-flung excursions like Niagara Falls, Portland, Maine and even Orlando.

Our regional sites are good places to look for offbeat day trip inspiration. Just this week, Connecticut posted about the nature-filled town of Monroe, New Jersey shared a list of the top 25 things to do with preschoolers in the state, Westchester rounded up county fairs in upstate New York and Long Island has a super-detailed Hamptons and North Fork Family Guide.

If you're looking at a NYC staycation, our Summer Guide is packed with last-chance seasonal fun like water playgrounds, pools and beaches (that's my daughter at the Rockaway installation in Fort Tilden above, a must-see if you're heading to the shore over there).

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

This Week: Hersheypark & Chocolate World, NYC Camps with Space in August & September, Trip to the New York Renaissance Faire

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 08/14/2014 - 2:00pm

Can you hear that ticking? That's summer break winding down. (Back-to-school ads are in full force, and I've even spied some Halloween merch already!) But you still have time for a few more summer flings both in NYC and beyond. If you're looking for a multi-day family getaway, our Travel site shared insider tips for visiting Hersheypark and Chocolate World with kids. Day trips more your thing? We've got the scoop on five fabulous New Jersey beaches less than an hour by car from Manhattan, the best things to do with kids at the New York Renaissance Faire in Westchester, and five family-friendly bike paths on Long Island's East End. Of course there's no shame in just enjoying a NYC staycation—that's my daughter and her friends in the photo enjoying treats at Coney Island last weekend. And we may go there again this Saturday for its big annual Sand Sculpting Contest.

Before you start planning the final weeks of summer, remember, this is your very last chance to enter our SUMMER OF PLAY CHALLENGE, which ends on Friday. All you need to do is share photos of your family having fun on social media with the hashtags #summerofplay and #playmatters, and you'll be automatically entered to win our grand prize: All the fixings to host the Ultimate Summer of Play Bash, including a $200 gift card for Imagine Toys, a $100 gift card for Big Dot of Happiness for custom party tableware, banners and favors, and delicious organic snacks from Kind, Ella's Kitchen and Earth's Best.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

This Week: Last Chance to Enter Our Summer of Play Challenge, Water Theme Parks Near NYC, Coney Island & Brighton Beach

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 08/07/2014 - 12:00pm

It was a big week in my household as we celebrated my daughter's ninth birthday—twice (and we have one more party coming up at my mother-in-law's this Saturday. Remember when kids just got one bash?). Of course, summer birthdays can be a bit of a drag since so many friends are away. But we've been making up for it by getting the most out of the waning season, and we've got some fun trips planned to water theme parks, Coney Island and even Martha's Vineyard.

Speaking of isles off Massachusetts, our Boston site just published posts about the best things to do with kids on Georges Island and Spectacle Island, two historic Governors Island-like spots that are worth exploring if you're visiting Beantown. Want to go even further? On our Travel site you'll find a roundup of the best summer activities for kids in Burlington, Vermont and reviews of two VT resorts offering cool summer getaway packages. We've got closer day trip ideas, too: Our Long Island site recently spotlighted seven spots to get face time with animals in the Hamptons and Westchester profiled historic mansions with interactive activities for families.

While you're having all this fun, don't forget to share photos of your family on social media to be entered to win our SUMMER OF PLAY CHALLENGE grand prize: All the fixings to host the Ultimate Summer of Play Bash, including a $200 gift card for Imagine Toys, a $100 gift card for Big Dot of Happiness for custom party tableware, banners and favors, and delicious organic snacks from Kind, Ella's Kitchen and Earth's Best. We're picking our big winner next week so it's your last chance!

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

Chinese Mid-Autumn Moon Festivals in New York City: Moon Cakes and Flying Lanterns

Submitted by Raven Snook on Tue, 08/05/2014 - 9:00am

Recently we rounded up a slew of outdoor fairs and fests in September. Below we're spotlighting the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, a Chinese tradition that's celebrated all over the city.

Basically a Chinese harvest festival, the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival marks the fall equinox. Traditionally, families go out to admire the big autumn moon, eat elaborate moon cakes and light pretty paper lanterns. There are a number of organized celebrations around the city.

This Week: Best August Events for Kids in NYC & Beyond, New Summer Fun Like a Carousel, an Ice Cream Parlor & a Free Family Show

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 07/31/2014 - 1:00pm

I keep staring at the calendar and wondering, how can it be August already? That old saying that time flies when you're having fun seems to be especially true in summer when the long days (and even nights) are filled with family adventures. (Already this week my kid and I saw Cirque du Soleil: Varekai at Barclays Center, ate at the legendary Brooklyn Junior's and tonight we're off to see Marvel Universe Live! in New Jersey.)

Of course a new month means a bunch of brand-new Go Lists. We've already published roundups of the absolute best things to do with kids throughout August in NYC, Westchester and Connecticut, and the posts for Long Island and New Jersey go up on August 1. If you're hoping to get out of town for a day trip, these exceptional Go List events make for great inspiration. Or just browse our regional sites for destination ideas, like these five great family campgrounds in Westchester, five things to do with kids in Bridgehampton, Long Island and the top trampoline parks in New Jersey. Or, for a multi-day getaway, consider building a trip around the recently opened Legoland Discovery Center in Somerville, Massachusetts.

We're entering the final weeks of our SUMMER OF PLAY CHALLENGE and we're gearing up to give away our grand prize: all the fixings your family needs to throw the Ultimate Summer of Play Bash including a $200 gift card for Imagine Toys, a $100 gift card for Big Dot of Happiness, and delicious organic snacks from Ella's Kitchen and Earth's Best. So keep posting playful pics on social media and you may turn out to be our big winner! If you need family playtime inspiration, we have hundreds of ideas in our SUMMER OF PLAY GUIDE.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

This Week: Awesome Day Trip Ideas, Family Resort in Costa Rica, New Queens Play Space, NYC Weekend Fun

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 07/24/2014 - 3:00pm

Every year around this time, I start to feel like my daughter and I are the last New Yorkers left in the city. All of our friends are away at sleepaway camp or off on exotic vacations, like Mommy Poppins founder, Anna, who stayed at the fabulous Andaz Peninsula Papagayo Resort in Costa Rica this week. Not that I'm complaining. While I can't say we have NYC to ourselves (I think I've given directions to tourists every single day this week), we are still enjoying all summer in the city has to offer, including museum exhibits (the pic above is from the Jeff Koons retrospective at the Whitney), public pools, beaches and playgrounds. And since my daughter just got a pair of hand-me-down roller skates, the two new rinks in Brooklyn are on our must-do list.

Of course you don't have to get on a plane to have an out-of-town adventure. Our Long Island site highlighted six farms where kids can feed and pet the animals, and eight family-friendly hiking trails. Meanwhile, New Jersey rounded up seven pick-your-own farms with summer berries, and spotlighted the small but activity--filled ocean-side town of Avalon. And Connecticut made a list of the top 25 things to do with kids in New Haven.

Regardless of where you're spending the season, remember to post your playful pics on social media for a chance to win great prizes in our SUMMER OF PLAY CHALLENGE. It ends in a few weeks so start snapping today—you know you want to show off that gorgeous family of yours.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

Latest posts by Raven Snook

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