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

Cool Deals on Summer Camps & Classes, Plus Discounts on a Kidrockers Concert and a Family Pirate Show

Submitted by Raven Snook on Sun, 05/04/2014 - 10:00am

Been procrastinating about summer camp? Well perhaps it's paid off. Our latest roundup of deals includes 25% off cool summer programs where kids can enjoy music, modeling, language and sports, and a whopping 50% off fencing camp.

Already have summer camp all planned out? We also have significant discounts on the upcoming Kidrockers concert, the hilarious improved pirate show The Greatest Pirate Story Never Told! and more. If you see a bargain you can't pass up, act fast: Many of these deals will be gone before Memorial Day hits.

This Week: Best May Family Events in NYC & Beyond, Win a Full Summer of Camp, Coding for NYC Kids

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 05/01/2014 - 3:30pm

The one upside to the torrential rain this week were all the impressive pics of NYC rainbows I saw on Instagram. I took my rainbow shot down on Delancey Street and it was quite a hit on our Facebook page. But now that May is here, all of the April showers should be behind us. We certainly hope so since many of our top family event picks for May in NYC take place outdoors, like the iconic Dance Parade New York and the Memorial Day weekend opening of the newly expanded Governors Island.

If you're thinking about going on a quick spring getaway, look to our May Go Lists in New Jersey, Westchester, Long Island and beyond for inspiration. There are some truly day-trip-worthy happenings coming up, including Historic Hudson Valley's brand-new glow-in-the-dark installation Lightscapes and the annual Hoboken Spring Arts and Music Festival, which are both happening this weekend. Thinking of taking a longer trip? Over on our Travel site, Mommy Poppins founder, Anna, talks about the benefits of extended travel with kids and recalls the transformative experience of spending a month in Spain as a child.

And we have an amazing giveaway going on this week: Enter to win an entire summer session of camp at the JCC Day Camp at Pearl River—a $3,500 value. Since I'm still trying to figure out what to do with my eight-year-old this summer, I wish I were eligible to enter!

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

Top 10 Cool Kids' Concerts: Laurie Berkner, Suzi Shelton, Pixar in Concert & More Live Family Music for Spring 2014

Submitted by Raven Snook on Mon, 04/21/2014 - 6:00pm

We finish up our spring culture coverage with a roundup of the ten best kids' concerts taking place this season. They're not all your usual kindie rock suspects, either. There are some seriously awesome-sounding family music shows coming up including a one-day-only concert by the queen of preschool rock, Laurie Berkner; a kid-friendly performance by former 10,000 Maniacs singer Natalie Merchant; an album release party for Brooklyn songstress and mom Suzi Shelton; and the New York Philharmonic's fun classical spin on Pixar movie themes.

As usual, we've kept an eye on the prices. Yes, a few of the special concerts command high ticket fees, but some picks are under $20 and three are 100% FREE. Here are 10 concerts where you can clap, dance and sing along this spring.

This Week: Pick Your Own Fruits & Vegetables, Easter Weekend Events, Last Days of Spring Break, Great New NYC Summer Camps

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 04/17/2014 - 12:00pm

It's been a quiet week on all the Mommy Poppins sites as we spend quality time with our kids over spring break. I can't say it's been mellow though—my daughter and I have been running all over town trying to pack as much fun as possible into our NYC staycation! So far we've gone on the hunt for giant Fabergé designer eggs, strolled a section of the High Line (where a musician mistook us for tourists!), gawked at outrageous costume jewelry and 3D printing at the Museum of Arts and Design, saw Atlantic for Kids' fabulous new musical Mr. Chickee's Funny Money, played with snow (yes it really snowed on Tuesday) and romped at our favorite neighborhood playground. And we still have five days left to go, only Sunday is spoken for since we never miss the awesome Easter Bonnet Parade.

Easter of course is the big event this weekend and egg hunts abound in NYC and beyond. If you're looking for a quick seasonal getaway, consider going on an egg hunt and then hitting a Destination Playground on Long Island, taking a train ride with the Easter Bunny in New Jersey, or picking your own fruits and veggies in Westchester.

However you spend the rest of spring break, we hope you have lots of memorable family adventures. Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

This Week: Spring Break Is Here, NYC Day Trips, Easter Egg Decorating, Great Family Theater shows in NYC

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 04/10/2014 - 2:00pm

These days, the only things my daughter wants to talk about are spring break and Easter fun. But every NYC public school parent I know can't stop talking about all of the huge education-related things that have gone down this week, from the many protests against high-stakes testing throughout the city; to the New York State Education Department's decision to cancel its agreement to share students' private data with inBloom; to the NYC Department of Education amending its grade promotion policy for third to eighth graders so that passing the ELA and Math Assessments is no longer the main criteria for moving up. (That last one is still pending the approval of the Panel on Educational Policy.)

Clearly we public school families have a lot to digest, although I doubt we'll want to spend too much time on all that over spring break when there are so many awesome things to do. My daughter and I are planning a staycastion packed with museums, theater, egg decorating and leisurely afternoons in the park. But lots of our friends are hoping to get out of the city for a day trip or two. Awesome tri-state area getaways to consider include this weekend's annual Sheep-to-Shawl Festival at Philipsburg Manor in Westchester, laser tag fun on Long Island and New Jersey's iPlay America indoor amusement park and arcade. Checking our regional sites is always a great way to spark your destination inspiration.

Whatever you end up doing with your time off, we wish you and your family lots of memorable adventures! Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

This Week: NYC Easter Egg Hunts, Spring Fairs & Festivals, Best Things to Do with Kids in April in NYC & Beyond

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 04/03/2014 - 12:00pm

What a long, event-packed week it's been, especially for those of us with kids in public school. The ELA standardized tests kicked off on Tuesday, which also happened to be April Fools' Day (feel free to share your best punchlines in the comments). At least spring is finally in the air as we all gear up for a season filled with festivals and fairs; Easter egg hunts, including the awesome Fabergé Big Egg Hunt, which has brought 250-plus giant decorated egg statues to our city; and other outdoor fun.

All of our sites posted brand-new April Go Lists highlighting the absolute best things to do with kids throughout the month. Here in NYC, our top family event picks for April include three of our annual favorites: the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Cherry Blossom Festival, the Tribeca Film Festival Family Street Fair and the Queens County Farm Museum's Children's Carnival. If you're looking for spring break getaway ideas, check out our April Go Lists for Westchester, New Jersey, Long Island and beyond—they just might inspire a day trip or two.

And there's still time to enter our Amazing Max giveaway. We're giving away two prize packages that include four front-row tickets to the family magic show, a magic kit, an instructional DVD, and a private meet and greet with Max himself.

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

Opting Out of the State Tests: The NYC DOE Issues New Opt-Out Guidelines for the ELA and Math Assessments

Submitted by Raven Snook on Sun, 03/30/2014 - 10:00am

Last year, when the New York State Education Department decided to overhaul the ELA and Math Assessments to be more in line with the Common Core standards, there was a huge outcry. Teachers and parents alike complained that students weren't adequately prepared for the tougher tests and some families decided to have their kids skip the exams all together even though the NYC Department of Education refused to officially acknowledge opting out. Now that has changed.

Less than a week before the ELA Assessments, which begin on Tuesday, Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña has updated the New York State Tests Parent Guide with opting out guidelines. So families who don't want their children to take the ELA or Math Assessments have a clear course of action. We've got the details on how to opt out and the implications it has for your child.

This Week: Easter Bunny Photos & Train Rides, Best Spring Museum Exhibits for NYC Kids, Hot Deals on Summer Camps

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 03/27/2014 - 12:00pm

This last weekend of March we're all looking ahead to everything spring brings like Easter, the ELA tests (they're next week!), school break and a lot more time outdoors. While we're still in the process of updating our super-popular Easter egg hunts post (don't worry, it's coming next week), we did share the best places to take your photo with the Easter Bunny in NYC and New Jersey, as well as fun holiday-themed train rides with the big bunny.

Spring is also a great season for family culture, both high and low. We kicked off our coverage with a roundup of the best new museum exhibits for kids in NYC while our Los Angeles site has a great review of Muppets Most Wanted, which my daughter and I also loved. Be warned, once you read about all the awesome extras you get when you see it at Disney's El Capitan Theatre in LA, you may feel inspired to book your spring break vacation there.

And if your family's not quite ready to say goodbye to winter, we have a great giveaway going on for you: Enter to win a family four-pack of lift tickets to Killington Resort in Vermont.

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