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: Kids' Concerts, Where to See Cherry Blossoms, Birthday Freebies, Children's Theater Festival

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 04/19/2012 - 4:00pm

The spring culture season is really heating up in the city. This week, we rounded up 13 awesome kids' concerts, including four taking place this weekend. We're also very excited about the first-ever New York Children's Theater Festival, which kicks off this weekend on the Upper West Side. The outdoor festival season is also in full swing with the Tribeca Family Festival Street Fair and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Cherry Blossom Festival coming up next weekend. (Glad they're not this weekend, since it's supposed to rain on Saturday and Sunday.)

Earth Day is the main event on our sister sites. You can celebrate our planet at lots of festivals this weekend on Long Island, in New Jersey and Connecticut—many of the events are inside so you don't have to worry about the weather. Our NJ site also did a really cool post about Geocaching with your kids, a kind of technological treasure hunt. And if you're planning on taking a trip with young children anytime soon, be sure to check out our tips for traveling alone with a baby or small kids.

Here's what else we shared this week on our NYC site.

First-Ever New York Children's Theater Festival Debuts on the Upper West Side This Weekend

Submitted by Raven Snook on Wed, 04/18/2012 - 10:00am

Last week when I posted about the best stage shows for families this spring, I intentionally left out the New York Children's Theater Festival. That's because I felt a venture like this deserved its own dedicated post.

While we're lucky to have the New Victory and lots of local family troupes, and the Fringe Festival offers a handful of FringeJr productions every year, this is the first time anyone has launched an entire theater festival aimed specifically at kids in New York City. Pretty hard to believe when you consider that NYC is a mecca for theater (not to mention families).

Who finally came up with the idea for the New York Children's Theater Festival? A mom of course, who also happens to be an actress, and two other industry professionals with a background in kids' theater. Over the next three weekends, the fest will present a trio of family musicals on the Upper West Side. We've got the scoop on the shows and how the NYCTF may improve NYC's children's theater scene.

This Week: New Kids' Theater Shows, Commemorating the Titanic in NYC, Awesome Easter Parade Photos

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 12:00pm

It's been a relatively quiet week in terms of posts at Mommy Poppins as we've been spending quality time with our kids over spring break. If you follow our Facebook page, then you know we've been on lots of fun NYC adventures, like strutting our bonnets in last Sunday's Easter Parade, checking out the cool cars at the New York International Auto Show and getting our hands dirty (literally) at the New York Botanical Garden.

Our sister sites have also been enjoying some well-earned downtime over break but there are still plenty of great posts, especially if you're looking for a last-minute day trip. We've rounded up great things to do with kids in Connecticut's Litchfield County and Long Island's Oyster Bay, or you can check out Adventure Aquarium's brand-new KidZone in Camden, New Jersey.

Here's what else we shared this week on our NYC site.

Free and Fun Things to Do This Weekend with NYC Kids: Children’s Carnival in Queens, Titanic 100th Anniversary, New Kids' Shows

Submitted by Raven Snook on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 4:00pm

Spring kicks into high gear this weekend with the start of festival season and the debut of a few wonderful new family shows. Enjoy kiddie rides, magic and more at the Queens Country Farm Museum's annual Children's Carnival, or check out two kids' theater productions we're really excited about: The Butterfly by Making Books Sing and the New Acting Company's irreverent adaptation of Jack & the Beanstalk.

This weekend also marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, and we've found age-appropriate ways kids can learn about the tragedy. In other water-related news, the Parks Department holds its online lottery for free spring swimming lessons this weekend. We've got the scoop on how to vie for a spot for your kid.

These are just a few of the great things going on this weekend. All of our best bets are below. You can find additional suggestions in our Event Calendar and our Spring Fun Guide.

Tribeca's Beloved Moomah Set to Reopen... Sort Of

Submitted by Raven Snook on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 10:00am

As New Yorkers, we realize that businesses (especially kid-centric ones) are constantly opening and closing. But it really broke our hearts when one of our favorite haunts, Moomah, announced that it was shutting its doors at the end of March.

But it's a woman prerogative to change her mind, and that's just what Tracey Stewart did. Due to public outcry, she's decided to reopen Moomah, albeit in a different form.

This Week: Easter Egg Hunts and Spring Festivals, Focus on Dumbo, Things to Do Over Spring Break

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 04/05/2012 - 4:00pm

Easter is the main event this week and all of our sites have posts about cool community Easter egg hunts and festivals, from NYC to Long Island to New Jersey and beyond. We also updated our posts about New Jersey's awesome Easter Bunny train rides and where to take photos with the big rabbit in NYC, and our Boston site has tips on creating healthier Easter baskets.

This week also marks the start of Passover and spring break. If you're planning a NYC staycation, we have lots of ideas about what to do over spring break. And if you want to get out of town, you have plenty of time to take a day trip or even plan a longer getaway with the help of our new Mommy Poppins Travel Site.

Here's what else we shared this week on our NYC site:

Giveaway: Win Season Tickets to TADA! Youth Theater

Submitted by Raven Snook on Tue, 03/27/2012 - 4:00pm

I love taking my kid to see live theater. Over the years, we've seen shows from Broadway to the Fringe Festival, but the ones that have made the biggest impression on her are the productions at TADA! Youth Theater. Part of that is because she's watching her peers onstage: the children's troupe is made up of local youngsters ages 8 to 18. But I think my daughter loves TADA! for the same reason I do: Its original musicals are funny, sweet, thought-provoking and all around awesome. And the tickets are super-affordable:$15 for adults, $8 for kids.

We've written many rave reviews of past TADA! shows, so we're excited to offer a huge ticket giveaway for the company's entire 2012-2013 season. One lucky family will win four tickets to four TADA! musicals, including Up to You, which opens in April, and two runner-ups will snag seats to one or two shows. All told, over $500 worth of prizes!

Read on for more info on this wonderful kids' theater company, and the scoop on how to enter to win TADA! tickets.

Best Kids' Classes in Harlem: Places to Play and Learn Indoors

Submitted by Raven Snook on Mon, 03/26/2012 - 10:00am

While Harlem has a ton of lovely outdoor parks and playgrounds, there are no drop-in indoor play spaces like many other Manhattan neighborhoods (unless you count Chuck E. Cheese's).

Happily, Harlem does have lots of wonderful places that offer cool kids' classes. Whether your children are looking to swim, dance, make art or just run around like maniacs, here are the top spots for children's classes in Harlem.