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

Weekly Wrap Up: Free and Cheap Summer Camps, Focus on Harlem, Drop-in NYC Play Spaces

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 4:00pm

This week we updated our post about drop-in play spaces in Manhattan, but one fun romping spot was missing: Moomah. That's because the Tribeca mainstay is closing at the end of this month. That's my daughter in the photo painting a birdhouse last weekend. When I told her that was probably the last time we'd eat/craft/play there, she cried. If you're a fan, definitely put a final visit to Moomah on your March to-do list.

Another important thing to do this month? Sign up for summer camp. Our Camp Guide has been updated for the season, including our popular post about free and cheap summer camps. One of the programs we spotlight, the NYC Parks Experience Summer Day Camp, which costs $500 for the entire summer, is holding its online lottery this weekend. So you'll want to read our article to find out how to vie for a spot.

NYC's neighborhood of the month is Harlem, while Long Island will be focusing on the best things to do with kids in Oyster Bay. Meanwhile, our Connecticut folks have compiled an awesome list of 110 things to do with kids in CT before they grow up... broken down by season!

If you want to stay on top of everything that's going on in New Jersey, Long Island, Connecticut, Boston or Los Angeles, you can subscribe to our free newsletters. Read on for everything we covered on Mommy Poppins NYC this week.

Gymnastics Parties for NYC Kids

Submitted by Raven Snook on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 3:00pm

Back when my daughter was in preschool, whenever her birthday rolled around all I had to do was book a play space and we were set. Now that she’s in elementary school, I knew a gym party wasn’t going to cut it. But I still wanted a celebration where the kids could run around and have fun—without the parents feeling the need to chaperone.

Since gymnastics is my daughter’s big thing, it seemed like the perfect solution. Admittedly these parties don’t come cheap, but if you’ve got an aspiring Shawn Johnson, it’s worth the investment. These spots have quality (and clean!) equipment and professional instructors who make safety a priority. Best of all, after all that running, jumping, swinging and tumbling, your kid’s bound to be ready for a nap. Shades of preschool all over again!

Read on for ten of our favorite gymnastics party places for big kids.

Weekly Wrap Up: Maple Sugaring Season, Purim Celebrations, Women's History Month

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 03/01/2012 - 4:00pm

We still have our Winter Guide up on our front page but since my daughter and I spotted blooming daffodils on the way to school this morning, we think it will soon be time to switch to our Spring Fun Guide.

The warm weather means maple sugaring season is in full swing and that New York City's plentiful playgrounds are buzzing with activity. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. We remember years when it snowed in April, so don't give up on winter fun quite yet.

Our summer camp coverage continued with roundups of sleepaway camps that offer SAT prep, and nature-filled sleepaway camps on Long Island and in Connecticut. Meanwhile our New Jersey site's been all about birthdays this week, with posts on ice cream parties, animal parties, and party planners and entertainers. If you want to stay on top of everything that's going on in New Jersey, Long Island, Connecticut, Boston or Los Angeles, you can subscribe to our free newsletters. Read on for everything we covered on Mommy Poppins NYC this week.

See the Circus But Not the Elephant Parade this Year

Submitted by Raven Snook on Sun, 02/26/2012 - 4:00pm

Update: In lieu of a parade in 2013, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey is hosting an Elephant Dance Party in Dumbo, Brooklyn on Wednesday, March 20. Find the info here. We also have the scoop on eight circus shows playing NYC this spring.

A lot of readers have been asking when Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus plans to parade its elephants across the Queens-Midtown Tunnel and through the streets of Manhattan this year. But for the second year in a row, the Greatest Show on Earth is skipping the city, which means no elephant parade in 2012.

However, Ringling Bros. will be bringing its brand-new spectacle Dragons to nearby suburban stadiums throughout March, and the circus is also hosting a cute promotional event in Grand Central next week to kick off its tri-state area run.

Of course Ringling isn't the only act in town. Read on for other circus performances in New York City, two with elephants (sorry PETA), but many with humans-only casts.

Weekly Wrap Up: Updated NYC School Zone Maps, Comedy for Kids, Farewell to February Break

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 02/23/2012 - 3:00pm

We've had a really busy February break, although it wasn't all work. Yes, we wrote new posts about comedy classes and shows for kids and how to find accurate NYC school zone maps (that second one took us a half a day to research!). But we also spent a lot of time having fun with our kids. Stephanie took her son snow tubing, Anna went on a behind-the-scenes tour of Radio City Music Hall and I sent my daughter to a half-day camp... and she demanded to stay the entire day because apparently the counselors are more fun than I am. (Maybe she was just sick of walking the dogs.)

Our sites outside of NYC have been busy, too. If you're thinking of taking a day trip this weekend, how about visiting one of the many indoor miniature golf courses in New Jersey? Meanwhile, hot on the heels of NYC's Summer Camp Guide come roundups of Long Island summer camps in Suffolk and Nassau Counties, and performing arts camps in Connecticut's Hartford County.

Weekly Wrap Up: February Break Fun, Summer Camp Guide, Ringling Bros. Circus Ticket Giveaway

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 4:00pm

Is it just us, or is the lead up to the three-day weekend going really slowly? We can honestly say that we're looking forward to the holiday even more than our kids (who, let's face it, have more fun at school than we do at work... oh how I wish I could have recess).

Not that we didn't have any fun this week: We continued our focus on Jackson Heights with posts about great places to eat and play in the neighborhood. And in anticipation of next week's public school break, we rounded up the best things to do over midwinter recess.

Outside of NYC, our New Jersey site is giving away a family four-pack to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's brand-new circus spectacular Dragons, which is playing three tri-state area venues. Our Connecticut site rounded up the best indoor play spaces in Hartford County. And all of our sites have roundups of great activities to do over Presidents' Day weekend in case you do a day trip.

Check Out Mommy Poppins' 2012 Summer Camp Guide

Submitted by Raven Snook on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 10:00am

You know what keeps me up at night this time of year? Summer camp. Every February I feel like I have to start the whole process over again. It's tough to find a program that balances my child's interests with my strict budget, which is why I've spent many a winter asking friends for recommendations, hitting camp fairs and, when I was really desperate, googling.

I know I'm not alone. All moms and dads go through this seasonal stress. That's why we created the Mommy Poppins Camp Guide, to help parents like you (and me) find the programs that best fit our families. Here's some of what you'll find in our 2012 Camp Guide.

Weekly Wrap Up: February Break Camps, Jackson Heights, Valentine's Day, Sesame Street Live Discount

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 02/09/2012 - 4:00pm

Are you ready for February break? We've been writing about cool places to visit while public schools are off like cozy indoor gardens and the reopened South Street Seaport Museum. If you're up for braving the cold (it's finally starting to feel like winter), you could take a walking tour of a new-to-you area like Jackson Heights, Queens, which is our neighborhood of the month.

Looking for a fun day trip? Get inspired by our posts about 100 things to do on Long Island with kids and 30 things for families to do in Fairfield County, Connecticut. And if you have to work over break, we sympathize. That's why we rounded up midwinter recess camps.

Latest posts by Raven Snook

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